The official language is Arabic. Tunisian, a West Arabic dialect, and Berber languages are spoken as colloquial languages. French is widely spoken, but has not been used as a commercial or educational language since the 1990s. English and German are sometimes understood in larger cities and holiday resorts. Arabic is spoken by around 320 million people worldwide as their mother tongue, and another 60 million people speak it as a second language. Because of its importance as a sacred language in the Islamic faith, Arabic has developed into a world language. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations along with Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Apart from Tunisia, Arabic is also the official language in Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Israel, Iraq, Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, with the local dialects sometimes differing greatly from one another. The Cairo dialect is generally understood due to the large Egyptian film production. Modern Standard Arabic is rarely used as a means of oral communication, such as reading the news or attending church services. Written Standard Arabic is the written language for all dialects. It is written from right to left. In the Arabic alphabet there are only consonants and long vowels. Arabic is one of the Kurrent scripts, ie the individual letters of a word are connected with one another.
Idioms
hello = salaam good morning = sbaah al-kheer good evening = masaa al-kheer goodbye = bi-salaama yes = naam no = la please = min fadlak thank you = ayshik you are welcome = blaa imzeeya what is your name? = wash ismek? my name is =asmee how are you? = kee raak? I’m fine = la bas ilhamdulilah Where are you from? = minaan inta? I come from = ana min
Public Holidays
01/01/2022 New Year
03/20/2022 Independence Day
03/21/2022 Youth Day
04/09/2022 Martyrs Day
05/01/2022 Labor Day
05/01/2022 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
07/09/2022 Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)
07/25/2022 day of the Republic
07/30/2022 Hegire (Islamic New Year)
08/13/2022 women’s Day
10/09/2022 Milad un Nabi (Birthday of Prophet Muhammad)
The dates given for Islamic holidays are calculated according to the lunar calendar and therefore shift from year to year.
During the fasting month of Ramadan, which precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims are forbidden to eat, drink or smoke from sunrise to sunset, which causes disruptions or deviations in the normal course of business (including reduced opening hours of shops and authorities) and therefore there may be restrictions for travelers.
Many restaurants outside the hotels are closed during the day, and the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes is restricted or e.g. T. even strictly forbidden, even for non-Muslim vacationers. In hotel complexes it must be taken into account that meals and drinks during Ramadan may only be taken in the hotel restaurant or in the room.
Travelers should expect increased sensitivity in religious matters as well as in respect of Islamic traditions.
Some interruptions may also occur during Eid al-Fitr. This festival, like Eid al-Adha, is indefinite and can last from 2-10 days depending on the region.
Duty free shopping
Overview
The following items can be imported duty-free into Tunisia (persons over 17 years of age): 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 500 g of tobacco; 1 liter of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of more than 25% or 2 liters with an alcohol content of less than 25%; Valuables should be declared upon entry so that there are no problems upon exit.
Prohibited Imports
Weapons, explosives, narcotics, walkie-talkies, pornographic printed matter. More information is available from Countryaah.com.
Export Regulations
An export license from the Ministry of Culture is required for antiques, protected animal species and plants, as well as parts of plants and components of animal origin. More information is available from Tunisian Customs.
Contact addresses
Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia
Kirchenfeldstrasse 63
Bern
Switzerland
+41 (0)31 352 82 26.
http://www.atunisie-ch.org
http://www.atunisie-ch.org
Mon-Fri 09.00-13.00.
Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia
Consulate General in Bonn, consulates in Hamburg and Munich.
Lindenallee 16
Berlin
Germany
+49 (0)30 36 41 07 10.
Mon-Fri 09.00-16.00, July and August: Mon-Fri 09.00-15.00, Consular Section: Tue-Sat 09.00-13.00.
Business
Business etiquette
Arabic or French is spoken in business circles. Business people who do not speak these languages should inquire before an appointment if an interpreter is needed. Appointments should be agreed.
Opening hours
Business hours: Winter: Mon-Fri 08.30-13.00 and 15.00-17.45, Sat 08.00-12.00. Summer: Mon-Sat 08.30-13.00. Office hours may vary slightly. Shops stay open longer on Friday while offices close at lunchtime. Changed/shorter working hours generally apply during the fasting month of Ramadan.
Business contacts
Communication
Phone
According to Abbreviationfinder.org, the country code is 00216. Public telephones, taxi phones or Publitel are still widespread in Tunisia. They are mostly used with coins and less often with phone cards. The cheapest way is to make a call via Skype in one of the numerous Internet cafes.
Mobile phone
GSM 900 and 1800, 3G (900/2100) and 4G (LTE). The main providers are Ooredoo, Tunisie Telecom and Orange Tunisie. The mobile network is nationwide in Tunisia. International roaming agreements exist. It may be worth purchasing a Tunisian prepaid SIM card, for which you must present your passport or a copy.
Internet
Internet cafes are available in the cities. Major internet providers include ATI and Global Net. Many hotels offer WiFi service. Internet censorship has largely been lifted. Public Internet cafés are called Publinets and are easily recognizable by their purple @ signs. Some of the Publinets only allow men to use them.
Post office
Postal items to Europe take 7-11 days. There is a counter for poste restante items in most post offices. Post office hours: Summer (generally July 1 – Aug. 31): Mon-Sat 8am-1pm. Winter: Mon-Fri 08.00-12.00 and 14.00-18.00, Sat 08.00-12.00. During Ramadan: Mon-Sat 8am-3pm.
Radio
German-speaking radio stations can be received over the Internet in Tunisia and also over Astra satellites in the north of the country.
