Capago, France’s outsourced visa-processing partner in Algeria, has alerted applicants that the France-Visas online portal will be shut down twice for “major technical maintenance”—on Wednesday 3 December from 15:30 to 19:30 and again on Tuesday 9 December from 06:00 to 09:00. During the four-hour windows, travellers will be unable to create visa files, pay fees, book appointments or track applications.
Because every Algerian applicant—whether tourist, student or work-permit holder—must first register via the portal before submitting biometrics, the outages risk cascading delays during the busy Christmas season. Capago says appointments falling within the blackout will be rescheduled automatically, but warns that “no-shows” will lose their slot, potentially pushing departures into January.
![December Outages on France-Visas Portal to Delay Algerian Mobility Applications]()
Corporate mobility teams moving staff from Algiers, Oran or Annaba to French sites should factor in at least an extra week for visa issuance. Airlines report load factors above 90 % on year-end flights, meaning re-booking last-minute travellers could prove costly. Employers with urgent assignments are advised to lodge files before 2 December or wait until after 9 December to avoid system-induced time-outs.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of France’s fully digital visa process. While the portal has improved transparency, periodic maintenance windows—often announced at short notice—can disrupt tight deployment schedules. HR planners are urged to monitor Capago’s alerts and build buffer time into project timelines.
Because every Algerian applicant—whether tourist, student or work-permit holder—must first register via the portal before submitting biometrics, the outages risk cascading delays during the busy Christmas season. Capago says appointments falling within the blackout will be rescheduled automatically, but warns that “no-shows” will lose their slot, potentially pushing departures into January.
Corporate mobility teams moving staff from Algiers, Oran or Annaba to French sites should factor in at least an extra week for visa issuance. Airlines report load factors above 90 % on year-end flights, meaning re-booking last-minute travellers could prove costly. Employers with urgent assignments are advised to lodge files before 2 December or wait until after 9 December to avoid system-induced time-outs.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of France’s fully digital visa process. While the portal has improved transparency, periodic maintenance windows—often announced at short notice—can disrupt tight deployment schedules. HR planners are urged to monitor Capago’s alerts and build buffer time into project timelines.
