Leaving car in Morocco for a few days

**RedLR** · #1 24 Jan 2010

We are currently in Morocco with vehicle and one of us has to go back to UK for a few days unexpectedly. The car is in his name. Does anyone know if this is possible without huge amounts of paperwork and without leaving the car in a bonded warehouse etc? I will remain here and would like to stay with the car.

Thanks

**Chris Scott** · #2 24 Jan 2010

This was discussed a month a two ago and I recall the answer was not possible without the complications you mention.
To avoid cars being sold it's tied to the owner's passport and he can't officially leave the country without it.
But this is Africa so it may be worth asking Customs at an airport anyway.

Ch

**Richard Washington** · #3 25 Jan 2010

Regular Hubber 'Roamingyak' left a vehicle at the airport in Maroc and flew back to Europe. Involved some paperwork with airport customs. Check out his website for details...

**chris** · #4 25 Jan 2010

Peter at Bikershome in Ouarzazzate can help you sort paperwork: Here's a link to a recent thread: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...arrakech-47657

HTH
Chris

**Tim Cullis** · #5 25 Jan 2010

+1 for Peter. We exchanged emails a week or so back, it involves a trip to the customs office, then a guy comes with wire and a lead seal to ensure the vehicle isn't used.

**RedLR** · #6 13 Feb 2010

Thanks for your advice and pointers on this. Just to feedback:

In the end we found it was simpler to leave the vehicle at Marrakesh Airport. This worked fine. The vehicle was safe (We paid 30DH parking fees per day for it to stay in the short-stay car park, which I am told is more secure). The paperwork took about 2 minutes to sort out at Customs - we handed over keys, customs paper and carte grise which were retrieved in another 2 minutes on return from UK.

Customs told us we could have left the car elsewhere and it would have taken a day of visiting a couple of offices in Marrakesh to sort out the paperwork. Actually for us it worked out easier though to leave it at the airport.

**Chris Scott** · #7 13 Feb 2010

Thanks for the feedback. Now we know.

Ch

**FRC1** · #8 19 Nov 2010

Hi RedRL

Do you know, will they do this with cars as well?
We intend to leave the car, and someone else will have to pick it? Maybe even more complicated?

Do you still have a contact regarding this parking possibility?

Thanks, FRC1

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedLR

Thanks for your advice and pointers on this. Just to feedback:

In the end we found it was simpler to leave the vehicle at Marrakesh Airport. This worked fine. The vehicle was safe (We paid 30DH parking fees per day for it to stay in the short-stay car park, which I am told is more secure). The paperwork took about 2 minutes to sort out at Customs - we handed over keys, customs paper and carte grise which were retrieved in another 2 minutes on return from UK.

Customs told us we could have left the car elsewhere and it would have taken a day of visiting a couple of offices in Marrakesh to sort out the paperwork. Actually for us it worked out easier though to leave it at the airport.

**RedLR** · #9 17 Dec 2010

Hi FRC1

We did leave a car at the airport car park while my partner (the car owner) had to fly home for a few days. We found the parking at the airport to be fine and there were plenty of other people also leaving their cars there for long periods of time.

But I think you might have difficulty if you want someone else to pick the car up. When you hand in your car keys and car documentation at Marrakesh Airport, they don't give you a receipt. They register your keys and documents under your passport number and CIN number. When you return to Marrakesh, they check your passport details to hand back the correct documents and car keys to you. So I should think that if someone else showed up, even with a letter of authority from you, customs would not hand over the keys and documents.

The other point is that this process can only be done by the person who brought the car into Morocco in the first place. I stayed in Marrakesh during the time my partner came home, but we still had to leave the car keys and documents at the airport because he is the owner of the car and we brought it into Morocco in his name.

The reason for all this is that if you bring a car into Morocco, you also have to leave with it. This is to stop you selling the car in Morocco and means you are legally responsible for the car while it is in Morocco.

We found the customs people at the airport to be very helpful. If you are in Marrakesh, then I would suggest going to the airport to see them and talk it through with them. There may be a way for someone else to pick up your car, which they would be able to advise you of.

I don't know if I have really answered your question here, but I hope it is useful.

Best
RedLR