North African country, Tunisia has reopened its sea, land and air borders to select tourists, after more than three months lockdown measures to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening took effect from June 27, 2020.
Tunisian news agency TAP had reported that, “The National Committee to Combat the COVID-19 decided at its meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh to allow inter-city travel starting June 4 and to re-open land, air and sea borders on June 27.”
On June 4, 2020, the Tunisian government allowed resumption of travel between provinces, since inter-city tourism accounts for 20% of all tourist activity in Tunisia.
The North African country has also implemented a new entry procedure for international arrivals into the country which took effect from June 27.
A color-coded system has been implemented to show which countries may enter without restrictions and which countries can enter with enhanced restrictions.
Two colour-coded lists – Green and Orange – of countries that are eligible to visit Tunisia for the purposes of tourism have been created.
The GREEN list is made up of countries with low prevalence of the virus and travellers coming from these countries are not subject to any preventative measures. All they need to do prior to their trip is complete a sanitary form online.
Here are the countries included on the GREEN list: (As of July 1)
Andorra
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire, Saint-Eustache and Saba
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Chad
China
Curacao
Cyprus
Denmark
Dominica
Estonia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Gambia
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenade
Guernsey
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Isle of man
Italy
Japan
Jersey
Korea
Laos
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Monaco
Montserrat
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Papua New Guinea
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint-Martin
San Marino
Seychelles
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
St. Lucia
Swiss
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkish islands
Vietnam
Virgin Islands of the United States
The ORANGE list is a second group of countries with medium prevalence of the virus. People coming from these countries, in addition to the online sanitary form, need to present a negative-PCR test performed no later than 72 hours before departure (and not exceeding 120 hours before reaching Tunisian soil to help with layovers and transits.)
Here are the countries included on the ORANGE list: (as of July 1)
Afghanistan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Canada
Cayman Islands
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Djibouti
Ecuador
Equatorial Guinea
Georgia
Guam
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Iran
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Lebanon
Maldives
Mali
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Myanmar
Niger
Philippines
Poland
Porto Rico
Portugal
Romania
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Tajikistan
Togo
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Zambia
The above lists are expected to be updated weekly.
If your country is not on either list, currently you are not permitted to enter Tunisia for the purposes of tourism.
Rules For Visiting Tunisia
• The transfers from Port of entry in Tunisia/Hotels shall be organised in group (not individual) on board of tourist buses that adhere to the rules of the Tunisian tourism health protocol.
• The stay in the hotel will be compliant with the requirements of the Tunisian tourism health protocol.
• Groups of tourists and residents of the hotel are allowed to visit museums, monuments and tourist archaeological sites while respecting the Tunisian tourism health protocol in each site.
• A RT-PCR test is carried out at the request of the concerned person if he/she wishes to leave the hotel (or at the request of the his/her country of residence) at his/her own expense, starting from the sixth day of entry to Tunisia.
• The traveller agreeing to a temperature check upon arrival
• The traveller filling out a sanitation form before leaving the airport
• The traveller agreeing to stay in hotels that are implementing the rules of health protocol that the Tunisian government has put in place.
Tunisia has warned that its economy will shrink up to 7% this year, which is the steepest drop since 1956 independence. The country brings in $1.4 billion in revenue yearly and employees over 400,000 people.
Forbes recently listed Tunisia as one of the top 7 countries for becoming a top tourist destination in a post-covid world.
The US magazine said Tunisia is “Rife with picturesque Mediterranean beaches, ancient ruins, and Maghrebi cuisine, Tunisia is shaping up to be the perfect destination for those wishing to experience the vibrant and unique culture of North Africa.
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For many potential visitors, the nation’s extensive coastline serves as a major draw with the northeastern Cap Bon peninsula packed with idyllic white sand beaches and the bustling capital of Tunis just a short distance away.
Source: traveloffpath.com
