Tunisia Travel Tips

Banks are open from Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 11:00 and 14:00 to 16:15; Fri 08:00 to 11:00 and 13:00 to 16:15. During the winter season they are open Monday to Friday 07:30 to 11:30.

Tunisia is the safest country in Africa and while visitors shouldn’t feel especially threatened or uneasy when going about their tourist activities, they should still observe a few caveats in order to avoid any unfortunate incidents spoiling their holiday. As with many tourist destinations, pickpockets are part of the scenery and as a visitor you are a prime target so you should have your wits about you at all times, especially in crowded areas. Keep wallets and purses in front pockets at all times and avoid carrying valuable items unless entirely necessary.

Women may experience some hassle from the local male characters, especially if they head out at night. Stick to the main areas and travel in numbers of two or more and avoid fraternisation of any description to be on the safe side. Women should also avoid wearing provocative clothing; mini skirts and cleavage showing tops are not appropriate unless within the confines of hotels or apartment complexes. Beach wear is fine as long as it stays on the beach.

As Tunisia is a Muslim country, visitors should respect religious rules and traditions especially with regards to drinking alcohol. The sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted to certain areas and sensible drinking within these areas is advised. Public displays of drunken behaviour are highly frowned upon and likely to be met with trouble from the law.

Emergency: 190

The currency in Tunisia is the Tunisian Dinar (TD) which is comprised of 1000 millimes. Notes are available in denominations of TD30, 20, 10 and 5 while coins are in denominations of TD1, as well as 500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 millimes.

Cash and travellers cheques can be exchanged at all banks across the country. Additionally, hotels with at least a three-star rating invariably offer bureau de change services while those in need of cash outside of regular counter hours will find currency exchanges at the major airports.

It’s strictly prohibited to import or export local currency in any volume, while the importing of foreign currency is unrestricted. You may export only as much foreign currency as you originally imported.

Import and export allowances for visitors are as follows: 400 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500g of tobacco; one litre of spirits or two litres of alcoholic beverage; 250ml of perfume; one litre of eau de toilette; one still camera and gifts up to the value of TD100. 

Electricity: 220V/50Hz. Standard two pin plugs are used.

Visitors are strongly advised to have injections against typhoid prior to travelling to Tunisia. Visitors entering from countries where yellow fever is present are obliged to produce a yellow fever certificate on arrival in the country. Cholera has been an issue on and off in the country and visitors are advised to check the status of the situation with their embassy before travelling. Tap water is drunk by the locals but may be too heavily chlorinated for most visitors so buying bottled water is a safer alternative. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, Lassa fever and Rabies are all present in Tunisia. Consult your general practitioner with regards to preventative steps against these diseases.

While Tunisia is a predominantly Muslim country, (90 per cent of the population are Muslim) it is considered among the more liberal and tolerant of the world’s Islamic nations and visitors need not worry too much that their holiday activities will be in any way curtailed by religious rules or observances. There are few small things to note however which include women dressing modestly outside of hotel resorts and beach areas and making sure to cover shoulders and knees when visiting religious sites.

When meeting locals for the first time, a handshake is the usual mode of greeting and if invited for dinner then it’s considered polite to bring a small gift as a token of your appreciation. Try everything that’s offered to you at a Tunisian meal, even if only a small amount so as not to risk offending your hosts.

It’s normal to tip waiters in both resort and hotel restaurants with about 10 per cent of the total bill price. In local establishments, tipping is not expected but is still appreciated and indicates your approval of the food and service received.

The country code for Tunisia is +216. There are two GSM 900 mobile networks in operation in the country and visitors using a mobile service provider that has a roaming agreement with Tunisia will invariably find they are able to make calls using their existing phone and SIM card. Internet access is available in most parts of the country and internet cafés can be found in the main cities and towns.

GMT +1

Visitors from some countries require visas to enter Tunisia while others do not. The following offers detailed information: US citizens need only a passport to stay up to four months while Canadian, UK, Irish and New Zealand citizens need only a passport to stay up to three months. Australian citizens need a visa which can be obtained on arrival, provided they have a valid passport. This visa is valid for a three month stay. South African citizens also need to obtain a visa on arrival and also need to have a valid passport. This visa is valid for just 30 days.