Enrolling on El Fatoora: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

You have decided to comply with Tunisia's electronic invoicing obligation and are now ready to join El Fatoora, the platform operated by Tunisie TradeNet (TTN). This guide walks you through the process step by step, from verifying prerequisites to obtaining your production access.

This tutorial is the fourth episode in our Electronic Invoicing in Tunisia series. If you have not yet obtained your digital certificate, start with Episode 3: Obtaining Your TUNTRUST Digital Certificate.

Prerequisites Checklist

Before starting the enrollment procedure, make sure you have the following items in hand. Thorough preparation will save you unnecessary back-and-forth and avoid file rejection.

Legal documents:

• Commercial register extract dated less than 3 months ago
• Copy of the fiscal identification card (Carte d'Identification Fiscale — CIF)
• Identity documents of authorized signatories (national ID card or passport)
• Company seal (official stamp)

Digital certificate:

• Qualified digital certificate issued by TUNTRUST or another ANCE-accredited provider
• PKCS#12 file (.p12) or operational USB token
• Certificate password recorded and stored securely

Company information:

• Exact tax registration number (matricule fiscal, format: XXXXXXXX/X/XXX/XXX)
• Registered office address as it appears in the commercial register
• Official company email address (will serve as TTN contact identifier)
• Technical contact phone number
• Decision on integration mode: Web Mode or EDI Mode (see Step 2)

If your certificate is not yet in hand, consult our dedicated guide before proceeding. The absence of a valid certificate will immediately block the procedure at the electronic signature step.

Step 1: Obtain Your Digital Certificate

The qualified digital certificate is the cornerstone of the entire procedure. It attests your legal identity to TTN and allows you to electronically sign all your enrollment documents.

Tunisia has several trust service providers accredited by ANCE (Agence Nationale de Certification Électronique):

• TUNTRUST — government agency, certificates from 60 TND/year
• CERT'n'TRUST — private provider, professional multi-purpose solutions
• Other accredited TSPs listed on the ANCE website

For complete details on obtaining a certificate, pricing, timelines, and renewal procedures, refer to our complete guide on TUNTRUST digital certificates.

Important: Ensure the certificate is issued in the name of the legal entity (the company) and not in a personal capacity, unless you are a sole practitioner invoicing under your own name.

Step 2: Access the El Fatoora Enrollment Portal

The official enrollment portal is accessible at https://adhesion.elfatoora.tn. Launched on February 15, 2026, this portal replaces previous paper-based procedures and enables a fully dematerialized registration process.

Portal Features

The El Fatoora enrollment portal offers several features designed to simplify the process:

• Mobile-ID authentication: log in using your mobile digital identity, without a USB token
• Automatic draft saving: if you leave the portal mid-completion, your progress is saved for 7 days
• Mobile-responsive interface: the form is usable from a smartphone or tablet
• Contextual assistance: tooltips explain each field

Choosing Your Integration Mode

Before beginning the form, you must choose between two modes of using the El Fatoora platform. This decision determines your contract type and technical configuration.

Web Mode (manual)

• Invoices entered directly on the El Fatoora portal
• Suited to SMEs with a limited invoice volume (< 100/month)
• No IT development required
• Cost: TTN subscription only

EDI Mode (API/ERP integration)

• Automated invoice transmission via the TTN API from your management software
• Suited to companies with high volume or seeking to automate the process
• Requires technical integration (see Episode 7)
• Cost: TTN subscription + integration fees

If you are unsure, choose Web Mode to get started. You can migrate to EDI mode later without restarting the enrollment procedure.

The 4 Sub-Steps of the Online Form

Once logged in to the portal, the procedure unfolds in 4 successive phases:

1. Service Provider Selection Enter your company information: tax registration number, company name, legal form, business sector. Choose your integration mode (Web or EDI) and select the TTN pricing plan corresponding to your estimated invoice volume.

2. Document Attachments Upload the required documents (detailed in Step 3). Accepted formats: PDF, JPEG, PNG. Maximum file size: 5 MB per file. Ensure scans are legible and documents are not expired.

3. Electronic Signature This step requires your digital certificate. The portal generates three contractual documents (see Step 3) that you must electronically sign by clicking on each document. If you are using a USB token, plug it in before starting this step. For Mobile-ID, follow the on-screen instructions.

4. Submission Review the summary of your application, then click "Submit application." You will immediately receive an acknowledgment of receipt by email with a file number to keep carefully for tracking purposes.

Step 3: Prepare the Three Mandatory Documents

TTN requires three specific documents, which you must complete, sign, and attach to your application. These documents define the conditions of your contractual relationship with the platform.

Document 1: Information Form (Fiche de Renseignements)

The information form collects the technical and administrative details of your company. It includes notably:

• Complete company contact details (address, phone, email)
• Technical contact information (name, position, contacts)
• Administrative contact information
• Banking details for TTN invoicing (bank account number — RIB)
• Estimated monthly volume of invoices issued and received
• Type of accounting software used

Document 2: El Fatoora Contract (Contrat El Fatoora)

The El Fatoora contract is the official agreement between your company and Tunisie TradeNet. It defines:

• The obligations of each party
• Pricing conditions and payment terms
• Guaranteed service levels (SLA)
• Confidentiality and data protection conditions
• Termination procedures

Read this document carefully before signing. If you have questions, contact TTN support before submitting your application.

Document 3: Enrollment Declaration (Déclaration d'Adhésion)

The enrollment declaration is a sworn undertaking to comply with Tunisian electronic invoicing standards, including:

• Exclusive use of the TEIF (Tunisian Electronic Invoice Format)
• Archiving of records for the legally required duration
• Compliance with transmission and validation procedures

Generate Your Documents Easily

Noqta.tn provides a pre-filled form generation tool for Tunisian electronic invoicing. Go to /en/resources/facture-electronique-tunisia to generate your three documents with your company information, reducing the risk of data entry errors.

Mandatory Supporting Documents

In addition to the three contractual documents, you must attach the following items as scanned copies:

Step 4: Submit Your Application

You have two options for submitting your complete application.

Option A: Online Submission (Recommended)

After completing the 4 steps of the adhesion.elfatoora.tn portal and electronically signing the documents, your application is automatically transmitted to TTN. You immediately receive an acknowledgment of receipt by email containing your file number.

This option is recommended because it is faster, requires no travel, and allows real-time tracking of your application's progress on the portal.

Option B: Physical Submission at a TTN Branch

If you experience technical difficulties with the portal or prefer in-person assistance, you can submit your paper application at one of TTN's branches:

Head Office — Tunis Rue du Lac Malaren, Les Berges du Lac, Tunis Tel: +216 71 861 726 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00–17:00

Sfax Branch 3, rue Patrice Lumumba, Sfax Tel: +216 74 201 227 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00–17:00

Sousse Branch Avenue Abdallah ibn Ezzoubeir, Sousse Tel: +216 73 227 136 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00–17:00

For physical submission, print and manually sign the three contractual documents (with company seal), and attach certified true copies of supporting documents.

Step 5: Administrative Verification by TTN

After receiving your application, TTN's administrative team reviews your file for completeness and conformity.

Estimated duration: 3 to 7 business days for complete applications submitted online.

TTN verifies in particular:

• The validity and consistency of the declared information
• The authenticity of the attached documents (commercial register extract, CIF)
• The validity of the digital certificate used for signing
• The absence of anomalies in the signed contract

If your application is incomplete or contains errors, TTN will contact you by email to request additional information or corrections. You then have 10 business days to regularize your file, without having to restart the procedure from the beginning.

Application tracking: Log in to adhesion.elfatoora.tn with your credentials to view real-time progress. Possible statuses are: Received, Under review, Corrections required, Administratively validated, Technical testing.

Step 6: Technical Testing

Once administrative validation is obtained, TTN grants you access to the staging environment (sandbox) of the El Fatoora platform. This phase is mandatory before production access is granted.

Testing objective: Verify that your technical configuration (certificate, software, connection) is compatible with the platform's standards.

For Web Mode: TTN asks you to create 2 to 3 test invoices on the portal, sign them with your certificate, and verify that validations pass correctly.

For EDI Mode: You must submit invoices in TEIF format via the TTN sandbox API and receive success return codes. A TTN technical contact is available to support you through this phase.

Testing duration: Between 1 and 5 business days depending on the complexity of your integration.

For technical details of the TEIF format and TTN API, consult Episode 5: TEIF Format and Technical Specifications.

Step 7: Production Access and DGI Declaration Filing

After successful technical testing, TTN activates your production access. You receive by email:

• Your production credentials (login/password or API parameters)
• The getting started guide tailored to your integration mode
• The contact details of your TTN account manager

Filing the Enrollment Declaration with the DGI

Attention — a frequently overlooked step: In addition to registering with TTN, Tunisian regulations require you to file an enrollment declaration with the Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI) within one month of beginning to use the electronic invoicing system.

This declaration may be filed:

• Online at www.portail.impots.finances.gov.tn (professional area)
• In person at the tax control office responsible for your company

Keep the DGI filing receipt, as it constitutes legal proof of your compliance in the event of a tax audit.

Frequent Errors and How to Avoid Them

Here are the most common problems encountered during El Fatoora enrollment, and the preventive measures to take.

Error 1: Expired commercial register extract The commercial register extract must be less than 3 months old at the date of file submission, not at the date of its issuance. Obtain it no more than 2 weeks before submitting your application.

Error 2: Incorrect tax registration number The exact format is XXXXXXXX/X/XXX/XXX. A simple typing error triggers automatic rejection. Copy and paste the number from your CIF rather than retyping it manually.

Error 3: Expired or invalid digital certificate Check your certificate's expiration date before starting. An expired or revoked certificate makes electronic signing impossible. Verification is available in your TUNTRUST client space.

Error 4: Documents signed by an unauthorized person The signatory must be the company's legal manager or a representative holding a notarized power of attorney. TTN verifies consistency with the company's articles of association.

Error 5: Professional email address not monitored Use an active and monitored email address. TTN sends important notifications (validations, corrections required) to this address. An unmonitored inbox can cause you to miss critical deadlines.

Error 6: Forgetting the DGI declaration Registering with TTN does not exempt you from filing with the DGI. These two procedures are independent and both mandatory.

Estimated Timeline

Here is a realistic estimate of the total enrollment process timeline:

Plan your enrollment accordingly, especially if you have contractual or legal obligations tied to a specific effective date.

Key Takeaways

Enrolling on El Fatoora follows a structured 7-step process. The key points to remember:

1. Get your digital certificate first — it is the blocking prerequisite
2. Choose your mode from the outset (Web vs. EDI) as it determines everything else
3. Use the online portal at adhesion.elfatoora.tn for a faster procedure
4. Check the date on your commercial register extract — it must be less than 3 months old
5. Do not forget the DGI declaration after production is activated

Series Navigation

• Previous episode: Digital Certificates in Tunisia: TUNTRUST and ANCE
• Next episode: TEIF Format and Technical Specifications

Need help completing your enrollment application or generating your contractual documents? Go to noqta.tn/resources/facture-electronique-tunisia to access our tools and templates, or contact our team for personalized assistance.