Tunisian Men Marrying a Filipina

Tunisia is like the Philippines on the 19th century, don't go there ever, it s the worst economic and political disaster in the world, it s fully closed minded, you cannot send money abroad, you cannot get residence, and Filipinos are not respected by locals there at all, they consider them all maids

just like everywhere around the world every family is different, please don't listen to anyone else's closed minded views, his family may well be very accommodating towards you.
I am English and been married to a Tunisian for nearly 20 years, his family love me like their own.
Before I decided to Marry my husband I went to Tunisia to meet his family.
Wish you the best of luck in your search for live and happiness x

Hi there, I am Canadian, married to a Tunisian man (8 years) and we are living in Tunis since October 2018. In my personal experience his Family is quite amazing but like any in-laws it depends each individual Family. I have heard bad experiences form expats married to Tunisians regarding in-laws as I have heard great ones!
We have our difficulties like any in-laws, especially with two very different backgrounds/cultures, communication misunderstandings happen regularly but they are not in anyway disrespectful towards me so this is well appreciated and the kindness is returned. You can only know if you spend time with them, talk to them... I think we all know in our hearts when people are nice or not, but sometimes we choose to ignore it for whatever reason.
**
(Something I noticed and it was an indicator for me to know that they are nice (prior to meeting them) was that nobody expected gifts from me. When I asked my then fiancé what to bring, he said nothing... they don't care about that, they want to meet you...and so I brought small gifts like chocolates etc, they were so sweet and appreciative... I know of people where the in-laws were requesting expensive gifts and were not satisfied with anything...  that's how I knew before ever knowing them personally.. when a person or persons only expect kindness from you, it means they too are kind people)

As for life in Tunisia, it's not the richest country, therefore a lot of financial instability, and I believe with a very unstable government. It is not culturally diverse! It's also quite dirty, in Tunis especially but not exceptionally. Coming from Canada it is a very difficult adjustment for me but not impossible! For the most part I believe the citizens are nice and accepting. Public transport is unreliable. Be careful with some Taxi drivers, there are people looking to take that extra dinar from you if they can. I tell everyone new that I meet that I am not a tourist, that I live here, usually this helps with pricing etc... and the people in my neighborhood whom I see regularly (grocery, corner store, bakery, etc.,) are so kind and helpful.

Also, I think if you learn some Arabic while here it will be helpful  and speaking French will be a big help as well, as most people speak French, at least enough to get by.

I wish you all the best, I truly hope that him and his Family are kind people who will treat you well.
If you would like, please feel free to add me as a contact.

Take care.

Hi so I have this guy I mean he want to continue our relationship but I'm afraid that his parents will disagree and my parents also. And I told him already that he should find someone else there. And we have no in common like our culture. Its a big difference. And were too young for this. And he said just stay with him until we are old enough.

I would invite you to look for Filipina in Tunisia to get their opinion before deciding

morcozobianca wrote:

Hi so I have this guy I mean he want to continue our relationship but I'm afraid that his parents will disagree and my parents also. And I told him already that he should find someone else there. And we have no in common like our culture. Its a big difference. And were too young for this. And he said just stay with him until we are old enough.

well, words are easy, actions are harder
if you assume that there are many differences, then you have to decide alone, how about the ticket to travel to visit your family once a year? can he provide that? if yes, ask him to travel to visit you and meet your family if he can to prove his claim, How about if you have kids, are they going to speak Arabic or French or English or Tagalog?  what if your kids are 10 years old? if they grow up in Tunisia, they won t be able to communicate with their family in the Philippines, and vice versa. Since life is hard and many couple are obliged to work together to provide a good life for their kids, you cannot get any job in Tunisia, hiring of foreigners is not allowed, and foreign exchange is prohibited by law, you won t be able to send a single peso from Tunisia to your family. Ask your bf if he can send or not. Tunisia is the hell on earth with the oldest laws that makes you suffer, and people's mind that make you feel inferior to them always even if you are better.

If Tunisia is such 'hell on earth', I wonder why Hammamet (where I live) is so full of expats - largely Italian. Yes, there are difficulties, such as language and sending money abroad if you need to do that. However, as far as I understand foreigners married to Tunisians are not barred from working if they can find a job. This is not so easy, unless, for example, you can teach a language, especially English. Agreed, there will be problems if the couple can't manage on one salary. Btw, as an expat resident, I was able to open both a dinar and a dollar account at the bank.

I think one of the main problems would be the very high cost of getting back home to somewhere like the Philippines, as there are no direct flights and the air fare is so expensive. In my own case, outside of the Covid situation, I could go to the UK quickly and relatively cheaply four times a year (though pity Thos Cook flights stopped) and we also have the odd visitor coming to stay here.

helensou wrote:

If Tunisia is such 'hell on earth', I wonder why Hammamet (where I live) is so full of expats - largely Italian. Yes, there are difficulties, such as language and sending money abroad if you need to do that, but as far as I understand foreigners married to Tunisians are not barred from working if they can find a job (agree not so easy). Also, as an expat resident, I was able to open both a dinar and a dollar account at the bank.

I think one of the main problems would be the very high cost of getting back home to somewhere like the Philippines, as there are no direct flights and the air fare is so expensive. In my own case, outside of the Covid situation, I could go to the UK quickly and relatively cheaply four times a year (though pity Thos Cook flights stopped) and we also have the odd visitor coming to stay here.

Hammamet is the main touristic place in the north, and it s so small and easy to be maintained by the hotel owner, you can get a look at Nabeul City, the main capital to see a different world, But if you can travel further in provinces, you will see a primitive life where no restaurant, no fast food, no parks, no life, at all, see the rate of the university graduate people who died trying to cross the sea going to Italy, to ask yourself if this is a paradise like Hammamet, why university graduates accept to die by trying to run away.

You are taking the only place where Hotels and foreigners are living which is smaller than 10km on the shore with just few thousands of habitats only, If you really know Tunisia, google areas like the cities around the capital, like Etadhamen which has 1 million citizen there.

Every country in the world has places where an expat wouldn't want to live.  The UK, for example, has plenty of areas I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I don't think we know where the person who posted the original query would be living. What's wrong with Nabeul?  Our Italian tenants are renting a house from us there and love it. They've been living in Nabeul for several years.

All things that must be really taken in account. As a Filipina German who has been many times in MAGHREB countries..
This is very true.
I think he should rather stay with her in Dubai or in Philippines.

Wadja,

All things that must be really taken in account. As a Filipina German who has been many times in MAGHREB countries..
This is very true.
I think he should rather stay with her in Dubai or in Philippines.

Knowing how much Filipinos rely on the church for support and social life, especially when working abroad, I would imagine this would be a huge negative factor in Tunisia. I believe there are a very few Catholic churches in some areas like Hammamet and Tunis where there are expats - and I think run and mainly frequented by French. However, even though I have French ancestry myself, I have to say that in general I don't find them the most friendly and welcoming of people (unlike for example Italians), so wouldn't think there would be much chance of making social contacts through the church.

It would be difficult for a Filipino to settle here and I would imagine quite lonely. Very little chance of meeting any fellow countrymen/women..

Hi
Don't count on staying in Tunisie.
Everybody is trying to get out of her, and as a single mother, don't know how his parents will accept.
Your relationship as girlfriend and boyfriend is something else.
But marriage is another story.
Tunisie is not a good place to  work in but best to spend money in.
You have money, you live great but saving money in Tunisie is impossible.
Yes it's true Philippine women mostly considered as a maid in many countries but that's not the biggest problem you may face.
Hope to consider your relationship as a part time relationship as long as you're in Dubai.
Living in Dubai is the same like in Tunisie but without a good income.

Agree almost impossible to save any money in Tunisia. Also that most young people are trying to leave.

Most of my husband's nieces and nephews have left or are poised to (e.g. qualified doctors or just finished Masters) - it is really only good if you are an expat with an outside income such as a pension. This is why so many Italian and French retirees live here.

You can live very comfortably as a couple on 1,000 euros a month even including rent, for a basic life style. But if you want to eat in a restaurant a couple of days a week, need to buy booze, run a car, and include air fares home - and health expenses - you can easily double that estimate.

Personally I wouldn't live here as an expat unless I had a fairly substantial amount of money set aside as a backup for any emergencies - such as a sudden health problem.

helensou wrote:

Agree almost impossible to save any money in Tunisia. Also that most young people are trying to leave.

Most of my husband's nieces and nephews have left or are poised to (e.g. qualified doctors or just finished Masters) - it is really only good if you are an expat with an outside income such as a pension. This is why so many Italian and French retirees live here.

You can live very comfortably as a couple on 1,000 euros a month even including rent, for a basic life style. But if you want to eat in a restaurant a couple of days a week, need to buy booze, run a car, and include air fares home - and health expenses - you can easily double that estimate.

Personally I wouldn't live here as an expat unless I had a fairly substantial amount of money set aside as a backup for any emergencies - such as a sudden health problem.

this is the description of the hypocrisy : you say something and you do something else

You tell Tunisia is fine and you invite this Filipina to live there because you are in Hammamet, which is the only livable area but the most expensive in the country, while you admit that wouldn't live here as an expat unless you have a fairly substantial amount of money.

The person who asked about Tunisia is a Filipina Expat in Dubai, as well as her BF, do you think they would have left their countries if they can afford to live in your place?

This is an expat forum.  Are you an expat? I think your command of English, or even of plain logic, is limited.

I said in a previous post: 

"I think one of the main problems would be the very high cost of getting back home to somewhere like the Philippines, as there are no direct flights and the air fare is so expensive."

I think there must be a huge amount of love and longing to be with the person of your desire from someone who is coming here to live from a non-European country in order to survive. Possible, but very difficult. From Europe, not so difficult, as there are a fair number of compatriots here and younger Tunisians are fairly tuned in to European culture and mostly speak French and English. It is not all about money. Happiness and having friends you can hang out with and relate to, is more important.

I did not 'invite' a Filipino to live here. We brought our Philipina maid here every summer with us from the UAE for 28 years each time for 2 months, before we left to live here permanently, and she didn't really like it here (yes believe it or not, our children's nanny and then housekeeper after they grew up, stayed with us that long, and we visited her and her family in Manila in autumn 2019). There's no way she would have lived in Tunisia even though we asked her to stay with us for a year when we finally located. So I have some experience of this. Her main problem was the church and no fellow Philippinas to hang out with, as she had had in Abu Dhabi. And she wasn't confined to the house all day - we used to take her out with us shopping,  beach, restaurants, family gatherings - she was after so long, one of the family anyway.

For European expats, particularly Italian and French, it can be an extremely wonderful place to live, and cost of living peanuts compared to the cost back home.

Absolutely agree.. Life and work where ever one lives is no walk in the park nor it is Babylon lush surroundings,  life in the sun Isn't one long holiday  either.  Have lived and worked in Malta where I met my Tunisian husband together now for 24 years and married for 20 lived in Hammamet for 4 years with a small Business in Kairouan. Re-located back to the UK 16 years ago (two of my four children's choice) but commute to Tunisia 4 times a year Have never experienced any issues and have always been  made to feel welcome,  we have never showered my in-laws with lavish gifts nor have they ever asked for anything from us, We always just bring chocolate,sweets and biscuits which they greatly appreciate considering where they live is very baron and remote compared to the more western parts of Tunisia. Our streets are certainly not paved with gold either !!

philippines is #1 human exporter in the world , this includes all skilled and non skilled worker, i wonder that why you emphasized the word (MAIDS) ? what is the relation of being a maid in marrying a tunisian  guy? pls elaborate. i might misunderstood and took the topic in another level. ty