Morocco.

Rides

Atlas Mountains, Tizi n’Tichka

Northern Morocco tour

Requirements

Carnet de Passage	no requirements
Insurance	UK issued Green Card
International driving permit	require IDP 1968
Travel Visa	no requirements, 90 days per calendar year

Riding in Morocco

Morocco is a great destination for adventure motorcyclists but it can be a bit of an unknown with regards to logistics and bureaucracy.

Morocco is not part of the European, so if you encounter a serious legal issue, you will find yourself in legal system based on post-independence French law with a distinctly North African flavour. Moroccan law is a mixture Sharia law and French-style civil law, which has developed since Morocco’s independence in 1956.

Motoring law in Morocco, unsurprisingly, is similar to French law, as Islam has little to on cars and motorcycles. However, Sharia/Muslim/Arab law a lot to say on the rectification of civil wrongs, and the is quite alien to Western lawyers. I recently visited Morocco and driving there is an experience. Once you adapted to Moroccan driving, it makes sense, but be aware of the following.

You need understandable documents.

The police can require the immediate presentation of all driving documents by the roadside, including license, logbook, and insurance, is common in most jurisdictions. If you cannot these documents in a language that the police can understand, there is a likelihood of having your bike impounded. Most Moroccans speak French and local Arabic/Moroccan well, but English is not commonly spoken in Morocco.

As a tip, it is to laminate all of your key documents or otherwise waterproof them. It is also highly recommended to scan all your original documents and email them to an easily accessible email address.

It is also worth printing off the Constat Amiable D’accident Automobile, which is used across numerous and other countries (the downloadable one on our website has English as well as French).

A full bike license is essential.

To ride in Morocco, you need a full UK bike licence, which authorises you to ride in your home country. Therefore, if you have a restricted licence in the UK, you cannot ride an unrestricted bike in Morocco.

Entry paperwork is required, thankfully no visa is needed.

There is no visa requirement to enter Morocco for UK nationals, but you will have to fill in a simple entry form when you cross into Morocco, as well as a similar form for your bike.

If you take your bike there, your taking your bike back.

Your bike will be registered entry into Morocco and you must leave with your bike. customs officers are meticulous. If you leave the Kingdom you must have your vehicle entry papers stamped having the country. If you cross the border and intend to return, must go through the entire process again. This is to prevent vehicle smuggling.

Confusing insurance.

Your UK policy must clearly state (in French or Arabic) that you insured in the Kingdom; otherwise, you will need to local insurance, which can be acquired in large cities like Tangier. However, obtaining your insurance in Tangier be burdensome. It is advisable to resolve this in the UK, but be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time speaking to various call. I not go to Morocco a green card, and ensure that you are not covered only for ‘Monaco’. If you are relying on your UK-organ cover, read and check it carefully. Several insurers will require specific underwriting for your time in Morocco, most standard policies do not allow being outside of the EU for more than 30 days. You need to check this information meticulously.

Watch out for speed traps.

Morocco is equipped with numerous speed traps. Respect the maximum speed limit: 60 km/h in urban areas, 100 km/h outside towns depending on the limiter on the road, and on, the is 120 km/h. In Morocco, police strictly enforce the speed limit law. Even if there is only a 5 km/h excess, you will issued a 400 MAD fine. Therefore your speed save your money! Also, traffic lights, as fine missing a red stop sign is actually 700 MAD.

Other hints.

National Geographic map – Morocco

Ride on the left.

Although Morocco has no drink drive laws, but it is forbidden to drink-and-drive as it is the case in all countries.

Don’t worry about the road signs since they are almost identical to those in Europe and despite the fact that the majority of them are written in Arabic and French an English translation is always available for the important markers and signs. Otherwise, you can easily understand the meaning by the images.

How to get to Morocco

Please note, this page was correct when written in December 2024.

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