Tunisia
Northern Africa
Africa
A very low-cost North African economy with a 5-year citizenship path, a startup visa and strong human-development indicators, but a weak passport (~66 destinations), limited English and high personal taxes.
51
Overall score
Moderate · 97% data coverage
Language
ArabicCurrency
TNDCitizenship
5 yearsPersonal tax
Up to 40% headlineCost of living
Consumer price level 33 (world = 100, 2025)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
45
Access
17%40Residence12%
58Citizenship and passport5%
55
Earning power
25%35Salary and work12%
74Buying power13%
42
Business and wealth
20%38Taxes7%
48Business8%
37Investment5%
60
Daily life
25%57Quality of life18%
68Education7%
47
Rights and institutions
13%50Freedom6%
45Rule of law7%
Pros
- Relative affordability score 84/100
- Internet use 77%
- Human development score 75/100
Cons
- Passport mobility score 34/100
- Tax friendliness score 38/100
- Institutional environment score 42/100
Best for
Applicants prepared to use local languagesCost-conscious residentsPeople with a confirmed local employment or study route
Score profile
Access
Residence
40
Citizenship
69
Passport
38
Earning power
Salary & work
35
Buying power
74
Cost of living
93
Economy
54
Business and wealth
Taxes
38
Personal tax
27
Corporate tax
43
Business
48
Investment
37
Wealth building
47
Daily life
Safety
57
Healthcare
60
Environment
43
Infrastructure
53
Education
68
HDI
75
Rights and institutions
Freedom
50
Rule of law
45
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
40Limited
Migrant stock0.5% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality-0.39 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
Employment residenceStudy residenceFamily reunificationBusiness or investment residence where eligible
| Student | Admission, proof of funds, accommodation, insurance, and immigration approval are normally required; work rights vary. |
|---|---|
| Work | A local employer, qualifying occupation, or other work authorization is normally required; labour-market tests may apply. |
| Self-employed | Business registration, tax registration, and a residence or work authorization suitable for self-employment are generally required. |
| Permanent | Eligibility depends on years and continuity of lawful residence, route, income, character, and country-specific legislation. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
69Good
| Years required | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | Language, integration, character, and documentation requirements depend on the nationality law and route. |
| Residence | Headline ordinary naturalization period: 5 years. Continuous residence and absence rules may apply. |
| Notes | This is a statutory headline from a sourced comparison table. Confirm the current nationality law and administrative practice before relying on it. |
Passport
Passport power
38Limited
75 / 198
Mobility
#67
Global rank
No
Biometric
- Visa-free40
- On arrival32
- eTA3
- Visa required123
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
35Limited
Output per worker$43,673 PPP (2024)
Unemployment15.1% (2025)
Participation45.2% of 15+ (2025)
Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$204 · $732 PPP (2019)
Tech (IT & comms)$324 · $1,158 PPP (2019)
| Freelance | Internet use is 77%; remote and freelance access still depends on payments, language, regulation, and immigration status. |
|---|---|
| Job market | Latest comparable unemployment rate: 15.1%. Role-specific demand varies substantially by city and sector. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
74Good
GNI / person$14,870 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$10,743 PPP (2024)
Price level33 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality33.7 Gini (2021)
Inflation5.2% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
93Excellent
Price level33 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | Model benchmark: about $200 monthly housing share; derived from the World Bank consumer price level, not a market listing. |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Model benchmark: about $490 / month at a US$1,500 world-price baseline. |
| Cities | Tunis, Sfax, Sousse |
Economy
Economic strength
54Moderate
Output & income
GDP$57.5B (2025)
GDP / person$4,657 (2025)
GNI / person$14,870 PPP (2025)
GDP growth1.6% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation5.2% / yr (2025)
Unemployment15.1% (2025)
Output per worker$43,673 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture10.3% of GDP (2025)
Industry22.0% of GDP (2025)
Services62.7% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
Manufacturing (electrical, mechanical)TourismAgriculture (olive oil)TextilesPhosphates
Top exports
Electrical machineryTextiles & garmentsOlive oilPhosphates
| Type | Lower-middle-income, manufacturing- and services-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Light manufacturing & components, Tourism, Olive oil agriculture |
| Summary | A manufacturing- and tourism-based economy closely tied to Europe, strong in components and olive oil. |
| Currency | Tunisian dinar |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
38Limited
| Personal | 40 |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 20 |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Exit tax | No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules. |
| Foreign companies | Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply. |
Personal tax
Personal tax
27Low
| Personal | 40 |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration. |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Exit tax | No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules. |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
43Limited
| Corporate | 20 |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Foreign companies | Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply. |
Business
Business friendliness
48Moderate
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality-0.39 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness-0.24 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Foreign ownership is generally possible, subject to sector restrictions, licensing, local-participation rules, and beneficial-ownership checks. |
|---|---|
| Local company | Local company forms are available; registration, tax, capital, director, address, and licensing requirements vary. |
| Freelance | Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration. |
Investment
Investing environment
37Limited
Market cap21% of GDP (2025)
Private credit58% of GDP (2025)
| Capital gains | Capital-gains treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position. |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | Verify current national and subnational net-wealth, property, inheritance, and transfer taxes. |
| Brokers | Local and international broker access depends on residency, exchange controls, sanctions screening, and platform onboarding. |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
47Moderate
Salary & work
35Limited
Business
48Moderate
Investment
37Limited
Tax friendliness
38Limited
Cost of living
93Excellent
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
57Moderate
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption-0.22 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability-0.92 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
60Moderate
Outcomes
Life expectancy76.7 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality12.1 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians1.31 per 1,000 (2021)
Hospital beds1.82 per 1,000 (2023)
Health spending$1,113 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Public and private provision coexist; eligibility, service quality, and capacity vary by location. |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Insurance and proof-of-cover requirements depend on immigration status, employer, and residence route. |
| Average cost | Health expenditure: $1,113 PPP per person (2023). |
Environment
Environment score
43Limited
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure18.9 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress98.1% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
53Moderate
Digital infrastructure
Internet use76.5% (2024)
Internet resilience50 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed48 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed60 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses18.3% of output (2023)
Transport
Transport quality2.10 / 5 (2018)
Rail density11.4 km / 1,000 km² (2021)
Air connectivity2,893 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
68Good
Attainment
Expected schooling14.7 years (2023)
Mean schooling7.6 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment38% gross (2023)
Education spending6.7% of GDP (2023)
| Tuition | Fees vary by institution, programme, level, and nationality; no harmonized official tuition series is used. |
|---|---|
| Public university | Check current public-university fee schedules and scholarship rules directly with each institution. |
| Languages | Arabic |
| Student work | Student employment rights vary by permit and may require separate authorization or hour limits. |
HDI
Human development score
75Good
HDI0.746 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling14.7 years (2023)
Mean schooling7.6 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
50Moderate
| Freedom in the World | 44 / 100 (Partly free) |
|---|---|
| Freedom on the Net | 59 / 100 (Partly free) |
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
45Moderate
| Rule of Law percentile | 45 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
UN Statistics: M49 country and area codesunstats.un.orgUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)ilostat.ilo.orgPwC: Tunisia corporate tax headlinetaxsummaries.pwc.comPwC: Tunisia personal tax headlinetaxsummaries.pwc.comNaturalization comparison and linked nationality lawsen.wikipedia.orgHenley Passport Index 2026 summaryen.wikipedia.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.