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Tunisia: lending & credit regulation

Regulated

Tunisia lending: BCT-regulated banking sector; no specific consumer credit law identified

Lead regulator:
Banque Centrale de Tunisie
Key law:
Circular No. 87-47 (and subsequent amendments)
Last updated:
2026-07-12

Lending activities in Tunisia are strictly regulated by the Banque Centrale de Tunisie (BCT), which oversees banks and financial institutions through a comprehensive framework of circulars. The primary regulatory instrument is Circular No. 87-47, which sets intervention rates, credit ceilings, and maturity terms for various sectors, particularly agriculture and SMEs. While the documents extensively detail prudential requirements, provisioning, and state-subsidized lending programs, they do not explicitly cite a standalone 'Consumer Credit Law' or general lending act for non-agricultural personal loans. The regulatory environment is characterized by active central bank intervention to support specific economic sectors through subsidized rates and extended maturities.

Who regulates

  • Banque Centrale de Tunisie

    Primary supervisor of banks and financial institutions, issuing binding circulars on lending practices, provisioning, and interest rates.

    [1][2][3]

Core laws & rules

  • Circular No. 87-47 (1987)

    The foundational circular regulating credit schedules, intervention rates, and maturities for various sectors, frequently amended by subsequent circulars (e.g., 2025-11, 2024-11, 2024-09).

    [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

  • Circular No. 91-24 (1991)

    Regulates collective provisions on classified commitments, with Annex III replaced by Circular No. 2024-01 and Circular No. 2025-01.

    [16][17]

Licensing & registration

  • Banking and Financial Institutions

    Banks and financial institutions must implement comprehensive prudential reforms, strategic plans, and dedicated risk management units as mandated by Circular No. 2025-08.

  • Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Financing

    Specific financing lines for MSMEs and startups are regulated, with a maximum loan amount of 3 million TND under Circular No. 04 of 2016.

    [18]

Restrictions & warnings

  • Banks are mandated to apply preferential interest rates (money market rate + max 1% margin) for community companies (Circular No. 2025-14) and adhere to state-subsidized interest rate differentials capped at three points for seasonal grain loans (Circular No. 12 of 2024).

    [2][19]

  • Prudential restrictions include standardized methodologies for calculating collective provisions on classified commitments (Circular No. 2025-01) and mandatory implementation of non-performing claim prevention mechanisms (Circular No. 2022-01).

    [17][20]

  • Vehicle loans are capped at 60% of the vehicle's value with repayment periods up to seven years (Circular No. 2016-02).

    [15]

Direction of travel

  • The regulatory direction emphasizes ongoing support for specific sectors (agriculture, tourism, MSMEs) through state-subsidized interest rates and extended maturities, alongside stricter prudential oversight and provisioning requirements.

    [1][2]

Sources

  1. Central Bank of Tunisia Circular No. 2026-06 of June 3, 2026 on the Conditions and Procedures for Settling Non-Performing Agricultural Loans · 2026-06-03
  2. Circular to Banks No. 2025-14 of November 4, 2025 · 2025-11-04
  3. Circular to Banks No. 2025-11 of October 7, 2025 · 2025-10-07
  4. Circular to Banks No. 2024-11 of September 16, 2024 · 2024-09-16
  5. Circular to Banks No. 2024-09 of June 19, 2024 · 2024-06-19
  6. Circular to Banks No. 2022-07 of September 15, 2022 · 2022-09-15
  7. Circular to Banks and Financial Institutions No. 2022-06 of August 9, 2022 - State Guarantee for MSME Investment Loan Interest Rate Differential · 2022-08-09
  8. Circular to Banks No. 2021-07 of September 1, 2021 · 2021-01-01
  9. Circular to Banks No. 2020-18 of September 18, 2020 · 2020-09-18
  10. Central Bank of Tunisia Circular No. 2019-11 dated October 18, 2019 · 2019-10-18
  11. Central Bank of Tunisia Circular No. 2019-10 to Banks dated October 14, 2019 · 2019-10-14
  12. Central Bank of Tunisia Circular No. 2019-06 dated October 14, 2019 · 2019-10-14
  13. Central Bank of Tunisia Circular No. 2018-11 to Banks dated November 6, 2018 · 2018-11-06
  14. Circular to Banks No. 2016-05 of October 5, 2016 · 2016-10-05
  15. Bank Circular No. 2016-02 of July 1, 2016 · 2016-01-01
  16. Circular to Banks and Financial Institutions No. 2024-01 of January 19, 2024 · 2024-01-19
  17. Circular to Banks and Financial Institutions No. 2025-01 of January 29, 2025 · 2025-01-29
  18. Circular to Banks and Financial Institutions No. 04 of 2016 · 2016-09-15
  19. Circular to Banks No. 12 of 2024 Regulating State Subsidy for Interest Rate Differential on Seasonal Grain Loans to Small Farmers · 2024-10-17
  20. Circular to Banks and Financial Institutions No. 2022-01 of March 1, 2022 · 2022-03-01

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This guide is compiled automatically from 20 primary-source documents published by Tunisia's regulators, reviewed by RegAlert, and refreshed monthly (last updated 2026-07-12). It is not legal advice — always confirm requirements with the regulator or local counsel before acting.