Enforcement of Court Judgments & Exequatur in Tunis
Under Tunisian law, forced execution of court decisions and arbitration awards is the exclusive statutory jurisdiction of the judicial bailiff (Organic Law No. 2018-9). From bank garnishments and salary attachments to tenant evictions and foreign judgment exequatur, Maître Nabil Baffoun ensures prompt, legally binding field enforcement across Tunisia.
How is a court judgment enforced by a judicial bailiff in Tunisia?
In Tunisia, forced enforcement of court decisions and arbitration awards falls to the judicial bailiff, a public officer governed by Organic Law No. 2018-9 of 30 January 2018. The creditor hands the bailiff the executory copy of the judgment (grosse exécutoire); the bailiff serves the title on the debtor with a command to pay or comply. If the debtor does not comply voluntarily, the bailiff uses the measure suited to the debtor's known assets: bank account garnishment, salary attachment through the employer, seizure and public auction of vehicles, equipment and stock, real estate attachment, or eviction under the Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure, with police assistance where needed. A foreign judgment must first be granted exequatur by the Tunisian Court of First Instance (Private International Law Code, Art. 11 et seq.); an arbitration award needs an exequatur order. From abroad, a special power of attorney signed at a Tunisian consulate is sufficient.
By Maître Nabil Baffoun, judicial officer since 1998 · Updated
Maître Nabil Baffoun, sworn judicial bailiff in Tunis since 1998, provides decisive field enforcement for judicial decisions and enforceable titles across Tunis, Lafayette, Greater Tunis, and nationwide.
1. How Court Decisions are Enforced in Tunisia
A favorable judgment requires enforceable execution by an authorized judicial officer to achieve tangible recovery:
- Official Service of the Enforceable Writ: serving the judgment with statutory command to pay or comply under pain of forced measures.
- Bank Account Garnishments: freezing debtor assets across all commercial banks in Tunisia.
- Wage & Salary Attachments: statutory direct deductions from employers or third-party paying agents.
- Vehicle & Asset Attachments with Public Auctions: certified seizure and liquidation through statutory auctions.
2. Exequatur of Foreign Court Decisions in Tunisia
Foreign civil, commercial, or family judgments (divorce, child support, commercial debts) require recognition under the exequatur procedure (Private International Law Code Art. 11+). We coordinate legal formalities and carry out asset attachments once exequatur is granted.
3. Tenant Evictions & Property Repossession
We execute judicial orders to vacate against defaulting tenants and unauthorized occupants under the Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure, backed by police assistance when needed.
4. Arbitration Award Enforcement & Commercial Asset Freezes
We enforce domestic and international arbitral awards (ICC, ICSID, ad hoc) against corporate debtors in Tunisia, securing creditor recovery through targeted asset freezes.
Enforcement Hotline & WhatsApp: +216 99 442 883 — Office: 32 Avenue de la Liberté, Lafayette, 1002 Tunis.
Enforcement measures
| Measure | What the bailiff does | Prerequisite / legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Service of the title | Serves the judgment on the debtor with a command to pay or comply. | Executory copy (enforceable title) |
| Bank garnishment | Freezes the debtor's accounts at banks in Tunisia. | Enforceable title |
| Salary attachment | Deducts the legally attachable portion of wages through the employer or another paying agent. | Enforceable title |
| Seizure and sale | Inventories vehicles, equipment and stock, then sells them at public auction. | Enforceable title |
| Real estate attachment | Leads to the sale of the property at public auction. | Enforceable title |
| Eviction | Serves the judgment and an order to vacate, then evicts with police assistance where needed. | Enforceable judgment; Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure |
| Foreign judgment | Carries out attachments in Tunisia once exequatur is granted. | Exequatur: Private International Law Code, Art. 11 et seq. |
| Arbitration award | Serves the award, then attaches the debtor's accounts, receivables and other assets. | Exequatur order from the President of the Court of First Instance or Court of Appeal |
Our other areas of expertise
Frequently Asked Questions
How to enforce a court judgment in Tunisia from abroad?
From abroad, you instruct a judicial bailiff with territorial competence and send him the executory copy of the judgment (grosse exécutoire). The bailiff formally serves the title on the debtor, with a command to pay or comply under pain of forced enforcement. If the debtor does not comply voluntarily, he takes the appropriate measures: bank account garnishment, salary attachment through the employer, seizure of vehicles or equipment, or eviction where the judgment orders it. You do not need to travel: the file can be followed remotely. If the decision was issued by a foreign court, it must first be granted exequatur in Tunisia (Private International Law Code, Art. 11 et seq.). For enforcement proceedings, a special power of attorney signed at the Tunisian consulate in your country of residence is sufficient.
How does exequatur for foreign court decisions work in Tunisia?
A foreign judgment (divorce, custody, maintenance, civil or commercial debt) cannot be enforced in Tunisia until it has been granted exequatur. The procedure takes place before the Tunisian Court of First Instance under the Private International Law Code (Art. 11 et seq.). The office coordinates the court steps with the lawyer handling the application. Once the judgment bears the Tunisian enforcement formula, the bailiff serves it on the debtor and then carries out the necessary attachments: bank accounts, salaries, vehicles or other assets located in Tunisia. The office regularly handles decisions from France, Canada, other European countries and the Gulf states. You do not need to be physically present in Tunisia: the file can be followed remotely, with a written report at each step.
What enforcement measures can a judicial bailiff deploy in Tunisia?
With an enforceable title, a bailiff can use several measures. Bank garnishment freezes the debtor's accounts at banks in Tunisia. Salary attachment deducts the legally attachable portion of wages directly from the employer or another paying agent. Seizure and sale covers vehicles, professional equipment and stock, which are inventoried and then sold at a regulated public auction. Real estate attachment leads to the sale of the property at public auction. Each measure is preceded by service of the title and a command to pay. The choice of measure depends on the debtor's known assets and the amount to be recovered. The creditor can follow the whole file remotely, with a written report at each step of the procedure, without having to travel to Tunisia.
What is the procedure for tenant eviction in Tunis?
Eviction strictly requires an enforceable court judgment: a landlord may not evict a tenant himself. The office first serves the judgment on the tenant, then issues a formal order to vacate the premises within the statutory deadline. If the occupant does not leave voluntarily, the bailiff carries out the physical eviction under the Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure, with police or national guard assistance when needed. The locks are changed and an inspection report records the condition of the premises handed back to the owner. The same procedure applies to defaulting tenants and to occupants with no right to the property. A landlord living abroad can follow the whole procedure remotely, with a written report at each step, and the keys are handed back to the owner at the end of the eviction.
How are arbitration awards (ICC, international, domestic) enforced in Tunisia?
An arbitration award, domestic or international (ICC, ICSID or ad hoc), must first receive an exequatur order from the President of the competent Court of First Instance or Court of Appeal, which makes it enforceable in Tunisia. Maître Nabil Baffoun then serves the award on the debtor company and carries out the attachments needed to satisfy the creditor: freezing corporate bank accounts, attaching receivables held by third parties and other assets. The office assists Tunisian and multinational companies with the enforcement of their awards, so that the debtor's assets are secured and payment can be recovered. For an unpaid commercial contract, the creditor generally first obtains an enforceable title through an order to pay or a court judgment. The file can be followed remotely.