Which licence do I need to rent a car in Tunisia?
The UK FCDO says you can drive in Tunisia for up to one year with a 1968 International Driving Permit and your UK licence, and that the IDP must be bought in the UK before you travel. The US State Department's Tunisia page does not address licences, so drivers from elsewhere should carry an IDP issued at home as well.
Rental companies set the minimum. SIXT Tunisia, for example, requires drivers to be at least 21 and to show a full, valid licence plus a passport or identity card, and it tells renters to carry the car's registration and insurance documents while driving. Those documents matter at checkpoints: the National Road Safety Observatory lists failing to produce a vehicle's documents on request as a 10 dinar fine.
How much are motorway tolls from Tunis?
Tunisie Autoroutes runs a closed toll system: at the entry you take a ticket (or use a télépéage lane with a badge), and at the exit you pay in a lane marked for cash ("espèces") or télépéage. The price depends on the vehicle class, and the class 1 rule matters for renters. According to the operator's tariff page, class 1 covers vehicles with a front-axle height under 1.3 m that are not four-wheel drive, permanently or not. Class 2 covers two-axle vehicles taller than that, and the operator's badge page describes it as utility vehicles and camper vans. Budget for the class 2 price if you rent a 4x4 or a tall SUV.
Class 1 and class 2 prices from the tariff tables, in dinars, checked in September 2026:
| Route | Toll stations | Class 1 | Class 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunis to Hammamet (A1) | Hammam Lif to Grombalia/Turki/Hammamet | 1.400 | 2.200 |
| Tunis to Enfidha airport (A1) | Hammam Lif to Enfidha-Aéroport | 2.500 | 4.000 |
| Tunis to Sousse (A1) | Hammam Lif to Sousse | 3.400 | 5.400 |
| Tunis to Msaken (A1) | Hammam Lif to M'saken | 3.900 | 6.200 |
| Msaken to Sfax Sud (A1 south) | M'saken to Sfax Sud | 3.200 | 5.100 |
| Msaken to Gabès (A1 south) | M'saken to Gabès Nord | 6.800 | 10.800 |
| Tunis to Béja (A3) | El Fejja to Béja | 2.700 | 4.200 |
| Tunis to Bizerte (A4) | Sidi Thabet to Menzel Jemil | 1.400 | 2.200 |
The operator publishes Tunis to Msaken and Msaken to Gabès as separate tables, so a through trip appears as two charges.
Worked example: Tunis to Gabès for the Sahara
The trip south towards Matmata and Douz uses the A1 as far as Gabès. Adding the two published sections:
| Car | Tunis to Msaken | Msaken to Gabès | One way | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small hatchback (class 1) | 3.900 | 6.800 | 10.700 | 21.400 |
| 4x4 or tall SUV (class 2 expected) | 6.200 | 10.800 | 17.000 | 34.000 |
Choosing a 4x4 for the desert adds about 12.6 dinars in tolls on the return trip. That is a small part of the cost of a desert trip, so choose the car for the roads you will actually use, and check first whether the rental contract allows unpaved tracks at all: the contract, not the car, decides where you may drive.
What happens at police checkpoints in Tunisia?
Checkpoints are a normal part of driving in Tunisia. The US State Department says drivers may be stopped for inspection by police within cities and on highways at any time, and should comply. The FCDO adds that you may meet military or police security checkpoints, and advises this sequence:
Checkpoints may be run by the police or the National Guard (Garde Nationale). The Observatory lists the emergency numbers as 197 for the police and 193 for the National Guard, with 198 for civil protection and 190 for emergency medical help. On the motorway, Tunisie Autoroutes answers on 80 100 120 and aims to reach a broken-down car within 30 minutes of a call from an emergency phone or its app.
Speed limits and fines
On motorways the operator gives a limit of 110 km/h, reduced to 90 km/h in rain, and 70 or 50 km/h on exit ramps, at service areas and approaching toll plazas. In fog that limits visibility to 50 m, the limit is 50 km/h even on the motorway. Off the motorway, the FCDO warns of unannounced speed bumps in many towns and villages, potholes after heavy rain and sand drifts on roads.
The Observatory's list of contraventions and its list of offences give the fines:
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Speeding by less than 20 km/h | 40 dinars |
| Speeding by 20 km/h to under 50 km/h | 60 dinars |
| Speeding by 50 km/h or more | 120 to 240 dinars |
| Using a mobile phone while driving | 60 dinars |
| Not respecting priority | 60 dinars |
| Driver or passenger without a seat belt | 40 dinars |
| Crossing a continuous line | 40 dinars |
| Not producing the vehicle's documents | 10 dinars |
| Refusing an alcohol test | Up to 6 months in prison and 200 to 500 dinars, licence suspended up to 6 months |
The FCDO warns that Tunisia's drink-drive limit is stricter than in England and Wales and that exceeding it can bring a fine and a prison sentence. The US State Department adds that after an accident causing death or serious injury, police may detain the driver until responsibility is established, which can take months. Both are reasons to avoid alcohol entirely before driving and to keep full insurance details in the car.
Driving south: the Sahara and border areas
The far south and the western border areas have restrictions that a rental car does not change:
| Area | What official advice says |
|---|---|
| Desert south of Remada, including El Borma | Military zone; special authorisation required, per the US State Department |
| Militarised zone south of El Borma and Dhehiba; within 20 km of the Libyan border north of Dhehiba; Ben Guerdane | FCDO advises against all travel |
| Within 75 km of the Libyan border (excluding Zarzis, the C118 road and Medenine Governorate north of it) | FCDO advises against all but essential travel |
| Chaambi Mountains National Park and Kasserine Governorate, including Sbeitla | FCDO advises against all travel to Chaambi and all but essential travel to Kasserine |
The US State Department says the National Guard encourages anyone going into the desert to register the trip beforehand, which tour operators in the region can do. The FCDO also advises asking local drivers about fuel stations before long drives in remote areas, and warns that driving outside towns at night is hazardous because of unlit roads, vehicles without lights and livestock. Plan to arrive before dark and fill up at every town. The FCDO regional risks page has the full list of areas and is the page to recheck before you go.