NO MARMITE IN TUNISIA

There is no other word for travelling to Tunisia by car, but "amazing!"  Crossing the French countryside and arriving at the picturesque port of Marseilles, or if you choose to travel from Italy, marvelling at the spectacular views of lakes in Austria, breathing the pure, mountain air in Switzerland, and finally travelling round those hair-raising bends down the mountainside as you approach the Italian port of Genoa.  A 24 hour mini cruise will take you to your destination as you bathe in the pool on the boat, watching the islands of Corsica and Sardinia go by!

But what if you plan to take your car over to Tunisia permanently?  How easy is it?

As with everything in Tunisia, the laws are constantly changing, but as a rough guide, at the moment (2006) there are a few different options available to you.

If you plan to stay a while in Tunisia, but not become a resident, you may take your car to Tunisia for 3 months.  After that, people will do all sorts of strange things such as driving across the border into Libya or Algeria, having their passport stamped, and bringing their car back in again for a further 3 months! 

If all of this sounds a bit too much of a bother, you may obtain papers to bring your car into the country, without paying duty, but the car can only be driven by yourself and your family.  You may not sell the car, it is exclusively for your own use only.

If you plan to bring your car to Tunisia and change the number plates for Tunisian ones, you will need to pay customs duty and your car may not be more than 3 years old.  The car is then yours to do anything you like with and you can sell it if you wish.

Tunisian expats, have special incentives and deals available to them, from a government trying to tempt them back!  If you don't know your rights already and you fall into this category, contact the Tunisian Embassy in London to update yourself on what is being offered to you!

Well, if all of this sounds very easy, Helen, currently building her house in Hammamet, imported her car from France 4 years ago.  She tells a very different tale.  The following is her story!