This year, the rules for visiting Tunisia for citizens of the Russian Federation will remain the same. This means that tourists traveling on a direct flight through an international airport and planning to stay in the country for no more than 30 days do not need a visa. At the same time, there should be a voucher on hand. It is issued by a tour operator, registered in Tunisia. Many companies offer to purchase a voucher without buying the tour itself. Further in the article we will analyze in more detail whether a visa is needed in Tunisia. Consider also some of the nuances of entering the country for different categories of citizens.
Some formalities
In some cases, a visa to Tunisia can be issued for a period of more than 30 days. What are these cases? For example, for holders of passports of a diplomatic, special or official type, a visa-free entry can be issued. You can stay in the country for three months. In all other cases, citizens of the Russian Federation need a visa to travel to Tunisia. However, based on messages on various forums, it can be assumed that such formalities are far from always respected. There are cases when tourists go to Tunisia not by direct flight from Russia, but through 3 countries. In this case, a border voucher is not required. In addition, often the host simply does not pay attention to how the traveler entered the country.
Tourist entry
Of course, in most cases, a visa to Tunisia is not required for Russians. But there are situations when it is still better to formalize it. For example, this is worth doing if, in addition to Tunisia, a tourist wants to get to some neighboring state, for example Algeria. It is worth noting that rest on a voucher is not supposed in this case, but you can travel outside the country. A visa to Tunisia is required for Russians even when a vacation is planned for a period of more than a month. If you are a little late (1-2 weeks), guests will have to pay a fine right at the airport. Its size is about 10 dinars (less than 10 US dollars) for each week of delayed departure. This is much lower than the visa application fee. However, in the event of a longer delay, the tourist may be completely prohibited from entering the country in the future. A visa to Tunisia is also required for Russians when a tourist does not have the opportunity to fly directly with a direct flight from Russia. Although in this case, fans of this exotic country are often given relief.
Special cases
In addition to all of the above, a visa to Tunisia for Russians is necessary for business and work trips, as well as for work, study and private visits. However, as practice shows, most of these cases are written in the documents as "tourism". At the same time, citizens enter the country already without a voucher. Nevertheless, entry with a tourist visa implies a lot of advantages. A wide range of possibilities opens up for a traveler to choose a vacation spot, time of departure, way of arrival in the state. In addition, tourists who have received a visa to Tunisia are entitled to apply to the appropriate authorities to extend their stay and apply for a residence permit. A tourist visa is also required for transit entry. For example, it is required for a trip to Algeria, Libya or a flight to Morocco with a landing in Tunisia. Having a transit visa, you can stay in the country up to 7 days. In this case, the cost of a visa to Tunisia ranges from 1250 rubles. This price is set at the beginning of 2014 (how much is a visa to Tunisia of the usual type, we will tell below). In addition, a transit document is quite easy to draw up. Using this opportunity, Russian tourists can during their vacation make an exciting journey to ancient Tunisia. Travelers also have the opportunity to visit Morocco or Egypt. A standard tourist visa to Tunisia can be short-term (stay up to 3 months) and long-term (up to 6 months). If you need to stay in the country much longer, you should apply for a residence permit or a new permit.
Required documents
In order to apply for a visa to Tunisia, regardless of the purpose of the trip, the following list of documents is submitted to the Tunisian embassy in Moscow:
- a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, valid for the entire time of the trip and another 3 months after the date of its end;
- photocopies of the passport pages on which personal information about the applicant and the place of registration or registration are indicated;
- 3 * 4 photos that meet all the requirements (they can be found right in the photo studio);
- a completed application form in French or English (its form can be found on the official website or directly at the embassy);
- A photocopy of tickets or a document confirming their reservation (tickets must be both ways, in case of transit - for entry and exit).
Additional documents
The list of all other papers depends on the purpose of the trip, and you can find it at the Tunisian embassy. So, to obtain a transit permit for travel through the country, a document is required at the final destination. If the state is visa-free, other documents will be required. They must confirm the direction. To apply for a tourist visa, you need a travel agency voucher or confirmation of booking a hotel room in Tunisia. In this case, fax printouts from hotel or hotel sites are possible. For a trip for the purpose of a private visit, an invitation is required from a Tunisian citizen or a person who officially has the right to be in this country. It must be officially certified by the local authorities at the place of residence of the host citizen. In addition, an original, a copy (fax) or a printout of a scan of the invitation must be attached to the package of papers. This should additionally be sent to the email address of the consular department. For a business trip, you must provide an official invitation from an organization that carries out legal activities in the territory of the host country. Accordingly, an invitation from an educational institution will be required to enter for the purpose of obtaining an education. In addition, for a business or private visit to Tunisia, a job certificate and a salary document for the last 3 months are needed.
Entry to work
Official employment in Tunisia is quite rare, but quite possible. This is largely due to the policy of the state, which encourages the attraction of workers from abroad to those places that are not able to fill with their specialists. For the employer and for the employee himself, an official invitation does not require additional costs. However, it is accompanied by a number of additional formalities. Without a specialized work visa, bank employees, employees of the "economic activity park" can work in Tunisia. Do not need a document and those who extract various minerals, doctors of medical centers and employees of foreign enterprises. In all other cases, recipients of a work visa must provide copies of the employment contract and a specialist diploma, a document confirming registration of the employer and the corresponding position of the foreign worker. In addition, migration authorities are entitled to request other information.
Is it possible to obtain permission at the airport?
Obtaining a visa in this way is not a common phenomenon, but nevertheless there is an appropriate service. To receive such an entry document can those persons who live at a significant distance from the embassy. A personal request from a foreign citizen is not enough - you need an invitation from the host. This party, in turn, should apply to the Ministry of Foreign or Internal Affairs with this request. Such a visa is possible for participants in international forums, which are supported by government authorities in Tunisia.
How and where to apply?
Currently, Russia has one consular service from Tunisia, to which the applicant for the visa must submit documents independently. You can arrive at the embassy with the necessary papers on any weekday from 10:00 to 15:00, and for a finished permit - from 12:00 to 15:00. You can also find out if you have a visa to Tunisia, or if it is not yet ready. Registration of permission takes from 4 to 7 working days. The cost of a regular visa is 5000 rubles.
Conclusion
It is worth noting that tour operators for the most part do not apply for visas to this country. In this regard, the tourist will most likely have to do this on their own. The Tunisian Embassy in Moscow treats guests quite loyally, which means that travelers have no problems getting a visa.