Driving in Morocco on a foreign licence: what you need to know

Good news first: if you visit with a licence from the EU, the UK, Switzerland or most Western countries, it is enough on its own. An international driving permit is not required for a tourist stay. It becomes useful only if your licence is not printed in the Latin alphabet.

The rules that actually differ

• •Speed: 60 km/h in town, 100 on open roads, 120 on motorways. Speed cameras exist and they do flash.
• •Alcohol: tolerance is close to zero (0.2 g/l). In practice, do not drink before driving at all.
• •Seatbelts are mandatory front and rear; phone use at the wheel is fined.
• •Priority in unmarked roundabouts often belongs to the car entering, the opposite of Europe. Watch before committing.

Police checkpoints

You will pass Gendarmerie checkpoints at town entrances, especially on the Agadir-Marrakech and Agadir-Essaouira roads. Nothing to worry about: slow down, greet, show your licence and the car papers if asked. With a rental in good standing, a check takes thirty seconds. Keep the rental contract in the glovebox.

Local habits worth knowing

The horn is not aggression, it is information: 'I am here, I am passing.' Taxis stop without warning, scooters appear from everywhere in town, and a herd can cross the main road in open country. The golden rule: drive a little slower than the road allows, and stay predictable.

Night driving and dirt tracks

Avoid driving at night outside towns: little lighting, vehicles without lights, pedestrians on the road. For the tracks leading to surf spots or Atlas villages, an SUV like the Duster is far more relaxed than a city car, but stay on drivable tracks: insurance does not cover off-road driving.

If you have a bump

For a material fender-bender with no injuries, fill in a friendly accident report as in Europe, photograph everything and call your rental company immediately. If someone is injured, call 177 (Gendarmerie) or 19 (Police in town) and do not move the vehicles. At tripn'Go, assistance answers around the clock and a replacement car is planned if yours is immobilised.

Licence in your pocket and these few habits in mind, Moroccan roads are a pleasure: the coastal drive from Agadir to Taghazout at sunset is worth the trip on its own.