The Tunisian Unified Automobile Bureau (BUAT) will begin, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, equipping 11 land border posts, 9 with Algeria and 2 with Libya, with quick verification scanners (QR code readers) to combat the falsification of inter-Arab automobile insurance cards, known as the “Orange Card,” before vehicles enter Tunisian territory.
In a statement to TAP news agency, BUAT Director General Ahmed Hadroug said that the distribution of these devices will continue at land border crossings until June 25, 2025. Actual verification of the validity of orange cards is expected to begin on July 1, 2025.
He explained that the initiative is part of efforts to counter the falsification of orange car insurance cards, after several cases of forgery were detected.
Hadroug noted that vehicles from Libya and Algeria have entered Tunisia with forged orange cards, both in their old paper format and in the newer electronic format. Some of these vehicles were involved in road accidents on Tunisian soil, which could deprive the victims of compensation for the damages incurred.
“The Orange Card Convention stipulates that the issuing unified bureau is not responsible for the consequences of accidents caused by vehicles with forged cards,” he emphasized.
The BUAT director general underlined the importance of this matter, noting that Algeria and Libya began issuing the electronic version of the card as of January 1, 2024.
He stressed that due to the rising number of fraudulent electronic cards, urgent efforts are needed to protect the rights of insured parties and maintain the financial balance of the Bureau.
He also revealed that the Bureau has detected around 27 forged cards from Libyan vehicles, including 5 using the new electronic format, with a total estimated value of 200,000 dinars, as well as 4 fraudulent orange cards from Algeria, 2 of which are electronic, amounting to approximately 350,000 dinars.
Hadroug recalled that on June 1, 2025, the BUAT signed a bilateral Directorate General of Customs to equip all land border posts with Libya and Algeria with a rapid verification system, allowing customs officers to check the authenticity of orange cards presented by foreign motorists before entering Tunisian territory.
