International Driving Permit in Morocco

🗓 Facts checked against the best available secondary sources for Morocco; we could not independently verify the underlying road-traffic law. Research last updated: 28 July 2026. You may copy this information only if you provide a link back to this page.

⚠ This page is general information about driving rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and each authority applies its own — confirm your case with the relevant authority before you drive.

ℹ We are a private company. We are not a government body, a licensing or issuing authority, or a treaty organisation, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any of them. The International Driver's Document we sell is a translation of your national driving licence: it is not a driving licence, and it is not a government-issued document.

• Driving in Morocco: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Morocco?
• What side of the road does Morocco drive on?
• How long can you drive in Morocco with a foreign licence?
• Is Morocco a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Morocco with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Morocco? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Morocco tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Morocco
• Sources

Driving in Morocco: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Morocco?

A foreign visitor may drive on a current foreign national licence for up to one year from the start of the temporary stay (séjour temporaire), so an IDP is not a legal requirement (Law 52-05, Art. 2). An international driving permit is also recognized during its own validity, capped by the same one-year ceiling (Art. 4). Morocco is a contracting party to both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna conventions, so both IDP models are honoured; Art. 4 of the Road Code refers generically to an international driving permit made up as a special booklet ('permis international de conduire établi sur un livret spécial') without restricting the model. (An earlier claim that an implementing decree limits acceptance to the 1968 Annex-7 model could not be located in any Moroccan legal text and was removed; the 1968-model reference found applies to Morocco-issued IDPs.)

• Tourists and short-term visitors: carry your national licence together with the document named in the row for your country of issue, in the table below — for most origin licences that document is not an IDP, so read your own answer rather than assuming one.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Secondary source.

What side of the road does Morocco drive on?

Morocco drives on the right-hand side of the road, and overtaking is done on the left. Cars in Morocco are left-hand drive.

How long can you drive in Morocco with a foreign licence?

Maximum one year from the beginning of the temporary stay (séjour temporaire) in Morocco — for tourists, effectively one year from entry. An international permit is usable only during its own validity and cannot extend that one-year ceiling. (Law 52-05, Articles 2 and 4)

Planning to move to Morocco? Different rules apply once you become a resident — see the residents section below.

Is Morocco a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?

Morocco is a Contracting Party to both United Nations Conventions on Road Traffic — the Geneva Convention of 19 September 1949 and the Vienna Convention of 8 November 1968. International Driving Permits of both the 1949 and the 1968 type are therefore issued against its framework; which types Morocco accepts from visitors is shown in the table above.

• 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic: succession on 7 Nov 1956.
• 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic: accession on 29 Dec 1982.

Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place

Whether a foreign country accepts your driving licence hangs on a tangle of variables: three different road-traffic conventions signed decades apart (1926, 1949, 1968) — the oldest predates the United Nations itself, and only the latter two were concluded under it — countries at different stages of joining each (signed vs. accepted vs. ratified), licences printed in alphabets local police can't read, vehicle-category systems that don't line up between countries, document generations that may not meet a convention's format even when the country is a member, bilateral deals between individual states, and local laws that are looser in one place and stricter in the next. The same licence can be fine at one border and rejected at the next — even at the next rental desk. The International Driving Permit exists to cut through most of it: a standardized, multilingual presentation of your existing licence, with harmonized category symbols, that most officials can read at a glance. It doesn't replace your national licence or grant new rights — you carry both — and it doesn't guarantee acceptance: a handful of destinations still require a local permit alongside or instead of it, but for most it meaningfully improves your odds.

Can you drive in Morocco with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Morocco as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Morocco accepts a current national licence from any foreign state for up to one year from the start of the stay, so an IDP is optional rather than required. Morocco is party to both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna conventions, so either IDP model is honoured as a companion document during its validity, within the same one-year ceiling. After one year of residence, exchange (reciprocity-agreement countries only, for foreigners) or Moroccan testing is required. Rules change — confirm with official sources before you travel. Last verified: July 2026.

Legend: "1949" — Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (IDP valid up to 1 year); "1968" — Vienna Convention (IDP valid up to 3 years).

What the Status column means on this page:

• National licence OK — the destination lets a visitor drive on the national licence itself. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the basis, and any period or condition that qualifies it.
• National licence OK — IDP advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, but carrying one is advised. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.
• Not established — the record does not settle whether you may drive here on this licence; confirm with the destination's licensing authority before you rely on it. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what could not be confirmed.
• National licence OK — IDD/translation advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, and no official convention IDP can be issued for it; carry an IDD or a certified translation instead. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.

Sources and notes for the table above

[1] Law 52-05 (Code de la route), Articles 2 and 4

[a] Licence categories do not follow the convention A–E scheme — rental staff may ask for an IDP to map them.

[b] IDD = International Driver's Document, a standardized translation of your national driving licence. You can apply here: https://idaoffice.org/apply-now/.

Where to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit must be obtained before you travel, and only certain countries may issue one to you — you cannot buy an official IDP from an unrelated country. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention it may be issued only by the Contracting Party where you normally reside and which issued or recognizes your licence — by that Party's competent authority or by an association it has duly empowered. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention it is issued by the competent authority of a Contracting State, or by an association that authority has duly empowered. Which body that is varies by country: a government agency in some, an authorized motoring club in others.

• Travelling from Morocco? Morocco's official IDPs are issued by Touring Club du Maroc (TCM).
• Travelling from another country? Ask that country's driving-licence authority which body it authorizes to issue IDPs — a government agency in some countries, an authorized motoring club in others.

Separately, IDA offers a digital International Driver's Document — a translation of your national licence that you carry alongside it. It is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 conventions by the body your country authorizes for that purpose, and it is not a certified, sworn or otherwise official translation: no authority certifies it, and where a country requires an official or certified translation by law, our document does not satisfy that requirement. It is a private translation meant to make your national licence readable at rental desks and roadside checks.

Moving to Morocco? Rules for new residents

After the one-year foreign-licence period, the driver must hold a Moroccan licence. Per the official NARSA services portal: foreign nationals may exchange their licence only if their issuing state has a reciprocal recognition agreement with Morocco (diplomats excepted) — otherwise they must pass the Moroccan tests. Moroccans returning permanently may exchange even without an agreement. The exchange must be requested within 12 months of establishing residence; the dossier includes the original foreign licence with a translation where needed, a medical certificate, and a fee of MAD 700; a 60-day provisional licence is issued on filing. Official source.

Driving rules in Morocco tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: NARSA: a yellow high-visibility vest, warning triangle and spare signalling-light bulbs must be in the car. Carry a valid licence, insurance certificate, registration card (carte grise) and current technical-inspection sticker where applicable.
• Drink-driving: Driving in a proven state of intoxication is a criminal offence. Neither the statute nor NARSA publishes a numeric BAC threshold; multiple current driving guides describe Morocco as zero-tolerance (0.0 g/l) in practice, so the operational rule is no alcohol before driving. NARSA states that intoxicated driving costs six points, a six-to-twelve-month licence withdrawal and a fine up to MAD 10,000, with possible imprisonment.
• Speed limits: NARSA: 20, 40 or 60 km/h in built-up areas depending on the road; generally 80 km/h on national roads with some sections at 100 km/h; 120 km/h on motorways. Follow posted limits and reduce speed for weather and road conditions.
• Carry the original current national licence, passport, vehicle registration and insurance certificate. An IDP (1949 or 1968 model, as issued by your home country) is a sensible companion when the licence is not readily readable, even though the Road Code does not make it universal.
• Keep the required yellow high-visibility vest, warning triangle and spare signalling bulbs in the vehicle; NARSA identifies all three as legally required ('La loi impose que soient présents dans la voiture'). Novice drivers (licence under 2 years) must also display the 'A' sticker on the rear window.
• If a traffic fine is paid at the roadside, request and keep the official receipt. Remain at the scene after a collision and do not move the vehicles until police have documented the accident.

Read more about driving in Morocco

• A road trip across Morocco
• Cadillac XT6 Review: Kicking Up Dust on Moroccan Roads
• 10 Interesting Facts About Morocco
• Best Places to Visit in Morocco
• What is Morocco Famous For?

Watch what driving in Morocco looks like

A few minutes of real POV footage is the fastest way to feel confident before your first drive in Morocco:

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Resident licence conversion rule
3. Law 52-05 Articles 1-6 French text (obligation du permis, foreign licences, international permit)
4. Law 52-05 Article 148 (driving without licence, MAD 2,000-4,000 / recidivism 8,000-20,000)
5. NARSA category and minimum-age conditions (B at 18)
6. NARSA speed limits and speeding sanctions
7. NARSA alcohol-driving sanctions
8. NARSA required equipment and document checklist
9. Current consular emergency numbers for Morocco (190/177/150)
10. Morocco listed as contracting party to the 1949 Geneva Convention (1968 Vienna accession 29 Dec 1982 per UN treaty records)
11. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
12. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic