| Vehicle age limit | 8 years corresponds to the family scheme. Other figures in circulation come from commercial sources rather than from a published customs requirement, so the limit applied to a given import route is confirmed with a licensed agent before stock is committed. |
|---|---|
| Steering side | Left-hand drive; the country drives on the right and left-hand drive is the registration requirement |
| Emission standard | Euro 4 is the floor with Euro 6 the prudent target, and the technical inspection is mandatory before registration rather than optional |
| Import duty | Customs duty applies first, but the decisive charge is the consumption tax that rises steeply with engine capacity, which is why capacity selection matters more here than the headline duty rate. Published rates vary by source, so obtain the current band from the customs authority through a licensed agent |
| Other taxes / levies | Value added tax of 19% and the FODEC charge are applied on top of duty and consumption tax. Under the household concession passed with the 2026 finance law, eligible buyers are reported to face a consumption tax of 10% and value added tax of 7%, while electric, hybrid and locally assembled vehicles are exempt from the consumption tax |
| Pre-shipment certificate | Conformity documentation for the vehicle, and a sworn translation into Arabic or French of the documents that will be used for the declaration, since untranslated papers are returned rather than accepted |
| Main port of entry | Rades and La Goulette serve the capital region, with Sfax, Bizerte and Sousse handling regional traffic. The declaration is filed through the customs system by a licensed agent, and the technical inspection takes place before registration rather than at the port |
| Typical clearance time | One to three weeks for a complete file through a licensed agent, with the return-settlement dossier and any concession application adding their own lead time |
| Customs valuation risk | High, because the tax base is built from duty plus a capacity-graduated consumption tax plus value added tax and FODEC, and because published rates differ by source. A landed cost built on your invoice and a single headline percentage will not match the assessment |
14. Restrictions and prohibited categories
- Ordinary commercial import of used vehicles is not a practical route; the working doors are return settlement, the household concession and purchase from an authorised dealer
- Left-hand drive, Euro 4 as the floor with Euro 6 the prudent target, and a mandatory technical inspection before registration
- The household concession carries its own limits: the vehicle must be within the stated age, the beneficiary must not already hold a newer vehicle, income ceilings apply, resale is prohibited for five years and the concession cannot be combined with other vehicle purchase advantages
- Accident, flood and fire vehicles are excluded, and documents without a sworn translation into Arabic or French are returned rather than processed
22. Required documents and certificates
- Conformity certificate for the vehicle, and the declaration form and supporting papers prepared in the form the customs authority requires
- Sworn translation into Arabic or French of the commercial and registration documents, because untranslated papers are returned
- Evidence of the entitlement relied on: return-settlement status, or eligibility under the household concession with its income and ownership conditions
- Bill of lading showing the final discharge port, full consignee name, address and telephone number
- Commercial invoice and packing list whose VIN, model year, engine capacity and colour match the bill of lading character by character
- Certificate of origin (or the preferential certificate required by a trade agreement)
- Vehicle registration certificate and official de-registration / export-cancellation document from the country of last registration
- Marine insurance certificate covering the declared value plus freight, valid until clearance is completed
31. Customs clearance process, step by step
- Establish which door applies: a return-settlement dossier for a Tunisian resident abroad coming home permanently, a concession application under the 2026 finance law, or a purchase from an authorised dealer. There is no ordinary commercial used-import route to fall back on
- Prepare conformity documentation and sworn translations into Arabic or French before the declaration is filed, and appoint the licensed agent who will file it
- Declare through the customs system, pay duty, consumption tax, value added tax and FODEC, pass the mandatory technical inspection and register
- Vessel arrival: the importer's licensed broker lodges the import declaration through the national single window and the goods move to the bond store
- Inspection and release: physical and technical inspection, duty assessment, payment, delivery order, gate-out
- Registration: purchase of third-party liability insurance, local technical test, issuance of number plates
⚓Shipping and transit
Ocean freight from Qingdao / Shanghai / Nansha: Ro-Ro or container depending on unit and vessel space. Sailing time is about 28–38 days to Radès. This is time at sea only — it excludes inland haulage to the port, terminal waiting and congestion at destination. Allow roughly two further weeks on top of the sailing time when planning, and clearance at destination takes about 1–3 weeks once documents are complete. Schedules and freight are confirmed in writing at booking — contact us for the current ETD/ETA.
Transit ranges are compiled from published carrier schedules and freight-forwarder references; they vary with carrier, routing and season. The booking confirmation governs.
💰How we quote
How we quote: FOB Qingdao, Shanghai or Nansha. We handle export declaration, loading and export documents. Destination clearance, import duties and taxes, and on-carriage are arranged by the buyer or the buyer's agent. The clearance and tax detail on this page is background for your budget, not a description of our scope.
4Recent regulatory changes
- The 2026 finance law was passed on 4 December 2025 with 104 votes in favour, and Article 55 as amended introduced the one-time household concession: a reduced consumption tax and value added tax for eligible buyers, subject to income ceilings, a five-year resale ban, an ownership condition and a reservation of at least 10% of annually approved vehicle imports for beneficiaries, with applications to be processed within three months
- The concession changes the tax the buyer pays but not the vehicle standard: left-hand drive, Euro 4 and the ban on accident, flood and fire vehicles continue to be enforced, so a relaxed age does not relax the specification
- Electrified and locally assembled vehicles are treated favourably under the concession, being exempt from the consumption tax, which points the same direction as the wider regional shift towards electric and hybrid stock
5Common delay and refusal situations
- Treating Tunisia as an ordinary used-car market: the commercial route is not available, and a consignment shipped on that assumption arrives to find no door to enter by
- Using commercial-source figures as if they were customs requirements: five years, a one-vehicle-per-three-years rule and duty ranges circulating in trade material are not published customs positions, and building stock on them produces vehicles that cannot be imported
- Filing without sworn translations: the papers are returned, and the delay falls on a consignment that is already in the port
- Assuming the concession removes the conditions: the income ceilings, the ownership test, the resale ban and the non-cumulation rule are all part of it, and a buyer who qualifies on price but not on conditions cannot use it
6Operational checkpoints
- Establish the door before the price: return settlement, concession eligibility or dealer purchase, and make that determination a written condition of the order
- Prepare sworn Arabic or French translations as part of the standard document pack rather than as a fix requested later
- Favour small-capacity, hybrid and electric stock, because the consumption tax rises with capacity and electrified vehicles are exempt from it under the concession
- The compliance package is completed before booking, not at the port: these markets generally do not accept certificates repaired after arrival
- Demurrage, storage and rectification costs follow the allocation written into the contract, agreed before shipment
- Regulation in these markets changes several times a year; quotations and sailing dates are confirmed in writing for the current period
- Where customs applies its own valuation table, the tax base is set by that table and usually exceeds the invoice value — budget on the table
?Frequently asked questions
Can I import a used car into Tunisia?
Not through an ordinary commercial route. In practice the used-vehicle door is the return-settlement route for Tunisians residing abroad who come home permanently; everyone else buys a new car from an authorised dealer. The 2026 finance law added a household concession for eligible buyers, but it does not create a general commercial import channel.
What is the household concession in the 2026 Tunisian finance law?
The finance law was passed on 4 December 2025 with 104 votes in favour, and Article 55 as amended introduced a one-time household concession: eligible buyers are reported to face a consumption tax of 10% and value added tax of 7%, with electric, hybrid and locally assembled vehicles exempt from the consumption tax. It is subject to the vehicle being within the stated age, the beneficiary not holding a newer vehicle, income ceilings, a five-year resale ban, non-cumulation with other vehicle purchase advantages, and a reservation of at least 10% of annually approved imports, with applications processed within three months.
What taxes apply to a car imported into Tunisia?
Customs duty, then a consumption tax that rises steeply with engine capacity, then value added tax of 19% and the FODEC charge. The consumption tax is the decisive line, which is why capacity selection matters more than the headline duty rate. Under the household concession the reported rates are 10% consumption tax and 7% value added tax, with electrified vehicles exempt from the consumption tax. Published rates vary by source, so confirm the current band through a licensed agent.
Which port handles vehicle imports in Tunisia?
Rades and La Goulette serve the capital region, with Sfax, Bizerte and Sousse handling regional traffic. The declaration is filed through the customs system by a licensed agent and the mandatory technical inspection takes place before registration rather than at the port, so plan the inspection as a separate step.
Do I need Arabic or French translations of the documents?
Yes. A sworn translation into Arabic or French is required and untranslated papers are returned rather than accepted. Build the translation into the standard document pack before the declaration is filed, because a returned file delays a consignment that is already in the port.
✉Get a written landed-cost check for this market
Send us the VIN list or the model, model year and quantity you plan to ship to Tunisia. We check it against the requirements above before you book the vessel.
- Pre-shipment compliance check against VIN (age limit, steering side, emission standard, certificate scope)
- Landed-cost sheet: duty, VAT, excise and levies calculated on the customs value actually used at the destination port
- Full document set prepared by us: certificate, invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, export declaration
- FOB quotation with the destination-side obligations written into the contract, so nothing is discovered at the port
Reply within one business day. We quote against the regulations in force at booking date and state the verification date on every document set.
✓Sources, information currency and disclaimer
- Tunisian finance law 2026 adopted 4 December 2025, Article 55 as amended — official legislative text, consulted October 2026
- Tunisian customs code and tariff publications — official authority, consulted October 2026
- Technical inspection and registration requirements — official authority, consulted October 2026
- Licensed Tunisian customs agents practice notes — market practice, verified October 2026
- Direction Générale des Douanes — Tunisie → https://www.douane.gov.tn/