External payments by the country related to tourism and travel are not limited to the tourist receipts that are accounted for. Tunisians also spend money on travel services.
These expenditures notably concern professional travel and personal travel that include education costs and transfers related to stays for “Pilgrimage and Umrah.”
According to provisional figures published by the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), Tunisians spent 1,960.9 million dinars during the first nine months of 2026. It should be noted that 936.8 million dinars were spent under the tourist allowance.
For reminder, in Tunisia, the cap on the tourist allowance, the amount in foreign currency that the state authorizes Tunisian residents to buy or transfer abroad to finance travels, stays, or expenditures outside the country, is set at 6,000 dinars per year per person (or the equivalent in foreign currencies), whether for tourism, studies, medical care, or other personal trips.
It should be noted that since September 2025, the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) published Circular No. 2025-10 revising the conditions of transfers in foreign currency for Tunisian students abroad.
The ceilings of allowances have been increased: installation costs are raised to 6,000 dinars per year and living expenses to 4,000 dinars per month. Registration fees continue to be transferred upon presentation of invoices. The circular also allows transferring funds for a one-year preparatory language course.
According to the ranking of the British firm Henley & Partners, the Tunisian passport currently allows access to 66 destinations without a prior visa, or with a visa issued on arrival or an electronic authorization.
