Algerian applicants seeking short- or long-stay visas for France now face a new rule: from 1 November the Capago France Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Oran will only accept files from travellers who have booked a time slot online. Previously, selected categories—such as seafarers or medical-emergency cases—could walk in without an appointment.
Capago, France’s outsourced service provider in Algeria, says the change will “fluidify customer flow” and cut queuing times that often stretched past closing hours. Applicants must now create an account on the Capago portal, upload preliminary data and pay the service fee before visiting the centre. Retired-resident card applicants remain exempt.
![Capago Oran makes online appointments mandatory for France-visa applicants]()
The French Consulate in Algiers supports the move, noting that missed appointments resulted in 18 per cent no-shows last quarter, wasting capacity. By obliging pre-registration, officials can better predict daily volume, allocate biometrics booths and reduce fraud attempts linked to forged queue tickets.
For French companies with operations in Algeria, the policy means project staff and subcontractors need longer lead-times—appointments are currently running two to three weeks out. Mobility managers should remind travellers to finalise Schengen travel insurance and gather civil-status documents well in advance. Capago warns that incomplete files will be rejected and a fresh appointment fee charged.
The switch in Oran is a pilot; similar mandatory booking is expected to roll out to Capago centres in Algiers and Annaba early in 2026. Stakeholders welcome any move that injects predictability into what remains one of France’s busiest visa networks worldwide.
Capago, France’s outsourced service provider in Algeria, says the change will “fluidify customer flow” and cut queuing times that often stretched past closing hours. Applicants must now create an account on the Capago portal, upload preliminary data and pay the service fee before visiting the centre. Retired-resident card applicants remain exempt.
The French Consulate in Algiers supports the move, noting that missed appointments resulted in 18 per cent no-shows last quarter, wasting capacity. By obliging pre-registration, officials can better predict daily volume, allocate biometrics booths and reduce fraud attempts linked to forged queue tickets.
For French companies with operations in Algeria, the policy means project staff and subcontractors need longer lead-times—appointments are currently running two to three weeks out. Mobility managers should remind travellers to finalise Schengen travel insurance and gather civil-status documents well in advance. Capago warns that incomplete files will be rejected and a fresh appointment fee charged.
The switch in Oran is a pilot; similar mandatory booking is expected to roll out to Capago centres in Algiers and Annaba early in 2026. Stakeholders welcome any move that injects predictability into what remains one of France’s busiest visa networks worldwide.
