Business/social hints
Appointments:must be made in advance. Punctuality is important.
Attire for business meetings: men should wear a suit and tie, women a two-piece suit or equivalent.
Etiquette: it is customary to shake hands on meeting and taking leave. Business cards are exchanged after introduction.
Language: all executives speak French and some English.
Laws: the minimum drinking age is 21 years.
Invitation: gratuities in restaurants are usually around 10%.
Tunisia
Local time:GMT+1.
Capital:Tunis.
Language: Arabic, French and English.
Electricity: 220VAC50Hz.
Int. direct dialling code: 216.
Driving:national licence required (must be over 21 years and held a licence for one year).
Currency: Dinar TND 1 = 1000 Millimes) 5, 10, 20, 30.
Notes: TND: 5, 10, 20, 30
Coins: TND: 1. Millimes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500.
Business hours
Banks: 8am-11am, 2pm-4.15pm Monday-Thursday, 8am-11am and 1pm-3.15pm Friday (winter), 7.30am-11am Monday-Friday (summer).
Offices: winter 8am-12.30pm and 2.30pm-6pm Monday-Friday (commercial), 8.30am-1pm and 3pm-5.45pm Monday-Thursday 8.30-1pm Friday, 8.30am-1.30pm Saturday (Government). Summer: 8am-1pm Monday-Saturday (com), 7.30am-1.30 Monday-Saturday (Gov).
Shops: 8am-12 noon and 4pm-7pm Monday-Saturday (summer), 8.30am-12noon and 3pm-6pm Monday-Saturday (winter).
Emergency services
Police: 197. Fire: 198. Ambulance: 190.
Health
Compulsory vaccinations: yellow fever certificate if arriving from infected areas. Exempt: infants under one year.
Weather
Coastal areas have a mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters with most rainfall between October and March. Central areas and the southern hills have higher summer temperatures than on the coast and quite low winter temperatures with occasional frosts. Rainfall decreases in a southerly direction and temperatures can become very high inland during summer.
Tunis
Temp C Humidity % Rain
Max Min am pm (mm)
January 17 6 83 64 64
February 16 7 83 61 51
March 18 8 85 57 41
April 21 11 84 53 36
May 24 13 79 51 18
June 29 17 74 45 8
July 32 19 75 40 3
August 33 21 72 47 8
September 31 19 80 51 33
October 25 15 86 55 51
November 20 11 85 59 48
December 16 7 85 63 60
Tunis Carthage TUN
Postal address: B.P. 137 and 147, Tunis-Carthage.
Telephone: +216 1 754 000/755 000/848 000.
Telex: 13809.
Fax: +216 1 755 133.
Location: five miles/eight kms northeast of Tunis.
Transportation from airport to city centre: Bus:SNT service 35, every 30mins, fare TND 0.680, journey time 30mins. TUT service, every 30mins, fare TND 0.700, journey time 30mins. Taxi: fare TND 3, journey time 15-20mins.
Airport departure tax: Domestic: International:TND 45.
Passport and visas
Required.
Customs
Import allowances for persons of 20 years of age or older: 400
cigarettes, or 100 cigars, 250mls of perfume.