Opening a business bank account in Tunisia

Your company is registered: now it needs a bank account in its name. It's often the step that surprises founders most, because every bank has its own document list and the rules change if you live abroad.

This guide covers the documents banks ask for to open an account for a SARL or a SUARL in Tunisia, how the opening works, and what foreign-exchange rules say for Tunisians living abroad.

Who can open a business account?

According to Banque de Tunisie, any legal entity on the register carrying out a commercial, industrial or craft activity can open a commercial or professional current account in dinars. The account is opened by an adviser or the branch manager after a meeting with the client, to decide which type of account fits.

In practice, wait until you have the register extract and the tax identification card before booking an appointment.

The documents required for a SARL

Each bank sets its own list. As an example, here is the list BTK Bank publishes for opening a SARL current account:

1. Certified copy of the statuts, signed by all partners or their representatives holding a special power, and registered at the tax office;
2. the list of partners, with each one's name, first name, civil status, address and nationality;
3. the publication of the company;
4. proof of address of the registered office;
5. the National Business Register (RNE) extract;
6. the tax identification card;
7. customs registration, depending on the activity;
8. the minutes appointing the manager(s), if the statuts don't name them;
9. a legalised copy of the power of attorney, if the person attending isn't the legal representative;
10. a copy of the ID of the legal representative and of each partner: CIN for Tunisians, passport or residence card for foreigners.

For a company more than a year old, financial statements are also requested. Most of these documents come from the incorporation file: our list of documents to create a SARL in Tunisia helps you gather them from the start.

Good to know: since 2026, every registered company has an electronic safe on the RNE platform, which lets it send its legal documents electronically. See our article on RNE online registration.

How it works, step by step

How long it takes depends on the bank and on how complete the file is. An incomplete file is the first cause of delay, just as with incorporation itself.

The capital: what happens to the money?

Since law no. 2019-47, the statuts no longer have to name the bank that receives the capital. The Commercial Companies Code does, however, provide that the manager cannot use the capital before the company is constituted and registered, and that if the company isn't constituted within six months of the funds being deposited, any partner can ask for them back. Once the account is open, the capital funds the company's operations.

The Code sets no minimum amount for a SARL or a SUARL: see our comparison SARL or SUARL in Tunisia.

If you live abroad: what the Central Bank says

Foreign-exchange rules distinguish residents from non-residents. The Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) gives several clarifications useful to Tunisians abroad:

• Running your business in Tunisia freely. A non-resident Tunisian can, without prior BCT authorisation, buy or sell Tunisian company shares, open domestic dinar accounts and manage their assets and business in Tunisia.
• The transfer guarantee. They benefit from the transfer guarantee under article 1 of the Exchange Code, on two conditions: that the investment is funded by a duly justified import of foreign currency, and that they remain non-resident.
• The convertible-dinar account. A Tunisian working regularly abroad can open a foreign account in convertible dinars, on presenting a consular certificate less than 3 months old and proof of residence or work abroad.

In practice: if you contribute your share of the capital from abroad, do it by bank transfer in foreign currency and keep the paperwork. That's what will later protect your ability to repatriate dividends or the proceeds of a sale. Have the structure validated with your bank before the transfer.

For the whole remote process, read our guide to creating a company in Tunisia from abroad.

Mistakes to avoid

• Opening the account before registration: without an RNE extract and tax card, the file isn't admissible.
• Statuts not registered at the tax office.
• A power of attorney that isn't legalised when the manager doesn't attend in person.
• Bringing capital from abroad in cash or without a paper trail: you lose the transfer guarantee.
• Forgetting the IDs of every partner, not just the manager.

Frequently asked questions

Want a bank-ready file as soon as you're registered? We hand over every incorporation document: let's talk about your project. See also our guide to the cost of registering a company.

Sources

• Opening a dinar account, professionals — Banque de Tunisie (in French)
• Account opening for legal entities — BTK Bank (in French)
• Tunisians living abroad, FAQ — Central Bank of Tunisia (in French)
• Commercial Companies Code, 2022 edition — Official Printing Office, via the CMF (in French)
• Law no. 2019-47 on improving the investment climate — analysis by Boussayene Knani & Associés (in French)