Every summer, many MREs enter Morocco with their European-registered cars. The regulations are precise. This guide covers all the obligations: temporary admission (AT) which authorises your foreign vehicle to circulate in Morocco, mandatory international insurance, the Moroccan vignette, tolls and specific driving rules. Main source: Moroccan Customs (ADII) and General Directorate of Taxes (DGI).
Costs & fees
| Temporary Admission (AT) | Check with the ADII | AT registration by customs at the border |
| Fine for AT overstay (minor) | 1,000 to 5,000 MAD | Depending on the length of the overstay: 1,000 DH (30 days or less), 2,500 DH (31 to 60 days), 5,000 DH (61 days to 6 months) |
| Fine for AT overstay (more than 180 days) | 10,000 MAD | The vehicle may not be driven without ADII authorisation |
| Morocco insurance extension (if not covered) | Rate set by the insurer | To be arranged with your European insurer or at the border |
| Casablanca-Rabat toll (A1) | Rate published by ADM | Private car rate, payable in MAD or by bank card |
| Casablanca-Marrakech toll | Rate published by ADM | Private car rate |
Timeline
Understanding Temporary Admission (AT) for your vehicle
Temporary Admission is the customs regime that authorises a foreign-registered vehicle to circulate temporarily in Morocco without paying import duties. For MREs, the maximum duration is 180 days per calendar year (January 1 to December 31). This is not 180 consecutive days: it is the cumulative presence of the vehicle on Moroccan territory. At the border, the customs officer registers your vehicle on the customs computer system, on board the ship or on land at the border post, which produces a temporary admission card. Keep this document throughout your stay.
💡 Tip: No form needs to be filled in beforehand: temporary admission is registered on the customs computer system.
⚠️ Warning: Exceeding the temporary admission period is penalised by a flat-rate fee depending on the length of the overstay: 1,000 DH (30 days or less), 2,500 DH (31 to 60 days), 5,000 DH (61 days to 6 months), 10,000 DH (more than 180 days). A vehicle that has exceeded the period may not be driven without ADII authorisation.
Checking and preparing your international insurance
The insurance (green card) must cover Moroccan territory, otherwise border insurance is taken out at the counters open at border posts and offices. Check your Green Card: Morocco must be listed and not crossed out. If your insurance does not cover Morocco, a territorial extension can be requested from the insurer before departure, or border insurance taken out on arrival.
⚠️ Warning: Foreign vehicles registered in a European country do not pay the Moroccan TSAV (Special Annual Vehicle Tax). Do not be misled by incorrect information on this point.
The Moroccan vignette and foreign vehicles
The annual special tax on motor vehicles (vignette) applies only to vehicles registered in Morocco (General Tax Code, art. 259): a foreign vehicle under AT is not subject to it.
💡 Tip: The General Tax Code provides for no temporary vignette: the annual special vehicle tax applies only to vehicles registered in Morocco (art. 259).
⚠️ Warning: Do not confuse the vignette (vehicle tax) with insurance or technical inspection. These are three separate obligations. Only insurance is mandatory under AT.
Using Moroccan motorways and paying tolls
The Moroccan motorway network is managed by ADM (Autoroutes du Maroc). Toll payments are made in dirhams (MAD), cash or bank card. Rates per route and vehicle category are published by ADM.
⚠️ Warning: Speed limits and the permitted blood alcohol level are set by Moroccan regulations: they can be checked on narsa.ma.
What to do in case of problems: accident, breakdown, AT extension
In case of accident: call 177 (gendarmerie) or 190 (police). Stay at the scene, do not move vehicles, exchange information with the other driver (Moroccan constat amiable). Contact your insurer. In case of serious, duly documented damage (vehicle wrecked, burnt out, very badly damaged or destroyed) preventing re-export, the vehicle can be cleared as scrap under the regulatory conditions, without litigation if you report voluntarily to customs; the request is filed at the customs office nearest to the vehicle. In case of theft: you remain liable for import duties and taxes, to be paid or guaranteed by your insurer's undertaking or by a personal undertaking to regularise within one year.
💡 Tip: If you lose the card, a duplicate is issued by the customs office nearest to your residence in Morocco, on a sworn statement of loss.
⚠️ Warning: If you return abroad without your vehicle (professional, family or health reasons), the vehicle under AT may be left, during the validity of the AT, in premises of your choice (private or public garage), without customs seal; its situation must be regularised before the AT period expires.
In depth
Technical details on Temporary Admission
AT for vehicles is governed by the Moroccan Customs and Indirect Taxes Code ; the 180-day annual limit appears in the ADII customs guide for MRE.
Calculating the 180 days: This is the total of all days spent in Morocco with the vehicle between January 1 and December 31. Example: 60 days in July-August + 30 days in December = 90 cumulative days. 90 days remain available for the rest of the calendar year.
Power of attorney for AT: A passenger car belonging to a non-resident may be imported under temporary admission on presentation of a power of attorney. According to consulat.ma, the power of attorney must be legalised by the local authorities of the owner's place of residence or by the Moroccan consular services; the conditions in force are to be checked on douane.gov.ma.
Moroccan traffic offences:
- The fine amounts (mobile phone, seatbelt, red lights, speeding) and the permitted blood alcohol level are set by Moroccan regulations: they can be checked on narsa.ma.
Green card (insurance): The insurance (green card) must cover Moroccan territory; otherwise, border insurance is taken out at the counters open at border posts and offices.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕Believing the 180-day AT limit resets with each exit and re-entry: days accumulate over the calendar year
- ✕Forgetting to check that Morocco is covered by your European car insurance before departure
- ✕Losing the temporary admission card without keeping a copy: a duplicate is issued only by a customs office
- ✕Thinking foreign vehicles must pay the Moroccan TSAV: this tax does not apply to AT vehicles
- ✕Driving in Morocco at the blood alcohol level allowed in France: the Moroccan limit is set by Moroccan regulations
🔗 Official links and resources
❓ Frequently asked questions
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