Buying an Apartment in Tunisia From Abroad: The Complete Diaspora Guide
⟳ Machine translation
A Tunisian living in London, Toronto or Dubai who wants a two-bedroom flat in La Marsa rarely struggles with the price. The friction is procedural: which account to open, which currency to pay in, who signs on your behalf, and above all how to get your money out on the day you sell. All four are decided before the viewing, not after the preliminary contract.
This guide sets out the actual process for a Tunisian resident abroad (TRE). It is not written for foreign nationals: their regime is different and heavier, and confusing the two costs months.
A Tunisian abroad does not buy under the same rules as a foreigner
A Tunisian resident abroad buys property in Tunisia without the governor's authorisation. That prior authorisation applies mainly to buyers of foreign nationality; Tunisian nationality is enough to be exempt from it, dual nationals included. For a foreign national, by contrast, the authorisation is in principle required for residential property, failing which the sale contract may be void. The exemption under law 40 of 2005 and circular 44 of 23 August 2005 covers acquisitions in industrial or tourist zones made as part of an economic project, not every acquisition that happens to sit in a tourist zone.
The reason sits in exchange control law. Since 1993, Tunisians abroad, though non-resident, also hold resident status for acquiring or selling immovable property located in Tunisia in dinars, opening dinar accounts and signing dinar credit agreements. In practice you wear two hats: non-resident for exchange purposes, resident for the property purchase itself.
That hybrid status is an advantage, provided you know which of the two regimes you are switching on. Everything else in the file follows from that choice.
What the agency will not tell you
Paying in dinars from a local account is quick and simple. But doing so switches on your resident hat, which may take you outside the arrangement that facilitates moving funds out of Tunisia when you resell. Plenty of Tunisians abroad discover this ten years later, when selling to fund a project in Europe.
Foreign currency or dinars: the decision that governs everything
The reduced tax regime applies only if the transaction is settled entirely in foreign currency. A Tunisian resident abroad acquiring a dwelling or a built property intended for an economic activity, paid 100% in foreign currency, owes only the 1% land registry tax (CPF), with the contract registered at a fixed duty of 30 dinars per page, whatever the transaction amount.
Three conditions apply cumulatively:
- Proof that the buyer lives abroad, via the consular movement certificate (fiche de mouvement), which helps establish non-residence in Tunisia.
- Proof that the price was paid in convertible currency, normally a bank certificate evidencing the transfer.
- A copy of the SWIFT transfer and the investment record detailing the operation carried out in Tunisia.
The claim is filed after signature with the Directorate General of Public Accounting and Recovery.
What if you pay part of it in dinars? The moment any fraction of the price is settled in Tunisian dinars, the 1% registration benefit is lost. No pro-rata, no tolerance. On a 250,000 TND apartment the gap between the two scenarios runs into tens of thousands of dinars, because you fall back onto the ordinary regime. For an existing property bought from a private seller: 6% up to 499,999 dinars, 8% from 500,000 to 999,999 dinars, 10% above. For a new home bought from a licensed developer the calculation differs: 3% on the portion above 500,000 dinars, plus a complementary duty of 2% between 500,000 and 999,999 dinars or 4% above one million, applied to the total value.
My recommendation is blunt: unless the purchase is under 60,000 TND and funded by savings already sitting in Tunisia, pay the whole price in foreign currency. The FX cost is far smaller than the tax saving, and you keep your exit route open.
Moving the money: convertible account, SWIFT, investment record
Funding must run through a convertible dinar account opened at a Tunisian bank and fed by a SWIFT transfer from abroad. This step underpins the financial transparency of the deal and access to the tax incentives designed for the diaspora. Open the account before signing the preliminary contract, not between contract and deed.
The decisive document is the investment record. It is now filed digitally through the foreign-currency investment platform hosted on the Central Bank of Tunisia website at fiche-invest.bct.gov.tn, and it is what triggers the transfer guarantee, meaning the free transfer of investment income and of sale or liquidation proceeds.
Without that trail, reselling becomes a problem. The Central Bank authorises repatriation of property sale proceeds on one main condition: proof that the original operation was regular. Add to that the capital gains tax on the disposal, payable before any funds leave the country.
Keep everything: debit advices, statements, bank certificates, the investment record. In practice a resale file is won with paperwork dated ten years earlier.
Buying without setting foot in Tunisia: power of attorney
A power of attorney lets an agent sign the deed for you. A Tunisian living abroad can grant a general power covering all legal acts, or a special power limited to one specific act such as the sale of a property. Two routes exist: the Tunisian consulate, with documents legalised and then sent to Tunisia for registration at the tax office, or a local notary where the country is a party to the Hague Convention, which removes the need for embassy legalisation.
The apostille, and the countries where it does not work
Frequently misreported online: Tunisia is indeed part of the Apostille Convention. It acceded on 10 July 2017 and the convention entered into force there on 30 March 2018. A power of attorney drawn up before a British, Canadian or Italian notary and apostilled by the competent local authority is therefore acceptable.
The exceptions hit the diaspora directly. The convention does not apply between Tunisia and Germany, Austria or Greece. Belgium is a recent change: a Belgian reservation from January 2018 blocked entry into force and was only lifted on 11 June 2025, the date the convention took effect between the two countries. A Tunisian in Munich or Vienna therefore goes back to classic consular legalisation. Budget three to six extra weeks.
Special, not general
A general power of attorney handed to a cousin is the blueprint for a ten-year family dispute. Draft a special power, limited to the purchase of the identified property, with an explicit end date, translated into Arabic. The right agent is not the one living closest to the property, it is the one with no interest in the transaction.
Notary, land title and the checks you never delegate
The Tunisian notary drafts the deed, collects registration duties and handles transcription at the Land Registry. He secures the form, not your choice of asset. Three checks stay with you, and none of them can be done by phone.
The land title first. Insist on an individual title, the so-called blue title, and a recent copy issued by the Registry. A property "undergoing registration" is not a titled property. Then the nature of the land: a building on agricultural land cannot be regularised, whoever the seller is. Finally joint ownership, the classic trap on family assets: one absent heir who has not signed makes the sale challengeable.
Have a descriptive report prepared by a lawyer admitted to the Tunisian bar, separate from the notary and separate from the agency. The cost is a fraction of what a dispute 2,000 kilometres away will run you.
What it actually costs
Budget 8% to 12% of the price in ancillary costs under the ordinary regime, and materially less under the foreign-currency regime.
| Item | TRE paying 100% in foreign currency | Ordinary regime |
|---|---|---|
| Contract registration | 30 TND per page | Progressive scale on the tax-inclusive value |
| Land registry tax (CPF) | 1% | 1% |
| Registration duties, existing property from a private seller | Not applicable | 6% up to 499,999 TND, 8% from 500,000 to 999,999 TND, 10% above |
| Registration duties, new build from a licensed developer | Not applicable | 3% above 500,000 TND, plus 2% from 500,000 to 999,999 TND or 4% above one million, on the total value |
| Notary and lawyer fees | Per scale | Per scale |
On prices, here are indicative values per square metre for apartments for sale, from the Menzili.tn barometer, last updated 18 August 2026:
| City | Indicative price per m² |
|---|---|
| La Marsa | 3,800 TND |
| Tunis | 2,900 TND |
| Hammamet | 2,600 TND |
| La Soukra | 2,600 TND |
| Ariana | 2,500 TND |
| Djerba | 2,400 TND |
| Sousse | 2,200 TND |
A 90 m² two-bedroom flat in La Marsa therefore sits around 340,000 TND, against roughly 200,000 TND in Sousse for the same surface. The difference comfortably funds two return trips a year for fifteen years.
A realistic timeline
Allow six to nine months from first search to transcription when you are abroad. One month of online search and shortlisting, one to two weeks on the ground for viewings, two to four weeks for the preliminary contract and title checks, three to six weeks for the power of attorney and its apostille or legalisation, two weeks for the SWIFT transfer and investment record, then signature and transcription.
Which item slips most often? The power of attorney, never the financing. Start it the day you sign the preliminary contract.
FAQ
Does a dual national need the governor's authorisation? No. Tunisian nationality is sufficient to buy a built property. Prior authorisation from the governor applies to buyers of foreign nationality. The exemption in industrial or tourist zones requires an economic project.
Can you buy without ever travelling to Tunisia? Yes, through a notarised power of attorney, apostilled or legalised, then registered in Tunisia. For a first purchase I advise against it: a physical viewing before the preliminary contract remains the best filter against fraud.
What happens if I pay half in dinars? You lose the 1% registration benefit, since the full payment must be made in foreign currency to qualify.
Will I be able to transfer the sale proceeds abroad? Yes, if the purchase was funded by a documented import of foreign currency. The transfer guarantee rests on the digital investment record filed through the Central Bank of Tunisia platform.
How is rental income taxed? Tax treaties allocate taxation of rents to the state where the property is located, while residents of countries such as France must still declare the income at home, with double taxation removed by a tax credit equal to the foreign tax paid.
Can a Tunisian bank lend to a non-resident Tunisian? Yes. Tunisians abroad have dedicated products, housing savings plans and diaspora-specific bank offers. Terms vary widely between institutions, so compare at least three.
Now you know what to prepare. The remaining step is finding the property: apartments for sale in Tunis and listings in Sousse can be browsed and filtered on Menzili.tn, a real estate listings portal covering all 24 governorates of Tunisia. Agencies can create a professional account and publish their properties directly.
Written by Slim. Last updated: 26 September 2026.