Tunisia’s plans to roll out a fully digital visa issuance platform have hit a roadblock after the Ministry of Communication Technologies declared the international tender process “unsuccessful.”
On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, the ministry confirmed that the call for bids launched in September 2024 to design and manage the country’s electronic visa (e-Visa) system did not yield a winning proposal.
The project, regarded as a key step in modernising Tunisia’s entry procedures and supporting its tourism-driven economy, aimed to replace the paper-heavy visa process with a secure, online platform.
Authorities had envisioned a system that would streamline applications and integrate features such as online payments and automated document verification.
Eight bidders rejected over non-compliance
According to the ministry’s official statement, none of the eight bids submitted could satisfy the tender’s technical and administrative requirements. Some were dismissed outright due to non-compliance with submission guarantees, while others fell short of meeting specifications outlined in the project framework.
The list of rejected bidders included a mix of Tunisian and international firms. Switzerland’s Orell Füssli AG & EWM, the United Kingdom’s SITA Advanced Travel Solutions, Germany’s Mühlbauer, and Tunisia’s MEDIANET, THINKTANK & MAVIANCE consortium.
Other proposals came from Tunisian firm MEDIADIFFUSION, global outsourcing giant VFS Global and its Tunisian partners, the Addinn, Aira & ELM consortium from France, and EY Tunisia.
Despite the level of international interest, the ministry said none of the offers could be approved, rendering the tender process void and temporarily suspending the project.
Delay expected for rollout of digital visa system
The setback is expected to delay Tunisia’s ambitions of launching the e-Visa platform in 2025. While the government had positioned the initiative as part of broader efforts to digitise public services and enhance the tourism sector, the timeline for implementation has now been pushed back indefinitely.
The Ministry of Communication Technologies has not yet announced when a new tender process will be opened. In the meantime, travellers requiring visas to enter Tunisia must continue relying on the traditional application system through consulates and embassies.
Tourism remains a vital pillar of Tunisia’s economy, and officials have consistently highlighted the need to ease visitors’ entry to drive growth. The e-Visa project was expected to play a central role in this strategy by making the process faster, more accessible, and more secure.
However, Tunisia’s digital visa journey remains on hold as authorities weigh the following steps to relaunch the project.