🇹🇳Tunisia

Detailed overview

Tunisia at a glance

Tunisia (population approximately 12 million — figure not separately primary-verified) is a North African economy with a French-civil-law base and Islamic-law influence, persistent balance-of-payments pressure and a managed-float dinar with capital controls. The financial system is BCT-centric; gambling is a tourism-oriented carve-out within an otherwise prohibitive, religiously-influenced framework.

Crypto regime — prohibited, reform pending:

• May 2018 BCT directive — virtual-currency transactions declared unauthorised; prohibition enforced via the foreign-exchange-control code; banks block crypto-linked card transactions; customs seize mining equipment
• No crypto statute; trading, exchange services, payments, mining and advertising are treated as breaches of currency-control law; penalties up to five years' imprisonment plus fines (reported as potentially exceeding TND 100,000 ≈ USD 34,602)
• 2021 enforcement case — a teenager jailed over a small crypto exchange; sparked cabinet-level decriminalisation discussion (no change enacted)
• Draft new foreign-exchange code (published March 2024) — would for the first time permit Tunisian citizens to hold and exchange crypto subject to BCT authorisation and a high financial threshold, with mandatory conversion to fiat; not yet enacted (pending parliamentary approval and implementing texts)
• BCT regulatory sandbox (since 2020) — time-bound, limited-scope blockchain/payment pilots on permissioned ledgers; no real crypto; participants must run full KYC and file STRs with CTAF
• A 2019 "E-Dinar" CBDC rumour was officially denied; an internal proof-of-concept reportedly exists with no launch date

Payments and e-money regime:

• Banking Law No. 2016-48 of 11 July 2016 — wide-ranging financial-sector law; created frameworks for non-bank financial institutions and payment institutions and a dedicated Islamic-finance framework (conventional banks may operate Islamic "windows"); doubled bank minimum capital to TD 50 million (≈ USD 17,301,038); BCT may require higher capital based on risk profile
• BCT supervision of banks, payment institutions and electronic-money issuers; CTAF AML/CFT oversight; Organic Law No. 2004-63 on personal-data protection (INPDP)
• National payment infrastructure: SIBTEL interbank clearing (ONP/La Poste + ~23 banks); BCT/Société Monétique Tunisie schemes; the 2026 "TUNPAY" national mobile-payment label (banks, payment institutions and La Poste must integrate it)
• Currency: managed-float dinar (TND) with capital controls and BCT-administered exchange regulation; the draft 2024 exchange code is a broader liberalisation vehicle

Gambling regime:

• Decree-Law No. 74-20 of 24 October 1974 — fairground/salon games and lotteries; general prohibition of lotteries; the State may approve lotteries run by specified societies/public bodies where all proceeds go to a single charitable/social purpose
• Decree-Law No. 74-21 of 24 October 1974 — casino games subject to prior authorisation by joint order of the Ministers of Interior and National Economy; casinos reserved for non-residents (foreign passport holders; international currency only); a small licensed casino sector (notably around Sousse, Hammamet, Djerba)
• Law No. 84-63 of 6 August 1984 (articles 67–70) — created Promosport, the public sports-promotion company with a state monopoly over sports betting and (in practice) lottery-type prediction games, including online; profit-split reported as 40% winners / 50% sport-and-youth fund / 10% operating costs
• Law No. 2002-62 of 9 July 2002 — promotional games
• Online gambling: no clear positive regime; Promosport operates the only authorised domestic online betting; offshore play is illegal but rarely prosecuted; a January 2026 draft bill would criminalise managing or participating in unlicensed digital gambling (1–5 years' imprisonment; fines up to TND 500,000 ≈ USD 173,010)
• Minimum gambling age 18; locals barred from casinos and from most gambling

Last verified: May 2026. Reference rate: USD 1 = TND 2.89 (1 TND ≈ USD 0.346). The dinar is a managed float with capital controls; the BCT reference rate (2.8890 on 14 May 2026) and market rate are closely aligned.

Tunisia is a prohibitive, state-controlled jurisdiction: crypto is illegal (with a pending but unenacted 2024 exchange-code reform), payments/e-money sit solely with the BCT under Banking Law No. 2016-48, and gambling is a tightly-licensed tourism carve-out (non-resident casinos) plus a closed Promosport monopoly for betting and lotteries.

Is there a crypto licence in Tunisia?

No. Crypto is effectively prohibited in Tunisia. The BCT's May 2018 directive bars unauthorised virtual-currency activity under the foreign-exchange-control code, with penalties up to five years' imprisonment. There is no licence; only time-bound BCT sandbox participation (no real crypto). A draft 2024 exchange code would permit BCT-authorised crypto holding/exchange — it is not yet enacted.

The legal foundation:

• May 2018 BCT directive — virtual-currency transactions unauthorised; enforced via the foreign-exchange-control code
• Foreign-exchange-control code — basis for penalties (fines and up to five years' imprisonment); confiscation of proceeds and equipment
• No crypto statute; CMF would regulate tokenised securities only if the ban is lifted; CTAF applies AML/CFT (Organic Law on AML/CFT) to financial institutions
• Draft new foreign-exchange code (March 2024) — would permit BCT-authorised crypto holding/exchange above a high threshold with mandatory fiat conversion; unenacted; implementing texts to follow

Structure:

• No exchange/custody/token-issuance licence exists; banks must refuse crypto-related transfers
• The BCT sandbox allows limited, time-bound pilots on permissioned ledgers only (no real crypto); full KYC and CTAF STR filing required
• Mining is not explicitly prohibited but converting mined coins to dinar breaches the 2018 regime; equipment imports attract customs/energy scrutiny
• No crypto-specific tax code (trading being illegal); profits treated as proceeds of an offence

Operational reality:

• A genuinely prohibitive regime with active enforcement (custodial sentences, seizures) — not a viable jurisdiction for licensed crypto activity today
• The 2024 draft exchange code is the key reform to monitor, but is unenacted, conditional (BCT authorisation, high threshold, mandatory conversion) and timeline-uncertain
• Entry should be staged strictly against enactment and implementing regulations, verified directly with the BCT

Payments & E-money (Banque Centrale de Tunisie)

Best for banks, payment institutions and e-money issuers prepared to operate solely under BCT licensing and Tunisia's capital-controlled framework.

What it is: BCT authorisation as a bank, non-bank financial institution, payment institution or electronic-money issuer under Banking Law No. 2016-48 (conventional or Islamic-finance frameworks).

Who it suits: Domestic banks, payment institutions, e-money issuers and La Poste-aligned providers building BCT-supervised payment, card and mobile-wallet services within Tunisia.

Covers: Banking, payment services, electronic money and mobile payments (under SIBTEL/Société Monétique Tunisie infrastructure and the TUNPAY label); Islamic-finance products via dedicated institutions or windows.

Operational requirement: Local entity; BCT authorisation under Banking Law No. 2016-48; compliance with BCT prudential rules (capital, governance, risk), CTAF AML/CFT and Organic Law No. 2004-63 data protection; integration with national payment infrastructure; capital controls and BCT exchange regulation apply; foreign PSPs typically partner with a local bank/licensed PSP.

Headline figures

• Primary law: Banking Law No. 2016-48 of 11 July 2016 (banks, non-bank financial institutions, payment institutions, Islamic finance)
• Bank minimum capital: TD 50 million (≈ USD 17,301,038) under the 2016 law; BCT may require higher by risk profile; payment-institution thresholds not primary-verified here
• Regulator: BCT (sole financial-sector authority); CTAF AML/CFT
• Infrastructure: SIBTEL interbank clearing; Société Monétique Tunisie; TUNPAY national mobile-payment label (2026)
• FX: managed-float dinar with capital controls; BCT exchange regulation; draft 2024 exchange code a broader liberalisation vehicle

Is there a gambling licence in Tunisia?

Partly. Casino-game licences exist under Decree-Law No. 74-21 of 1974 but are rare, discretionary and reserved for non-resident play. Sports betting and lotteries are a closed state monopoly held by Promosport (Law No. 84-63 of 1984), including online — no private sports-betting licence is available. General lotteries are prohibited (Decree-Law No. 74-20 of 1974) save for approved public/charitable schemes.

The legal foundation:

• Decree-Law No. 74-20 of 24 October 1974 — fairground/salon games and lotteries; general prohibition; State-approved lotteries only for specified societies/public bodies with proceeds to a single charitable/social purpose
• Decree-Law No. 74-21 of 24 October 1974 — casino games; prior authorisation by joint order of the Ministers of Interior and National Economy; casinos reserved for non-residents
• Law No. 84-63 of 6 August 1984 (articles 67–70) — created Promosport; state monopoly over sports betting and lottery-type games including online
• Law No. 2002-62 of 9 July 2002 — promotional games; January 2026 draft bill — would criminalise unlicensed electronic gambling (1–5 years; fines up to TND 500,000 ≈ USD 173,010)

Structure:

• Casinos: strictly controlled, licences rarely issued, process not publicly detailed; non-residents only (foreign passport, international currency); a small sector around Sousse/Hammamet/Djerba
• Sports betting & lotteries: Promosport monopoly (retail and online); private operators cannot obtain a licence; Promosport may sub-license lottery retailing
• Online: only Promosport's domestic online betting is authorised; offshore play illegal but rarely prosecuted; pending criminalisation bill
• Minimum age 18; locals barred from casinos; a reported 25% withholding on gambling/online winnings (not primary-verified)

Gambling — Casino (non-residents) / Promosport (state monopoly)

Best for casino operators able to win a rare discretionary non-resident casino authorisation; not available for private sports-betting/lottery operators (Promosport monopoly).

What it is: A casino-games authorisation under Decree-Law No. 74-21 (joint Interior/Economy order; non-residents only), or — for betting/lottery — sub-licensed lottery retailing under the Promosport monopoly.

Who it suits: Tourism-oriented casino operators within hotel/entertainment complexes serving foreign passport holders; lottery retailers willing to operate under Promosport. Not suited to private sports-betting or independent online operators.

Covers: Casino games for non-residents (slots, roulette, blackjack, poker); Promosport-controlled sports betting and lotteries (including online) — monopoly, not licensable to private operators.

Operational requirement: Casino — joint ministerial authorisation; operation within authorised hotel/entertainment complexes; non-resident-only admission (passport/foreign currency); demonstrated financial capacity, integrity and business plan; term and renewal per the ministerial order. Promosport — sub-licensing/retail registration and compliance with Promosport standards only.

Headline figures

• Casino law: Decree-Law No. 74-21 of 24 October 1974; joint Interior/Economy authorisation; non-residents only; few licensed casinos
• Betting/lottery: Promosport state monopoly (Law No. 84-63 of 1984); no private licence; reported profit split 40% winners / 50% sport-youth fund / 10% costs
• Online: Promosport-only authorised; offshore illegal but rarely prosecuted; Jan 2026 criminalisation bill (1–5 years; up to TND 500,000 ≈ USD 173,010)
• Minimum age: 18; locals barred from casinos
• Winnings withholding (reported): 25% (not primary-verified)

Costs and timelines at a glance

• Crypto: effectively prohibited (BCT May 2018 directive; foreign-exchange-control code; up to 5 years' imprisonment); no licence; BCT sandbox only (no real crypto); draft 2024 exchange code (BCT-authorised, high-threshold, conditional) unenacted
• Payments primary law: Banking Law No. 2016-48 of 11 July 2016 (banks, NBFIs, payment institutions, Islamic finance)
• Bank minimum capital: TD 50 million (≈ USD 17,301,038); payment-institution thresholds not primary-verified
• Payments regulator/infrastructure: BCT (sole authority); CTAF AML/CFT; SIBTEL; TUNPAY (2026)
• Casino: Decree-Law No. 74-21 (1974); joint Interior/Economy authorisation; non-residents only; rare/discretionary
• Sports betting/lottery: Promosport state monopoly (Law No. 84-63 of 1984); no private licence; online via Promosport only
• Online gambling: Jan 2026 draft criminalisation bill (1–5 years; fines up to TND 500,000 ≈ USD 173,010)
• Gambling winnings withholding (reported): 25%; minimum age: 18
• Currency: managed-float TND with capital controls
• FX: USD 1 = TND 2.89 (1 TND ≈ USD 0.346)

Who Tunisia suits and who it does not

Suitable for

• Banks, payment institutions and e-money issuers prepared to operate solely under BCT licensing (Banking Law No. 2016-48), including via Islamic-finance frameworks, and to accept capital controls and BCT exchange regulation
• Providers integrating with national payment infrastructure (SIBTEL, Société Monétique Tunisie, TUNPAY) and partnering locally where foreign
• Tourism-oriented casino operators able to win a rare, discretionary non-resident casino authorisation and operate within hotel/entertainment complexes for foreign passport holders
• Lottery retailers willing to operate as Promosport sub-licensees, and groups prepared to monitor the pending 2024 exchange-code crypto reform with strong independent counsel

Not suitable for

• Any crypto/VASP business — crypto is prohibited and actively enforced (custodial sentences, seizures); the 2024 reform is unenacted, conditional and timeline-uncertain
• Private sports-betting or online-betting operators — sports betting and lotteries are a closed Promosport monopoly; a 2026 bill would criminalise unlicensed digital gambling
• Operators wanting to serve Tunisian residents with casino gaming — locals are barred; casinos are non-resident-only
• Payment/fintech firms needing crypto on/off-ramps, free FX convertibility, or fast non-resident licensing
• Businesses expecting near-term crypto legalisation — the reform is unenacted, conditional on BCT authorisation and a high threshold, and religiously/exchange-control constrained