You are an MRE and a relative in Morocco needs to manage your bank account during your absence: withdrawals, transfers, collecting rent, paying bills, even closing the account? Or you are managing the account of an elderly, ill or deceased parent? The Moroccan bank power of attorney (tawkīl bankī) follows precise rules set by each bank in compliance with Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM) circulars and Law 103-12 on credit institutions. This 2026 guide covers the three cases: MRE current account, account of a living relative, and post-death release.
Costs & fees
| Power of attorney on bank form (Morocco branch) | Free or nominal fees | Official source unavailable — varies by bank |
| Signature legalisation at Moroccan consulate | Official source unavailable | Consular fees not published in a 2026 public schedule |
| Foreign notarial power of attorney + apostille | 150 to 300 EUR | Secondary source — varies by local notary |
| Sworn Arabic translation (if required) | Official source unavailable | Varies by translator |
| Secure shipping (DHL/Chronopost) | 30 to 80 EUR | Depending on zone and urgency |
| Revocation by registered letter + AR | 20 to 50 EUR | Depending on country of dispatch |
| Bailiff notification in Morocco (revocation) | Official source unavailable | Varies by bailiff and location |
Timeline
Identify the account type and operations to delegate
Make a precise inventory: (a) current account in convertible dirhams (MRE) or ordinary dirhams? (b) passbook account, time deposit, housing-savings account? (c) operations to authorise: simple capped cash withdrawals, internal Morocco transfers, international transfers, foreign-exchange operations, cheque signing, card management, online banking access, securities operations (UCITS), Office des Changes declarations, account closure. The more precise the list, the more readily the bank will accept. A vague power of attorney ('all powers') is generally refused by compliance officers in 2026.
💡 Tip — Ask your branch for the bank's standard mandate form BEFORE drafting an external power of attorney. Many Moroccan banks (Attijariwafa, BMCE/BOA, BCP, CIH, Crédit du Maroc) impose their own format for AML-CFT reasons.
⚠️ Warning — A power of attorney including uncapped cheque signing is dangerous: your civil liability remains engaged for every cheque signed by the agent.
Choose the form: branch, consulate, or foreign notary
OPTION A — branch appointment in Morocco during a stay: direct signature on the bank's form, no apostille or translation required. The fastest and least risky form. OPTION B — from abroad via the Moroccan consulate: signature on the bank's form (sent by mail), signature legalised at the consulate (since 2019, the consulate no longer issues authentic deeds, only signature legalisation). Verify acceptance by the bank BEFORE sending. OPTION C — from abroad via local notary + apostille: foreign authentic form, in principle admissible, but some banks refuse and require their own form. Mandatory to confirm with the assigned branch before any travel.
💡 Tip — Above all, write (email or letter) to your branch so they confirm IN WRITING the accepted form and the minimum required clauses. Keep this answer as proof.
⚠️ Warning — Sending a signed form without legalisation or apostille is systematically refused. The signature must be authenticated according to the chosen route.
Draft precise clauses (account by account, operation by operation)
MANDATORY entries: (a) full identity of principal and agent (name, surname, birth, nationality, CNIE/passport, address); (b) full number of each account concerned (24-digit RIB or IBAN MA64...); (c) precisely enumerated powers ('cash withdrawals capped at 10,000 MAD per operation and 50,000 MAD per month', 'internal transfers to account no. ... only', 'no international transfers', 'no cheque signing', etc.); (d) period of validity (recommended: 6 to 12 months maximum, renewable); (e) prohibition on substitution (the agent may not delegate to a third party); (f) signature of the principal authenticated according to the chosen form. For an MRE-spouse joint account, verify that both holders sign.
💡 Tip — Cap withdrawals and transfers in amounts AND frequency — this is the main protection against abuse. Renew every 6 months rather than granting an open-ended power of attorney.
⚠️ Warning — A power of attorney without cap or duration exposes you to total embezzlement of funds. The bank applies the power of attorney as written: no a posteriori protection.
Activate the power of attorney at the branch and provide additional documents
The agent presents themselves at the account branch with: (a) original of the legalised or apostilled power of attorney (and Arabic translation if required); (b) their CNIE or passport; (c) sometimes a signature specimen to be deposited in the bank's system; (d) for some operations abroad, declaration to the Office des Changes via Form 7 or online declaration. The bank checks compliance, scans documents, updates the customer profile, and activates the powers. Activation lead time: 24 hours to 5 working days depending on the bank and complexity.
💡 Tip — Ask the bank for a dated activation receipt of the power of attorney, marking the starting point of the bank's liability towards the agent.
⚠️ Warning — Until the receipt is issued, the agent CANNOT operate. Hand over codes or cards only after confirmation.
Monitor, revoke, and handle death
DURING EXECUTION: enable SMS/email notifications on all operations, check online banking weekly, request monthly statements from the agent. REVOCATION: send the bank a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (or bailiff notification in Morocco) requesting termination of the mandate; the bank must immediately block the agent's powers. Recover the agent's documents (card, chequebook, codes). IN CASE OF PRINCIPAL'S DEATH: the mandate extinguishes by operation of law (art. 938 DOC). The agent can no longer operate; any subsequent withdrawal is embezzlement. The bank blocks the accounts as soon as informed of the death and requires the succession file (see our succession guide).
💡 Tip — Carefully keep correspondence with the bank: this is your evidence in case of later contestation of an agent's operation.
⚠️ Warning — Several embezzlement cases rest on powers of attorney not revoked after a family fallout. Revocation takes 24 hours — do not postpone it.
In depth
The bank power of attorney is a civil mandate within the meaning of articles 879 to 958 of the DOC, supplemented by banking practice and Bank Al-Maghrib circulars. Three regimes coexist. (1) STANDARD BANK POWER OF ATTORNEY — the holder (principal) signs a form supplied by the bank ('permanent mandate') designating an agent with detailed powers (capped or uncapped withdrawals, transfers, foreign exchange operations, cheque signing, etc.). This form must be signed AT THE BRANCH in the presence of a clerk, or signed abroad with signature legalised at the Moroccan consulate (since 2019, the consulate only legalises signatures, no longer issuing authentic deeds). Some banks accept a notarial power of attorney + apostille. (2) SPECIFIC POWER OF ATTORNEY PER OPERATION — for a one-off act (cashing a cheque, signing a credit agreement, declaring an operation to the OC), an ad-hoc power of attorney with powers limited to that operation. (3) POST-DEATH RELEASE — the deceased's power of attorney AUTOMATICALLY extinguishes on death (art. 938 DOC). Accounts are blocked as soon as death is declared to the bank. Release requires a collective heirs' mandate based on the heirship deed (see our succession guide). IMPORTANT BAM RULES: since the modified Office des Changes Instruction 01/2018, MRE convertible-dirham accounts allow withdrawals/transfers abroad without prior OC formality up to the limit of funding by repatriated foreign currency. Ordinary-dirham accounts do not allow sending abroad without authorisation. The agent's powers are enforceable against the bank strictly within the terms of the mandate. The bank has a duty of vigilance (AML-CFT, Law 43-05): unusual operations may be blocked even if the power of attorney allows them.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕Granting an 'all powers' bank power of attorney without cap — refused by most compliance officers in 2026 and major embezzlement risk.
- ✕Believing a form signed at home without legalisation is valid — systematically refused by Moroccan banks.
- ✕Forgetting to mention each account number precisely by RIB or IBAN — the power of attorney applies only to expressly named accounts.
- ✕Continuing to operate after the principal's death — the mandate extinguishes by operation of law (art. 938 DOC) and any operation is embezzlement.
- ✕Failing to revoke after a family fallout — the power of attorney remains valid until formal revocation or expiry.
- ✕Failing to alert the Office des Changes for international transfers — risk of blockage and fine depending on the operation.
- ✕Confusing bank power of attorney with direct-debit authorisation — these are two legally distinct mechanisms.
🔗 Official links and resources
Bank Al-Maghrib
Central bank of Morocco — circulars on accounts and operations
Office des Changes
Foreign-exchange regulations and international MRE operations
OC 2018 Instruction on MRE
Office des Changes official texts — MRE convertible accounts
Law 103-12 on credit institutions
Legal framework for banking activity in Morocco
consulat.ma
Official portal of Moroccan consulates abroad (signature legalisation)
adala.justice.gov.ma
Portal of legal texts (DOC art. 879 to 958 on mandate)
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