Entry requirements

Passport and visa requirements

Health precautions

A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required for travelers over 1 year of age coming from contaminated areas.
Tunisia is not a country with serious health risks. To guard against traveler's diarrhea, you should avoid the highest risk foods: those that are undercooked or badly cooked, prepared dishes which are later eaten cold, raw vegetables as well as fruits you have not peeled yourself. Drinking water must be boiled and filtered or drunk from sealed bottles. Avoid ice cubes.

Once in the country

Time and time difference

It is 01:27 AM in Tunis (GMT+1 in winter, GMT+2 in summer)

Summer time period

Summer time from March to October

Map of the time zone

Type of climate

Winter is cool and rainy while summer is very hot especially in the south of the country. The most pleasant time to visit Tunisia is in the spring (March, April and May). July and August are ideal for enjoying the beach; but the heat may become uncomfortable for some people.

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Getting around

By road

Renting a car can be very useful according to the kind of trip you want to make. You have nothing to fear on Tunisian roads. To make things easier, you should avoid rush hours (12.30 pm and 6 pm). Signs on main roads and motorways are in Arabic and French.

By rail

The network extends over 2,000 km and covers almost the whole territory, connecting most of the big cities of the North, Tunis, Bizerte, Beja and of the East coast: Sfax, Gabes. An express line has been opened between Tunis and Gabes.
Various discount cards, from 25 to 50 percent off, can be obtained: the carte jeune, the blue card and the rail museum card.

By air

Sevenair ensures domestic flights. This company connects pretty much all the cities with Tunis.

Find an itinerary

Eating

Culinary specialties

Tunisian cuisine is famous for its lamb-based dishes. You can find the following specialties: couscous, tagines, dishes prepared with sheets of "bric" pastry (like filo pastry).
Tunisian dishes are very aromatic. Cumin, coriander, saffron, cinnamon, aniseed, mint, orange, rose water are all used.

Dietary taboos

Pork is prohibited and the sale of alcohol is restricted.

Paying

Domestic currency

The most practical way is to withdraw money directly from ATMs. There are many of them and they are easily accessible in airports, city centers, and all over the country.

To obtain domestic currency

To find out the locations of ATMs in Tunisia, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express.

Speaking

Official language

In Tunisia, Arabic is the official language. The Arabic which all Tunisians speak in their everyday communications is a dialectal variety called Tunisian Arabic.

Other languages spoken

98 % of the population speak Arabic, the rest speak Berber. French is also spoken by a large majority of Tunisians.

Business language

English is not very common. French is the language used in trade, and for some administrative texts.

Getting some knowledge

Use the travlang website

Free translation tools

Arjeeb - Free translation English-Arabic-English of text and web pages
Ectaco - Free Dictionary Arabic-English-Arabic
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Visiting

Highlights

Tunis is rich in fine architecture.
Many archeological sites are part of the world heritage (Carthage, El Jem, etc.).

Tourism organizations