Overland Morocco Travel
West Africa > Morocco
Currency to display:
Contents
- 1 Visiting Morocco
- 2 Entering Morocco with a Car or Motorcycle
- 3 Driving in Morocco
- 4 Fuel prices in Morocco
- 5 Safety and Security Considerations
- 6 Camping in Morocco
- 7 Navigation
- 8 Special Overland Travel interests
- 9 Vehicle Maintenance
- 10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Morocco
- 11 References
- 12 Helpful External links
Visiting Morocco
From beaches to sand dunes to mountains and lakes, Morocco has it all and is considered to be one of the best countries in the world for Overlanding.
The people of Morocco are extremely friendly and welcoming, adding to the amazing experiences on offer here.
Entering Morocco with a Car or Motorcycle
Correct as of: September 2017
Travel Visa for Morocco
Currently UK and EU citizens, Canadians, Americans and Australians Morocco can stay for three months without visa. You will be given the entrance stamp at the border or on the ferry. Some east European nationals as well as South Africans and others require a visa which must be applied for in advance and which lasts a month.
Required Documents
No special document are required to enter, except of course for your original Vehicle registration.
You fill out an immigration card at the border (or on the boat) as well as a temporary vehicle importation document (TVIP; D16). Processing is fast and easy.
Process at border
A detailed write up of the process from 2017 http://sahara-overland.com/2014/12/27/morocco-documents/
Cost of entry
Free.
Permitted length of stay
Typically three months per person and up to six months per calender year for the vehicle.
Extension of stay
It's probably easier to nip back to Spain and back than get bogged down with extending your stay at some office.
Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country
This can be done with Customs at airports. Details on Horizons Unlimited Morocco Forum
Exiting with a vehicle
Get stamped out of the country, then get the customs to cancel your TVIP.
You keep one copy, they keep the other.
Driving in Morocco
Recommended books for overlanding in Morocco
Morocco Overland – From the Atlas to the Sahara
Route guide for 4x4, motorcycle, van, MTB
Edition 3, October 2017, £19.99
ISBN-9781905864898
[1]
Travel insurance for Morocco
World Nomads offer the most flexible Travel Insurance at the best prices for multi-country / multi-year trips. You can buy, extend and claim online, even after you've left home.
Vehicle insurance requirements
Insurance is available at most ports of entry. Tangier Med (the easiest port to enter Morocco) has booths alongside bureau des changes, just beyond customs. You may be covered by your own insurance, but check first. These days few UK companies will issue a green card extension for Morocco.
Cost of vehicle insurance
You can buy insurance (assurance frontiers) at some ports of entry for fixed periods of 10 days, one month and three months from د.م620.00 MAD to د.م1,950.00 MAD for a motorcycle or car. (A 100 MAD is about 10 euro). Motorhomes are at least double. It's the vehicle that's covered so anyone can drive who holds a full licence.
Where to purchase vehicle insurance
At the port on entry.
Driving licence
Your home licence is sufficient.
Driving side of road
Right.
RHD vehicles can be driven in Morocco.
Mandatory items in vehicle
State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle. (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)
Roads
General road quality
Road quality varies. Some paved highways are excellent and can be traveled at almost 100km/h, while mountain tracks can be extremely rough and slow going. Beward of hazards like reckless drivers, wandering animals, unsigned speed bumps and large pot holes.
Road signs
Road signs are usually present showing the way and distance to the next major city. Street names are often not signed in cities.
Toll roads
There are toll roads in the West of Morocco, following the coast.
Bribery in Morocco
Bribery is uncommon, though it does happen. Police are generally friendly and very professional.
Checkpoints
Police checkpoints are extremely common, and are at the entrance or exit to virtually every city. As a foreigner you will be waved through 99% of the time. If not, show your temporary import papers form the border, and you'll be cleared through.
South of Agadir on the West Coast you will be stopped at many Police checkpoints. The offers will check you passport, and usually ask for a Fiche. People have reported needing 40 copies of the Fiche for all the different checkpoints. Come prepared.
Police are also posted on roads with speed radar guns, and will issue you a ticket for speeding, so follow the limits.
Traveling with pets
List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.
Fuel prices in Morocco
Last updated: September 2017
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Unleaded (called "Super", "Sans Plomb" or just "Sans") | د.م10.60 MAD per Liter |
| Diesel | د.م9.30 MAD per Liter |
| 100km south of Tan Tan fuel is discounted by 35% |
Fuel Availability / Frequency
There are no fuel shortages in Morocco.
Almost every town has a fuel station. Fuel shortages occur in the far south from time to time (on the way to [Mauritania]).
It's advised to fill up at every opportunity.
Fuel Quality
Gasoline is high quality.
Diesel sulfur content is 10 ppm effective 2015.
Safety and Security Considerations
Driving at night
Driving at night should be avoided due to hazards on the road and vehicles with no lights.
Vehicle parking
Vehicles are very safe on the street, though it never hurts to pay for secure parking overnight.
Special driving considerations
The Rift Mountains are a known marijuana growing region, and it's not advised to drive there at night.
Security advisories and information
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for Morocco - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in Morocco
Campsites are plentiful in Morocco. It's rare for a city to have less than a few options.
Campsites usually have a hot shower, bathrooms and shady parking for around د.م35.00 MAD and may have wi-fi and a pool for a cost of around د.م100.00 MAD for two people and one vehicle.
A number of the larger cities also have secure concrete parking lots where you can sleep in your vehicle for around د.م80.00 MAD. Tent camping is not allowed in these lots.
Wild camping is popular in the lesser populated areas of Morocco like the Atlas Mountains or the southern desert. Use your discretion.
Camping guide books
List and link to books specifically for camping.
Drinking water
Tap water is considered safe to drink, though can be salty in some desert areas.
Paper maps
Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Morocco
GPS Maps of Morocco
Tracks4Africa are the undisputed best GPS maps for Africa.
Tracks4Africa is an SD Card for Garmin GPS, and contain Routable turn-by-turn maps with 809,000 kms of roads and over 129,000 points of interest.
Tim Cullis is the Patriach of Morocco Overlanding & adventure travel and his forum Morocco Knowledgebase includes maps, waypoints, POIs, guidebooks and tons of info about navigation. Check here: http://www.morocco-knowledgebase.net/forum/showthread.php?t=66
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Morocco
- iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.
Special Overland Travel interests
- The middle and high Atlas Mountains offer virtually unlimited opportunities for exploration.
- The sand dunes at Zagora and Merzouga offer great 4x4ing.
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
- Iriki Garage - they specialize in overlanding
- Pneus Bensouda in Fez
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Morocco
Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle.
List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.
Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'
References
Helpful External links
http://www.morocco-knowledgebase.net/forum/forum.php
http://www.sahara-overland.com/morocco-overland
- Morocco: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to Morocco - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Morocco travel guides at wikivoyage
- Morocco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
