Phytosanitary Certificate for Algeria

Plant Health Paperwork for Shipments to Algeria

Algeria is one of the larger importers of grain and agricultural products in the Mediterranean region, and every consignment of plants or plant products arriving from the U.S. is checked by Algeria’s plant protection service under the Ministry of Agriculture. The document that answers that check is the phytosanitary certificate, APHIS form PPQ 577. It certifies that the consignment was inspected and found to meet Algeria’s plant health import requirements, including any additional declarations Algeria requires for that commodity.

Start with Algeria’s import requirements

Before a shipment is inspected, check Algeria’s current requirements for your commodity in the USDA’s Phytosanitary Export Database (PExD) and confirm with your Algerian importer whether an import permit has been issued and what it specifies. Additional declarations, such as freedom from a named pest, a treatment or fumigation, or a particular origin, must be written on the certificate exactly as Algeria requires. The apostille cannot fix a missing declaration. Only a replacement certificate can.

Who issues the certificate

Phytosanitary certificates are issued through APHIS’s certificate system by APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine officers, or by authorized state or county officials acting for APHIS. Each certificate covers one shipment and identifies the exporter, consignee, commodity, quantity, means of conveyance and port of entry. The details must match the bill of lading and commercial invoice.

When an apostille is requested

For many consignments, the original certificate travelling with the cargo or through the bank is all Algerian inspectors need. Authentication becomes necessary when the Algerian importer, bank or authority asks for an authenticated certificate, for example for a tender, a first import of a commodity or a dispute. In that case the original goes to the U.S. Department of State, as a USDA document, for an apostille. No notary or Secretary of State is involved, and since July 9, 2026, no Algerian Embassy legalization is needed.

Timing around the vessel

A phytosanitary certificate is time-sensitive. It is issued close to export, and the goods may reach an Algerian port such as Algiers, Oran or Annaba within days or weeks. If an apostille is required, plan the federal step into the shipping schedule from the start, and tell us the vessel’s sailing and arrival dates so that we can prioritize the file. Ask APHIS whether a certified copy is available for authentication, so that the original can travel with the shipment.