Financing a home in Tunisia: banks, housing aid and mortgages
To buy or build a home in Tunisia, people borrow in dinars from a bank such as BH Bank, STB or BIAT, often over twenty to twenty-five years, with a mortgage registered on a land title and sometimes support from FOPROLOS.
Housing, the largest source of household debt in Tunisia
In June 2026, loans to buy a home stood at around 13.3 billion dinars and loans for renovation at 11.3 billion. Together these two categories account for more than three quarters of all bank lending to individuals in Tunisia.
Banks active in home financing
BH Bank, formerly Banque de l'Habitat, remains the historic housing lender and handles FOPROLOS files. STB, BNA, BIAT, Attijari Bank and Amen Bank also offer purchase, construction or renovation loans, often linked to a housing savings account opened beforehand.
Fixed rate or rate indexed to the TMM
Most Tunisian home loans are indexed to the money market rate, around 7% in 2026, plus a bank margin. For the first half of 2026, the average APR on housing loans was 10.25% and the usury threshold stood at 12.30%.
Law 2024-41 relief on older fixed-rate loans
A borrower who signed a fixed-rate home loan running longer than seven years can ask the bank to halve the interest rate. The BCT has reminded banks that they must give their answer to such requests within fifteen days.
FOPROLOS: four rate bands based on salary
The fund lends to employees earning between one and six times the SMIG at 1%, 3%, 5% or 7% depending on the band, over twenty-five years at most, with a 10% own contribution. The home must respect a capped price per square metre.
First home programme for the middle class
This scheme lends the 20% down payment demanded by banks at 2%, with a five-year grace period. By the end of September 2024 only 2,818 households had used it, more than three quarters in Greater Tunis, which prompted its extension to construction.
Housing loans from the social security funds
In 2024 the CNSS announced housing loans of up to 100,000 dinars for its private-sector members, and the CNRPS also offers purchase or construction loans to public employees. Either can be combined with a bank loan where the budget requires it.
Land titles, old deeds and the land registry
Banks require a registered property with an up-to-date land title, on which the mortgage is entered at the land registry office. Homes held under old unregistered deeds, common in the medinas and the countryside, are difficult to finance through a standard loan.
Greater Tunis, Sousse and Sfax: very different markets
Prices in La Marsa, Les Berges du Lac or Ennasr bear no comparison with those in Kairouan or Gafsa. In the Sahel, Sousse and Monastir also attract Tunisians living abroad, who sometimes borrow on the strength of foreign-currency income.
Property murabaha at Islamic banks
Banque Zitouna, Al Baraka Bank and Wifak Bank buy the property and resell it to the client with a fixed margin payable over time. These banks have pointed to a regulatory gap when it comes to applying the Law 2024-41 relief to their contracts.
Tunisian home loans as retirement approaches
FOPROLOS accepts repayment ending as late as age 75, but banks often shorten the term for employees nearing retirement. Our page on a loan for retirees in Tunisia explains how CNSS and CNRPS pensions are treated by lenders when they assess an application.
How Tunisia compares with the rest of the Maghreb
The Tunisian framework differs noticeably from its neighbours, with its rate ceilings and public funds. For an overview, see our guide to credit in Tunisia or our guide to a mortgage in Morocco and its support programmes.
Steps to a home loan with a Tunisian bank
- Open or build up a housing savings account several months ahead, which improves access to credit at several banks.
- Obtain from the seller or developer the land title, the plan and a preliminary sale agreement stating the price in dinars.
- Submit the file at the branch with proof of income and ask for simulations at both an indexed and a fixed rate.
- Have the property appraised by the bank's approved valuer, who sets the value used for the financing.
- Sign the deed of sale and the loan agreement, then have the mortgage registered in favour of the bank at the land registry.
- Take out death and disability insurance and, for a construction project, receive the funds in stages as building work progresses.
What a home loan costs in Tunisia
| Item | Amount or rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| FOPROLOS rate | 1% to 7% (indicative) | Depends on the multiple of the SMIG earned |
| Usury ceiling for housing loans | 12.30% (indicative, H1 2026) | No APR may exceed it |
| Own contribution | 10% (FOPROLOS) to 20% or more (bank loan) | The first home programme can lend it at 2% |
| Registration duties and land registry fees | Variable | Depends on price, seller status and mortgage registration |
| Death and disability insurance | Variable | Based on age, capital and loan term |
Application file for a housing loan in Tunisia
- National ID card of the borrower and, where relevant, of the co-borrowing spouse
- Salary certificate and last three payslips
- Ownership certificate and copy of the property's land title
- Preliminary sale agreement or reservation contract with a developer
- Building permit and cost estimate for a construction project
- Statements for the housing savings account and current account
Common reasons a home loan is refused in Tunisia
- Trying to buy a property without an individual land title, such as an undivided inherited share, which the bank cannot take as mortgage security.
- Exceeding the maximum price per square metre or the maximum floor area allowed for a home financed by FOPROLOS.
- Paying a large deposit to an unauthorised developer before checking the building permit and the parent land title.
- Underestimating how much repayments on a TMM-indexed loan rise when the BCT increases its policy rate.
Lenders to contact
- BH Bank (Banque de l'Habitat): Tunisian bank historically specialised in housing, offering home loans to individuals as well as working-capital financing for professionals and businesses.
- Enda Tamweel: Tunisian microfinance institution granting microloans to micro-entrepreneurs, including in rural areas, backed by banking partners and development funders.
Questions about buying property with a loan in Tunisia
What is the maximum rate on a home loan in Tunisia in 2026?
For the first half of 2026, the usury threshold for housing loans was 12.30%, against an average APR of 10.25%. A bank may not charge a higher APR, including insurance and fees, without facing the penalties laid down in Law 99-64.
Who is eligible for a FOPROLOS loan?
Employees whose monthly income lies between one and six times the SMIG and who do not already own a home. The rate ranges from 1% to 7% depending on the band, the term reaches twenty-five years, a 10% contribution is required and repayment must end by age 75.
Can you finance a house on land without a land title?
It is difficult, because the mortgage has to be registered on a land title. The owner must first start registering the land, a lengthy procedure that goes through the land court, or offer another form of security acceptable to the bank.
Can an old fixed-rate loan become cheaper?
Yes, under Law 2024-41: for a fixed-rate loan longer than seven years that meets the cost condition, the bank recalculates the schedule at half the rate, free of charge, and a further request is only possible after three years.