How to Sell Online Legally in Algeria — Commercial Register, Law 18-05, and Practical Steps

Hundreds of thousands of Algerians sell online. The vast majority — especially those operating via Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — do so without official registration.

This guide is not about judgment. It explains what Algerian law actually requires, what the real enforcement risks are, and a practical path to operating legally when you're ready to scale.

The law in plain language: Law 18-05

Loi N° 18-05 du 10 mai 2018 is Algeria's e-commerce law. Its core requirements for online sellers:

1. Registration: Every person conducting commercial activity via electronic means must be registered in the commercial register (registre du commerce) and hold a NIF (Numéro d'Identification Fiscale).

2. Domain name: E-commerce sites must use an Algerian domain name (.com.dz, .dz, or .net.dz) — though in practice, hosting platforms like DZBuild that provide the infrastructure are separate from the merchant's own domain requirement.

3. Consumer disclosures: Online sellers must display their full commercial name, address, NIF, RC number, product descriptions, prices in DZD, delivery terms, and a complaint channel.

4. 7-day withdrawal right: Buyers have 7 days from delivery to return most product categories.

5. Personal data: Collecting customer names, phones, and addresses is regulated — sellers must not resell or misuse this data.

What this means practically:

• Selling on your own website or e-commerce platform: registration required by law
• Selling via Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp informally: technically requires registration once you conduct regular commercial activity

Do you really need registration to sell online?

Technically: yes. The law applies to commercial activity regardless of scale.

Practically: Enforcement is minimal for small informal sellers today. The real risk increases with:

• Scale: larger operations are more visible and draw more complaints
• Paid advertising: running Meta or TikTok ads links your business identity to a public audience
• Banking: regular COD deposits into a personal account attract tax authority scrutiny above certain thresholds
• Hiring: impossible without a registered legal structure
• Supplier contracts: formal wholesale suppliers and courier companies increasingly require an RC for business accounts

For anyone planning to grow beyond 50–100 orders per month, registration becomes a practical necessity — not just a legal one.

Getting your registre du commerce — Step by step

Step 1: Choose your legal structure

Commerçant personne physique (individual trader):

• Simplest option — no minimum capital requirement
• Personal liability is unlimited (your personal assets can cover business debts)
• Fastest to register
• Best for: solo merchants starting out, testing a business concept

EURL (Entreprise Unipersonnelle à Responsabilité Limitée):

• Single-person company — limits personal liability
• Minimum capital: 100,000 DZD for commercial activity (some exceptions apply)
• Requires a notary to draft company bylaws (statuts)
• Best for: merchants with meaningful revenue wanting liability protection

SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée):

• Multi-person LLC equivalent (2+ associates)
• Best for: business partners

Most new online sellers choose commerçant personne physique to start, then convert to EURL once the business is established.

Step 2: Choose and check your business name

Your commercial name must:

• Not conflict with existing registered names
• Not include protected terms (banque, assurance, national, etc.)

Check availability at your local CNRC office before submitting.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

For commerçant personne physique:

• National ID (Carte Nationale d'Identité — valid)
• Proof of address (utility bill, lease agreement, or certificate from APC)
• 2 passport-format photos
• Completed application form (available at CNRC offices free of charge)

For EURL:

• All of the above
• Notarized company bylaws (statuts de la société)
• Bank certificate showing capital deposit in a temporary company account
• Publication fee for Bulletin Officiel des Annonces Légales et Obligatoires (BOAL)

Step 4: Register at CNRC

Go to your wilaya's Centre National du Registre de Commerce (CNRC) office. There is at least one per wilaya capital.

1. Submit your documents at the reception counter
2. Pay the registration fee (approximately 3,000 to 7,000 DZD depending on structure)
3. Receive your numéro de RC (commercial register number) — typically within 3 to 7 working days for personne physique, 7 to 15 days for EURL

The CNRC office publishes new registrations in the BOAL.

Step 5: Obtain your NIF

Your Numéro d'Identification Fiscale is issued by the Direction des Impôts (tax authority). Apply at your local tax office with:

• Your RC certificate
• National ID
• Business address proof

Processing: 3 to 7 working days.

Step 6: Register with CASNOS

The Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale des Non-Salariés (CASNOS) covers social security contributions for self-employed persons and business owners. Registration is required once your RC is issued.

Step 7 (if applicable): Municipal authorization

Some wilayas or product categories require an authorization from the APC (Assemblée Populaire Communale). Ask your local APC office if this applies to your business type.

Total cost estimate

Step	Cost (DZD)
Registration fees at CNRC	3,000 – 7,000
Notary fees (EURL only)	15,000 – 30,000
Bank capital deposit (EURL only, returned to you later)	100,000
BOAL publication (EURL only)	2,000 – 5,000
Total: personne physique	3,000 – 7,000
Total: EURL (out-of-pocket cost, excl. capital)	20,000 – 42,000

Capital deposited for EURL is returned to you once the RC is issued — it's not a permanent cost.

What to display on your store

Once registered, your store must show:

• Full commercial name + RC number
• Business address
• NIF
• Phone or email
• Prices in DZD (all taxes included)
• Delivery timelines and conditions
• Return and withdrawal policy (7-day right for standard products)
• A complaint/contact channel

In DZBuild, your store settings include fields for all of this. Completing your legal information page fulfills the law's disclosure requirements and simultaneously builds customer trust.

The domain name question

Law 18-05 mentions .com.dz/.dz domains. In practice:

• Enforcement of the domain name requirement has been minimal
• International platform domains (.com, .app) are widely used by legitimate Algerian businesses
• A DZBuild store on a .dzbuild.app subdomain is a legitimate hosted store address
• If you want a .com.dz domain, apply through ANIC (Autorité de Nommage de l'Internet en Algérie) — requires a valid RC, costs approximately 2,500–5,000 DZD/year, and can be connected to your DZBuild store as a custom domain

What happens without registration

Risks of operating unregistered at scale:

1. Administrative fine: the Direction Générale du Commerce can issue fines for unregistered commercial activity
2. Payment gateway rejection: payment processors and some courier platforms require an RC for business accounts
3. Banking friction: regular COD deposits into personal accounts without a business structure draws tax scrutiny above certain revenue thresholds
4. Growth ceiling: you cannot hire, sign formal supplier contracts, or access business financing without a legal structure

For merchants doing under 30–50 orders/month informally, the practical enforcement risk today is low. For anyone above that level or planning to grow: registration protects your business and removes every constraint that would otherwise limit your scale.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I open a DZBuild store without a registre du commerce? A: Yes — DZBuild doesn't require an RC to create and operate a store. The legal registration requirement is a matter of Algerian commercial law between you and the state, not between you and the platform.

Q: I sell from home. Does that change anything? A: No — commercial activity from home is still subject to registration requirements. Your home address can be used as your business address on the RC.

Q: Does the 7-day withdrawal right apply to all my products? A: Not all. Excluded categories include customized/personalized products, perishable goods, software once downloaded, and some services. For standard physical products, the 7-day rule applies.

Q: I've been selling for a year without registration. Can I regularize? A: Yes. There is no penalty for registering now. The CNRC process is the same whether you're new or have been operating informally. Regularizing your status is straightforward.

Q: Is there a revenue threshold below which I don't need to register? A: The law does not specify a revenue threshold for commercial activity registration — the threshold applies to tax obligations (TAP, TVA) but not to the fundamental obligation to register once you're conducting regular commercial activity.