Melilla Residents Face Hurdles Selling Morocco-Registered Vehicles Amid Border Closure

"When the border was open, I went to Morocco every weekend," says Rachid, a resident of Melilla who wants to sell his car, but fears doing so because he had registered the vehicle in Morocco with his passport. "If I sell it, my name will remain on the documents and it will be difficult for me to obtain another green card for another vehicle, as Morocco only allows one registered car per person," he explains.

"Almost all the residents of Melilla have this problem," he adds, stating that the reopening of the borders could allow changing the name on the green card that has already expired for a year and cannot be renewed due to the prolonged closure of the border until December 31. "No one knows what to do and we are all afraid that they will not let us take the new car to Morocco... The problem is not with the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) in Spain, but with the Moroccan customs," he specifies.

To read: Morocco Extends Validity of Expired Vehicle Documents and Licenses Until July 15

The same problem arises in Ceuta. Last January, El Faro de Ceuta had highlighted the possibility of selling a vehicle with the green card, by sending an email to the head of the customs department of the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region in order to avoid administrative complications for the seller or the new owner once the borders are reopened.

This possibility is only given "to people registered in the autonomous city and who wish to sell their vehicle," specifies the association of residents of Ceuta, adding that interested persons must attach, in addition to their identity documents, a photocopy of the old green card which usually bears the mention "Resident" at the top.