Import a car

We are trying to purchase a 7 seater here in Tunisia and just not finding anything good. I can pick up a LHD in the UK for crazy cheap and bring it on the ferry.
Just need to know if anyone has had experience of bringing a car here and how it actually works. I have heard 2 horror stories of people bringing cars here and been told by Duane they cant change the plates here even though cars were less than 5 years old and they had to take them back to Europe and sell them again for a loss.
The Duane website hasn't been updated in years as just says under construction when you go to vehicles.
Does anyone understand how to import a car here?
I do run an offshore travel agency that is registered here, I had residency but am in the process of renewal that could take months, is it possible to get RS plates still?
Lots of questions so if anyone has any info please reply.
thanks in advance.

Hi! I'm sorry I don't have a response: I am writing because I am also looking to bring in my car and if you can let me know what you find out and if I get info. I will pass it on.
thanks Nancy

Well I know any car you import has to be less than 3 years old. 5 years for some cars but no one seems to know which ones. You will pay anywhere from 100-280% tax on the original price of the car. Percentage increases with size of car. SUV's are the 280% price.
I would highly suggest buying a car here if you just need something small. We are just struggling to find a good reliable 7 seater. They don't believe in seatbelts here so pile 100 kids in the car letting them climb all over the car and hang out the window. In April they will enforce the seat belt law for back seats which is great but no one abides by the front seat law that was brought in last year. But we still want our kids to be safe. Driving is scary here and anytime I drive to the capital I see one of two accidents. That's all the info I have. I'll add more info as I find out.

Thanks!  I do understand what you are saying, I go every couple of months in this past year because my husband is already there and you can't help but notice the # of people, and the children climbing around, in the cars! My car is standard so I think my best option will be to sell my car here in Canada as well. Thank you for the information and insight.

I checked the customs website and the English is not up and running and the French info on the cars are 'under repair' - so unfortunately nothing from there :S
http://www.douane.gov.tn/   

I read from a previous post that recreational/family/personal use cars  for import used to have to be 3 years or less but now is changed to 5.

I don't know how long you have been there or your partner/family member...  but my husband found this (You can look further into that if it can buy you time to change the plates and if that would be legal, etc...)

In French on the site: vous pouvez importer temporairement votre vechcule pour les vacances sous reserve de justifier d'un sejour a l'etranger d'une annee au moins et que la duree globale de vos sejours en tunisie au cours de la derniere annee precedant votre entree en tunisie ne depasse pas 180 jours.
la justification de votre sejour a l'etranger s'effectue en general sur la base de votre passeport.

ENGLISH: you can temporarily import your car for vacation/holiday under the condition that you can justify that you have been outside of Tunisia one year or less and if the total length of your stay in Tunisia in the past year has not exceeded 180 days.
In general your passport will reflect your stay outside of Tunisia. 

Good luck!
Nancy

Remember, if you sell your car in Canada, it wont be enough to buy an equivalent car here. Car prices are at least double foreign prices and they also hold their value. Especially now as Euro has increased some people are able to sell their cars for more than they paid for them. A 7 seat car we are looking at has increased by 3,000tnd twice the past few months because they pay in Euro when importing cars.
This is a good website to get an idea of second hand prices. www.tayara.tn and this has second hand and new cars.. www.automobile.tn . Most of the time they are sold out of new cars because of a limitation of how many they can import. We are looking at this car, and they are sold out until June now...https://www.automobile.tn/neuf/baic-yx/kenbo-s3/1-5-l-112-ch.28661/

Yes, you are correct, we did check that - the price I can sell my Car in Tunis is much much higher than Canada, the value does not depreciate as it does here. but the hassle to bring it in is not worth it for me, plus she will be more than 5 years old when I move, so it automatically eliminates that option for me.  My husbands car purchased in Tunis was more expensive than mine and smaller.. I will look further at my options as the months pass..

I hope you can get the car you need for your family. I will take a look at the website.

best of luck to you.

We are buying the 7 seater BAIC s3. Cheapest new 7 seater they have. Will have to wait until mid May though when they get new stock. Better than June which they originally said.

Hopefully it will be mid-may - I've noticed (just the several times I have visited over the years) that customer service skills are lacking and no one has a sense of urgency for anything,unless they are driving .....!

Some advice.....Don't but a new car here.  It will be new for only a couple of weeks. Also seat belts are compulsory and you can be pulled over and fined for not wearing them.

Another thing to keep on mind is the tax and insurance must be paid yearly and you must attend for the carte visits annually.  This is like a roadworthy check and normally they will tell you to change the shock absorbers as the roads here are so bad!