Money in Tunisia: dinar, exchange, cards and tourist tax
The Tunisian dinar may not be imported or exported: you change money on arrival, at a bank, exchange office, hotel or the airport, and keep the exchange slips to convert leftover dinars before leaving. On 19 October 2026, €1 was worth TND 3.36. Cards are accepted in hotels and tourist places, and a tourist tax of TND 8 to 12 per person per night is paid at the hotel.
Checked on 20 October 2026
A currency that stays in the country
Tunisia's currency is the Tunisian dinar, abbreviated TND and divided into 1,000 millimes. It is a closed currency: according to the BCT (Central Bank of Tunisia), "the import and export of the Tunisian dinar in notes or coins are prohibited". You cannot order dinars from your bank before leaving, nor take leftover ones home as a souvenir. Money is changed on arrival and converted back before departure.
On 19 October 2026 the BCT quoted the euro at TND 3.36. A few reference prices at that rate:
| Expense | In dinars | In euros, approximately |
|---|---|---|
| TGM suburban train ticket (Tunis – La Marsa), second class | TND 0.500 to 0.800 | €0.15 to €0.25 |
| Entry to the Dougga site | TND 8 | €2.40 |
| Combined ticket for the El Jem amphitheatre and museum | TND 20, TND 30 from 1 January 2027 | €6, then €9 |
| Entry to the Bardo Museum | TND 30 | €9 |
| Tourist tax, two people, one night in a 5-star hotel | TND 24 | €7 |
Prices are often shown with three decimals: TND 0.500 means 500 millimes.
Where to change money
You can change money at banks, exchange offices, hotels and airports from the moment you arrive. The Auswärtiges Amt, the German foreign ministry, points out that changing money on the street is illegal.
Each transaction comes with an exchange slip, the receipt issued by the bank or office. Keep them all until you leave: the BCT only allows leftover dinars to be converted back into foreign currency on presentation of these slips. Without them, unspent dinars cannot be converted, and they cannot leave the country either. Sabaro therefore recommends changing money as you need it.
Foreign currency: what to declare
Foreign currencies may be brought in freely, but two thresholds matter, according to Tunisian customs and the BCT:
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| You arrive with more than the equivalent of TND 20,000, about €5,950 | Declare it to customs on entry |
| You plan to leave with more than the equivalent of TND 5,000, about €1,490 | An entry declaration is compulsory, valid for three months; without it, you may take out no more than TND 5,000 |
France Diplomatie, the travel advice service of the French foreign ministry, adds that amounts above the limit without a declaration are seized on departure, so a large sum in cash should be declared on arrival.
Cards and cash machines
- Card payments. Visa and Mastercard are accepted in hotels and tourist places, but rarely in small shops and petrol stations, according to the French and Belgian foreign ministries.
- Withdrawals. Cash machines are found in most towns. The German ministry says withdrawals work with debit cards, but not with V Pay cards.
- Cash. Motorway tolls are paid in cash, according to the German ministry.
The hotel tourist tax
Every hotel charges a tourist tax, paid on site on top of the room rate. According to the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the British foreign ministry), it is:
- TND 8 per person per night in 3-star hotels;
- TND 12 per person per night in 4- and 5-star hotels;
- for up to ten nights, with no refund if you leave early.
For a couple spending a week in a 5-star hotel, the tax comes to TND 168, about €50. Hotel prices published by Sabaro are taxes-included rates taken from booking sites, and each hotel page states that this tax is extra.
Tipping and bargaining
Tipping customs, in restaurants and cafés or for guides and drivers, and the rules of bargaining in the souks are covered in the guide Customs and etiquette in Tunisia.
Read next
- Golf and thalassotherapy in Tunisia: the courses and the hotels in our selection
- Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia: Tozeur, Matmata, Djerba and the ksour
- A night at the edge of the Tunisian Sahara: Douz, Tozeur and the ksour
- Tunis, the medina and the Roman sites
- Customs in Tunisia: dress, alcohol, tipping, photos and mosques
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Tunisian dinars before I travel?
No. Importing and exporting dinars is prohibited, according to the Central Bank of Tunisia. Change money on arrival, at a bank, exchange office, hotel or the airport.
What should I do with leftover dinars?
Convert them back into foreign currency before leaving Tunisia, showing the exchange slips you received with each transaction. Without the slips you cannot convert them, and you cannot take the dinars out of the country.
Are cards accepted in Tunisia?
Yes in hotels and tourist places; rarely in small shops and petrol stations. Cash machines are common in towns, but V Pay cards do not work in them, according to the German ministry.
How much is the tourist tax in Tunisia?
TND 8 per person per night in 3-star hotels and TND 12 in 4- and 5-star hotels, for up to ten nights. It is paid at the hotel.
What is the Tunisian dinar worth?
On 19 October 2026, €1 was worth TND 3.36, according to the Central Bank of Tunisia, so TND 10 was worth about €3.
Official sources
- Banque centrale de Tunisie, Réglementation des changes, importation et réexportation des moyens de paiement (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Banque centrale de Tunisie, cours moyens des devises (19 octobre 2026) (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Douane tunisienne, Devises et change (accessed 20 October 2026)
- France Diplomatie, Tunisie, Sécurité (accessed 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO), Tunisia, Entry requirements (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Auswärtiges Amt, Tunesien: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (accessed 20 October 2026)
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