MREs Beware: 5 Costly Mistakes When Bringing Your Car to Morocco

Here are the 10 most frequent traps reported by the customs administration - and above all, how to avoid them.

1. Exceed the authorized 180 days
The temporary admission (TA) regime allows you to keep a foreign vehicle in Morocco for 180 days per calendar year, even if spread over several stays.
These days are not renewable.

— > Beyond that: flat-rate fine (up to 10,000 DH), obligation to re-export or clear the vehicle through customs.

2. Not requesting an extension in December (exceptional cases)
An exceptional six-month extension is possible, only from December 1st, for vehicles still under TA.

— > The request must be made before the expiration of the 180 days, with the competent customs office. Beyond that, penalties apply.

3. Come with a vehicle that is not in your name... without documents
You can enter with a car belonging to a third party or rented abroad, provided you present:

• A valid power of attorney in your name,
• A valid rental contract in your name,
accompanied by the identity documents of the owner or the company.
— > Without these supporting documents, the vehicle may be held, turned away, or subject to customs duties.

4. Let a relative drive your vehicle
The vehicle under TA is strictly personal: only the MRE declared upon entry can drive it.

— > Any transfer of use to a third party residing in Morocco is prohibited, except with special authorization from customs.

5. Sell your car in Morocco without clearing it through customs
Selling, transferring or abandoning a vehicle under TA is illegal, unless you have cleared it through customs beforehand (full payment of duties and taxes).

— > The offense results in fines, confiscation of the vehicle, and may compromise your future temporary admissions.

6. Not presenting the vehicle upon exit from the territory
At the end of the authorized period, you must re-export the vehicle and return the TA card to customs at the exit point.

— > Forgetting or not re-exporting = automatic fine, loss of the right to TA for other vehicles.

7. Lose or forget the TA card
The TA card is the only valid document to prove the legal admission of the vehicle.
Without it, it is impossible to circulate or exit the territory.

— > In case of loss, immediately request a duplicate from the customs services.

8. Come back with a vehicle already admitted the same year
Since 2025, the customs guide is clear: the same vehicle can only benefit from one temporary admission per year, even with a different driver.

— > The only exception: change of actual owner mentioned on the registration certificate.

9. Circulate without valid insurance in Morocco
Foreign insurance is not always enough. The vehicle must be covered by insurance recognized in Morocco, valid throughout the territory.

— > Without insurance, entry may be refused, the vehicle immobilized, or even fined.

10. Not reporting a theft, accident or inability to exit
In case of theft, serious accident, irreparable breakdown or forced abandonment, the MRE remains liable for the duties... unless he declares the incident in the legal forms, with supporting documents and a formal commitment.

— > Omission = fine equivalent to 100% of the vehicle’s value.

What to remember
Driving in Morocco with a vehicle registered abroad is still allowed, but within a strict framework. Failure to comply with certain rules can result in:
• heavy fines,
• seizure of the vehicle,
• or even a future ban on access to TA.