Tunisia: The passport; procedures for obtaining a passport
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 13 October 2006 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUN101781.FE |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Tunisia: The passport; procedures for obtaining a passport, 13 October 2006, TUN101781.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/46fb7302c.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In an 18 September 2006 telephone interview, a representative of the Tunisian consulate in Montreal indicated that the recording on the consulate's answering service lists the documents required to renew a Tunisian passport. According to the recording, Tunisian citizens must submit the following documents to renew a passport:
[translation]
- two [completed] application forms, in Arabic and in French
- the former passport and copies of the first four pages
- [a] photocopy of the front and back of the national identity card or of the birth certificate, in the case of minors
- four recent passport-size photographs
- a university certificate of enrolment for students or a work certificate for workers
- a parental consent form for minors (this document must be signed by the father, if the parents are Tunisians, or by both parents if only one of them is Tunisian)
- [a] photocopy of the Canadian immigration or citizenship certificate or residence permit (front and back)
. . .
- in the case of minors, the guardian must sign next to the box
- in the case of a married woman whose husband's family names do not appear on the former passport, the applicant must provide a birth certificate that also indicates the marriage and the husband's family name. (Tunisia n.d.)
During an 18 September 2006 telephone interview, the representative of the Tunisian consulate confirmed that the above documents must be submitted when applying for a passport in Tunisia. The Tunisian consulate representative provided the following information during a 4 October 2006 telephone interview. The passport bears the holder's family name, given name, date of birth and place of birth; the place and date the passport was issued; and the passport's expiration date. The passport is valid for a period of five years and is written in Arabic and French. The document may also be written in English. In Tunisia, passports are issued by the police station in the neighbourhood where the applicant resides, and the Ministry of the Interior (ministère de l'Intérieur) oversees the application process.
Keesing Reference Systems provides information on the two types of Tunisian passports (Keesing n.d.a; ibid. n.d.b). The first type has a six-digit number, preceded by a letter (Keesing n.d.a). The number appears as perforations at the top of pages 1 to 32 and is printed on pages 1 and 2 (ibid.). According to the information posted on the Keesing Reference Systems Web site, this type of passport is written in Arabic, French and English (n.d.a). The same source also provided the following information:
National passport – (P1)
validity
5 years, pages 1 and 2, entry on page 1 in Arabic, page 2 'Expires on'
booklet
c. 130 x 88 mm / 5.1 x 3.5 in. 32 pages
laminate
pages 1-4, clear laminate, page 3 with print,sewn in, does not cover whole pages
photo
glued, with a dry embossing stamp
. . .
observations
small colour variations may occur in different series of this passport. (Keesing n.d.a)
The second type of passport has a six-digit number, preceded by a letter (ibid. n.d.b.). The number is machine-written and in bar code on the front endpaper (Keesing n.d.b.). The passport number is also machine-written on page 2, but appears as perforations from page 3 to the back endpaper (ibid.). According to the information posted on the Keesing Reference Systems Web site, this type of passport is written in Arabic, French and English (ibid.). The same source also provided the following information:
National Passport – (P2)
validity
5 years, page 2 entry 'Date of expiry'
booklet
c. 125 x 88 mm / 4.9 x 3.5 in.32 pages, page 2 not numbered
laminate
page 1, clear laminate; page 2, clear holographic laminate, sewn in
photo
integrated, photo at the right side repeated in smaller size
. . .
observations
this passport was first issued in September 2003 (ibid.).
No information on why Tunisia has two types of passports could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints for this Response.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Keesing Reference Systems. N.d.a. "Tunisia – National Passport: Cover (P1)." Tunisia. 4 October 2006. Tunisian Consulate in Montreal. Telephone interview with a representative. Additional Sources Consulted Internet sites, including: Jurisite Tunisia, Web site of the government of Tunisia.
_____. N.d.b. "Tunisia – National Passport: Cover (P2)."
_____. 18 September 2006. Tunisian Consulate in Montreal. Telephone interview with a representative.
_____. N.d. Tunisian Consulate in Montreal. Recording on the consulate's answering service. [Accessed 20 Sept. 2006]
