Anyone living in Tunisia as a foreigner sooner or later needs a Tunisian bank account. At the latest when it comes to the Carte de séjour.
What sounds like a simple administrative procedure can, however, turn into a little odyssey.
In this post, I share my personal experience of how I opened a bank account as a Swiss woman in Sousse – including avalanches of paperwork, branch restrictions, and unexpected “risk” classification.
This is not a general assessment of the Tunisian banking system, but an honest experience report from expat daily life.
Chapter 1: The First Bank Account – Relationships Instead of Advice
I got my first Tunisian bank account not through a consultation but through connections.
Riadh, my guide for the first weeks in Sousse, has a sister who works at the BIAT (Banque Internationale Arabe de Tunisie) Sousse Medina. So, at the beginning of September 2025, I stood with my passport in a tiny branch somewhere deep in the labyrinth of the Medina. Accessible only on foot – and only with a local guide.
I am sent from the ground floor to the upper floor to an office that looks like it hasn’t seen any significant investment since 2001. There is a computer there. Model from the early 2000s. I was briefly tempted to check if Windows 98 was still bravely running.
And yes – I am allowed to make this judgment.
I myself worked in the Swiss banking sector around the turn of the millennium – in IT, not at the counter. I know very well what banking systems were already capable of back then: digital processes, standardized procedures, traceable documentation.
What I experience here feels less like a structured system and more like individual improvisation. With a lot of paper.
My passport is copied multiple times.
I sign documents whose contents are not explained to me.
Communication? Minimal.
After about an hour, I hold a piece of paper in my hand. An IBAN. My IBAN. This is confirmed upon request.
Welcome to the Tunisian banking system.
E-Banking in Tunisia – MyBIAT between hope and reality
Shortly before I am released back into the Medina, I ask about e-banking.
They install the app “MyBIAT” on my smartphone. An hour later, I can at least view my account balance.
Service level: functional.
Explanation level: could be improved.
Transfer from Switzerland to Tunisia – bring patience
I test transfer a small amount from my Swiss account to my Tunisian account.
Eight days later the money arrives.
14 CHF disappeared en route as “Commission virement etranger.”
I briefly wonder where my money was during that time. Maybe on the back of a very relaxed pack mule from the port of Tunis to Sousse.
But: it arrives.
Withdraw cash without a bank card? Theoretically yes.
I was told that I could withdraw cash at any BIAT counter using my IBAN and passport.
In practice, that means: arrange a taxi, drive half an hour, stand in line.
So I apply for a bank card through the app.
Response after five days:
Please contact your branch.
Branch restriction in Tunisian banking – every branch its own universe
I go to BIAT in Kantaoui.
There they tell me that I have to submit the card application at the branch where the account was opened.
‘But it’s the same bank, right?’
Shrug.
Apparently my money lies in an invisible basket exactly in the Medina of Sousse, and only there can it be managed.
Several taxi rides, lunch breaks, reps, and “Chodua inshallah” moments later, I hold two cards in my hand:
- BIAT Premier
- BIAT Univers
With one I can withdraw money. The purpose of the other remains unclear.
But at least: I have a working bank card.
International money transfers – limited mobility
In my experience, SWIFT transfers abroad are not possible with my BIAT account.
Money that I transfer from Switzerland to Tunisia effectively remains within the Tunisian system. Recharging Revolut also doesn’t work.
This is a real problem for expats with financial obligations abroad.
Why I still need a Tunisian bank account
The reason is: Carte de séjour.
The Tunisian foreign police require confirmation from a Tunisian bank that sufficient funds are regularly deposited.
So I use this account not out of conviction, but out of residency requirement.
Second attempt: BH and Attijari Bank
At BH Banque my application is accepted – three days later I receive the notification:
I am a ‘too high risk.’
I was not told which criteria were applied here. I did not apply for a loan. I just wanted to open an account to deposit my own money.
At Attijari Bank I get a clear statement:
No definitive Carte de séjour, no account.
At least transparent.
The surprise: BIAT Kantaoui
On the day I receive my provisional Carte de séjour, I open a second account at BIAT in Kantaoui.
Same bank.
Completely different experience.
Friendly.
Competent.
Organized.
Everything done in twenty minutes.
In the end, the advisor hands me her business card – including landline number, email address, and a WhatsApp number handwritten.
I almost cried.
Because suddenly someone is simply doing their job.
What I learned – opening a bank account in Tunisia as a foreigner
- Every branch is its own universe.
- Without a Carte de séjour, it gets complicated.
- Processes depend heavily on the individual.
- Patience is not a virtue – it is a requirement.
- It can be frustrating. But it is possible.
Maybe I am especially sensitive to inefficient processes. Anyone who has seen how capable banking IT was already 25 years ago quickly realizes when structures are organized less systemically and more individually.
And yet: it works. Just sometimes with detours.
FAQ – Opening a bank account in Tunisia as a foreigner
In my experience, many banks require at least a current application or a permanent residence card. Without residence status, it can be difficult.
It was not possible to make SWIFT transfers abroad with my BIAT account. This may vary depending on the bank.
In my case, a transfer took up to eight days. The first transfers take longer because each transaction is checked manually. Later transfers are a little faster, but you should still expect to wait up to five days.
No. BIAT requires an initial deposit of at least 300 TND. In my case, I had to apply for the card separately – exclusively at the branch where the account was opened.
Revolut is faster, better, less complicated and actually even cheaper than my BIAT account. Unfortunately, however, it is not sufficient for the Carte de séjour, as confirmation from a Tunisian bank is required.