Rules for overlanding in Tunisia
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 6 September 2026.
Which licence you need
- All vehicles — An Italian licence is accepted. Check what applies to the licence you hold.
An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.
At the wheel
- Insurance — Carry a Green Card or take out temporary cover at the border. Without a Green Card you must buy short-term insurance on entry; it is sold at the Babouch (Algeria) and Ras Jedir (Libya) land crossings and at the ports of Tunis, Bizerte, Sfax, Sousse and Gabès.
- Temporary vehicle import — Non-resident travellers can bring in a car, motorcycle, caravan or camper on a circulation permit issued by customs and valid three months. It can be renewed three consecutive times, with road tax due after the first renewal. The vehicle is written into your passport.
- Leaving without your vehicle — You must leave the country with the same vehicle you entered with. If you cannot, theft included, customs demand a payment equal to the vehicle's market value before letting you go. The alternative is to leave it in customs custody: apply to the Direction Centrale des Douanes "Bureau des avantages fiscaux", pay a deposit and hand over the keys and papers, and only you in person can collect it later.
- Driving someone else's vehicle — You need a letter of authority from the owner, with the signature authenticated.
- Alcohol — The legal limit is 0% and there is no tolerance for drinking and driving.
- Helmets, belts, triangle — Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists and seatbelts are compulsory in the front seats; carrying children in the front is discouraged. A warning triangle is compulsory and must be placed 30 m behind the vehicle, visible from 100 m.
- Roads and tolls — The motorways are the A1 Tunis–Hammamet–Sousse–Sfax (270 km), the A3 Tunis–Medjez el Bab–Oued Zarga (66 km) and the A4 Tunis–Bizerte (56 km), with tolls payable in cash. Drive with extreme care outside built-up areas: the yearly accident and fatality rate on Tunisian roads is high. Take particular care travelling at night, above all on secondary roads.
- Desert driving — For desert trips use a vehicle suited to the tracks, meaning a 4x4, and report your presence at the nearest Tunisian National Guard barracks. Roadside assistance is widely available in towns and much less so on rural and inter-urban roads.
What catches travellers out
- After a fatal crash — A serious crash that kills a Tunisian citizen brings an initial "precautionary" arrest of the driver, foreign nationals included, while responsibility is investigated; detention can last from a few days up to two months. Serious offences such as speeding or illegal overtaking can also cost you your licence until the proceedings end and any fine is paid.
- Arriving by ferry — At the port of La Goulette, Italian and other European travellers have been refused entry for not holding a hotel voucher. Border officers there have not accepted bookings for non-hotel accommodation such as B&Bs or holiday homes, or a statement that you are staying with family or friends. Arrive with a valid passport, a return ticket, a hotel voucher and a precise itinerary.
- Drugs — There is no tolerance for using or dealing drugs. Simple possession, even of soft drugs for personal use, carries prison sentences of no less than one year.
- Currency — Any import or export of currency worth 20,000 Tunisian dinars (about 6,000 euro) or more must be declared to customs, and non-residents who want to take back out more than 5,000 dinars (about 1,500 euro) must declare it on the way in. Exporting Tunisian currency is prohibited in all cases. Keep the receipts from authorised exchange outlets: currency offences are punished severely, with confiscation and possible prison.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 6 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Tunisia before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 6 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.