Sending a package to Tunisia: Customs, VAT and delivery time

Sending a package to Tunisia: What companies should know before shipping

Tunisia is located on the North African Mediterranean coast and borders:

• Algeria
• Libya
• Mediterranean

Due to its geographical proximity to Europe, the country is heavily integrated into European supply chains.

The economic regions are particularly important:

• Tunis
• Ben arous
• Ariadne
• Sousse
• Monastir
• Sfax
• Bizerte

For companies from Germany, this means comparatively short maritime routes and regular RoRo and container connections across the Mediterranean.

What documents do I need for Tunisia?

For commercial imports, the following are typically required, depending on the goods and transport route:

• Commercial invoice or trade invoice
• Packing List
• Air Waybill or Bill of Lading
• CMR for road transport
• precise product description
• HS or NDP code
• cart value
• Origin of goods
• possibly EUR.1 or EUR-MED
• Declaration of origin (if applicable)
• Import permit (if applicable)
• (if applicable) technical control documents

A commercial invoice should be used for a normal sale of goods.

At:

• free samples
• Replacement deliveries
• Warranty exchange
• non-commercial deliveries

It should be clarified in advance with the importer and customs agent whether and in what form a pro forma invoice will be accepted.

Do I need a EUR.1 for Tunisia?

For industrial products with EU preferential origin, a:

EUR.1

can be used as proof of preference.

Tunisia is part of:

Pan-Euro-Med preference zone.

Depending on the original rule and accumulation, the following are also possible:

• EUR-MED
• Declaration of origin on the invoice
• EUR-MED Certificate of Origin

For shipments containing originating products up to:

EUR 6.000

In principle, any exporter can issue a declaration of origin.

At higher values, a:

authorized exporter

use the declaration within the scope of its approval.

Alternatively, depending on the case, an EUR.1 or EUR-MED certificate can be issued.

EUR.1 only applies to genuine preferential origin.

An EUR.1 certificate is not a document that can retroactively grant European origin to goods.

The exporter must be able to prove that the goods meet the relevant rules of origin.

Depending on the product, the following may be relevant, for example:

• own production
• sufficient processing or treatment
• Supplier declarations
• Proof of origin of materials used
• Cumulation rules

Those who merely forward goods from third countries unchanged from Germany should not automatically claim EU preferential treatment.

How long does it take for a package to arrive in Tunisia?

DHL currently states a delivery time estimate of:

6 to 12 working days.

The storage period is:

15 days.

The actual runtime can also be affected by:

• Customs clearance
• technical inspections
• missing proof of origin
• Import permits
• destination
• local onward transport

For:

• urgent spare parts
• Production material
• Automotive components
• Time-critical technical goods

Express might be more practical.

Which language should I use for the customs declaration?

DHL currently states:

• English
• French
• Arabic for certain branch shipments

as permitted languages.

This is particularly suitable for German B2B shipments:

French or English.

The product description should be precise.

Not:

“Spare parts”

but for example:

“Stainless steel replacement coupling for industrial packaging machines”.

This will:

• Product Type
• Material
• Usage

clearly recognizable.

Write the address for Tunisia correctly

DHL charges the following for international shipments:

• Latin letters
• Arabic numerals

An example of a business address could be:

ABC Industrie Tunisie SARL
25 Rue de l'Industrie
2033 MÉGRINE
TUNISIA

Additionally, the following should be specified if possible:

• Phone number
• Email address

These contact details make it easier in particular to:

• Customs inquiries
• Document requirements
• Delivery coordination

Radès is Tunisia's most important container and RoRo port.

For larger flows of goods:

Port de Radès

of central importance.

The port is located southeast of Tunis and is situated on:

• Containers
• RoRo traffic
• Trailer
• certain mass-produced goods

specialized.

According to the Tunisian port authority, Radès handles the majority of the country's container and RoRo traffic.

The port has direct:

• Road access
• Rail connections
• Connection to industrial areas in the greater Tunis region

and is therefore particularly relevant for:

• Machine
• Pallets
• Automotive components
• industrial spare parts
• Trailer traffic from Europe

Regular Mediterranean connections shorten the freight chain

Radès has regular shipping connections to, among other places, European Mediterranean ports.

These include, or included in the published route plans, connections via:

• Marseille
• Genoa
• Livorno
• Barcelona
• Valencia
• Malta

For shipments to Germany, the transport chain could look like this, for example:

Germany → European Mediterranean port → Radès → Recipient in Tunisia.

For trailer and RoRo traffic, continuous road/ferry concepts can also be of interest.

Tunis-Carthage is central for air freight and international mail.

The greater Tunis area is also particularly important for smaller and time-critical goods by air.

The:

Tunis-Carthage International Airport

is the country's most important international air traffic gateway.

Furthermore, according to the Tunisian customs administration, international mail shipments are processed centrally via:

Tunis-Carthage sorting center

guided.

For:

• Spare parts
• Electronics
• Measuring devices
• Production material
• Medical Technology

Air freight or express freight can therefore be a sensible alternative to sea freight.

Sfax and Sousse are also relevant for regional recipients.

Not every recipient is located in the greater Tunis area.

Important industrial centers are located in, among other places:

• Sfax
• Sousse
• Monastir
• Gabes
• Bizerte

Therefore, the last inland leg should be included in the calculation for freight.

A delivery to Sfax has other features:

• Transport costs
• maturities
• local delivery conditions

as a delivery directly to Ben Arous or Tunis.

Technical import control may be required.

Some goods are subject to a regulation in Tunisia:

technical inspection upon import.

The relevant product groups are determined by the Ministry of Commerce.

These include, for example, certain:

• Food products
• Cosmetics and hygiene products
• Pesticides and disinfectants
• Shoes
• housewares
• Batteries
• Lamps
• Household electrical appliances
• Toys

Depending on the product, a:

Document de Control Technique, DCT

to be required.

These documents are also processed electronically via TradeNet.

CE marking does not automatically replace Tunisian import controls.

A product can meet European requirements and still be subject to additional national testing in Tunisia.

This applies in particular to:

• regulated consumer products
• electrical devices
• food
• Chemicals
• health-related products

Therefore, the following should be checked before shipping:

• whether technical inspection is required
• which authority is responsible
• which documents are required
• whether samples or test reports are required

EU-Tunisia trade is significantly closer than with many other third countries.

The European Union is by far Tunisia's most important trading partner.

In 2025, more than:

70% of Tunisian goods exports

into the EU.

Nearly half of Tunisian imports came from the European Union.

This is relevant for German companies because it means Tunisia has comparatively established processes for European:

• Suppliers
• Freight forwarding companies
• industrial company
• Customs and origin documents

disposes.

Tunisia is suitable for nearshoring supply chains

The combination of:

• geographical proximity to the EU
• regular Mediterranean connections
• industrial base
• EU preferential agreements

This also makes Tunisia interesting for nearshoring structures.

For example, a German company can:

• Delivering components to Tunisia
• have it produced or assembled there
• Then re-import finished goods into Europe

However, with such models:

• active or passive refining
• rules of origin
• Customs procedures
• ownership

It needs to be planned properly.

Automate recurring source data

For regular trade with Tunisia, it is not enough to simply store the HS code in the item master data.

The following are also particularly useful:

• non-preferential country of origin
• Preferential origin
• Supplier declaration
• Validity of certificates of origin
• cart value
• Weight and dimensions

For regular exports, this information can be shared via ERP and shipping processes.

You can find out more at Automate shipping documents and keep customs data consistent.