Morocco Currency Exchange at the Airport: Cash, Cards and What to Sort Out on Arrival

Morocco currency exchange at the airport is the normal first step, because the Moroccan dirham (MAD) is a closed currency that you can only carry in or out in small amounts, around 2,000 MAD at the time of writing. Exchange desks and ATMs are in the arrivals hall of every international airport. Change or withdraw enough for two or three days, roughly 1,000 to 2,000 MAD per person, and top up in town.

Why you cannot arrive with dirhams

The dirham is not freely traded outside Morocco. A few foreign bureaux sell it, usually at poor rates, and Moroccan rules limit how much local currency a traveller may bring in or take out. The figure generally quoted is 2,000 MAD each way. Foreign currency is treated differently: you may bring euros, pounds or dollars, and large sums must be declared at customs.

The rate moves little from week to week because the dirham is managed against a basket of the euro and the dollar. At the time of writing, one euro buys roughly 10.5 to 11 MAD and one US dollar around 10 MAD. Check the live rate before you travel and use these numbers only for mental arithmetic.

Morocco currency exchange at the airport: desks or ATM?

At Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) you will find exchange desks in the baggage reclaim area and again in the public arrivals hall, with bank ATMs nearby. Casablanca, Agadir, Fes, Tangier and Rabat airports are set up the same way.

Airport rates in Morocco are regulated and closer to town rates than in many countries, so changing a modest amount on arrival costs you little. Count your notes at the desk and keep the receipt.

Using ATMs in Morocco

ATMs are common in every city and in most towns on the main roads. They become scarce in the mountains and the desert: withdraw before you leave for Imlil, the Agafay or Merzouga.

• Limits: most machines give 2,000 MAD per transaction to foreign cards, some up to 4,000 MAD. You can often repeat the withdrawal, within your own bank's daily limit.
• Fees: a local fee of around 30 to 35 MAD per withdrawal is common, on top of anything your bank charges. A few banks are reported to charge nothing. The screen shows the fee before you confirm.
• Conversion: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. Being debited in dirhams is almost always cheaper.
• Empty machines: ATMs can run out of notes on weekends and public holidays. Do not wait until your last 100 MAD.

Tell your bank you are travelling if it asks for that, and carry a second card in a different bag.

Where cards work and where you need cash

Visa and Mastercard are accepted at most hotels, many riads, supermarkets, petrol stations on the motorways, and mid-range to upscale restaurants in the cities. Contactless payment is spreading. Some smaller businesses add a surcharge for cards or have a terminal that is "not working today".

Cash remains necessary for:

• Souks, market stalls and small shops.
• Petit taxis and grand taxis.
• Street food, cafés and small restaurants.
• Entrance tickets at some monuments, hammams and local guides.
• Tips. See how much to tip drivers in Morocco.

Ask for small notes. A 200 MAD note is hard to break for a 15 MAD taxi ride. Keep a stock of 10 and 20 MAD notes and 5 and 10 MAD coins.

Paying for your first ride from the airport

Your first expense is usually the journey into town. Taxis from the airport rank expect cash in dirhams. Ride apps often end in a cash payment too, as described in our guide to Uber and ride apps in Morocco.

A pre-booked transfer removes the time pressure. With us you pay the driver on arrival, in cash, in euros, dirhams, pounds or dollars. There is no prepayment. A private transfer from Marrakech Airport to the medina costs €15 per sedan, so a €20 note from home covers it. You can then change money in town at your own pace. For longer first journeys, such as the transfer from Casablanca Airport to Marrakech at €110 per sedan, bring the amount in euros and skip the airport queue altogether.

All fixed fares are listed on our transfer routes and prices page.

What to sort out before you leave the terminal

1. Cash: change or withdraw 1,000 to 2,000 MAD per person.
2. Small notes: ask the desk for some 20 and 50 MAD notes.
3. Receipt: keep it. You may need it to change leftover dirhams back.
4. Data: the phone shops sit next to the exchange desks. Our guide to SIM cards and eSIMs at the airport covers the options.
5. Driver: walk out to the arrivals exit, where pre-booked drivers wait with name signs.

Changing dirhams back when you leave

Since you cannot take more than a small amount out, spend down in your last days. Airport exchange desks buy back dirhams for euros or other currencies, and may ask for an exchange or ATM receipt. Do this before security: options airside are limited and many shops there price in euros. Coins are not exchanged, so use them for a last coffee or leave them as a tip.

If your departure transfer is already arranged, you can also pay it in dirhams and clear your remaining notes that way. Book your airport transfer with a fixed price and you know exactly how much to keep aside.