Digital Payments & Fintech · Tunisia
Fintech & digital payments rules in Tunisia (2026)
Tunisia shaded by its digital payments & fintech status
Tunisia operates a functioning licensing regime for payment institutions and electronic money under the Banque Centrale de Tunisie (BCT), anchored in Law 2016-48 and BCT Circular 2018-16. The BCT actively grants approvals — including new definitive licences in early 2026 — and maintains a formal Regulatory Sandbox (since January 2020) and a dedicated Fintech portal. Open banking and dedicated BNPL regulation remain absent, and the instant-payment infrastructure is still being modernised toward ISO 20022.
Key points
Law No. 2016-48 and BCT Circular 2018-16 require prior BCT approval commission authorisation to operate as a payment institution. Multiple licences have been issued; OFT Tunisie received a definitive licence in January 2026 (Official Gazette No. 65/2026), and Ooredoo Fintech obtained BCT approval in February 2026 to launch a digital wallet.
The BCT launched an official Regulatory Sandbox in January 2020 (fintech.bct.gov.tn) allowing fintech cohorts to test innovative solutions — including blockchain payments and remittances — under BCT supervision for 6–12 months with user and volume caps. Access requires a one-time ~100 TND fee.
In May 2026 the BCT, in partnership with Société Monétique Tunisie (SMT), launched TUNPAY — a mandatory national label unifying mobile payment interfaces for all banks, payment institutions, La Poste Tunisienne, and their merchant/agent networks. It reflects 81% YoY growth in mobile transactions to 8.4 million in 2025.
Law No. 41-2024 (2 August 2024) reformed the cheque framework; the digital platform TuniChèque launched February 2025. The decline of post-dated cheques as informal credit has spurred bank-led BNPL offerings (e.g. BTK Bank, Amen Bank), but no dedicated BNPL licensing or regulatory framework exists as of mid-2026.
Tunisia is adopting ISO 20022 to enable frictionless bank-to-fintech communication and instant transfers, and e-invoicing obligations for certain transactions are entering force in 2026, pushing operators toward digital payments. A dedicated instant-payment rail law has not yet been enacted.
No formal open banking law or third-party API access mandate has been enacted. However, in late 2025 Tunisia repealed a 50-year-old foreign exchange restriction to retain tech and startup talent, signalling a liberalising policy direction for the fintech sector.
Tunisia - other topics
Last verified 5/24/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →