# Safety in Tunisia: what governments advise, area by area No European foreign ministry advises against travel to Tunisia as a whole; a state of emergency has been in force since November 2015, and vigilance remains the rule in tourist areas. The ministries advise against the central-western mountains, the far south near Libya and the town of Ben Guerdane; their limits differ for Sbeitla, the mountain oases, Ain Draham, Ksar Ghilane, Chenini and Douiret. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/guides/securite-tunisie/ ## In short As of October 2026, none of the European foreign ministries tracked by Sabaro advises against Tunisia as a whole. Tunis, Carthage, Hammamet, Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia, Kairouan and Djerba lie in no advised-against area; vigilance remains the rule there, and a state of emergency has been in force nationwide since 24 November 2015. The advice focuses on the country's edges: the central-western mountains near Algeria, where the army conducts operations, the Algerian border strip, the far Saharan south, a military zone since August 2013, and the town of Ben Guerdane, near Libya. Each ministry draws these limits its own way, and their positions diverge for about ten tourist sites, from Sbeitla to Ksar Ghilane. This guide gives your country's advice, then the situation in each area and at each site. Travel advice is guidance, not law; travelling to an area your ministry advises against can, however, invalidate travel insurance: check what your policy covers. ## Your foreign ministry's advice Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice. Here is your country's, as of 20 October 2026: (Depends on the traveller's country: see the table on https://sabaro-travel.com/en/guides/securite-tunisie/) Advice changes: before you leave, check your country's foreign ministry. ## Area by area ### The coast, from Tunis to Djerba Tunis, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, Gammarth, Bizerte, Cap Bon, Hammamet, Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia, Sfax, Kairouan, Djerba and Zarzis are outside every advised-against area; the ministries ask for vigilance there. The 2015 attacks targeted tourists, at the Bardo Museum in March and at Port El Kantaoui in June, where 38 foreign tourists were killed, 30 of them British. Later attacks have mainly targeted the security forces: on 9 May 2023, a shooting near El Ghriba synagogue in Djerba killed three members of the security forces and two civilians. Racist assaults have also been reported in Tunis, Sfax and Gabès. Zarzis is the resort closest to the advised-against areas: Ben Guerdane, strongly advised against, is 41 km away as the crow flies. Zarzis itself is the end point of lines beyond which some ministries advise against travel; the town can be visited. The "Travel advice" table on the [Djerba, Zarzis and the South-East](/en/tunisia/djerba/) page gives your country's advice. ### The north-west and the Algerian border Several ministries advise against a strip along the Algerian border, hiking included, except on the roads to official crossings; its width ranges from 5 to 30 km depending on the ministry. Central Tabarka is about 10 km from the border, Bulla Regia 30 km and central Ain Draham 4.6 km: depending on the width used, they fall inside or outside the strip. Some ministries also explicitly advise against the mountain areas of Ain Draham, the area north and west of Ghardimaou, including El Feidja park, or the Chemtou site. The Table de Jugurtha, near Le Kef, should be visited only on an organised tour. The "Travel advice" table on the [Tabarka and Kroumirie](/en/tunisia/tabarka/) page gives your country's advice. ### The centre-west: Kasserine and the mountains The ministries strongly advise against the Chaambi, Selloum, Semmama, Mghila and Orbata mountains, which are military operations zones. Beyond them, they differ over Kasserine governorate, home to the Roman site of Sbeitla: some advise against the whole governorate, others only its mountains. Before exploring the countryside between Kasserine, Sbeitla, Sidi Bouzid and Gafsa, off the Gafsa – Kasserine and Gafsa – Sidi Bouzid roads, travellers are advised to check with the authorities. The "Travel advice" table on the [Kairouan](/en/tunisia/kairouan/) page gives your country's advice for Sbeitla. ### The mountain oases and the Jerid Tozeur, Nefta, the Chott el Djerid, Ong Jmel, Mos Espa and Metlaoui are in no strongly advised-against area; Tozeur and Nefta are on the line beyond which some ministries advise against the desert. The mountain oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Midès are less than 10 km from Algeria, inside the border strips several ministries advise against, with Chebika on the edge of some of them. The "Travel advice" table on the [Tozeur, Nefta and the Jerid](/en/tunisia/tozeur-nefta/) page gives your country's advice. ### The Saharan south and Douz Douz is on the line beyond which some ministries advise against the desert: the town can be visited, while those ministries advise against the desert to the south. Tembaine and Jbil National Park are south of that line; Ksar Ghilane is on it or south of it, depending on the ministry. Other ministries place these sites outside the advised-against areas. Further south, the desert beyond the Bir Rjim Maatoug – Borj Bourguiba line is advised against by some ministries, and the Grand Erg Oriental is strongly advised against: it is a military zone where all travel requires prior authorisation. Go into the desert only in an organised group with a guide. The "Travel advice" table on the [Douz and the Sahara](/en/tunisia/douz-sahara/) page gives your country's advice. ### Tataouine, the ksour and the Libyan border Tataouine, 97 km from Libya, is on the line beyond which some ministries advise against travel; the town can be visited. Chenini and Douiret, about twenty kilometres south-west, are south of that line, so advised against by those ministries, and outside the advised-against areas for others. South and east of Tataouine, towards Remada and Dhehiba, all the advice tightens up to the strongly advised-against zone, and travel in the far south requires a permit from Tataouine governorate. The "Travel advice" table on the [Djerba, Zarzis and the South-East](/en/tunisia/djerba/) page gives your country's advice. ## Sensitive tourist sites, place by place Situation as of 20 October 2026. Distances are measured as the crow flies to the borders in OpenStreetMap. Your country's advice for each place appears in the "Travel advice" table on its region page. | Place | Situation | Region | |---|---|---| | Tamerza, 3 km from Algeria | inside the border strips advised against by several ministries | [Tozeur, Nefta and the Jerid](/en/tunisia/tozeur-nefta/) | | Chebika, 8 km | inside the border strips of several ministries, on the edge of some | [Tozeur, Nefta and the Jerid](/en/tunisia/tozeur-nefta/) | | Midès, under 1 km | inside the border strips advised against by several ministries | [Tozeur, Nefta and the Jerid](/en/tunisia/tozeur-nefta/) | | Sbeitla | Kasserine governorate, advised against as a whole by some ministries | [Kairouan](/en/tunisia/kairouan/) | | Ain Draham, 4.6 km | on the edge of or inside the border strips; mountains advised against by some ministries | [Tabarka and Kroumirie](/en/tunisia/tabarka/) | | Ksar Ghilane | on or south of the line beyond which some ministries advise against the desert | [Douz and the Sahara](/en/tunisia/douz-sahara/) | | Chenini | south of that line, advised against by some ministries | [Djerba, Zarzis and the South-East](/en/tunisia/djerba/) | | Douiret | south of that line, advised against by some ministries | [Djerba, Zarzis and the South-East](/en/tunisia/djerba/) | | Tataouine | on the line; the town can be visited, permit needed for the far south | [Djerba, Zarzis and the South-East](/en/tunisia/djerba/) | | Douz | on the line; the town can be visited, the desert to the south is advised against by some ministries | [Douz and the Sahara](/en/tunisia/douz-sahara/) | | Zarzis | on the line; the town can be visited | [Djerba, Zarzis and the South-East](/en/tunisia/djerba/) | | Djerba | no advised-against area | [Djerba, Zarzis and the South-East](/en/tunisia/djerba/) | ## What Sabaro does Sabaro offers no trip idea, excursion or hotel in an area advised against by any of the five ministries it follows for its offer: those of France, Belgium, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Germany. The rule applies to every client, whatever their nationality. - **The sites concerned** (Tamerza, Chebika, Midès, Sbeitla, Ain Draham, Ksar Ghilane, Chenini, Douiret and the desert south of Douz) are described on their region page, whose "Travel advice" table gives your country's advice. - **The hotels in the selection** are all in towns that none of these five ministries advises against, Douz and Tozeur included, both on the edge of the advised-against desert. Advice changes: before you leave, check your country's foreign ministry. ## Precautions during your stay - **Security forces.** Keep away from places where they are posted, the targets of the latest attacks, and never photograph military sites, public buildings, including the presidential palace in Carthage, police officers or an official motorcade: you risk arrest for espionage. - **Checkpoints.** Police and army checkpoints are frequent on the roads: slow down and show your papers. Always carry ID or a copy of your passport photo page. - **Demonstrations.** They mostly take place at weekends, on Friday afternoons in city centres and on national dates, 14 January and 17 December. Keep well away; strikes and curfews are possible. - **At night.** Avoid road travel at night outside towns and off the main roads; to reach the south-west, fly or take the motorway. - **Online.** Decree-Law 54 provides for up to ten years in prison for spreading "false information" online. - **Drones.** They need prior authorisation, or they will be confiscated. - **Desert.** Only in an organised group with a guide; on quad bikes, wear a helmet, as safety standards vary widely. - **Summer.** Power cuts are possible during heatwaves, and forest fires break out. - **Emergencies.** Police: 197; ambulance: 190. The guide [Customs and etiquette in Tunisia](/en/guides/usages-tunisie/) covers dress, alcohol and the laws to be aware of, and the guide [Getting around Tunisia](/en/guides/se-deplacer-tunisie/) covers driving. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Tunisia dangerous for tourists? No European foreign ministry advises against the country as a whole. A state of emergency has been in force since November 2015, and the terrorist threat is considered high, especially around religious and tourist sites and festivals. The areas advised against are the border regions near Algeria and Libya. This guide gives your country's advice. ### Is Djerba advised against? No. Djerba lies in no advised-against area; vigilance is called for there, as in the other tourist areas, since the attack near El Ghriba synagogue on 9 May 2023. ### Can I visit the desert in Tunisia? Douz and Tozeur can be visited. Some ministries advise against the desert south of a line through Tozeur, Douz and Tataouine, and the ministries ask visitors to go into the desert only in a group with a guide. The far south is a military zone requiring authorisation. The Douz and the Sahara page gives your country's advice. ### Can I visit Sbeitla? Some ministries advise against Kasserine governorate, where Sbeitla lies; others only ask travellers to check with the authorities before visiting the surrounding countryside. The Kairouan page gives your country's advice. Sabaro does not offer Sbeitla. ### Which numbers should I call in an emergency? Police on 197 and ambulance on 190.