+1 (as also applies to bikes)

its a shame that Africa has such a fetish for bureaucracy

It's not bureaucracy, you are given the opportunity to import your vehicle on a temporary basis for up to six months, free of charge.

Compare this to the carnet costs of Egypt (several times the value of the vehicle).

And the reason the Moroccan authorities carefully check what's happening is that there's no shortage of wide guys out there trying to buck the system.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

I have temporarily imported my Landrover Defender into Morocco (but I assume all the following applies to lovely 2 wheeled beauties).

I am writing this post as I have previously searched for this info in the HUBB and could not find a clear answer, maybe its because I have actually stopped my overland trip to work here. So my situation is unique, but isn’t every overland trip unique. I think overlanders on extended trips around Morocco may benefit from this info.

Anyway – the info:

If you drive into Morocco as a tourist you will be given a THREE month tourist visa for yourself.
You will also get a SIX month temporary importation document for your vehicle. (I arrived at the start of October 2014)

You can have your vehicle in the country for a maximum of SIX months … per calendar year.

As I was working here I wanted to FLY home at Christmas and leave my vehicle here. I heard that you could get in trouble if you try to fly out when you have actually driven in to the country as they could assume you have sold your vehicle and not paid import taxes…..

So, I went with a Moroccan friend to the customs office in Casablanca and they advised me what I needed to do.

When I went to Marrakesh airport to fly out I had to
1) Park the car in the general airport car park (Approximately €3 per day)
2) Check in and get my boarding pass
3) Go to customs office (located to the right hand end of the main building when you enter) and give them:

A) The Keys (I guess they could have been any keys really)
B) The original registration document
C) Car parking ticket

Fill in a document with the customs official and he stuck the three things in an envelope with a number on it and put it in a box in a cabinet, this number was then written on a basic sticker that was put on the back of my passport and then I was free to fly out, it was pretty easy to be honest.

When I flew back in a week later I went to the customs office, showed them the passport and they retrieved my keys, reg. doc and car park ticket and I signed a line on a page in their book to say I got the keys back and off I went.

-> THE END!


Next steps:
So I now have a new 3 months tourist visa and I have about the same on my temporary import document. The temporary import doc will run out in April 2015, so I will need to leave the country with my vehicle and re-enter before this date. I will do this in Ceuta, which is a Spanish territory city on the northern coast of Morocco.

I have been advised that when I return into the country I will be given the extra months my vehicle is allowed to be in the country from the calendar year of 2015. So the fact that my vehicle has been in the country for almost 3 months in 2014 right up to new years eve should not effect the 6 months I am due in 2015.

Fingers crossed that’s all correct.

See some posts and pictures from my recent tour around Europe:
Wanderly Wagon | A meandering overland 4x4 Adventure


or …. from my previous Adventure
Argentina2Alaska's Photo Albums at Footstops.com - Free Travel Map & Photo Blog for Travellers

__________________
Thanks
Stephen

For adventure, crashs and breakdown stories go to www.footstops.com/argentina2alaska

Hi Stephen,

Excellent, first hand, up to date information!

Thanks for posting,

Peter

__________________
Atlas Overland - Specialist adventure tour company providing off-road holidays for 4x4 enthusiasts in Europe and North Africa.
Tours to Morocco, Iceland, Arctic Circle, Portugal, Alps, Pyrenees, Eastern Europe, Corsica, and UK weekend tours.

So I got to chat with customs at Agadir airport.
It is very simple; you just park at the airport longterm parking (which in this case is closest to the terminal).
You hand over keys and laisser-passer and have the car stamped out of your passport. Quick procedure and free of charge.
Car must be picked up before expire date on laisser-passer or you are in trouble.
ANYONE can pick up the car if they present an autorization (procuration) from the owner.
Parking cost 30 Dh per day.
About a dozen 4x4 and campers were parked here.
If you want to park elsewhere you'll have to contact local customs office and them seal the car. Otherwise same conditions apply.
I would think these are the same all over Morocco.

So, as I understand the six-month-per-year rule, I could come in July and keep the car in Morocco until June the year after, provided I made a detour to Ceuta around New Years (to renew the laisser passer)?

Has anybody tried to have another person pick up the vehicle from airport Customs
as I would like to leave my Disco at let friends pick it up and use it

Regarding insurance can anyone see how to purchase Moroc insurance from say AXA on line , as no AXA office in Airport
I usually get mine at car ferry port on the way in to Maroc


Thanks
Maurice

Threads merged and renamed

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

I also would like to hear from anyone who has first hand experience in handing over a vehicle to another person - esp at Marrakech airport.


Thanks


John H


Dessert Worrier

In Agadir a few weeks ago, I went to the customs/douanes office, and asked them about leaving my moto in Maroc. Found a good English speaking agent, who queried the idea, and came back with a single piece of paper which he helped me fill out partially. The only other requirement will be to store the bike in a customs approved storage facility. How many there are of these I did not ask, but the agent called someone at an approved location, and he told me approximately 250 dh per month, so very reasonable.

No one at that time mentioned a six month limit, so this is news to me, although probably true. Also, whether airport parking lots are considered approved storage is a question anyone interested should confirm with customs.

On a similar point, I and my bike are from Canada, and I am now considering leaving the bike in Europe instead of Morroco. Can anyone tell me if this is an expensive proposition, or if it is a different concern in every nation in the EU? Is there a "best country" to leave it in, regarding the difficulties involved? Is there a time limit, just as there may be here in Morroco? I am already 45 days into my 90 days of EU visit allowed out of each 180 day period.

I should probably move this post elsewhere, and will if no one answers here, but on a second note, if my UK passport and nationality are approved this year, how difficult or expensive might it be to import my bike to the UK, or into the EU, perhaps Spain or France?

Hi

Has anyone got update on long term parking ?

I will be in Moroc Sept 2015 and thinking of leaving my Disco 4x4 in Marrakesh for about 3/4 months before I can get back to it

I tried to leave my car a Tangier Med and do a quick turn around for the purposes of a new 3 month visa, after a few phone calls I was sent to Tangier Ville port, left the car in an approved car park (10 min from the port ).

Got on the boat to Tarifa, returned on the same boat 1 hour later with new 3 month 'ticket' , job done.

Cheers

Hi all travellers,
I'm travelling several moths in Africa and entered Morocco a second time coming from Mauretania.
Than I was in the neighbourhoud of Zagora where I received an urgent message of my wife: my mother died, I had to come soon to Holland (where I don't live) for arranging the burrial and formalities., as I did, I booked a flight aller - retour Marrakech (4 days return ticket Transavia), I reserved a hotel in Marrakech the evening before flighing out and the evening of flighing in back, I parked my car safe in Marrakesh an I went to the airport to fly away.
Everything went smoothely although very slow at the airport uptil the last pasport check before boarding: the officer told me to go all the way back to the douane for a stamp, so I did. Half way I had to go back because one of the police controls between wanted a proof that I had to go there! So again back and screening my luggage, and back on my way to the douane.
The douanier told me I needed to leave my bike in the airport parking (as mansioned above) as I didn't do because I did not know that rule, and by the way my mind was not thinking about formalities! So he told me I simply could not go out the country. I showed him my return ticket, my hotel reservation ( already paid) but he did not want to give up. I explained him a second time that I only go for 4 days for the 'décès' of my mother, but he did not get it. These are the regulations etc. Than on emotional - last temptation I explained again the urgence of the situation and told him my mother was dead, does not exist anymore, has been killed etc etc, finally he got it, my mother died! You have to know our conversation was in French and I speak that language nearly fluently!!
He gave me the condoléances, wished me good luck and stamped me out!
I am not back again so do not now what will happen when entering Morocco next sunday!
Edwin

Hi Edwin,

Sorry to hear about your loss - we offer our condolences.

The customs/police were correct. If you import a vehicle to the country you must then export it otherwise you have to pay import tax/duty. You can leave the country temporarily without the vehicle, but you must have the correct paperwork to do this. Your vehicle must be declared to customs and you have to leave the keys with them.
This procedure is to prevent folks from importing vehicles, selling them locally and then flying home with the cash.
Whenn you enter Morocco, your name and passport number together with your vehicle details are entered into the system to track both when you leave. It's the same in most countries or there's a carnet scheme instead.

I'm glad that the authorities understood your position and allowed you to leave. Please let us know what happens when you return.

Happy trails,

Peter

__________________
Atlas Overland - Specialist adventure tour company providing off-road holidays for 4x4 enthusiasts in Europe and North Africa.
Tours to Morocco, Iceland, Arctic Circle, Portugal, Alps, Pyrenees, Eastern Europe, Corsica, and UK weekend tours.

Like I mentioned above, the airport is the easiest place to store the vehicle. Designated 24 hrs guarded parking.
Anyone can pick up the vehicle, if they have a signed authorization from the owner.
Keys and docs left with the douane.