Just Landed in Morocco? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage is strong across cities and along main roads, 4G is the standard and 5G is rolling out in major centres led by Maroc Telecom and Orange. Prepaid SIMs are cheap, quick and require only your passport to register. Home fibre and ADSL are widely available in urban areas, but installation and activation can take one to two weeks and often needs a local contract and address.

Typical cost: Prepaid SIM 30-50 MAD; monthly data bundles roughly 50-150 MAD; home fibre from around 300 MAD/month depending on speed

The dirham is a closed currency you cannot legally buy abroad in quantity, so plan to change euros or dollars or withdraw from an ATM on arrival rather than turning up with a wallet of dirhams. Card acceptance is growing in supermarkets, malls, chain shops and hotels, but everyday life - taxis, markets, cafes, street food and tips - remains heavily cash-based.

Opening an account: Foreigners can open a resident or non-resident account at Attijariwafa Bank, Bank of Africa (BMCE), CIH Bank or Societe Generale Maroc. For a full resident account expect to show your passport, proof of address and often a residence card or work contract; a non-resident (compte en devises/convertible) account is easier to open with just a passport but limits some local services. CIH Bank is often praised for its app and English-friendlier onboarding.

Cash: Cash is king. Markets (souks), petit taxis, small shops, tips, parking guardians and street food are effectively cash-only, and many landlords still expect rent handed over in cash. Keep a mix of small notes and coins, since breaking a 200 MAD note for a 15 MAD purchase is a daily challenge.

Tipping: Tipping (pourboire) is expected but modest: round up or leave 5-10% in restaurants, a few dirhams for cafe waiters, petrol attendants and hotel porters, and 2-5 MAD for the parking guardians (gardiens) who watch your car on the street.

Short stays within the 90-day visa-exempt allowance do not require registration. Anyone intending to live in Morocco beyond 90 days must apply for a residence permit (carte de séjour) at the Bureau des Étrangers of the local police prefecture, which formally registers your address and legal residence. The application must be lodged before the entry stamp expires, and the process typically involves submitting a file (passport, photos, proof of address, proof of income or a work contract, and a completed form), then waiting several weeks to a few months for the card, sometimes via an interim receipt (recepisse). Tourists staying under 90 days in hotels or registered accommodation are recorded by the establishment and need take no further action.

Deadline: Lodge the carte de séjour application before your 90-day entry stamp expires

Where: The Bureau des Étrangers at your local police prefecture (préfecture de police), in the district where you live

Cities rely on colour-coded petit taxis (metered, small, short trips within the city) and grand taxis (usually shared, older Mercedes, for longer or intercity routes). Casablanca and Rabat have modern tram networks that are cheap and reliable, and ONCF operates a good national rail system, including the Al Boraq high-speed line linking Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca in a fraction of the road time.

From the airport: From Casablanca Mohammed V Airport, the ONCF train runs directly to Casa-Voyageurs and Casa-Port for about 43 MAD in roughly 40 minutes, generally the fastest and cheapest option. A petit or grand taxi into central Casablanca costs around 250-300 MAD, so agree the fare first. From Marrakech Menara Airport, a taxi to Gueliz or the medina is a short ride of roughly 70-150 MAD if negotiated.

Most newcomers rent unfurnished or furnished flats through estate agents (agences immobilieres), expat Facebook groups, or the big local classifieds sites Avito and Mubawab. Furnished short-term rentals in Marrakech and Casablanca command a premium, especially anything marketed to foreigners, while longer unfurnished leases negotiated in French or Darija are far cheaper and better value.

Typical rent: A furnished one-bedroom in central Casablanca or Marrakech runs roughly 4,000-8,000 MAD/month; unfurnished long-term flats outside the prime areas are often 2,500-5,000 MAD/month

Deposit norm: Usually one to two months' rent as a deposit (caution), plus the first month upfront; agency fees are typically around one month's rent. Get a written contract (contrat de bail), as you will need it as proof of address for your bank and residence file

Morocco runs a two-tier system: public hospitals that are affordable but often overstretched and under-equipped, and well-regarded private clinics (cliniques) concentrated in the big cities. Expats and most Moroccans who can afford it use private clinics and private GPs, where the standard of care is good but payment is usually upfront, then reclaimed from insurance.

How to access it: For non-emergencies, book directly with a private clinic or a GP (medecin generaliste) - there is no gatekeeping referral system, so you can approach specialists directly. Pharmacies are widespread, dispense many medicines without a prescription and are a good first stop for minor issues. For emergencies, private clinic emergency rooms (urgences) are usually faster than public ones; dial 150 for a SAMU ambulance, though private ambulances are often quicker in cities.

Insurance: Formally employed workers are enrolled in CNSS with AMO public health cover, but most expats also carry private or international health insurance to access private clinics without large out-of-pocket costs. If you are self-employed or on a remote income, arrange international cover before or soon after arriving.

• Greet warmly and take time for small talk before business; launching straight into a transaction is seen as cold. A handshake is standard, though some observant people avoid mixed-gender contact, so let the other person lead.
• Use your right hand for eating, giving and receiving, especially from shared dishes like couscous or a communal tagine. The left hand is traditionally considered unclean.
• Accept mint tea when it is offered; hospitality is central and refusing outright can cause offence. If you genuinely cannot, decline gently and with thanks.
• Dress modestly, particularly outside tourist zones and near mosques, covering shoulders and knees. This is less about rules than about blending in and avoiding unwanted attention, and it matters more for women.
• During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours out of respect, even though many cafes catering to tourists stay open.
• Bargaining is expected in souks and with taxis but not in supermarkets or fixed-price shops; stay good-humoured, start well below the asking price, and be prepared to walk away.
• Show respect for religion and the royal family; a little deference in conversation and dress goes a long way in building goodwill.

• Non-Muslims cannot enter most functioning mosques, so do not attempt to go inside except at sites explicitly open to visitors, such as the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.
• Avoid public discussion of the monarchy, the king, or the Western Sahara issue; these are legally and socially sensitive, and criticism can cause real problems.
• Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and same-sex relationships and sex outside marriage remain criminalised, so discretion is genuinely important.
• Photographing people, especially women, without permission causes offence, and some vendors, performers or 'water sellers' will demand money the moment you point a camera.
• Cannabis is culturally visible in some regions but drugs remain illegal and enforced; accepting an offer from a stranger can be a set-up.