How to get a Carte de Séjour (residency permit) as freelancer / self-employed in Tunisia in 2021

Getting a Carte de Séjour (residency permit) in Tunisia is often a difficult and confusing process. It is even more difficult if you are a freelancer: someone who is self-employed and only works for clients outside Tunisia. Tunisian immigration regulations are not well set up for freelancers, digital nomads or self-employed people to move here and work. Without a Tunisian employer to sponsor your application, things get very complicated very quickly!

I thought I would use my lockdown time here in Tunis productively by making a step by step instructional video explaining how to get yourself a Carte de Séjour as a freelancer in Tunisia by setting up your own Tunisian company.

Now let me warn you: it's still not a simple process. But it is quite well defined. I began the process on 28 September 2020, had my temporary Carte de Séjour by 12 November and my full Carte de Séjour by the first week of January (you can see it in the thumbnail). People who have been through this process will know that three months from start to finish is not bad!

If this all sounds too complicated, speak to Hajer Hmila - a Tunisian lawyer you can do all this for you!   / hajerhmilamrad  

⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️

0:00 - Intro - What am I doing in Tunisia?
1:48 - How long does it take?
2:32 - DISCLAIMER!
2:59 - The Problem
5:01 - The Solution
6:30 - Step 1: Choose a Company Name
7:15 - Step 2: Choose a Company Address
8:25 - Step 3: Register on the APII website
12:01 - Step 4: Head down to the APII and get a Tax Identification Number
12:43 - Step 5: Get an official Company Stamp
13:34 - Step 6: Print your company formation documents
15:00 - Step 7: Get your work permit
18:17 - Step 8: Apply for your Carte de Séjour
20:20 - CONCLUSION
21:07 - How to outsource the whole process to a lawyer
21:44 - BONUS Step 9: Other Admin
22:07 - Please Like & Subscribe!

USEFUL LINKS:

Requirements for a Carte de Séjour: http://www.sicad.gov.tn/Fr/Prestation...

APII One Stop Shop: http://www.tunisieindustrie.nat.tn/en...

Registre National des Entreprises: https://e-rne.tn/

Register a company with APII (for Step 3): http://www.tunisieindustrie.nat.tn/fr...

Benefits of different company structures: http://www.tunisieindustrie.nat.tn/fr...

Buy your your Extrait du Registre National des Enterprises (Step 6): https://www.registre-entreprises.tn/r....

Form you probably don't need from Step 7 (Reçu de paiement de la dernière déclaration trimestrielle de la CNSS de l'Entreprise): http://www.cnss.tn/documents/10156/25...

You can also follow my adventures on Instagram:   / oscarscafidi  

Join us on Twitter:   / scafiditravels   AND   / bradttunisia  

You can buy my Bradt Travel Guidebooks to Angola, Equatorial Guinea and (eventually) Tunisia, using this link: https://www.bradtguides.com/author/os...

Buy my Kayak The Kwanza book here (with 25% of profits donated to The HALO Trust): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kayak-Kwanza...

OR

https://unbound.com/books/kayak-the-k...

Watch my adventure documentary Kayak The Kwanza FREE using this link:
   • Kayak the Kwanza - Documentary