Morocco 3rd Party Insurance
 

I'm hoping to visit Morocco in the summer for 4-5 weeks and am confused about 3rd party bike insurance.

I can get annual 3rd party insurance (that's all I want for being at home in the UK as well) that covers me for Morocco but it's quite a bit more than excluding Morocco...

Would the 3rd party cover offered by travel insurance be likely to cover me for damage done while on the bike, meaning that "normal" bike insurance would be enough?

Or, I've heard that it's possible to buy 3rd party insurance when I get there. Is this likely to be a major hassle or prevent me getting into Morocco in the 1st place?

Or, could I just get special bike 3rd party insurance just for the duration of my time in Morocco for a reasonable price?

Anyhelp would be appreciated, as I'm determined to make this trip, but am determined not to bankrupt myself in the process!

Thanks, Matt

Hi Matt,
I'm having exactly the same problem. I'm heading to Morocco in May. Have you came to a decision? I'm going to try and buy 3rd party insurance when I get there but I've no idea how! I'll let you know what happens,

Paul

Acccording to Chris Scotts Sahara Overland book insurance for a mercedes in 2004 cost 490dh for 10 days or 815dh for a month. it is simple to get it from the border (see pg 419)
Andy

TLC H60x2
landy 101 Ambie
1968 morris minor traveller
www.plymouth-dakar.com

If you're entering through Ceuta it's straightforward - there's an insurance office about 30m from the immigration windows. Two years ago it was about 50 € for a month on a bike.

British citizens don't need a VISA or Carnet for Morocco, but must have the original motor registration document (V5) plus your passport. If you don't have green card cover for Morocco you can purchase it per below.

When purchasing your ferry tickets at Algeciras, ask for white Moroccan immigration forms. You need two varients of these, one for entry, one for exit. Use the time on the ferry to complete them.

As you leave Spanish Morocco, you will be directed into a holding area for processing your entry into Morocco. You can safely ignore anyone not wearing either a gun or a pale blue customs uniform. There are lots of touts who are there to relieve you of money in exchange for smoothing your entry, but it's much more of an achievement to get through without 'help'. Also it's often quicker as the touts make everything seem very complex to show you how you need their help.

As of May 2005 the holding area consisted of admin buildings on the left and parking on the right, per plan below (you are entering from the bottom of the plan).

^
|
| Assurance
| Frontiere
|
^
|
| B.M.C.E.
| (bank)
|
^
|
| Passport
| windows
|
^
|
| Portacabin
| offices
|
|


1. Go to the portacabin and get a temporary import form for the bike (Declaration d’Importation Temporaire de Moyens de Transport). This is green and in triplicate. Write down your name (first, family), your nationality, passport number, and number of nights you are staying. Then the bike registration and country (GB), the manufacturer and model, and the chassis number from your V5.

2. Go to the passport window and hand in your passport and white immigration form. You will get a stamp and a number in the passport. Add the number onto the green import form after your nationality (second line).

3. Go to the BMCE bank and change some money. If you don't already have green card cover go to the Assurance Frontiere office to arrange. This will cost 59€ or 558MAD for 10 days and about 80€ for a month.

4. Now go back to the portacabin and hand in the passport, green import form, your V5 and either the green card or the border insurance. The forms will be stamped.

5. Now find the head honcho in the pale blue uniform (probably sitting down somewhere in the shade) to let him see and initial everything.

6. You can now ride forward to the actual customs post, but don't put anything away as you'll need to show everything again.

The return trip is much easier. You need to queue with your passport and white exit form. Then queue again to hand in the two remaining sheets of the temporary import form, one of which will be returned to you.

Tim

Tim brilliant description, very helpful.
Is that describing entry via Ceuta or Tangers?

Thanks for the replies everyone, it's really helpful. Buying it on the border it is then! Has anyone been in through Melilla like I'm going to? I'm also going to leave from Tangers: hopefully leaving from somewhere different won't be a problem?!?
Thanks, Matt

Hi everybody,

Does anybody know what it's like coming in from the other side (Western Sahara)? Especially concerning insurance.

Thanks,

Mana

Entering from Melilla
 

Meililla is easy and not so busy as Cueta. Try the pages I have on my site:

http://www.roamingyak.org/morocco/di...y2melilla.html

We entered through Melilla and exited at Cueta. I think what was nice on entering via Melilla is that we were immediately in Morocco. The boat ride over was an adventure in and of itself!

Mellila had roughly the same setup as Tim described. Maybe more Moroccans used this entry point (it was a Morrocan boat) so we were shown some special treatment and ushered to the head of the line. When we went to the insurance office we were put off a bit by the price (80 euro per bike sounds familiar) so thought we could bet a better deal in town. Everything in town was still closed at 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning so we rode to Fes and eventually forgot all about the insurance. Good thing nothing bad happened!

I went through Ceuta again last week and they've changed the layout, so the offices are in different places. But the procedures are the same. I'm doing a better write-up as part of my presentation at the HUBB meeting in the UK in June and will post it when it's ready.

You can't take photos at the border, but nobody told Google Earth, so if you want to see the layout from above, the coordinates for the Ceuta (Fnedeq) customs are N35 52.167 W5 20.695

I've found Tanger a good alternative to Ceuta, however I exited from Tanger this trip on Easter Sunday and it was complete and utter bedlam. One guy in the passport queue had 40 passports to be processed and I missed my boat--which had been grossly oversold anyway!

Tim

Insurance
 

depends from how far down!!!:blushing:
Mauritania - between Nouakchott and Nema is tarmac (bad but ok)
Insurance you buy in Nouakchott (AGF is there too)

Mali - again you buy insurance in the country (AGF bureaux)
If you are in Bamako then go to
AGF mali insurance- Avenue de la Nation, BP E 4447 Bamako, Mali tel 222 4165 or email agf.mali@agf-ml.com
(best write in French!)

Western Sahara - I just rode through (had my green card which covers me for Morocco but did not find anywhere to get insurance there- not exactly the most polulated area!)
In most cases, insurance, is seldom worht the paper it is printed upon- but it is mandatory nevertheless. You being the foreigner are most likely to be 'in the wrong' no matter who is...:wacko: I know...Just don't hit anything!

Insurance in Morocco
 

Hi again,

When I posedthe question above, what it is like coming from the other way, I think I didn't make myself very clear, I think.
I meant to ask about buying my insurance papers for Morocco, but coming via Maurentania and the western Sahara. Since western Sahara is 'part of Morocco' (according to some..), does that mean that I formally enter Morocco when I enter the western Sahara? And does that mean that I buy an insurance for the 'two countries' at that stage?

Mana

Buy Insurance
 

In Mali for Mali
In Mauritania for Mauritania
If you have insurance from a European Insurer you should (but check with your insurer) be covered for Morocco third party only- you need ask for a Green Card. Technically, you don't physically need it, practically, I'd advise you have it.
If you don't have insurance to cover Morocco, you can buy it at the first opportunity (like Nouakchott - 5 minutes walk from Hotel Halina/ Sweedish Embassy/DHL office)
In the meantime- don't hit anything like people, goats, camels etc etc as you'll always be in the wrong- :rolleyes2:

just go to the nearest big town when you enter western sahara (Probably dahkla, depending on where you come from) and get it there. the police will tell you where the office is, it's near the mosque but a bit tricky to find, I had to ask several people as I worked my way there. the guy at the office is a real nice bloke. All the police checkpoints we went through before that had no worries about the insurance, they understand that you have to get somewhere to buy it first.

Andy
TLC H60
landy101 anbie/camper
1968 morris minor traveller