Shells from Tunisia. What can and cannot be exported from Tunisia. In Australia, your desire to purchase a handbag or wallet made from the skin of local reptiles, as well as the desire to decorate yourself with beads made of black coral, will not coincide with the desires of the customs service.

Tunisia, despite the fact that this country is Muslim and the morals here are quite strict, still treats visiting tourists quite calmly. But like in any other country, in Tunisia there are certain restrictions on the import and export of certain items.

The full list of restrictions is indicated in the Tunisian Customs Code of 2008 (date of last revision) and can be downloaded from the official website of the Portail de la Douane Tunisienne. If you know French, then reading the full list will not be a problem.

What not to do import/export from Tunisia.


What can be exported/imported in limited quantities.

  1. Alcohol.
    There are no exact restrictions on the export of alcohol. The official list only contains vague phrases like “within reason” or “not for commercial use.”
    In this case, we must not forget that according to the legislation of the same Russia, it is forbidden to import more than 3 liters of alcoholic beverages into the territory of the Russian Federation.
    Local alcohol is not distinguished by quality or any special taste, and therefore it is better to buy well-known brands of alcohol at the local DutyFree. Prices for such alcohol in Tunisia are significantly lower than in the world.
    Import You can enter alcohol into Tunisia:
    * with a strength of less than 25% - up to two liters per adult;
    * with a strength of more than 25% - up to one liter per adult.
    Customs officers strictly observe the norms for imported/exported alcohol, especially in recent years. So, if you don’t want problems at customs, it’s better to follow the rules.
  2. Cigarettes and tobacco products.
    Just like with alcohol, the customs legislation does not have specific rules for the export/import of tobacco products. But it is advisable to limit yourself
    a certain amount of tobacco products transported through customs control.
    You can export/import no more than 200 cigarettes per adult; 100 cigarillos; 50 cigars; 400g pipe tobacco, snuff or hookah tobacco. But you must choose one thing, or take several of these products not in the maximum possible quantity.
    In the case of Tunisian alcohol, local tobacco is not of high quality and therefore it is more advisable to buy tobacco products of adequate quality at the local DutyFree. And the price for them in Tunisian DutyFree is significantly lower than in similar stores around the world.
  3. Perfumery.
    There are no restrictions as such here either, but in this matter one must have moderation.
    The maximum quantity of imported perfumes per person is limited to 250 ml.
  4. Currency.
    You can only export an amount equivalent to up to 5,000 dinars from Tunisia without declaring it. If the cash currency exceeds the specified amount, then it should have been included in the declaration upon entry into the country and confirmed with a stamp in the passport.
    Declaring money and a stamp in a passport is a completely different story. For example, you purchase goods in Tunisia worth over 5,000 dinars, theoretically, the seller has the right to demand this unfortunate stamp in your passport from you. If you withdrew the amount you needed from your account for a large purchase, the seller also has the right to demand from you a bank statement confirming this transaction.
    Without a currency declaration stamp, you won’t even be able to deposit this money into a bank account in Tunisia.
    The money on your plastic card is not subject to restrictions or declaration.
  5. Animals that cannot be imported into Tunisia.
    Fighting dogs and some guard breeds: pit bull, American pit bull terrier, Rottweiler, Tosa Inu.
    Sokolov, any variety.
  6. Some other restrictions on export from the country per person
    sheep
  • Olive oil – up to 2 liters;
  • Dates – up to 2 kg;
  • Spices – up to 1 kg;
  • Halva and the like – up to 1 kg;
  • Fruits – up to 3 kg;
  • Any valuable items purchased in Tunisia (such as silver and gold items, carpets, etc.) can be safely transported through customs control only if you have purchase receipts. If the purchased product can be attributed to historical or cultural value, it is better to obtain a certificate from the seller in advance that refutes this fact.

Departure information
You need to be at the airport 2.5 hours before departure. You independently go through passport and customs control and check-in for the flight, which ends 40 minutes before departure. When checking in your luggage, we ask you to consider:
maximum weight of checked baggage (in economy class 20 kg per ticket, in business class 30 kg)
the maximum weight of one piece of luggage must not exceed 32 kg
hand luggage no more than 5 kg

Flight time: 4 hours
Difference in time: 2 hours behind Moscow

Customs:
Video cameras must be declared (photo cameras and accessories do not need to be declared). Alcoholic drinks with a strength of up to 20º can be carried up to 2 liters, drinks with a strength of over 20º up to 1 liter. Cigarettes - no more than 400 pcs. or 100 pcs. cigars
It is prohibited to import and export: the national currency of Tunisia, pornography, drugs, weapons and explosives, antiques. To export carpets and jewelry from the country, you must present at customs the receipt received at the store when purchasing them.

Useful phones
Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tunisia +216 71 88-2446, 88-2458
Ambulance 190
Police 197

Connection
For telephone conversations, it is convenient to use call centers with telephone booths, from which it is cheaper to call than from a hotel. These machines operate on coins and cards. Call from Russia to Tunisia: (8-10) 216+area code+subscriber number; from Tunisia to Russia 007 + area code + subscriber number. City codes: Tunisia - 01, Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia - 73, Hammamet, Nabeul - 72

Transport
There is an above-ground metro (express train) between the capital and large resort towns; minibuses run in the central part of the resorts along the coast. It is necessary to agree in advance with the driver on the amount of payment. There are several types of taxis in Tunisia: yellow ones - for moving within one locality, “big taxis” - for traveling to another city (an important point: payment for them should be agreed upon in advance). You can rent a car at any airport, rental companies and hotels. The driver must be at least 21 years old and the driver's license must be issued at least one year ago. European traffic rules apply in Tunisia, but there is no discipline as such on the roads. Those tourists who would like to go deeper into the desert by car are required to notify the employees of special posts about their trip and the chosen route (so that they know exactly where to look for them if something happens).

Money
The monetary unit is the Tunisian dinar. 1 euro = approximately 1.5 Tunisian dinars, 1 US dollar = 1.4 Tunisian dinars. One Tunisian dinar is divided into 1000 millimes. In Tunisia, only local money is used; foreign currency is prohibited. You can import any amount of currency, any checks, credit cards. When exchanging currency, you must take an exchange receipt: this will make it possible to exchange dinars for dollars at the airport before departure (but not more than 100 dinars, and only paper bills), provided that the total amount of currency exchange receipts is not less than 300 dinar. When importing and exporting amounts over 1000 USD, it is recommended to declare the currency before passing through customs in the special Declaration de devises window.

The shops
Shops are open on weekdays 08:00 - 12:00 and 16:00 - 20:00. During Ramadan there are special opening hours: 09:00 - 13:00 and 19:00 - 21:00. Almost every resort town in Tunisia has state-owned supermarkets Monoprix and General, which are open 09:00 - 13:00 and 16:00 -18:45, in summer 07:30 - 15:00. Their prices are fixed and indicated on the product (excluding taxes). Alcohol can only be purchased in General stores (on any day except Friday). Payment for purchases in Duty free can only be made in foreign currency; Tunisian dinars are not accepted. And the vast majority of shops and shops in resort areas do not have fixed prices - there, as in markets, it is customary to bargain. A traditional Tunisian souvenir is the “sand rose,” a crystalline fossilized formation resembling a flower. You can also purchase ceramics, Berber silver jewelry, coinage, hookah (“shishu”), local wines, oriental sweets, and dates as souvenirs. Carpets from Kairouan are famous throughout the East; they are made here by hand from silk, cashmere and wool. When buying a hookah, you need to keep in mind that you often come across “souvenir” shishas, ​​which are almost impossible to use for their intended purpose. You also need to be careful when purchasing carpets - they must have a state certificate of authenticity and quality, which is secured with a seal to the back.

Nutrition
Tunisian cuisine is closer to European than traditional Arabic. Meat dishes are mostly beef and lamb, although in some places you can also try camel meat. Traditionally, fish and seafood are preferable to meat, although they are more expensive than the latter. The cheapest ones are tuna, sardines and mackerel. Eel, shrimp and shellfish are more expensive. The meat of octopus and sea cuttlefish belongs to the category of delicacies. A favorite dish is traditional for the Arab Maghreb called “couscous” - steamed semolina or corn porridge with lamb, chicken or fish with vegetables. Many people also love brik - “cheburek” made from unleavened dough filled with eggs. Soups are prepared in the French style - pureed. The national Tunisian drink is green hour with mint, fiery hot and very sweet. The attitude towards alcohol in Tunisia is much calmer than in countries of orthodox Islam. Excellent dry and table wines are produced here. You can try the fig vodka “Bukha” and the famous liqueur made from dates and herbs “Tibarin”.

Beach
All beaches in Tunisia are sandy, with a wide beach strip and a gentle slope into the sea. The largest beaches are in Mahdia. Most of the hotels in Tunisia are located right on the coast. But all beaches in Tunisia are considered municipal, not private. The hotel, which has an adjacent beach area, monitors its cleanliness, safety, and provides tourists with sun loungers, umbrellas and mattresses. As a rule, this is a paid service. Even if the equipment on the beach at the hotel is officially declared free, it is customary to give a tip of 1-1.5 TD to the service staff, who will put you a sun lounger in a convenient place and bring the mattress themselves.

Recommendations
It is advisable to drink bottled water, especially in the heat.
In resort areas you can dress lightly and freely, but it is not customary to walk around the capital and Muslim quarters in shorts and T-shirts.
During Ramadan, tourists must refrain from eating, drinking and smoking on the streets.
Photography is prohibited in official buildings. It is strictly forbidden to film the presidential palace; the policeman has the right to expose this footage. It is not advisable to photograph local residents without their consent.

Souvenirs are those cute trinkets that we bring from foreign countries so that a warm, good memory of our next trip remains in our souls.
Each of us has special souvenirs. We give them preference, take them home to our collection and give them to friends.
I have a passion for masks and decorative plates. Some people like magnets, others like shells. But there are souvenirs that cannot be taken out of the country, no matter how tempting they may be. And not just souvenirs.
Many countries have a ban on the export of animals.
I remember how in Tunisia the little fennec fox really stuck in my soul; I wrote about him in an article. This fluffy fox, a little miracle with long ears, was sold by local children in the Sahara Desert. And only the guide’s remark that fennec and chameleon cannot be taken out of the country stopped me from taking a rash step.
In addition to animals, in Tunisia it is strictly prohibited to export the national currency - dinars. For export they are threatened with imprisonment, and guides warn that it is better to leave unspent dinars at the hotel as a tip to the staff. Or they can be exchanged at the airport for dollars or other currency, albeit at an unfavorable rate for you.
We emptied our wallets and got rid of the dinars back at the hotel. Imagine my surprise when, after passing through customs, already in the duty-free zone, buyers were given change not in foreign currency, but in the same dinars. The question arises, why then all this fuss?
Local currency cannot be exported from India and Egypt either.

Tempting, but not exportable

From a foreign country you want to bring exactly that souvenir that most clearly characterizes the country and is its symbol. But, curb your appetite.
Eg:
  • Thailand is associated with the image of Buddha. Any souvenir with the image of a deity is regarded as a cult value, and the export of such a souvenir is strictly prohibited. As well as products made from ivory, rhinoceros tusks or tortoise shell.
  • In the Sahara Desert, nature created such a miracle as the desert rose. But it cannot be exported from Algeria, which cannot be said about Tunisia.

    • In Egypt, in the Red Sea there are many beautiful corals, shells and shells. It seems like a wonderful souvenir, and you yourself got it from the sea. Many people are interested in the question: is it possible to export corals? Don't even try, otherwise you will run into a lot of trouble. You will also be accused of a barbaric attitude towards nature, because all corals and shells in the Red Sea are protected by law.

  • In Greece, resist the temptation to grab a pebble as a souvenir from the Acropolis, or a shard from some vessel; you won’t get away with just a fine. A pebble, like a shard, may turn out to be of historical value, but it cannot be exported, neither from Greece nor from Turkey.
  • In Australia, your desire to purchase a handbag or wallet made from the skin of local reptiles, as well as the desire to decorate yourself with beads made of black coral, will not coincide with the desires of the customs service.

Green corridor with receipts and certificates

It should be remembered that when purchasing as a souvenir a copy of some symbol significant for the country, or a product made of leather, silver, gold and precious stones, it is imperative to take a sales receipt or purchase certificate. The certificate must indicate that the product is not a historical value or a work of art. To export works of art, you will need a license from the relevant department.

Before going somewhere, be sure to familiarize yourself with the prohibitions that exist in the country where you are going. After all, what is familiar to us is not always considered acceptable by others. If in our country people chew gum all the time, in the UAE and Thailand it is almost a crime.
Sometimes information obtained from Internet sources can be exaggerated, but it is better to be safe than sorry.