GENERAL INFORMATION
Area:
The area of Tunisia is 163,610 km².
Flights
The flight Paris-Tunis lasts 2h30. Tunis is 1,477 km from Paris.
The Aigle Azur company serves regular Djerba flights from Paris Orly Sud: twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays.
The French low-cost company transavia.com, a subsidiary of Air France, offers daily flights from Paris-Orly to Djerba, Transavia also serves Djerba from Lyon, as well as from Nantes.
The Tunisair airline provides connections between Tozeur-Nefta airport and Paris-Orly on Monday and Friday.
Population
Tunisia has 10.67 million inhabitants.
Airports
Djerba Airport is located 25 km from the main tourist area. Allow 15 min by taxi (8 dinars).
Be aware that from Tunisian airports (international flights), you will no longer be able to pay in dinars (except in the catering areas) once customs have been crossed. So make sure you have exchanged or spent the remaining dinars before checking passports.
Language
Arabic is the official language but French is spoken everywhere.
Formalities and visa
For French nationals, the identity card valid at least six months after the return is sufficient if you have purchased a flight and hotel package, self-drive, accompanied tour from a tour operator.
If you only bought a plane ticket, it is imperative to present your passport, valid at least six months after the return.
Religion
Islam is the official religion (almost 98% of the population). In Tunis and Djerba, there is a small Jewish community and around 20,000 Catholics.
Change
The official currency is the dinar (TND) see official rate on this site.
You should know that you cannot change dinars outside the country.
Foreign currency is easily traded in banks, but be sure to compare the rates charged by each establishment.
Traveller's checks are not required to be commissioned (except by BIAT bank).
Hotels and restaurants accept credit cards almost everywhere.
Distributors are easily found in Djerba and in most cities.
Banks are open all day (winter: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Saturday, summer: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. except Saturday)
Health
No vaccine is necessary to enter Tunisia.
It is advisable to be vaccinated against typhoid and hepatitis A.
Vegetables and fruits should be washed, then peeled, or cooked. Drink only mineral or purified water using "Micro-pure" tablets.
electricity
220 V in all stay hotels. Sockets identical to French sockets.
Tourism volume
In 2017, Tunisia received more than 7 million tourists (+ 23% / 2016), while the country welcomed 7.8 million in 2010, the reference year for Tunisian tourism, when 1.5 million visitors landed coming from France. In 2017, Tunisia welcomed 570,000 French people (+ 46% in 2016), the third largest emitting market after Algeria and Libya.
Phone
To call Tunisia from France, dial 00 + 216 (country code) + city code followed by the correspondent's number.
To call France from Tunisia, dial 00 + 33 followed by the correspondent's number without the initial 0.
Tunisia: useful addresses in the country
Before leaving
Consulate of Tunisia
19, rue de Lubeck, 75116 Paris. Phone. : 01 53 10 69 10.
Tunisian Tourist Office
32, avenue de l'Opéra, 75002 Paris. Staircase B - 5th & 6th floors. Phone. : 01 47 42 72 67.
12, rue de Sèze, 69009 Lyon. Phone. : 04 78 52 35 86. E-mail: ontt@tourismetunisien.fr
On the Internet
On the spot
French Embassy
2, place of independence, 1000 Tunis. Phone. : (71) 105 111.
Tunisian Tourist Office
1, avenue Mohammed-V, 1001 Tunis. Phone. : (71) 34 0177.
French nationals only:
A visa is not necessary for a stay of less than or equal to three months, but a valid passport is compulsory.
The valid national identity card, accompanied by the travel diary issued by the agency, is tolerated for group trips. This tolerance is not always applied and travelers risk being refused entry to the territory. It is recommended that you travel with a passport.
Beyond three months, a visa and a residence permit must be obtained from the Ministry of the Interior. In the event of an illegal stay, exit from the territory must be authorized by the Directorate of Borders and Aliens and is generally subject to the payment of a fine, the amount of which is proportional to the duration of the overrun.
French nationals who also have Tunisian nationality (Franco-Tunisian dual nationals) must present:
A valid Tunisian passport when entering and leaving Tunisia;
A valid French document (passport or national identity card) during exit police formalities as well as upon return to France.
When boarding in Tunisia, the airlines or shipping companies do not accept passengers without tickets allowing them to enter French territory. Note that, in accordance with French regulations, the Consulate General does not issue passes to travelers who have neglected to have a French identity and travel document issued before their departure.
NB: National identity cards issued between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2013 are still valid 5 years after the expiry date indicated on the back, but no material modification of the plastic card attests to this. Please note: This extension does not apply to cards issued to minors (the validity period remains 10 years).
Consequently, in order to avoid any inconvenience during your trip, it is strongly recommended that you favor the use of a valid passport rather than a CNIS bearing an expired expiration date, even if it is considered by the authorities. French as still being valid, especially for people traveling on shipping companies departing from Tunisia. Indeed, several cases of French nationals traveling on shipping companies operating from Tunisia and who could not access the boat on presentation of the CNIS alone were reported.
If you are traveling only with your national identity card, you can download and print a multilingual notice explaining these rules at the following address: https://media.interieur.gouv.fr/interieur/cni-15ans/document-a -download-tunisia.pdf
Stay of minors
In Tunisia, since November 2015 and the implementation of organic law No. 2015-46 of November 23, 2015 amending Law No. 75-40 of May 14, 1975 relating to passports and travel documents, the mother is authorized to traveling alone with your child. In practice, however, this provision is applied restrictively. It only benefits mothers with Tunisian nationality traveling alone with a child of a Tunisian father.
In addition to their Tunisian passport, it is therefore strongly recommended that French mothers (who do not have Tunisian nationality) traveling to Tunisia accompanied by Franco-Tunisian minor children whose father has Tunisian nationality, have the following before their departure of France of an authorization to leave the Tunisian national territory established by the father before the Tunisian consular authority in France. If the father is present in Tunisia, this authorization can be established on the spot with a municipality.
This authorization must be attached to the child's Tunisian passport during the formalities for leaving Tunisian territory to ensure the child's return to France. This rule must be strictly observed, especially in the event of parental conflict.
If the father refuses to issue this authorization, recourse to the local legal system will be necessary. It is important to check on this occasion that the child is not the subject of a measure prohibiting exit from Tunisian territory at the request of the father. If necessary, the lifting of this prohibition must be requested at the same time as the judicial authorization to travel.
These provisions also apply to any adult accompanying children, in particular to members of the family at large (grandparents, brothers or sisters of full age, etc.).
BEFORE LEAVING
Hospital and healthcare costs
In order to meet the costs of hospitalization and sometimes very high health expenses abroad, it is imperative to have an assistance contract or insurance to cover all medical costs (surgery, hospitalization …) And medical repatriation, at the risk of not having access to care, including in the event of a life-threatening emergency. These costs may in no case be borne by the French embassy or consulates general on site.
Recommendations for your health
If necessary, consult your doctor or an international vaccination center to assess your state of health and benefit from health recommendations, particularly on vaccinations. If necessary, consult your dentist before your departure. Build your personal pharmacy accordingly and take only the necessary medication; never consume drugs bought in the street (risk of counterfeits).
Vaccinations
No vaccination is compulsory but certain vaccinations are recommended; make sure you are up to date with your usual vaccinations but also linked to all the geographic areas visited;
Updating diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis (DTP) vaccination is recommended by including Rubella Mumps and Measles in children; tuberculosis vaccination is also desirable.
Depending on local travel conditions, vaccinations against typhoid fever and viral hepatitis A and B may be recommended.
Vaccination against rabies can also be offered in certain cases depending on the conditions and places of stay. Ask your doctor or an international vaccination center for advice.
SANITARY RISKS
Medical travel
The development of medical tourism (dental care, cold surgery, plastic surgery) everywhere in the world exposes those who practice it to particular risks (more information by consulting the file published by the Pasteur Institute). Any move in this direction is above all a personal decision, which engages the sole responsibility of the person who takes it, whether it is the principle of intervention or the choice of establishment.
Rage
Rabies is a viral disease transmitted accidentally to humans by a dog, fox or bat infected with the virus by biting or licking a mucous membrane. Mortality is very high in the absence of prompt medical treatment, and there is no curative treatment for declared rabies. Preventive vaccination (pre-exposure) before a stay in an exposed area may be recommended and requires prior medical consultation. For more information: http://social-sante.gouv.fr/soins-et-maladies/maladies/maladies-infectieuses/article/rage
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease linked to salmonella. Symptoms include a high fever and digestive disorders and require urgent medical consultation because serious complications are possible. Precautions for use are recommended (cf. food hygiene).
HIV infection - STD
Concerning sexually transmitted diseases, it is recommended to take all the usual precautions in this area and to avoid risky behavior. No certificate of seropositivity conditions access to the country. However, hospitals that treat foreign carriers of HIV-AIDS are required to report them to the health services and the police.
West Nile virus
Transmission of Nile fever by mosquitoes is possible. Prevention is based on the use of mosquito repellents. More information on http://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/soins-et-maladies/maladies/maladies-infectieuses/article/fievre-du-nil-occidental-ou-infection-par-le-virus-west -nile
SOME SIMPLE RULES
Keep away from dead animals, animals and their droppings
Do not approach stray animals and dogs (risk of biting and rabies); do not pet the animals encountered.
Ensure your road safety (wearing a seat belt, wearing a two-wheel helmet).
Never consume drugs bought on the street.
Protect yourself from digestive or contact contamination:
Wash your hands regularly with hydro-alcoholic washing solutions, especially before and after meals or going to the toilet;
Ensure the quality of food and especially its good cooking;
Avoid consumption of raw or undercooked food products (fish, meat, poultry, milk); Peel the fruits and vegetables or wash them thoroughly (with healthy water);
Avoid raw vegetables, shellfish, reheated dishes and cold buffets;
Drink only water or encapsulated drinks or water made potable (filtration, boiling or failing this disinfectant);
Avoid ice and ice, as well as the consumption of fresh fruit juice, raw vegetables and unpeeled fruit. Consume milk only pasteurized or boiled.
LOCAL LEGISLATION
Vagrancy is prohibited and repressed. It is recommended that French people passing through provide accommodation, as the "wild" campsite is liable to prosecution and expulsion.
Consumption of alcohol is permitted. Its abuse is punished as soon as it disturbs public order and in the event of drunk driving.
The use and possession of narcotic drugs, even for personal consumption, is very severely punished: a few grams of illicit substance result in a sentence of at least one year in prison.
Tunisian legislation criminalizes homosexuality (article 230 of the penal code).
Tunisian law provides for heavy sanctions against the perpetrators of rape, indecent assault, acts of debauchery and depravity. The penalties are increased if the victim is a minor. Acts of pedophilia which are not mentioned separately in Tunisian criminal law but which are assimilated to indecent assault, are nevertheless punished.
In any event, and in accordance with article 113-6 of the penal code, French criminal law is applicable to any crime committed by a Frenchman outside the territory of the Republic. French nationals guilty of a sexual offense committed in Tunisia can also be prosecuted in France under law 98-468 of June 17, 1998 for acts constituting crimes of a sexual nature, including if they are not punished by local law (articles 227-22 et seq. of the penal code).
The use of civilian drones is subject to obtaining a permit issued in advance by the competent Tunisian authorities. Failing to obtain this authorization, travelers in possession of a civilian drone are liable to confiscation of their aircraft and may be subject to detention by the police.
US AND CUSTOMS
It is necessary to respect the habits and customs linked to Islam and to adopt in all circumstances a correct attitude and dress. A particular decency must be observed during the Ramadan period. Monokini should be avoided.
VARIOUS
Respect the signs announcing the prohibitions to take photographs or film (in the vicinity of military sites, public establishments, etc.).
Rental accommodation often suffers from a lack of maintenance, it is advisable to be vigilant with gas heating devices which can present malfunctions likely to cause serious accidents.
The means of payment in use in the country are:
Cash (all convertible foreign currencies are accepted at exchange offices, many in Tunisia). ATMs are available in most cities (check with your bank for your weekly withdrawal and / or spending limit). International credit cards, accepted in most hotels and tourist centers but rarely in shops and small restaurants.
Useful numbers
- Emergency numbers :
Emergency police: 197 [1]
Civil protection: 198
SAMU: 190
- Military aid:
Tunis: 71,560,240 - 71,560,241 - 71,560,242 - 71,560,244 - 71,560,245 - 71,963,512 - 71,960,660
Bizerte: 72.432.950
Nabeul: 72.285.479 - 72.271.306 - 72.285.022 - 72.280.136
Sousse: 73.232.629 - 73.232.730
Monastir: 73.422.333 - 73.422.499
Gafsa: 76.226.500
Sfax: 74.274.436
Gabès: 75,270,238
- Ministry of the Interior:
80.101.111 (toll free) and 71.335.000