Update on the exit fee for tourists leaving Tunisia..
It's now been announced that the exit tax which had been brought forward from October to 28th August has now been postponed to October again!!
The reason, 'so as not to disrupt the development of the tourist season which is in full swing'....no sh*t Sherlock!!
Couldn't organise a ???? up in a brewery springs to mind!
Or a bunfight in a bakery Jenny, Now you and I have known the limitations of Tunisian logic for many years but we still keep going and no doubt will continue to do so, but this sort of fiasco will do little to encourage new tourists. It possibly seemed like a good idea at first to get a bit of extra money into the coffers before the summer visitors leave, but as usual they never thought it through. 
The whole thing is apparently quite contentious, so with the elections looming in October we may not have heard the last of the saga.
The whole thing is apparently quite contentious, so with the elections looming in October we may not have heard the last of the saga.
We are going to Tunisia next May and I have today received this e mail from Thomson
I hope you are looking forward to your forthcoming trip to Tunisia. Before you go I need to update you with some information that we have recently received from the Tunisian Government. We’ve been advised that from the 1st October 2014, they will be introducing a departure tax that will apply to all passengers leaving Tunisia from this date onwards.
What does this mean for you?
· WThen departing Tunisia for the UK you will need to buy a departure stamp at a cost of 30 Tunisian Dinar (approximately £10) per passenger, including children.
· The stamp can be purchased from a number of shops and post offices in and around the resorts or on departure from the airport and must be shown to a Customs official.
· You will not be able to pass through security until you have paid this tax
What do you need to do next?
· You don’t need to do anything further before you travel – please remember to purchase your stamp either in resort or at the airport before departure
· Your Holiday Advisor will tell you the nearest place to purchase your stamp at your What’s on Welcome meeting.
I hope I have explained everything clearly, and I hope you have an enjoyable holiday in Tunisia.
Yours sincerely,
Programme Change Team
Thanks a lot Helen. Unsurprisingly I've heard absolutely nothing from Thomas Cook, though I'm due to go out next month.
At least it's a litte clearer now, as it seems you can get it at various places as well as at the airport. If you can get it at the post office I'll pick it up at the one in the Soula Centre in Sousse. They also need to clarify if you can use sterling etc. or a debit or credit card if you get your stamp at the airport, as I imagine not all passengers will have sufficient dinars, particularly for a large family.
At least it's a litte clearer now, as it seems you can get it at various places as well as at the airport. If you can get it at the post office I'll pick it up at the one in the Soula Centre in Sousse. They also need to clarify if you can use sterling etc. or a debit or credit card if you get your stamp at the airport, as I imagine not all passengers will have sufficient dinars, particularly for a large family.
I've finally heard from TC regarding this, but only that it will be 30 dinars and to make sure we have the cash available, though nothing about getting the stamp in advance. Those departing in the first few days of October are in for an interesting experience as I foresee chaos will reign at the airport. 
Latest announcement out today:
"In accordance with Article 36 of the Supplementary Budget Law No. 54-2014, the Tunisian government announced the creation of an exit tax.
This stamp is for foreign non-resident travellers leaving Tunisia who have entered on or after 1st October 2014,.
Three points about the exit stamp:
Features of the stamp: This tax takes the form of a 30 Dt stamp.
Where to buy: The stamp goes on sale in hotels, travel agencies, finance offices (recette de finance), customs offices (including border), banks and tobacconists.
Target group: This stamp relates to any non-resident foreigner in Tunisia including children on their parents' passports.
To avoid the queues on the day of departure, travellers are advised to take the necessary measures to purchase the stamp on arrival or during the stay."
I note that post-offices are no longer mentioned so would suggest that if your hotel can't supply them you use one of the multitude of banks. It is also interesting that it now seems to apply only to those who have actually entered Tunisia after 1st October, rather than those who entered prior to and are departing after that date.
Sorry to say but I still envisage chaos at the airport, at least for the first few weeks/months. I'd love to be proved wrong of course.
"In accordance with Article 36 of the Supplementary Budget Law No. 54-2014, the Tunisian government announced the creation of an exit tax.
This stamp is for foreign non-resident travellers leaving Tunisia who have entered on or after 1st October 2014,.
Three points about the exit stamp:
Features of the stamp: This tax takes the form of a 30 Dt stamp.
Where to buy: The stamp goes on sale in hotels, travel agencies, finance offices (recette de finance), customs offices (including border), banks and tobacconists.
Target group: This stamp relates to any non-resident foreigner in Tunisia including children on their parents' passports.
To avoid the queues on the day of departure, travellers are advised to take the necessary measures to purchase the stamp on arrival or during the stay."
I note that post-offices are no longer mentioned so would suggest that if your hotel can't supply them you use one of the multitude of banks. It is also interesting that it now seems to apply only to those who have actually entered Tunisia after 1st October, rather than those who entered prior to and are departing after that date.
Sorry to say but I still envisage chaos at the airport, at least for the first few weeks/months. I'd love to be proved wrong of course.
Here it is - all info here including image of stamp - from my latest news feed;-
http://www.tuniscope.com/article/53681/business/services/sortie-400810
http://www.tuniscope.com/article/53681/business/services/sortie-400810
and now a mail from TC----- do you reckon that that's it, or shall we wait for further changes? 
Dear MRS ,
Booking reference:
We have recently been advised that the Tunisian government have implemented a departure tax of 30 Dinar (approx. £11) per person including infants which will apply to all non-residents departing Tunisia and Djerba from the 01st October 2014. This will be collected on departure at the airport and they will only accept the local currency.
We would like to apologise for the necessity of this advice but we believe that it is important for our customers to have the most up-to-date and accurate information possible. p>
Kind regards
Dear MRS ,
Booking reference:
We have recently been advised that the Tunisian government have implemented a departure tax of 30 Dinar (approx. £11) per person including infants which will apply to all non-residents departing Tunisia and Djerba from the 01st October 2014. This will be collected on departure at the airport and they will only accept the local currency.
We would like to apologise for the necessity of this advice but we believe that it is important for our customers to have the most up-to-date and accurate information possible. p>
Kind regards
At least they've told you more than they have me Jenny, as they gave me no information about having to pay in dinars. I'll try and pick mine up at the bank well before I fly back to save faffing about at the last minute.
I am not suggesting that the above info is set in concrete --- it could well be that they only want Euros by the end of the week!
Nothing would surprise me. Sorry, I'l correct that - I'd be very surprised if they don't change things again at some stage. They could decide they want US$ or even Japanese Yen 
Sad isn't it?!
It is indeed. You and I, like most of the regular visitors, simply roll our eyes, grit our teeth and get on with it, but it certainly doesn't give the impression of a welcoming and well-organised country, despite all the bureaucracy they love so much.
Someone who has just returned via Enfidha today says the queues to check the stamps at the airport were horrific. Most people had got them at their hotels but there wasn't a queue for them at the airport as there were quite a few people standing around with a handful of stamps near the office which sold them, probably in an attempt to keep that queue down, but it was a different matter at security and lots of people were saying they wouldn't return because of it. The queue was moving as they had about 8 security people checking and stamping passports etc. as opposed to the usual 3 at most, but it seems you need to arrive at the airport in plenty of time before your flight.
That sounds awful, I always find the airport sections of a holiday the most stressful and that kind of thing just makes it worse and off putting.
I'll be back there in 10 days Graham so I only hope things have calmed down by the time I come back. The problem will be that for the first time in ages I've booked a package, including transfer, with TC, so will be in their hands as to what time I get to the airport. If you miss your flight due to this I should hope the tour operator would be responsible for getting you on another one and any extra costs.
The problem will be that for the first time in ages I've booked a package, including transfer, with TC, so will be in their hands as to what time I get to the airport. If you miss your flight due to this I should hope the tour operator would be responsible for getting you on another one and any extra costs.
I forgot to mention that it is now called a "Solidarity Stamp" rather than a tax, which I'm sure will make everyone feel a lot better about it.
Aslemma wrote:I forgot to mention that it is now called a "Solidarity Stamp" rather than a tax, which I'm sure will make everyone feel a lot better about it. :rofl
don't know why, but that has really tickled me.
It's tickled a lot of us regulars doe.
I just got back from Sousse yesterday and the information as to where you can get this stamp is misleading to say the least. For the first time in years I went to the rep's 'welcome meeting' (only 5 people present, 2 young couples and me, and I was only there out of curiiosity). She was from Thomas Cook and started by informing us of all the extra services she could provide for our flight home - choosing seats, extra leg room and luggage, executive lounge etc - then said we could get this stamp from her for 37 dinar (7 dinars 'admin charge') as the hotel itself didn't have them. NO WAY JOSE. I tried various banks, none of which had it, neither did the post office or any of the tobacconists I tried. A friend of a friend, Tony from the Dream Girls, ran me in his car to the Maison de Finance in Sousse, near St Felix Church and I got it there. I later learned that the shop at Marhaba Beach does sell them, and presumably some other hotels, but it seems to be a bit of a gamble as to which of them do, at least at present.
Incidentally I sailed through at the airport, probabaly because a nice young man saw me standing in line, insisted I got into the wheelchair he had, and he dealt with everything. I felt a bit of a fraud as I was feeling fine but don't believe in looking a gift horse in the mouth.
Incidentally I sailed through at the airport, probabaly because a nice young man saw me standing in line, insisted I got into the wheelchair he had, and he dealt with everything. I felt a bit of a fraud as I was feeling fine but don't believe in looking a gift horse in the mouth.
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