Admission to the Algiers Stock Exchange: Visa facilitation for start-ups

Already benefiting from extensive public support measures aimed at promoting their emergence and growth, local start-ups will now be exempt from visa fees upon admission to the Algiers Stock Exchange with a view to raising funds on the market, thus offering them new opportunities for financing and development. In a joint statement released yesterday, the authorities responsible for supervising the Algiers stock market, namely the Commission for the Organisation and Supervision of Stock Exchange Operations (COSOB), the Stock Exchange Management Company (SGBV) and the Central Securities Depository (Algérie Clearing), announced "the official launch of an exceptional scheme to waive listing fees for companies with start-up status that choose to raise funds via the 'Growth' compartment of the Algiers Stock Exchange's equity market". This exceptional measure has been put in place "for a period of three years covering the period 2026-2028", according to the same press release, which emphasises that this new measure is part of "the strategic guidelines of the public authorities aimed at promoting the development of start-ups, entrepreneurship and innovation as essential levers for the diversification of the national economy". This "concerted and joint initiative in favour of innovative start-ups with high growth potential", it further explains, "is part of an approach aimed at facilitating start-ups' access to the financial market and enhancing its attractiveness by helping to meet their financing needs through appropriate access conditions, in particular through the 'Growth' compartment, which is specifically dedicated to this category of companies." The press release specifies that "this measure applies to any fundraising operation not exceeding DA 500,000,000 and carried out on or after 1 February 2026."


In this context, it is noted that start-ups " will benefit from a full exemption from visa application fees on information notices, levied by Cosob, from all official listing fees, levied by SGBV", as well as from all "securities administration, custody and management fees" normally paid to Algérie Clearing. These three bodies, it is emphasised, are thus reaffirming, through this new initiative, "their commitment to supporting the growth of Algerian start-ups and encouraging them to seek financing from the financial market as part of an integrated financing ecosystem for these companies". It should be noted that, thanks to the reforms undertaken in recent years with a view to modernising and reviving its activity, the Algiers Stock Exchange has created a "Growth" compartment specifically dedicated to start-ups and smaller SMEs with more flexible listing conditions, with a view to facilitating their access to fundraising and financing operations on the capital market. This compartment currently has two companies listed, especially AOM Invest and Moustachir SPA, alongside six other large companies listed on the main market, namely Saidal, El Aurassi, CPA, BDL, Biopharm and Alliance Assurances. Although the Algiers Stock Exchange is undergoing a dynamic process of recovery and modernisation, it is important to note that it needs new and even larger flows of companies to be listed, particularly private companies, to sufficiently increase its trading volumes and thus play a more active role in collecting savings and financing the economy.