Tunisia · Retire or live on savings
Tunisia Retiree residence card
Foreigner residence card — retiree
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Retiree residence card is a retire or live on savings route for Tunisia. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
Time and long term
ProcessingOfficial timeline
The Interior Ministry says a complete file is processed within one month.
Where to applyInside the country
You must have entered Tunisia legally, then file the residence card application at the national security sector.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Work isn't allowed on this route
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- Applicants entered Tunisia legally and respect the rules on entry, stay and work.
What you must show1
- A periodic and regular transfer of a pension or other source of income is shown; the page states no minimum amount.
Documents3
- An attestation of the periodic and regular transfer of the retirement pension or other income source is submitted.
- Proof of accommodation is submitted.
- A valid passport, four photos and the application form are submitted.
Steps2
- The application is lodged at the national security sector.
- Processing takes a maximum of one month for a complete file.
When you become tax resident
How Tunisia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
IRPP applies to individuals with usual residence (résidence habituelle) in Tunisia; non-residents are taxed on Tunisian-source income.
- Foreign-source income
IRPP is due from every individual with usual residence in Tunisia, on a progressive scale of 0% up to TND 5,000, (≈ $1,660) then 15%, 25%, 30%, 33%, 36%, 38% and 40% above TND 70,000 (≈ $23,300) (Finance Law 2025, income realised from 1 January 2025); foreign-source income that has not borne tax in the source country is taxable, and foreign pensions transferred to Tunisia get an 80% deduction.
All tax rules for Tunisia Tax records checked
Full official text
Residence card for a retiree who carries out no paid professional activity, supported by regular transfers of a pension or other income. 1
What you must show
- Income · Periodic and regular transfer of a pension or other source of income. The page asks for an attestation of the transfers and states no amount, currency or period. 1
Requirements
- Applicants entered Tunisia legally and respect the rules on entry, stay and work. 1
- A periodic and regular transfer of a pension or other source of income is shown; the page states no minimum amount. 1
- An attestation of the periodic and regular transfer of the retirement pension or other income source is submitted. 1
- Proof of accommodation is submitted. 1
- A valid passport, four photos and the application form are submitted. 1
- The application is lodged at the national security sector. 1
- Processing takes a maximum of one month for a complete file. 1
Work
No salaried activity.
Family
Spouse of a Tunisian citizen is a separate basis for the same card (marriage certificate and, if the spouse is an employee, a visaed work contract).
Fine print
The Interior Ministry page states no income figure, no card validity and no renewal terms for retirees; it lists only the documents.
Official sources
- Octroi de la carte de séjour pour Etrangers · Ministry of the Interior, Tunisia (e-Interieur) · checked 2026-10-12
Retiree residence card and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retiree residence card | – | – | No |
| Own-means residence card Morocco | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| PR · Financially independent South Africa | Needs assets of ZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k | – | – |
| Retired non-citizen permit Mauritius | Needs income of $2,000+ a month | 10 yr, renewable | No |
| Retiree permanent residence Cabo Verde | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How long does the Retiree residence card take to process?
The Interior Ministry says a complete file is processed within one month.
Can I work on the Retiree residence card?
No. No salaried activity.
Can I bring my family on the Retiree residence card?
Spouse of a Tunisian citizen is a separate basis for the same card (marriage certificate and, if the spouse is an employee, a visaed work contract).
How are Retiree residence card holders taxed in Tunisia?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Retiree residence card. The standard rules apply: IRPP is due from every individual with usual residence in Tunisia, on a progressive scale of 0% up to TND 5,000, (≈ $1,660) then 15%, 25%, 30%, 33%, 36%, 38% and 40% above TND 70,000 (≈ $23,300) (Finance Law 2025, income realised from 1 January 2025); foreign-source income that has not borne tax in the source country is taxable, and foreign pensions transferred to Tunisia get an 80% deduction. Non-residents pay on Tunisian-source income only.
More in Tunisia
Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 1 official source. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Octroi de la carte de séjour pour Etrangers · Ministry of the Interior, Tunisia (e-Interieur) · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.