Moving to Tunisia as a Foreign National: Importing Furniture and a Car

Information checked on 8 October 2026. This guide uses Decree No. 2009-2162 of 14 July 2009, its implementation note and guidance still published by Tunisian Customs. The verification date does not mean a new scheme was introduced in 2026.

Introduction: moving to Tunisia with personal belongings

Are you a foreign national planning to settle in Tunisia with furniture or a car? Customs treatment depends on your residence circumstances, income, work activity and, for furniture, how the home was acquired.

A specific scheme exists for non-resident foreigners transferring their residence to Tunisia. A residence card or a property purchase alone does not establish eligibility for relief.

This guide from STÉ EL JAZIRA TRANSIT explains the main conditions, documents and decisions to address before dispatch. Decree No. 2009-2162 is the legal basis for the scheme described.

1. Who is the scheme for?

The scheme concerns individual foreign nationals leaving their residence abroad to settle in Tunisia. Benefits are available once and are not renewable, subject to the applicable conditions. Customs note No. 002/2010 of 6 January 2010 explains its scope.

Common conditions include:

• The entry and residence evidence required by the scheme, including a temporary residence card valid for one year.
• Not undertaking paid employment in Tunisia.
• Evidence of annual income from outside Tunisia of at least TND 30,000.
• A commitment not to transfer goods benefiting from the exemption.

The decree also mentions a visa. Ask the competent authorities which entry documents are required for your nationality and circumstances; do not assume tourist entry is sufficient. Source: Article 2.

A retiree receiving foreign income may consider an eligibility assessment. Someone coming to perform paid work in Tunisia needs a separate assessment. Receiving income from abroad does not remove the need to check the condition concerning work activity.

2. What relief is available for furniture and personal effects?

The scheme provides relief for personal effects and furniture used to equip a residence acquired by the applicant, up to TND 15,000 per household. Goods of a commercial nature and state-monopoly products are excluded. Source: Article 1, point 2.

For this furniture benefit, the residence must have been acquired in accordance with the law and in convertible foreign currency. The effects must be imported within two years of the property's acquisition date. This starting point differs from the household-goods scheme for Tunisians residing abroad. Source: Article 2.

What if you rent your home?

Renting does not meet the acquisition condition for this furniture relief. That does not automatically mean importing your furniture is prohibited. Establish the possible customs treatment, formalities and any duties and taxes before dispatching it.

If you have already been living in Tunisia for several months, present your entry, residence and property-acquisition dates to the competent office. Do not assume a later container shipment will qualify simply because you own its contents.

3. Can a car also receive an exemption?

The decree provides the benefit for one private car per household, no more than three years old on entry into Tunisia. This age limit belongs to the scheme described here. The property-purchase requirement is attached to the furniture benefit; it is not stated in the same way for the car. The other conditions still require verification. Sources: Articles 1 and 2.

The vehicle is subject to restrictions and registered in the RS series. Use by other drivers and transfer of ownership are regulated. Customs also describes the corresponding driving authorisations and circulation permit. Do not lend the vehicle based solely on the usual rules in your country of origin. Source: Customs procedures for foreigners settling in Tunisia.

Before purchasing or shipping, have the first-registration date, ownership evidence, technical documents and your eligibility checked. Entry under temporary admission does not approve a permanent import with relief.

4. Which documents should you prepare?

For an initial review, gather the following and confirm the requirements for your particular application:

• Passport and pages establishing identity and entry into Tunisia.
• Residence card and other required settlement documents.
• Evidence of annual income from outside Tunisia.
• The undertaking concerning the absence of paid employment in Tunisia.
• The tax-relief application on form 6.3.41 and a personal customs identification code.
• For furniture: the property-acquisition documents and evidence of the convertible-currency transfer used to pay its price.
• The undertaking not to transfer the goods concerned.
• For a vehicle: ownership evidence and requested technical documents, including Annex V under the published procedure.

The official Customs guidance describes submission to the regional office near the applicant's home and distinguishes furniture and vehicle applications.

For the practical move, also prepare a signed, detailed inventory, available invoices, the transport document and delivery details. Confirm with the office whether translations, certification or further evidence are required in your case.

5. How should you organise the inventory and shipment?

Build a numbered inventory before packing. Separate furniture, cartons and appliances, recording their condition and stated values. Identify goods that are not intended for your personal use.

To compare quotations, give each provider the same departure city, destination city, volume, package count, access constraints and preferred date. Ask who will handle clearance and who invoices destination services.

A practical preparation schedule is:

1. Check the scheme: residence, activity, income and property.
2. Gather evidence: identify documents already available and those still needed.
3. Have the inventory assessed: flag unusual goods and review the estimate.
4. Confirm the transport quotation: identify included services and possible arrival charges.
5. Confirm dispatch: coordinate the file with the expected shipment arrival.

Avoid booking solely on a general promise of a “tax-free move”. Ask which customs scheme and supporting documents underpin that estimate.

6. Can this benefit be combined with a Tunisian spouse's allowance?

Article 4 of the 2009 decree contains a non-cumulation rule concerning the returning-Tunisian scheme when one spouse is Tunisian. It refers to the older decree governing Tunisians abroad, which has since been replaced by the 2024 decree.

Mixed-nationality couples should confirm how the current schemes interact before applying. Do not add the TND 15,000 and TND 50,000 limits together as two automatically available allowances for one move. Disclose benefits previously used by either spouse and provide the household's relevant history.

7. Which costs and commitments remain after relief?

The exemption concerns duties and taxes on goods admitted under the scheme. Request separate prices for transport, insurance, terminal operations, customs representation and final delivery. Clarify possible waiting and storage charges.

Exempted goods remain subject to the scheme's commitments. A transfer of furniture or the vehicle must be regularised under the applicable rules and may require payment of duties and taxes using the value and rates applicable at transfer. Misuse can lead to withdrawal of the benefit. Source: Articles 5 and 6.

Keep decisions, declarations and payment evidence. Before selling, giving away or changing the use of goods, ask the competent office which procedure applies. The three-year restriction for certain household effects of Tunisians abroad should not be imported into this foreign-national scheme.

8. Frequently asked questions

Does my residence card make my container duty-free?

No. Income, work activity, property ownership for furniture relief, dates, the nature of the goods and required commitments must also be assessed.

Does a foreign national working in Tunisia automatically qualify?

No. This scheme includes a condition of not undertaking paid employment in Tunisia. Any other possible treatment requires a separate assessment.

Can I qualify for vehicle relief while renting a home?

The decree attaches the property-acquisition condition to the furniture benefit. A vehicle application therefore requires a separate review of all its conditions; renting alone neither guarantees nor rules out vehicle relief.

Does TND 15,000 refer to the moving company's price?

No. It is the overall value limit for eligible household effects per household. The transport quotation addresses a different cost.

9. Organise your move with STÉ EL JAZIRA TRANSIT

Our team assists with assessing the scheme, preparing documentation and coordinating transport and customs clearance. For an initial discussion, provide your nationality, residence circumstances, intended work activity, departure country, destination city and the goods you plan to import.

Contact STÉ EL JAZIRA TRANSIT on +216 56 387 837 before dispatching your furniture or vehicle. Preparation helps establish an appropriate file and budget; the competent authorities decide whether to grant the exemption.

Official sources and the age of the legislation

• Decree No. 2009-2162 of 14 July 2009, published in the JORT of 21 July 2009, pages 1985-1986.
• Customs implementation note No. 002/2010 of 6 January 2010.
• Tunisian Customs: benefits for foreign nationals settling in Tunisia.
• Official register of Customs Code implementing provisions.

Sources consulted on 8 October 2026. The older decree remains the reference because the official guidance consulted still cites it; no newer provision replacing this scheme was identified in the sources examined. Confirm the application with the competent office before dispatch, particularly for mixed-nationality couples and unusual work arrangements.