As the name suggests, the Tunisian dinar is the currency of Tundesia. The iso code of the dinar is TND. The abbreviation for the Tunisian dinar is D or DT. The Tunisian millimes are abbreviated with the designation M. TD is the well-known currency symbol for the dinar. A Tunisian dinar is divided into units of 1000 millimes. In vernacular, however, the millimes are usually referred to as francs.
The Tunisian dinar is only used as a means of payment in Tunisia. The currency may neither be imported nor exported. The dinar has been the currency of Tunisia since October 18, 1958.
History of the Tunisian dinar
The dinar has not yet been subject to any known fluctuations. Larger inflations, revaluations, devaluations or price fixings are not known for this currency. The predominant currency before the dinar was the franc. The franc had an exchange rate of 1 dinar: 1000 francs.
The millimes are issued in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 millimes. The dinar is given out in both bill and coin form. There are coins of 5, 1 and 1/2 dinars and notes in the form of 5, 10, 20, 30, 50. Personalities of Tunisian history such as the poet Abou el Kacem Chebbi or Hannibal are immortalized on the Tunisian banknotes. Due to the counterfeiting of the dinar, which was often practiced in the past, the Tunisian central bank brought a new form of banknote onto the market in 2006 and 2009. These notes have been provided with holograms since then.
The rate at which the dinar is changed is subject to daily fluctuations. It is irrelevant on site at which station you exchange whether in a hotel, at the airport or in Tunisian banks, the rates are almost identical everywhere. Holidaymakers can withdraw money from most Tunisian ATMs with cash or credit cards and then exchange them on site. You can determine the current exchange rate with a currency converter. At the moment you get 0.49 cents for a Tunisian dinar.
Changing money to the Tunisian dinar
When exchanging the Tunisian currency, one should note that it is not freely convertible. This means that you cannot exchange the currency in your home country and bring it to Tunisia. Conversely, money exchanged in Tunisia is not allowed to take back home with you. The exchange rate for the Tunisian currency is subject to state custody and is therefore the same everywhere. The inflation rate for the dinar is 4.5%.
Vacationers who would like to exchange the foreign currency in advance and take it with them on vacation have to rethink their approach when traveling to Tunisia. As mentioned above, the currency may only be exchanged on site. Get an exchange receipt for the exchange on site, as this is the only way to get the money exchanged on site back when you leave the country. Otherwise, you will have to spend the remaining dinars or millimes at the airport, as you are not allowed to take any remaining currency back home with you.