Ancient ruins, Sandy beaches, Rolling dunes of the desert. Guess what? We are talking about Tunisia.
Located on the Mediterranean coast and midway between the Nile and the Atlantic Ocean, Tunisia is just a stone's throw from Europe. Whether you want to pamper yourself on the sunshine-drenched beaches or you want to explore and wander the monuments, Tunisia has it all to satisfy your cravings.
However, that's not going to be possible if you don't have a Tunisia visa. Then, again, of course, not all foreign citizens require a Tunisia visa.
Let's find out, shall we?
What is the Tunisia visa policy?
The Tunisia visa policy lists the requirements of the foreign citizens who want to visit Tunisia.
The foreign citizens who need a Tunisia visa are based on their nationality. Also included are the duration and purpose of the stay in the nation.
There are 100 nations of which the citizens don't need a Tunisia visa to travel to the nation. They can spend short periods in the country for tourism purposes.
The other nations, however, their citizens will need a Tunisia visa to travel to the country, no matter the duration and purpose of the stay.
For travellers who hold a residence permit (valid) and issued by any GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) member country, they can have a Tunisia visa on arrival. This visa is valid for a single entry for a stay of up to 15 days only.
As for the other passport holders can apply for a Tunisia Embassy visa from the nearest Tunisian government diplomatic office in advance before they arrive in Tunisia.
Those citizens of those nations who are exempted from having a Tunisia visa on arrival, they too, can opt to have a Tunisia Embassy visa if they plan to stay in the country for a more extended period than allowed without a visa. The visit of purposes can be for reasons other than tourism, such as studying, working, or even becoming a resident.
Currently, Tunisia doesn't have Tunisia e Visa, but they plan to introduce this feature in the upcoming months. The Tunisia e Visa will allow select citizens to apply for a Tunisia visa online by simply completing an online form. It will eliminate the need for citizens to apply for a Tunisia visa at the Tunisia Consulate or Embassy in person.
What are the Tunisia visa requirements?
To get a Tunisia visa, the following Tunisia visa requirements:
- Your passport (should be valid for at least 6 months; must be issued in the past 10 years)
- A photocopy of your passport's first page
- Your recent passport-size photograph (can be 1 or 2, it depends on the Tunisia Consulate or Embassy)
- Accommodation's proof in Tunisia (can be a hotel reservation ticket or a letter of invitation from a host in Tunisia)
- Travel itinerary such as travel tickets, proof of accommodation, dates of travel or departure, etc
- If the purpose of stay is business-related, a Letter of Invitation from the Tunisian company is a must
- Proof of a paid Tunisia visa fee, as per the Tunisia Consulate or Embassy's specifications
How to apply for Tunisia visa?
As of now, foreign citizens can only apply for Tunisia visa at the Tunisia Consulate or Embassy, known as the Tunisia Embassy visa.
As of now, citizens from around 150 nations can apply for a Tunisia Embassy visa before they arrive in Tunisia.
No matter their purpose or the duration of stay, they need to apply for a Tunisia Embassy visa at their nearest Tunisian government diplomatic office.
The first step includes scheduling an appointment at the nearest Tunisian Embassy or Consulate by the traveller. Once scheduled, the applicant should print and bring the application form to the Embassy or Consulate for the interview.
Based on the purpose of stay, the applicant needs to choose the right visa. Based on the visa, various supporting documents will be requested, and following which, the applicant has to pay the Tunisia visa fee for the application to process.
Note that the applicant's passport has to be valid during the duration of the stay. It must also have 1-2 blank pages to receive the approved Embassy visa.
The eligible citizens are advised to apply for the Tunisia Embassy visa before they arrive in Tunisia. The Embassy visa may take up to 2 weeks to process the visa application.
What is the processing time of Tunisia Embassy visa?
Tunisia Embassy visa processing time varies - it depends on the nation to nation to the different Embassies or Consulates.
Expect anywhere from 5-20 business days to get a Tunisia Embassy visa.
If, however, there are any missing documents, the processing time will increase. If, by some chance, the Tunisia Embassy or Consulate has to receive authorization on some issues from the Tunisia home office, then, again, the processing time will be longer.
Experts recommend that the applicant should apply for a Tunisia Embassy visa at least 1 to 2 months before their arrival in Tunisia.
What are the Tunisia visa fees?
The Tunisia visa fees change from nation to nation; their method of payment may also change.
Many Embassies charge for bank transfer, while, on the other hand, some charge cash.
For best results, it's recommended that the applicant contact the Embassy or Consulate located in their nation.
Why can't foreign citizens apply for Tunisia e Visa?
The reason why foreign citizens can't apply for Tunisia e Visa is because there's no Tunisia e Visa.
The government plans to introduce Tunisia e Visa in the coming months. The Tunisia eVsa will eliminate the need for foreign citizens to apply for a Tunisia visa at the Tunisia Consulate or Embassy.
The foreign citizens who can apply for Tunisia e Visa will allow them to travel to Tunisia for short stays or purposes related to tourism or medical reasons.
Those who will be eligible for Tunisia e Visa, they can fill an online application form in a few minutes. Once done, the applicant will have to pay the Tunisia visa fee online by a credit or debit card. Once the Tunisia e Visa is processed, the approved e Visa will be sent to the applicant's eMail address, which the applicant provided when filling up the online application form.
Following this, the applicant needs to take a printout of the approved Tunisia e Visa. Also included in the passport that the applicant used to fill up the online application form, this passport will be used to gain entry at the border checkpoints of Tunisia.
Who can get a Tunisia visa on arrival?
If the foreign citizen is a nationality of the Tunisia visa-exempted nations, only the foreign citizen can get a Tunisia visa. With the Tunisia visa on arrival, the applicant can stay in the country for up to 3 months. If the applicant is of Canada or German origin, they can stay in the country for up to 4 months.
Upon their arrival in Tunisia, the applicant must have a valid passport (6 months) and which has been issued in the past ten years.
The Tunisia visa on arrival is also eligible for applicants who have a residence permit from any of the nation members of GCC such as Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
The Tunisia visa on arrival will allow the holder to remain in Tunisia for about 15 days.
For the applicant to be eligible for the Tunisia visa on arrival, the applicant must have a residence permit with six months left for its expiration. Documents such as a hotel reservation ticket are needed. Also, proof of funds is required to show that the holder can sustain himself during the stay.
Who doesn't require a Tunisia visa?
As mentioned before, there are about 100 Tunisia free visa countries - in other words, the foreign citizens of these 100 Tunisia free visa countries don't need a Tunisia visa to travel to the nation.
These foreign citizens can enter Tunisia without a visa for various permitted stays. This period will depend on the foreign citizen's nationality and can be anywhere from 120 days to 30 days.
The foreign citizens of the above nations can enter Tunisia freely without a visa for tourism purposes for a designated period of stay as per their nationality - they only need to present a valid passport at the border checkpoints of Tunisia.
Should the period of stay is longer, then the same foreign citizens will need to apply for a Tunisia Embassy visa at the nearest Tunisian government office.
What is the validity of Tunisia visa?
Usually, a Tunisia visa is issued for 90 days, but it can also be issued for less, based on the applicant's duration of stay.
If the applicant plans to stay in the nation for more than 90 days or, say, more than 6 months, the applicant should apply for a Tunisia long-stay visa with a temporary residence permit.
