Tunisia residence permit (carte de séjour)

Citizens of visa-exempt countries may stay up to 90 days; visa holders may stay as long as their visa allows. Anyone who wants to remain longer must either obtain an extension of stay from the police station nearest their address or, if the purpose is lasting, a residence card. The higher education ministry reminds students that a person who stays on without applying is in an irregular situation and can be fined and expelled.

The Ministry of the Interior sets three conditions for every card: the applicant is a foreigner, entered Tunisia lawfully, and respects the regulations on entry, stay and work.

Paid activity: an endorsed employment contract or a certificate of non-subjection, the company statutes and their JORT publication. Studies: enrolment certificate and proof of income. Marriage: a marriage certificate drawn up by a Tunisian authority or legalised by the foreign ministry, plus a work authorisation if the spouse is salaried. Retirees without salaried activity: proof of periodic and regular transfer of the pension or other income. Investors: certificate of non-subjection and company statutes with their JORT publication.

Every category also requires proof of accommodation, a copy of a valid passport, four identity photos and the completed form.

All categories use the Directorate General of National Security's bilingual form 'Demande de visa - carte de séjour'. You tick whether it is a first application, a renewal or a replacement, choose the purpose of stay (tourism, work, medical care, study or other) and state the intended length of stay. The form asks for your civil status, nationality, date and place of birth, address and occupation in Tunisia, your parents' names, places of birth and nationalities, your passport number and issue date, your spouse's name and nationality and the children under 16 travelling with you. It has a field for the receipt number of the fiscal stamp.

Files are lodged with the National Security district (secteur de la Sûreté nationale) covering your address, the filing place the ministry names for all ordinary applications. Investors, their families and their executives may instead file at APII offices or the investor support cell. With all documents present, the decision is made within one month at most.

Renew with the same form, ticking 'renewal', and fresh supporting documents for your category: a renewed work authorisation for workers, the new enrolment certificate for students (by 30 September), continued transfer proof for retirees. File before the card expires; the higher education ministry quotes a TND 300 fine for late student filings and TND 20 per week of irregular stay.