How to Find a Competent Huissier de Justice in Tunisia

If you search online for a "huissier de justice in Tunis" or an "عدل منفذ" in Ariana, you will quickly get a long list of names. The first question, however, is which huissier can lawfully act for you in the place where the act must be carried out. This guide sets out the rules on territorial competence, how to verify a huissier's status, what documents to prepare and the framework for fees.

The legal framework: Organic Law No. 2018-9

The profession is governed by Organic Law No. 2018-9 of 30 January 2018 on the organisation of the profession of huissiers de justice (judicial officers). It was published in the Official Journal of the Republic of Tunisia (JORT) No. 17 of 27 February 2018. This law repealed the former Law No. 95-29 of 13 March 1995 (Article 84).

The law defines the huissier de justice as a public officer who contributes to the administration of justice and practises as a liberal profession (Article 1). Article 13 lists the main duties, including:

• drafting and serving protests, formal notices, notifications and summonses to act;
• drafting and serving writs of summons before the courts;
• enforcing judicial and administrative enforceable titles;
• drawing up material findings reports (constats);
• carrying out court-authorised sales and amicable debt collection.

Territorial competence: the court of appeal district

This is the key rule. Under Article 3 of the Organic Law, a huissier de justice practises alone, in a shared office with a colleague or within a professional civil partnership, throughout the district of the court of appeal with which he or she is registered.

In practice, the question is not "which huissier is closest?" but "in which court of appeal district must the act be carried out?". The act may be service of a document, a findings report or an enforcement measure. For service in Tunis, Ariana, Ben Arous or Manouba, the relevant district is that of the Tunis Court of Appeal. The courts of first instance of Tunis 1, Tunis 2, Ariana, Ben Arous and Manouba, among others, fall within this district.

The law also provides that the huissier performs his or her duties personally. In case of absence, the huissier may appoint a colleague from the same court of appeal district as a substitute, under the conditions of Article 16. If the act must be carried out in another district, you should contact a huissier registered in that district.

Huissier de justice or notary (عدل إشهاد)?

In Tunisia, the huissier de justice (عدل منفذ) and the notary, also called "huissier notaire" (عدل إشهاد), are two distinct professions governed by different laws. The notary authenticates deeds, while the huissier de justice serves, records and enforces. For details, see our guide Notary and huissier de justice: roles and differences.

According to Business News (1 October 2026), the General Legislation Committee of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP) decided to continue voting on a bill concerning huissiers notaires. This text concerns notaries (عدول الإشهاد), not huissiers de justice.

How to verify a huissier de justice

The official roll. Article 10 of the Organic Law provides that the roll of huissiers de justice is set by order of the Minister of Justice, after consultation of the National Body of Huissiers de Justice (الهيئة الوطنية للعدول المنفذين). Only a huissier entered on this roll may practise.

The National Body and its regional branches. The National Body includes all huissiers entered on the roll (Article 54). Each regional branch brings together the huissiers practising within the district of a court of appeal (Article 60). If you have any doubt about a professional's status, you may enquire with the competent regional branch or with the National Body.

Impartiality rules. Article 36 prohibits a huissier from acting for or against any member of his or her family, relatives or in-laws up to the fourth degree. It also prohibits acting in a case where he or she has already acted for one of the parties. Disclose any possible connection at the outset.

Financial transparency. Ask for a receipt for every amount you pay. Funds collected on your behalf must be deposited in a client account, and you must be informed of this in writing (Article 35).

What to prepare before contacting a huissier

To save time and avoid unnecessary trips, gather:

• your identity document (national ID card or passport) and, for a company, the register extract and the representative's mandate;
• the full and exact address of the recipient, with a landmark or GPS location if possible;
• the court decision, title or contract on which your request is based;
• relevant prior correspondence (letters, formal notices, messages);
• a precise description of what you want: service, findings report, enforcement, collection;
• any deadlines that bind you (hearing, appeal period, contractual due date);
• if you act on behalf of someone else, a valid power of attorney.

Fees: a regulated tariff

Article 43 of the Organic Law provides that the huissier is paid for each act according to a tariff set by order of the Minister of Justice and the Minister in charge of Finance. This tariff was set by the joint order of 25 June 2021, published in JORT No. 55 of 29 June 2021. Service of documents, payment orders, findings reports and seizures are subject to this tariff. Services outside the tariff, such as advice or mediation, require a prior written agreement.

Article 44 allows the huissier to decline to carry out an act until the fee has been advanced, unless the procedure concerns a person who has been granted legal aid. For details, see our Fees page.

Living abroad?

The district rule also applies to Tunisians living abroad: it is the place of the act that determines the competent huissier, not your place of residence. You can instruct a huissier remotely through a special power of attorney, drawn up in particular at a Tunisian consulate. If you hold a foreign judgment, it must in principle first be granted exequatur before it can be enforced in Tunisia. The office also handles service of documents for clients and law firms based outside Tunisia.

Our office in Greater Tunis

Maître Nabil Baffoun has practised as a huissier de justice in Tunis since 1998. His office is located at 32 avenue de la Liberté, Lafayette, 1002 Tunis, within the district of the Tunis Court of Appeal. He acts directly in Tunis city centre and Lafayette, in Ariana, El Menzah, Ennasr and La Soukra, in Ben Arous, Mégrine and Radès and in Manouba and Den Den (pages in French). For initial guidance, call 99 442 883 or request a consultation. Each file is assessed on the basis of its documents, with no commitment as to the outcome of the procedure.