Further clarifications of shadow points for international bank card holders:
father-in-law
Expressiveness
The service is available to Islamic account holders
Uses for payment in hotels, restaurants, stores, etc
Online purchases are permitted while living abroad
Possibility of financing parents’ cards from the children’s account
Algerian banks have begun announcing the details of implementing the new exchange right, coinciding with its entry into force, revealing unprecedented services and facilities for the benefit of travelers abroad.
In addition to clarifying the procedures for benefiting from the tourist grant, banking institutions have officially confirmed that international bank cards allow their holders to withdraw from ATMs abroad, pay at millions of stores, hotels and restaurants, and complete online purchases related to travel, while accelerating the deadlines for issuing them with some banks to only 48 hours, and expanding their use to include Islamic account holders, as well as enabling students and adult children, and even sponsored parents, to benefit from the right of exchange according to the specified conditions and procedures.
Returning the amount gives the traveler his right to benefit again
The National Bank of Algeria revealed, in an explanatory publication seen by Al-Shorouk, the details and procedures for benefiting from the new exchange right allocated to travelers abroad, which entered into force starting on July 10, 2026, specifying the required documents, how to charge the international bank card, and the conditions for benefiting from the grant.
The bank explained that the entitlement to the disbursement is directed to all persons holding Algerian nationality and residing in Algeria, and is intended exclusively for use while traveling abroad, as the ceiling of the grant is 750 euros for adults starting from 19 years of age, and 300 euros for youth between the ages of 12 and 19 years, within the limit of two children per family.
The circular confirmed that the value of the exchange entitlement charged to the “Visa” card must be a multiple of 50 euros, provided that the minimum period of stay abroad is seven days. In the event that the trip or return is canceled before the expiration of this period, the beneficiary must inform the banking agency and return the amount within five days.
Regarding how to benefit, the bank explained that the customer goes to his banking agency accompanied by travel documents, after which the international card is charged with the amount due, indicating that the exchange right can only be used during travel, and it is not allowed to withdraw it in cash or use it for other purposes.
The publication added that minor children who benefit from the grant do not receive a separate card, but rather the value of 300 euros for each child is charged to the father’s personal card, with a maximum limit of two children per family.
The bank provided practical examples, most notably that a family consisting of a father, mother, and two children aged 14 and 16 years old benefits from 1,350 euros charged to the father’s card, compared to 750 euros charged to the mother’s card. However, if one of the children is a student over the age of 19 years, he in turn benefits from 750 euros in a separate card in his name, in addition to 750 euros for the father, 750 euros for the mother, and 300 euros for the minor child.
The bank explained that the unused balance remains saved in the account for exclusive use using the Visa card. The grant can also be used for electronic payment in stores, hotels and restaurants, and online payment while staying abroad, in addition to withdrawing from ATMs outside the country.
Regarding the required documents, the bank specified the submission of a round-trip ticket or land travel tax receipt, a valid passport, a copy of the first page of the passport, and a copy of the visa when necessary, along with a document proving income or resource declaration for the father, and an international bank card. It also requires a family certificate, their passports, and travel tickets for children.
The circular indicated that the non-working wife, non-working children, and students over the age of 19 years can benefit from the right of exchange by opening a special account and obtaining a “Visa” card financed by the father, along with submitting proof of his income or a declaration of his resources.
The bank also pointed out that customers who already own an international card of the “Visa Classic” or “Visa Signature” type are not required to request a new card, as their existing cards can be loaded directly with the right to exchange, within the framework of procedures described as simple and quick.
The National Bank of Algeria concluded by emphasizing that benefiting from the exchange right begins on the seventh day prior to the travel date, calling on its customers to keep the emergency numbers of the agency and the bank, and to report immediately if the card is lost, stolen, or blocked while abroad.
Millions of payment points around the world accept Algerian cards
In the same context, banks have intensified their efforts to facilitate travelers’ benefit from the new right of exchange, as the Arab Bank announced the provision of the service of issuing an international bank card within a period not exceeding 48 hours, enabling customers to charge it with the right of exchange and use it during their travel outside the country. The bank explained that the service includes various categories of customers, including Islamic account holders, and that issuing the card allows them to benefit from all the services associated with it, such as electronic payment at shops, hotels and restaurants, online shopping, and withdrawal from ATMs outside Algeria. This is within the framework of simplified and quick procedures, noting that the benefit remains subject to the terms and conditions in force with the bank.
In the same context, the Foreign Bank of Algeria published a number of clarifications related to benefiting from the new right of exchange, stressing that adult children and students can obtain the tourist grant by obtaining an international bank card in the name of each of them, after opening an account in dinars and another in hard currency, provided that they are funded directly from the father’s account. The bank also explained that people who support their parents can enable them to benefit from the right of exchange, by issuing an international card for each of them, which is charged from the account of the son or daughter. Those responsible for them.
The bank added that the amounts deposited under the right of exchange are not limited to covering travel expenses, but can also be used for online purchases related to traveling abroad.
He pointed out that if the trip is canceled or the traveler returns before the expiry of the specified legal residence period of seven days, and the amount of the entitlement to disbursement is returned within the specified time frames, the beneficiary regains his right to receive the grant again. He also confirmed that citizens who benefited from the right of exchange during the period extending from July 21 to December 31, 2025, can benefit again from the right of exchange for the year 2026, without having to wait a full year. The bank called on its customers to contact its agencies or competent departments in the event that the card is lost, stolen, or if it suffers a malfunction while abroad, in order to take the necessary measures to protect the balance and restore service.
For its part, the Algerian Popular Credit highlighted the advantages that international bank cards provide to travelers, explaining that they allow making payments at millions of stores across various countries of the world, and withdrawing from international ATMs, while benefiting from safe and fast electronic transactions while traveling.
The bank confirmed that these cards give their holders greater flexibility in movement and paying various expenses abroad, calling on its customers to contact the call center or its agencies to obtain all information related to the use of international cards and to benefit from the new exchange right.
