How do I get a Tunisian police clearance certificate from abroad?

Answer by the AvoConsulte editorial team

Tunisia's police clearance certificate is the criminal record extract called Bulletin No. 3 (bitaqa adad 3). From abroad, you can apply online through the Ministry of the Interior's platform, which sends the certificate by post, or through a Tunisian embassy or consulate.

Two ways to apply from abroad

• Online: the Ministry of the Interior's platform (b3.interieur.gov.tn) was first opened to Tunisians living abroad. According to the announcement made when it was launched, it only issues clean certificates (no convictions recorded), sent by Rapid-Poste. If your record has an entry, ask which procedure applies to you.
• Through a consulate: the Tunisian embassy or consulate where you live can take the application. Ask them for the current form, the documents and the processing time, which is usually longer than online.

What you usually need

• Proof of identity, such as a Tunisian ID card or passport.
• Your civil-status details (full name, date and place of birth, parents' names) exactly as they appear in Tunisian records.
• The fiscal stamp or payment indicated by the service.

Bulletin No. 3 is only issued to the person it concerns, so do not count on a relative collecting it for you in Tunisia.

Foreign nationals who were born in Tunisia or lived there can also request it, with proof of their birth or residence in Tunisia, according to the government portal idaraty.tn. They can apply online or, from abroad, ask the Tunisian consulate.

Check what the receiving authority wants

Immigration authorities, such as Canada's IRCC, and employers often set their own requirements: how recent the certificate must be, whether it needs an apostille, and whether it must be translated by a certified translator. Read their instructions before you apply so that you don't have to start again.

If your record is not clean, a lawyer can tell you whether rehabilitation could remove the entry.

For your own situation, consult a lawyer; the AvoConsulte directory lists lawyers registered with the ONAT by city.

This answer was written by the AvoConsulte editorial team and gives general information only: it is not legal advice. For your own situation, consult a lawyer.

Sources

1. إسناد بطاقة عدد 3 (تونسيون مقيمون بالخارج وأجانب يقيمون في الأراضي التونسية لمدة محددة) إدارتي – بوابة الإجراءات الإدارية
2. إسناد بطاقة عدد 3 (تونسيون والأجانب المولودون على الأراضي التونسية و الأجانب المقيمين هناك) إدارتي – بوابة الإجراءات الإدارية
3. How to Get a Police Certificate - Tunisia Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
4. Bulletin N°3 : Un service en ligne pour tous les Tunisiens Kapitalis
5. Code de procédure pénale (loi n° 68-23 du 24 juillet 1968, texte mis à jour) Police and Human Rights Resources (Amnesty International Pays-Bas)