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Cars 4 Rental Information on Tunisia

General

Area: 163,610 sq km (63,170 sq miles).

Population: 9,673,300 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density: 59.1 per sq km.

Capital: Tunis. Population: 1,897,000 (official estimate 2000).

GEOGRAPHY: The Republic of Tunisia lies on the Mediterranean coast of Africa, 130km (80 miles) southwest of Sicily and 160km (100 miles) due south of Sardinia. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. The landscape varies from the cliffs of the north coast to the woodlands of the interior, from deep valleys of rich arable land to desert, and from towering mountains to salt pans lower than sea level. South of Gafsa and Gabs is the Sahara desert. The 1100km (700 miles) of coastline is dotted with small islands, notably Jerba in the south and Kerkennah in the east, and from the northwest to the southeast the coastline is backed successively by pine-clad hills, lush pasture, orchards, vineyards and olive groves.

Government: Republic since 1959. Gained independence from France in 1956. Head of State: President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali since 1987. Head of Government: Prime Minister Muhammad Ghannouchi since 1999.

Language: The official language is Arabic. French is the second language, Italian is spoken in major cities, and English and German mainly in tourist resorts.

Religion: The principal religion is Islam; there are small Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish minorities.

Time: GMT + 1.

Electricity: 220/110 volts AC, 50Hz. A two-pin continental plug/adaptor is needed.

Communications:

Telephone

Full IDD is available. Country code: 216. Outgoing international code: 00. Automatic dialling extends to almost every part of the country and covers direct international calls.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 network. Operators include Tunisiana (website: www.orascomtunisie.com) and Tunisie Telecom.

Fax

Facilities are available in main towns, hotels and post offices.

Internet

ISPs include 3S Global Net (website: www.gnet.tn), ATI (website: www.ati.tn) and Planet Tunisie (website: www.planet.tn). E-mail can be accessed from Internet cafes in Tunis, Nabeul, Sousse and Tahar ben Amar.

Telegram

The Telecommunications Centre in Tunis is located at 29 Jamal Abdelnasser. Telegraph facilities are available at the Central Post Office at rue Charles de Gaulle, Tunis; telegrams can also be sent from most hotels.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes 3 to 5 days; an express service guarantees delivery in 4 days or under. Poste Restante facilities are available in main cities. Post office hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1300 (summer, approximately 15 Jun-15 Sep); Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1400-1800, Sat 0800-1200 (winter, approximately 16 Sep-14 Jun); Mon-Sat 0800-1500 (during Ramadan).

Press

Daily newspapers are printed in Arabic or French, the most popular being As-Sabah and La Presse de Tunisie. The weekly Tunisia News is published in English.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Tunisian Dinar (TD) = 1000 millimes. Notes are in denominations of TD30, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of TD1, and 500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 millimes.

Currency exchange: All banks change money, as do most hotels of three stars and above.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. There are ATMs in every large town and tourist destination.

Travellers cheques: Readily cashed in banks and the usual authorised establishments; to avoid additional exchange rates, travellers are advised to bring travellers cheques in US Dollars.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is strictly prohibited. The import of foreign currency is unlimited. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount imported although re-exchange of local into foreign currency must be only up to 30 per cent of the total imported, up to a maximum of TD100. All currency documentation must be retained.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Tunisian Dinar against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04
£1.00= 2.06 2.13 2.23 2.27
$1.00= 1.29 1.27 1.22 1.27

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1130 (summer); Mon-Thurs 0800-1100 and 1400-1615, Fri 0800-1100 and 1300-1600 (winter).

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever Yes 1
Cholera Yes 2
Typhoid and Polio 3 No
Malaria No No

1: A yellow fever certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving from infected areas.

2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is no longer a condition of entry to Tunisia. However, sporadic cases of cholera do occur in this region and up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness; see the Health appendix for further information.

3: Vaccination against typhoid is advised.

Food & drink: Mains water is normally chlorinated, and whilst safe may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Drinking water outside main cities and towns may be contaminated. Milk should be boiled when unpasteurised (ie if not commercially processed and packed). Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. These precautions should include western-style buffets.

Other risks: Dysenteries and diarrhoeal diseases are common in this region. Hepatitis A is present and hepatitis E is endemic in some areas; precautions should be taken. Lassa fever occurs in rural areas. Mediterranean spotted fever has been reported. Tungiasis is present.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, see the Health appendix.

Health care: Health insurance is recommended. Tunisia has a well-developed, if somewhat limited, public health service.

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Climate

Tunisia has a warm climate all year. Best periods are spring and autumn. Temperatures can be extremely high inland. Winter is mild and has the highest rainfall.

Required clothing: Lightweights in summer, mediumweights and rainwear in winter. Sunglasses are advised.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No Yes
Australian Yes Yes/2 Yes
Canadian Yes No Yes
USA Yes No Yes
OtherEU Yes No/1 Yes
Japanese Yes No Yes

PASSPORTS: Passport valid six months after return date required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) 1. nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months, except nationals Australia who do need a visa, and nationals of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Slovak Republic, who must travel on a recognised package holiday, and nationals of Cyprus and Estonia who do need a visa;
(b) nationals of Algeria, Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Bahrain, Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Cte d'Ivoire, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Guinea, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Kiribati, Korea (Rep), Libya, Liechtenstein, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, Niger, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Romania, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Switzerland, Turkey and Vatican City;
(c) nationals of the CIS for package holidays only, except nationals of Armenia who do need a visa;
(d) transit passengers, provided holding valid onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport or ship.

Note: 2. Nationals of Australia and South Africa, who do need a visa, can obtain it on arrival at the point of entry. Check with the Embassy for details of length of stay.

Types of visa and cost: Short-stay and Transit: £4.

Validity: Short-stay usually for stays of up to three months. Transit: three days. For up-to-date lengths of stay, contact nearest Consulate.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) Photocopy of first five pages of passport and any stamps. (c) Three application forms completed in black ink and capital letters. (d) Two passport-size photos with full name printed on back. (e) Fee (payable by postal order or cash; cheques are not accepted). (f) Registered, stamped, self-addressed envelope for postal application.

Working days required: Approximately 20, for both postal and personal applications.

Temporary residence: For more information, contact the visa section of the Tunisian Embassy (see Contact Addresses section).

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