Guidance

Notarial and documentary services guide for Algeria

Documents, certificates, letters and notes available at the British Embassy in Algeria.

From:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
5 March 2014
Last updated
14 December 2022 — See all updates

Overview

The British consulate can provide a range of notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Algeria. Where local notaries can provide services, the British Embassy Algiers will not provide them. In many cases local notaries or lawyers can provide services more cheaply, quickly and conveniently.

You must make an appointment for each service that requires your personal attendance. Use the links after each service to book your appointment. Before booking, make sure you have selected the correct service and that the document will be accepted by the relevant authority. This could be the local town hall, registry office, tax authorities, immigration office or another authority either in Algeria, the UK or a third country. your local British consular office cannot confirm this information, only the relevant authority can advise you.

Services we provide in Algeria

Consular staff in Algeria can:

  • administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit
  • witness a signature
  • make a certified copy of a British passport
  • unite documents
  • prepare a document in English or the local language
  • provide a letter confirming that we no longer register British nationals
  • exchange a certificate of no impediment issued by a UK registrar

For information about documents relating to marriage, such as a certificate of no impediment (CNI) and affirmations or affidavits of marital status, see getting married abroad.

If you can’t find the service you are looking for on this page, see other services provided by the British Embassy in Algeria

Booking an appointment

All notarial and documentary services including marriage should be booked with the British Embassy Algiers. Please see the individual services below for details of supporting documents to bring and use the link attached to the service to book your appointment. You should attend your appointment at the exact time as mentioned on your booking. You will not be allowed into the Embassy prior to that.

The opening hours for appointments (local time) are: Monday and Wednesday, 9.30am to 13.00pm (local time).

What to bring to your appointment

See the individual services below for details of supporting documents to bring. Make sure you have acceptable proof of address and identity, and payment for any fees. See the full list of consular fees

Payment

We accept and encourage payment by international credit or debit card on the day of the appointment.

Refunds of consular fees are not given for certificates of notarial services that are not accepted by the requesting authority.

Proof of identity

For all appointments for notarial services you will need to bring acceptable proof of your identity. We accept passports or national identity cards as proof of identity.

Administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit

This service is for people who need to swear an oath, make an affirmation or make an affidavit in front of a consular officer. You may need to make an affirmation or affidavit of marital status in order to get married in Algeria. The Embassy will not draft documents for you other than those required for marriage. First check with the consulate what format they need and then have the document drawn up or checked by a professional.

What you will need to bring with you:

  • the oath, affirmation or affidavit that you will swear or affirm
  • the correct fee – see the list of fees and payments can be made by international debit or credit card
  • proof of identity/address

We accept passports or national identity cards as proof of identity. We accept documents accepted as proof of address in Algeria as proof of your address.

Book an appointment to administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit in Algeria.

Witness a signature

This service is for customers who need to sign a document and have their signature witnessed by a consular officer. The document must be prepared before your appointment as we will not draft documents for you. We do not handle wills or probate, or witness deed polls.

Please do not sign the document before your appointment.

What you will need to bring with you:

We accept passports or national identity cards as proof of identity. We accept documents accepted as proof of address in Algeria as proof of your address.

Book an appointment to Witness a signature in British Embassy in Algeria.

Make a certified copy of a British passport

This service is for customers who need certified photocopies of British passports.

What you will need to bring with you:

We accept passports or national identity cards as proof of identity. We accept documents accepted as proof of address in Algeria as proof of your address.

Book an appointment to make a certified copy in British Embassy Algeria

Unite documents

This service joins documents together using ribbon and a seal and is usually only needed for legal reasons.

What you will need to bring with you:

We accept passports or national identity cards as proof of identity. We accept documents accepted as proof of address in Algeria as proof of your address.

Book an appointment to unite documents in British Embassy in Algeria

Prepare a document in English or the local language

In a limited number of cases consular staff can write a statement of fact (‘preparing a certificate’) to help British nationals with various local authorities. The wording must be cleared with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London, which means these documents will take longer to prepare.

We can only provide this service if we have proof that the wording/content you require is correct and unambiguous. This service is provided at the discretion of consular staff and we can refuse to provide it. Please contact the British Embassy Algiers before making an appointment. We can prepare these documents in English or in French. Please ensure you select the correct service and note the difference in fees.

What you will need to bring with you:

We accept passports or national identity cards as proof of identity. We accept documents accepted as proof of address in Algeria as proof of your address.

Book an appointment to prepare a document at the English in British Embassy Algiers or Book an appointment to prepare a document in another language at the British Embassy Algiers

Provide a letter confirming that we no longer register British nationals

You can collect a stamped signed copy of a consular letter confirming that we no longer register British nationals, by appointment. If you are unable to come in person, a third person can come and collect the letter on your behalf.

What you will need to bring with you:

Book an appointment to collect a letter that we no longer register British nationals at the British Embassy Algeria.

Getting married in Algeria

For information about documents relating to marriage if you are living abroad, such as a certificate of no impediment (CNI) and affirmations or affidavits of marital status, see getting married abroad.

If you are living in the UK and are planning to get married in Algeria, you’ll be asked to provide a certificate of no impediment (CNI) to prove you’re allowed to marry. You can normally get a CNI by giving a notice of marriage at your local register office or registrar in the UK. Find your local office or registrar in England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey.

A CNI issued in Scotland is valid for 3 months. A CNI issued in England, Wales or Northern Ireland will not expire. Check with your local register office to find out how long a CNI is valid if you live in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. You should also check with the local authorities in Algeria to find out how long a CNI is valid under local law.

You’ll need to exchange your certificate of no impediment issued by UK registrar for one that’s valid in Algeria at the British Embassy in Algiers.

The local authorities may require additional documents such as your birth certificate or evidence of the termination of any previous marriage. You should clarify this with the local authorities. The names on all documents you provide must appear exactly as they do on your passports - if not, the authorities may refuse to allow the marriage to go ahead. You may need to provide evidence if the name on your passport is different to your birth certificate (eg marriage certificate or deed poll).

Exchange a certificate of no impediment issued by a UK registrar

What you will need to bring with you:

Book an appointment to exchange a certificate of no impediment at the embassy in Algeria.

Services provided elsewhere

The British embassy no longer handles applications for renunciation and naturalisation or registration as a British citizen. All applications are now handled by the UK Border Agency.

We no longer witness life certificates for British nationals claiming a British pension abroad. Please refer to the list of people working in a recognised profession

Data protection

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK government departments and public authorities.

Disclaimer

This information is provided as a general guide and is based upon information provided to the embassy / consulate by the relevant authorities and may be subject to change at any time with little or no notice. Accordingly the FCDO and the British embassy / consulate will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information. For all Notarial and legalisation services it is the responsibility of the customer to ascertain the precise requirements of the person requesting the Notarial or legalisation service and to satisfy themselves that the service provided by the embassy/consulate will be accepted.

Published 5 March 2014
Last updated 14 December 2022 + show all updates

  1. Broken links related to Isle of Man and Metropolitan Police UK

  2. Updated 'booking an appointment' section.

  3. Amended November 2017

  4. Check Updates (British Embassy in Algeria)

  5. change to online appointment

  6. there was a mistake in one of the link

  7. First published.

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