Living in Morocco: everyday benchmarks

Build a budget based on your expenses

Note separately housing, food, transport, services, school and health. Distinguish arrival costs from recurring expenses, then plan annual expenses in your monthly organization. Rely on invoices, quotes and written conditions of offers. An ad price is not enough to set the cost of living for an entire household.

The High Commission for Planning publishes the consumer price index to track changes in the prices of a basket of goods and services. This indicator helps understand a trend; it does not constitute an estimate for your housing or a guaranteed budget in a city. Review your own items when your contracts or habits change.

Track bills and subscriptions

For water, electricity, telephone, and internet, identify the supplier for your address and the contract title. Keep customer references, statements, and proof of payment. Check the billed period, consumption, included services, and cancellation conditions before comparing two offers; a displayed price does not always describe the entire contract.

In the event of a telecom dispute, ANRT asks to contact the operator first and check the admissibility conditions of the complaint. After appeals to the operator, its guide specifies the referral possibilities. Keep the file number and a dated copy of the exchanges to explain the problem without reconstructing the entire history.

Organize healthcare and check open rights

Ask your coverage organization for a confirmation of open rights for you and your dependents. Affiliation, an assistance contract, and healthcare reimbursement do not mean the same thing. Have them specify the covered procedures, supporting documents, advance payments, and prior procedures. The Cleiss summary presents the schemes; your fund confirms the individual file.

France Diplomatie recommends checking the validity of your coverage in Morocco and indicates that the hospital may request payment of fees before discharge. For regular treatments, prepare prescriptions and medicine names with your doctor; check their authorization in Morocco. Also locate a healthcare professional and facility close to where you live.

Keep emergency numbers accessible

ANRT publishes the short numbers below and specifies that they are accessible from landlines and mobile phones. France Diplomatie distinguishes between urban police and rural gendarmerie. These buttons prepare a call from Morocco; use them for a real emergency and provide a precise location to the contacted service.

Also keep your home address, an easy-to-describe landmark, and the contact information for your assistance service, if you have one. The official contacts page also provides healthcare contact details by city. Identify in advance those corresponding to your place of residence; the list in this guide is not a complete medical directory.

• Police · in town19
• Royal Gendarmerie · outside built-up areas177
• Fire department15

Driving and preparing your trips

NARSA indicates that MREs and foreign drivers can use a valid foreign driving license for a maximum period of one year, depending on their residence or temporary stay in Morocco. If you settle down, check the exchange conditions corresponding to the issuing country and your situation, without waiting for the deadline.

For regular journeys, compare real time, connections, and access conditions, especially with children or reduced mobility. Confirm schedules and fares with the operator for the chosen date. With a car, keep the necessary documents and have the insurer specify the declared use and coverage; an itinerary or route estimate does not replace these checks.

Read contracts and know your recourses

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce reminds of the rights derived from law 31-08, including information before sale. It mentions a seven-day withdrawal period in certain cases, and not for every purchase. Have the conditions applicable to the contract, the warranty and the cancellation clarified before paying or signing.

In case of difficulty, gather the contract, the invoice, and useful correspondence. The national consumer portal presented by the ministry offers information and the referral of complaints to the competent administration or association depending on the subject. A filing does not guarantee a refund: ask how to track the file and which remedy corresponds to your situation.

Identify fixed-date national holidays

The table reflects the civil dates of the national calendar published on Maroc.ma. Unity Day, on October 31, also appears in the consolidated decree of public administration holidays. For any procedure, confirm the actual opening of the service, permanence schedules, and the rules applicable to your activity; a national calendar does not provide the schedule of each establishment.

Religious dates and schedules: wait for announcements

The start of the months of the Hijri calendar is the subject of press releases from the Ministry of Habous after the observation of the lunar crescent. A provisional calendar for Ramadan or a religious holiday is therefore not an official confirmation. To plan a trip or a procedure, check the Moroccan announcement for the year in question rather than carrying over a date from the previous year.

The ministry in charge of Administration Reform indicates that administrative hours may be adjusted, particularly during Ramadan, and describes the usual return to GMT time during this period. Consult the applicable press release for the dates of the time change and counter hours. Check school, medical and commercial hours that concern you separately.