France’s rapprochement with Tunisia is delivering concrete results for travellers and employers alike. The French Consul-General in Tunis, Dominique Mas, revealed that only 18.3 % of the 118,000 short- and long-stay visa applications lodged by Tunisians between January and October 2025 were refused, compared with rejection rates that peaked above 35 % during the 2021-22 “visa-quota” stand-off. Short-stay refusals have fallen to just 13 %, even as demand for Schengen visas from Tunisia grew by 6 % this year.
The thaw follows Paris’ decision in 2024 to scrap quota-based limits after Tunis pledged swifter cooperation on returning irregular migrants. Since then, the consulate has fast-tracked multi-year “circulation” visas for frequent business travellers, academics and family visitors, and it now issues more long-validity permits than single-entry visas. Half of all authorisations granted in 2025 allow stays of a year or more, reflecting the French labour market’s demand for francophone engineers, IT specialists and health-care graduates.
![France Halves Visa Refusal Rate for Tunisians as Relations Normalize]()
For French employers, the lower refusal rate removes a major pain-point in North-African talent acquisition. Consulting firms in Paris report that Tunisian tech hires can once again expect appointments at TLScontact within four weeks, versus three-month waits in 2023. Universities are also benefiting: student approvals rose 9 % to more than 5,000, helping France defend its position as the second-most-popular destination for African students after the US.
Mobility managers should nevertheless advise Tunisian assignees to submit complete files and schedule biometric appointments early: the French consulate warns that peaks ahead of Ramadan (late February 2026) and the summer travel rush could stretch processing times. Carriers note that Air France will add a fourth daily CDG–Tunis rotation from April 2026 to absorb resurgent demand.
The wider geopolitical significance is clear. By rewarding Tunisia’s cooperation on readmissions, Paris is signalling to other Maghreb states that migration diplomacy can unlock easier business travel—a message likely aimed at Algiers, where visa tensions persist.
The thaw follows Paris’ decision in 2024 to scrap quota-based limits after Tunis pledged swifter cooperation on returning irregular migrants. Since then, the consulate has fast-tracked multi-year “circulation” visas for frequent business travellers, academics and family visitors, and it now issues more long-validity permits than single-entry visas. Half of all authorisations granted in 2025 allow stays of a year or more, reflecting the French labour market’s demand for francophone engineers, IT specialists and health-care graduates.
For French employers, the lower refusal rate removes a major pain-point in North-African talent acquisition. Consulting firms in Paris report that Tunisian tech hires can once again expect appointments at TLScontact within four weeks, versus three-month waits in 2023. Universities are also benefiting: student approvals rose 9 % to more than 5,000, helping France defend its position as the second-most-popular destination for African students after the US.
Mobility managers should nevertheless advise Tunisian assignees to submit complete files and schedule biometric appointments early: the French consulate warns that peaks ahead of Ramadan (late February 2026) and the summer travel rush could stretch processing times. Carriers note that Air France will add a fourth daily CDG–Tunis rotation from April 2026 to absorb resurgent demand.
The wider geopolitical significance is clear. By rewarding Tunisia’s cooperation on readmissions, Paris is signalling to other Maghreb states that migration diplomacy can unlock easier business travel—a message likely aimed at Algiers, where visa tensions persist.
