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CASNOS or CNAS in Algeria 2026: who pays what?

A clear comparison of CASNOS against CNAS in Algeria 2026: who is covered (self-employed against salaried), who pays, the rates (15 % vs around 35 %), the minimum base and above all the company manager case. Clear up the most frequent confusion.

Content verified on August 2, 2026Our methodology
By, Experts sécurité sociale et cotisations
Published on Updated on

CASNOS or CNAS: who pays what?

This is the most frequent confusion in Algeria. CASNOS (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale des Non-Salariés) covers self-employed workers: traders, craftspeople, liberal professions, majority managers and auto-entrepreneurs. CNAS (Caisse Nationale des Assurances Sociales des travailleurs Salariés) covers employees, through contributions shared between the employer and the employee.

Simple rule: if you work on your own account, you fall under CASNOS. If you are an employee with a salary and an employment contract, you fall under CNAS, and it is your employer who declares and pays the contributions.

Comparison table (2026)

CriterionCASNOSCNAS
Who is coveredSelf-employed: traders, craftspeople, liberal professions, majority managers, auto-entrepreneursEmployees under an employment contract
Who paysThe self-employed worker, personallyEmployer (employer share) + employee (employee share)
Rate15 % of declared incomeAround 35 % of gross salary (around 26 % employer, 9 % employee)
Minimum base288 000 DZD/year (annual SNMG), i.e. a derived minimum contribution of 43 200 DZDOn the actual gross salary
Auto-entrepreneur (ANAE)Special flat contribution of 24 000 DZD/yearNot concerned
CoverageSickness, maternity, invalidity, retirement, deathSickness, maternity, work accidents, retirement, unemployment
FilingAnnual, by the insured personMonthly, by the employer (DAS, bank transfers)

The company manager case: CASNOS or CNAS?

This is the point that blocks the largest number of founders. A majority manager (who holds more than 50 % of the shares) is treated as self-employed: he falls under CASNOS. A minority manager, a manager holding exactly half of the shares, or a director with a separate employment contract, may fall under CNAS as an employee.

For an EURL (sole partner acting as manager) or a majority manager of a SARL, CASNOS applies almost always. Check how the shares are split before you choose, because that split determines the fund, the rate and the amount of your contributions.

CASNOS: what to remember

  • Single rate of 15 % of the declared annual income (7.5 % social insurance + 7.5 % retirement), article 14 of décret exécutif 15-289 as rewritten by décret exécutif 26-257.
  • Minimum base indexed on the annual SNMG (288 000 DZD), i.e. a derived minimum contribution of 43 200 DZD/year. The 32 400 DZD figure, inherited from a pre-June-2020 SNMG, is stale.
  • Base capped at 20 times the annual SNMG (5 760 000 DZD), i.e. a derived maximum contribution of 864 000 DZD/year.
  • From the third year of activity, an extra floor equal to the average contribution for the same activity in the same wilaya, set by an arrêté unpublished so far.
  • ANAE auto-entrepreneurs: special flat contribution of 24 000 DZD/year, kept by décret exécutif 26-257.
  • Filing and payment are the responsibility of the insured person, in instalments.
  • Mandatory as soon as the self-employed activity is registered.

CNAS: what to remember

  • Concerns employees under an employment contract (open-ended or fixed-term).
  • Shared contributions: employer share (around 26 %) and employee share (around 9 %), i.e. an overall rate of around 35 % of the gross salary.
  • Monthly declaration of salaries by the employer.
  • Covers work accidents and unemployment insurance in particular, on top of sickness and retirement.
  • Registering employees is mandatory for every company that hires.

Can you fall under both?

Yes, in some situations. An entrepreneur running a self-employed activity (CASNOS) while also being an employee elsewhere (CNAS) can contribute to both schemes. Likewise, a company with a majority manager (CASNOS) and employees (CNAS) runs both registrations in parallel.

FAQ · CASNOS or CNAS in Algeria 2026: who pays what?

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