Travelling to Morocco from Spain

Fourteen kilometres separate Andalusia from Africa. It takes an hour to cross, and you can go and come back in a day.

How to get there, what documents you really need, and what you should know before setting foot in a souk.

⚠️ First things first: your national identity card isn’t valid

You must have a valid passport, valid for at least six months from the date of entry.

It’s the bit of paperwork that ruins the most holidays, because many people assume that, given the short distance, a national identity card is sufficient. It isn’t enough: neither on a plane nor on a ferry.

• Visa: the Spaniards they don't need it for tourist stays of up to 90 days.
• At the entrance An immigration form is completed and the passport is stamped. Keep the stamp: you can ask for it on your way out.
• With children, bring documentation proving the family relationship.
• Vaccines: none of which are compulsory.

🚢 The three ways to cross

By ferry – the only one with a car

Port	Reach	Advantage
Tariff	Tangier Ville, in 1 hour	Leave in the centre in the city
Algeciras	Tangier Med and Ceuta	More frequencies. The car one

Bear in mind the difference: Tangier Med is about 40 kilometres from the city of Tangier. If you’re travelling without a car and want to visit Tangier, the ferry from Tarifa drops you off within walking distance of the city centre.

By car: A Spanish driving licence is valid. Take the vehicle registration certificate, the insurance covering Morocco —green card or temporary permit at the border— and you need to fill in a temporary import declaration for the vehicle.

By plane, if you’re travelling to the interior

• Marrakech (RAK) — the main tourist destination.
• Casablanca (CMN) — the largest in the country.
• Tangier (TNG) — heading north.
• Fez (FEZ) and Rabat (RBA) — inland and capital.

There are live broadcasts from Málaga, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia, with flights lasting between two and three hours.

On a day trip, if you’re on holiday

This is the option if you’re already on the coast and you don’t want to organise the logistics: transport, the river crossing and a guide, all coordinated, and a return trip on the same day.

The usual destination is the north, with the medina of Tetuan, which is a World Heritage Site and considerably less crowded than those in the south.

🛡️ Safety: the real problem is scams

Yes, taking the usual precautions for any trip. It is one of the most established destinations in North Africa and welcomes millions of visitors every year.

And it’s worth stating this clearly: the real problem isn’t security – it’s scams. What bothers travellers are petty scams aimed at tourists, not violence.

Specific scams, and how to avoid them

• Fake guides. At the entrance to the medinas, someone will offer to show you the way or take you to «a special place». It always ends with them asking for money or taking you to a shop where they get a commission. A firm «no, thank you» and carry on walking. Official guides carry identification.
• Redirects to shops that pay commission, disguised as recommendations.
• «Changing money»: they give you less change, claiming they don’t have any small change. Make sure you have small notes.
• Photos featuring animals or people for which they then ask for a tip. Ask before taking a photo.
• Inflated prices in the souks, which are resolved through haggling.

The rule that covers almost everything: agree on the price beforehand. A taxi, a photo, a guide, anything.

If you’re travelling on your own

Many women travel alone in Morocco without any serious problems, but it is common to receive unwanted comments or attention.

• Cover your shoulders and knees, especially outside tourist areas.
• Do not engage in conversation nor argue with anyone who insists.
• Official transport and accommodation with references.
• And listen to your instincts: to get out of any awkward situation without overthinking it.

Areas to avoid

Tourism is concentrated in safe areas: Tetouan, Tangier, Fez, Marrakesh, Casablanca.

It is best to avoid the border areas with Algeria and Western Sahara, without prior arrangements. For the desert or the deep south, with a guide or through a travel agency.

And the official source: the travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which are updated as the situation develops. It’s a good idea to check them before you set off.

📅 When to go, and Ramadan

The best times to visit are spring —March to May— and autumn —September to November—, with mild temperatures along the coast and inland.

Summer is tough inland: Marrakech and Fez are well over forty. If that’s your only option, have a look travelling to Morocco in August.

Winters are mild on the coast and cold in the mountains.

The rule regarding Ramadan, which has no fixed date

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, so Ramadan falls about ten days earlier each year with regard to the calendar we use here. That is why it is pointless to give a date: You’ll need to check it for the year you’re travelling, and it also depends on observations of the moon.

You can travel without any problems, bearing this in mind:

• Shops are changing their opening hours: They open later, close mid-morning and reopen in the afternoon.
• Less frequent transport.
• Dinners start late, when the fast is broken, and the wait may be prolonged.
• It’s harder to find alcohol.
• And out of respect: avoid eating, drinking or smoking conspicuously in the street during fasting hours.

In return, the nights during Ramadan have an atmosphere that you don’t see at any other time of the year.

🍲 What to eat

• Tajine: A dish simmered in a clay pot of the same name, containing meat or vegetables, plums, olives or candied lemon.
• Couscous: semolina with vegetables and meat. It’s the Friday special, a day of prayer.
• Pastela: A filled puff pastry, usually containing chicken, with a contrast of sweet and savoury flavours.
• Harira: a soup made with pulses and spices, which is eaten to break the fast during Ramadan.
• Mechui: roast lamb.

And water – always bottled, checking that the seal is intact.

More: handcrafted Arabic sweets y traditional drinks, starting with mint green tea, which is the country’s traditional gesture of hospitality.

💰 Money: you can’t buy dirhams here

The currency is the dirham (MAD), and it is non-convertible: It cannot be freely purchased outside the country. Things are already changing in Morocco, at banks, authorised outlets, airports or cash machines.

There are 20, 50, 100 and 200 notes, and 1, 2, 5 and 10 coins, plus cents.

A handy tip: ask for 20 notes. These are the ones you’ll use most often, and they’ll save you from having to say «I’ve got no change».

Cash or card

• Card: No problem in hotels, restaurants and shops in the city. Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Check with your bank about any fees before you set off.
• Cash: essential for souks, taxis and small shops.
• Keep your exchange receipts if you want to exchange any leftover dirhams when you leave.

Many shops accept euros, but the exchange rate they offer is rarely in your favour. For large amounts, it’s better to pay in dirhams.

🛍️ Bargaining, without the hassle

In the souks, prices aren’t fixed and you’re expected to haggle. It’s not a battle: it’s just the normal way of shopping.

1. Be clear about your limit before you start. That’s what prevents regrets.
2. A counter-offer well below the asking price of the original price, without being offensive.
3. Calmly and with a smile. The tone matters more than the figure.
4. If you can’t reach an agreement, take your leave politely. That’s sometimes when the best offer comes along.
5. And a rule of courtesy: Don’t back out after you’ve closed the deal. That really is offensive.

Where you don’t haggle: shops with fixed prices and large retail outlets. Just like here.

The three departures from Andalusia

We are a local tour operator based in Málaga with over 50 years’ experience organising trips around Andalusia. We’ve got one for every port, depending on where it’s most convenient for you to set off from:

• Tangier from Tarifa — the shortest: a one-hour crossing and disembarkation in the city centre.
• Morocco from Algeciras — for the Campo de Gibraltar.
• Morocco from Málaga and the Costa del Sol — with collection from the coast.

And to plan the rest: all the sights to see in Morocco.

Frequently asked questions

What do you need to travel to Morocco from Spain?

A valid passport with at least six months’ validity remaining from the date of entry. A national identity card is not valid, either by plane or by ferry – something that surprises many people given the proximity. Spanish nationals do not require a visa for tourist stays of up to ninety days, and there are no compulsory vaccinations.

What is the difference between the Tarifa ferry and the Algeciras ferry?

The ferry from Tarifa arrives at Tangier Ville in about an hour and drops you off in the city centre. The ferry from Algeciras arrives at Tangier Med, a port situated about forty kilometres from Tangier, and also connects with Ceuta; it runs more frequently and is the usual choice for those travelling by car. If you’re travelling without a car and want to see Tangier, the ferry from Tarifa is the best option.

Is it safe to travel to Morocco?

Yes, provided you take the usual precautions you would on any trip. It is a well-established tourist destination that welcomes millions of visitors a year, and the main issue isn’t safety but scams targeting tourists: fake guides, detours to shops where the guide receives a commission, ticket exchanges, and photos for which they later ask for a tip. Agreeing on the price in advance almost always prevents these.

When is Ramadan?

It changes every year, because the Islamic calendar is lunar and the month comes about ten days earlier than in the Western calendar. Furthermore, the start of the month depends on the sighting of the moon, so it is advisable to check the dates for the specific year in which you are travelling. You can travel during Ramadan, bearing in mind that shop opening hours will be different, there will be fewer transport services, and dinner will be served later.

What currency is used in Morocco and where can I exchange money?

The Moroccan dirham is a non-convertible currency and cannot be purchased freely outside the country, so it must be exchanged whilst in Morocco: at banks, authorised exchange bureaux, the airport or cash machines. It is advisable to ask for twenty-dirham notes, as these are the most useful for day-to-day spending, and to carry cash for souks, taxis and small shops.

Can I take my car to Morocco?

Yes, by ferry from Algeciras or Tarifa – that’s the only way to do it. A Spanish driving licence is valid, and you must carry the vehicle registration document and insurance covering the country, either a Green Card or a temporary policy taken out at the border. Upon entry, you must complete a temporary vehicle import declaration.

Is it possible to visit Morocco in a day from Spain?

Yes. From Tarifa, Algeciras or the Costa del Sol, there are organised day trips that combine the crossing of the Strait with a guided tour of the north of the country, usually to Tangier or Tetouan. This is the most convenient option if you’re already on holiday, as transport, the crossing and the guide are all organised together. You’ll still need a passport, though.