The diaspora’s transfers sustain the Tunisian economy, and the legislature continues to gesture toward it. Yet the vehicle chosen for investing remains a structural decision. It fixes the exposure of your wealth, your tax burden, and your freedom to repatriate.
A trade-off that must be made
Cumulative earnings from work reached 6.67 billion dinars as of September 20, 2026, up from 6.34 billion a year earlier. Remittance transfers had already reached 8.8 billion dinars in 2025. Net foreign currency holdings covered 93 days of imports at the end of September 2026.
This windfall explains lawmakers’ attention. The 2026 Finance Law exempts remittance transfers from fiscal justifications for building permits, vehicle registrations, and the registration of rental contracts. Its Article 83 also revises the tax advantage on the import or local acquisition of equipment intended for a project. The fundamental question remains: hold it in one’s name, or lodge the operation in a company.
The common foundation: imported currencies and declaration
The 2016 law states that investment is free, for both residents and non-residents. A non-resident can own 100% of a Tunisian company in most sectors, without prior authorization.
The condition is strict. The investment must be financed by imported currencies and declared to the Central Bank, according to the Central Bank circular of 2018. Outside this framework, any transfer requires authorization. The rule applies to both options: without traceability of funds, the right to repatriate evaporates. Investors also note that several tax provisions do not align with the Foreign Exchange Code.
In one’s own name: the simplicity that exposes
Direct investment avoids minimum capital, corporate statutes, and commercial accounting. It is suitable for the acquisition of a property or a one-off project. Its price is twofold.
The first relates to liability. The personal estate is liable for the project’s debts without a shield, and inheritance is transferred directly, with the risk of undivided ownership.
The second is fiscal. The incomes fall under the income tax scale, increased in 2026 by a 0.5% solidarity social contribution. Most importantly, wealth tax has taken on a new dimension. It follows a progressive scale of 0.5% between 3 and 5 million dinars and 1% above, and it targets properties located in Tunisia regardless of the taxpayer’s residence. Properties used for professional purposes and operating business assets are exempt. A private asset not exploited thus enters the tax base more easily than an asset allocated to an activity.
