Getting to Morocco: Moroccan Customs
- Duty Free Items Allowed for Importation
- Items Forbidden for Importation
- Items Allowed for Export
- Money and Customs
Duty Free Items Allowed for Importation
The following items can be imported to Morocco and must be taken out of the country upon the end of your sojourn:
- Liquor: 1 bottle of 1 liter
- Tobacco: 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos or 25 cigars
- A bottle of perfume (150 ml) or eau de toilette (250 ml)
- Souvenirs, gifts or presents the value of which shall not exceed 2000 Dh.
- Camera, camcorder, binoculars, cd player
- Notebook, cellphone, radio
- Musical instrument
- Bicycle
Items Forbidden for Importation
These cannot be imported into Morocco:
- Arms, weapons and ammunition
- Drugs
- Books, printed matter, audio and video cassettes and any immoral items liable to cause a breach of the peace
Note: The last item in the list means that it is forbidden to import pornography in Morocco (it is banned), but also any publication that is deemed as defamatory or cirtical towards the regime.
Items Allowed for Export
These items can be taken outside of Morocco:
- Moroccan craftsmanship products (carpets, pottery, leather goods, etc) and souvenirs
- Fossil-like souvenirs and semi-precious stones
Note: The fossil-like items mentioned above are craftsmanship products bought in medinas. They are not rare, unique fossils found during archaelogical excavations. The latter are considered as Moroccan national treasure and protected cultural goods. In recent years, there have been many attempts to smuggle precious fossils out of Morocco and sell them to potential buyers later. An attempt to take these out of the country is considered a serious crime and is punishable by law.
Money and Customs
Generally, no one will ever ask you how much foreign currency you are importing into Morocco. So it is best not to discuss this matter with the customs agents at all. Because if you do, you might be asked to fill a declaration form on the importation of foreign currency and then, once you are about to leave Morocco, asked to show the exchange slips from the banks to see if all the money was exchanged legally. This could happen in theory, but almost never ever happens for real. The tourists coming to Morocco are never bothered in this way, so just don't bring up the subject and you should be fine.
Local currency, dirhams, are forbidden for export. The law is very clear and strict about that.
For up-to-date information on Moroccan customs, please visit the websites of Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Moroccan Customs Administration (the latter is available in French only).