Morocco Road Rules & Signs for Foreign Drivers

Morocco drives on the right, the same as France, Spain, and most of continental Europe. Steering wheels are on the left. If you are arriving by ferry from Spain or Gibraltar, the switch happens the moment you leave the port — pay attention to road markings and follow the flow of traffic. Roundabouts rotate anti-clockwise, also the same as mainland Europe.

Yes and increasingly so. Fixed radar cameras are common on the approaches to towns and on the main N-routes. Mobile radar units — either unmarked police vehicles or tripod-mounted units operated by the gendarmerie — appear frequently on straight stretches of the RN1 between Marrakech and Agadir and on the P2017 over the Tizi n'Tichka. Fines are payable on the spot in cash (indicatively 400–700 MAD for moderate speeding). Moroccan GPS apps such as Waze show camera locations, but treat them as indicative rather than exhaustive.

You need your valid driving licence, your passport, the vehicle's carte grise (registration document), and a valid insurance certificate — all normally provided in your rental wallet. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is legally recommended if your licence is not in French or Latin script, though in practice EU, UK, and US licences are routinely accepted without one. Keep everything together in a small folder on the dashboard — gendarmerie checkpoints are common and officers expect to see all four documents.

Since a 2010 law change, traffic already on a roundabout has priority over entering traffic — the same rule as France and the UK. In practice, particularly in older cities and some smaller towns, some local drivers still pull onto the roundabout without yielding; approach with caution regardless. Roundabouts are marked with mandatory blue circular direction signs and often a "Cédez le passage" (give way) sign at each entry arm. The biggest urban roundabouts — for example, the grands axes in Casablanca — have additional painted lane markings.

Yes. A valid UK or US driving licence is accepted for rentals and recognised at gendarmerie checkpoints for up to 90 days. An IDP is not legally required for English-language licences, but having one can smooth over interactions with officers who are unfamiliar with foreign licence formats. If you hold an older-style UK paper licence without a photo, carry a passport-sized photo and consider getting an IDP before travelling.

Checkpoints (barrages) are set up by the Gendarmerie Royale on intercity routes and near town entrances, particularly in the south and on routes toward the Sahara. Pull over slowly, roll down the window, and greet the officer with a calm "Bonjour" or "Salam". They will usually ask for your passport, licence, and carte grise. Do not exit the vehicle unless asked. Fines for traffic violations are meant to be paid at a post office (recette communale) but officers sometimes accept cash on the spot — if you pay on the spot, ask for a receipt (reçu).

Not officially. Moroccan road signs follow the French system in design and, where text appears, use both French and Arabic (Tifinagh script appears in some Berber regions). City names on road signs appear in both French (e.g. Marrakech, Fès) and Arabic script. Major motorway exits and border crossings occasionally include Spanish. Knowing a handful of French road terms — Déviation (diversion), Ralentir (slow down), Passage à niveau (level crossing), Sens unique (one-way) — is genuinely useful.