Driving in Morocco with a foreign licence, and exchanging it for a Moroccan one
Wadifa Info · updated 28 October 2026 · Also in French and Arabic
In short: you can drive in Morocco with a valid foreign licence for one year at most from the start of your residence. After that it must be exchanged at NARSA (the national road-safety agency): Moroccans returning for good can exchange even without an agreement; foreign residents only if their country has a recognition agreement with Morocco (France, Spain, Italy, Belgium…). Fee MAD 700; a 60-day provisional licence is issued while NARSA checks the original.
How long can you drive with a foreign licence?
According to NARSA, Moroccans living abroad and drivers of foreign nationality may drive in Morocco with a valid foreign licence for a maximum of one year from the start of their residence or temporary stay. After that, it must be exchanged for a Moroccan licence if an exchange is possible.
Who can exchange a foreign licence?
- Moroccans living abroad who return for good: they can exchange their licence even without a mutual-recognition agreement with the issuing country.
- Foreigners resident in Morocco: only if the licence was issued by a country with a mutual-recognition agreement with Morocco, and if it is still valid.
- Members of diplomatic and consular missions and accredited international organisations: exchange, or driving on the foreign licence, according to their privileges.
Documents
For Moroccans and foreigners (other than diplomats):
- the application form for exchanging a foreign licence, completed and signed;
- the receipt for the stamp duty and service fee, paid at a branch of the Treasury (Trésorerie générale du Royaume);
- proof of identity and residence: copy of the national ID card or Moroccan passport for Moroccans; for foreigners, a copy of the residence card (or the application receipt) and a certificate of residence from the police or gendarmerie less than 3 months old;
- a medical certificate less than 3 months old from an approved doctor (physical and mental fitness for the category);
- two recent colour photos, 35×45 mm, on a blue background;
- the original foreign licence, still valid, translated into Arabic or French if written in another language (the original may not be required if the agreement says so).
Cost and procedure
Fee: MAD 700 (stamp duty and service fee). The file is filed at NARSA's provincial and prefectural offices (vehicle registration centres), which issue a provisional licence valid for 60 days. NARSA then checks the licence's authenticity with the issuing country before issuing the final licence. No processing time is published for that check.
Which countries have an agreement?
- Arab countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Syria, Saudi Arabia.
- Arab Maghreb Union (Nouakchott agreement of 1992, amended at Skhirat in 2007) and Tunisia.
- African countries: Benin, Senegal, Gabon, Niger, Mali, Liberia.
- European and other countries: Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey.
- By reciprocity: France (automatically, as French rules recognise licences from countries that recognise the French licence), South Korea, Romania, Poland, Japan, Hungary.
Countries not on this list, such as the United Kingdom or the United States, are not covered by NARSA's published agreements: ask a NARSA office before relying on an exchange. The reverse case, a Moroccan licence abroad: exchanging a Moroccan licence abroad (FR).
Sources
NARSA e-services portal khadamatnarsa.ma, page "Échange de mon permis de conduire étranger" (conditions, documents, fees, agreements and legal texts: Law 52-05, Decree 2.10.311, Order 2709.10), read on 11 October 2026. The English wording is our translation.
Information only, not legal advice. Reuse with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0). Corrections: [email protected].