Leaving your vehicle in Morocco whilst you fly out
 

Hi
Has anybody parked long term in Marrakesh airport
thinking of parking Irish Registered 4x4 and using Ryanair to fly in and as we now have direct Dublin Marrakesh flights at good price

Any feedback welcome

Thanks
Maurice

Not used the parking but your vehicle needs to enter and leave morocco with you.

Unless things have changed leaving a vehicle behind is very difficult/impossible

There are a number of euro registered vehicles in the long term airport car park
Customs / Duane at airport tell me I must leave Keys and Vehicle Documents with them
I know 6 months is the maximum stay in Moroc for a vehicle , but that is ok by me I can bring it to Mauratinia of Cuta and start another 6 month stay if required

Maurice

Yes you can leave the vehicle, I did the same with the customs at Ouarzazate airport. Your original entry documents will probably be for three months—same as personal entry—so get that sorted at same time. Big penalties if not back and out of the country within six months.

The six month limit is per each calendar year so it includes any earlier visits the same year. The limit is tied to you, not the vehicle. I saw the computerised system in action at Ouarzazate and it records each entry and exit together with vehicle details. The only slip in the system is when you get a new passport and a new police control number is issued rather than carrying over the old one.

.

On a related point, do you know if we could overnight in the airport car park? Our camper would be quite obvious, but it would be convenient for us and the car park charge woudl be good value.

Yes you can , my friends do it all the time , just be discreet . Failing that there are lots of parking lots very near by .

Begs a few questions:
-what is the fee say per month for airport parking?
-so if I for some reason missed the six month limit, if I had a new passport made they wouldn't know?
-It would be just brilliant to have a simple but trusty old 4x4 standby at the airport, one could grab a flight and go on adventure at any time. Even better if several people could share in on the fun, but as I understand it, it is only the driver/owner who can take the car out of customs??

If you go over the six period getting a new passport will make no difference, you have to pay the very high permanent import fee or the vehicle will be confiscated.

The parking charge is 30d per day approx 3 euro

"It would be just brilliant to have a simple but trusty old 4x4 standby at the airport, one could grab a flight and go on adventure at any time."

Cracking idea! :thumbup1:

'tis!
I think I will swing by and talk to the customs guys in person to see what they think about it.

Importing a vehicle and leaving it at the airport is fine, but as Tim says it's not a long term solution. You need access to a locally-owned vehicle, then you can go out and play without any import/passport hassle.


Happy trails,


Peter

Priffe

please let me know what customs guy says to you

I called into customs at Marrakesh Airport a few weeks ago and the story is simply hand in keys and papers to the office for the car/4x4 and collect on return but max stay 6 mths

Can you purchase short term Axa insurance on line for Morocco or must you go to Axa office ? ?
I cannot see how to do it on line

Even better with a Swedish registered car since I get free green card with a phone call!

Only question is if someone other than the driver/owner can get the car out of storage.

I would also like to know if someone other than registered owner can take the car from customs as my friends and family would like to use my 4x4 while in Maroc

+1 (as also applies to bikes) :palm:

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.

Report: Driving into morocco BUT then flying out without your vehicle
 

Hi Stephen,

Excellent, first hand, up to date information!

Thanks for posting,

Peter

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

vehicle hand over at RAK airport
 

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
?c?

Just for information
 

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 beer beer

Leaving your motorcycle in Morrocco when leaving for 4 days
 

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

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.

Morocco temporary import
 

Nothing happened when I entered, no problem at all!
Of coarse, later on it was my fault, I did not know the regulations!
I'll continue my trip'for 5 weeks in Morocco and am very pleased the douaniers understood my problem.

But you see the unexpexted happens and you are too busy with that situation and forgot the essentials of traveling, be ware the boarder formalaties.

Edwin

Has anyone done this or know if it's correct? Thanks Mark

From the Moroccan Douanes website

As a foreigner visiting Morocco, the temporary admission (TA) regime applicable to your personal vehicle registered abroad will be granted to you for a maximum duration of:
Six (06) months , continuous or split per calendar year, in the case of a passenger vehicle ( including motor homes ) or a motorcycle
Three (03) months , split or continuous in the same calendar year, for light commercial vehicles (vans or vans fully coated but without side windows and not equipped with rear seats) used for purely tourist purposes Commercial excluded)

GOOD TO KNOW
- The periods of stay referred to above may not be extended.

- A vehicle which has remained in Morocco for six (6) months may not be reintroduced under the temporary admission regime during the same calendar year even if the vehicle in question is imported by a third party under cover of a non- power of attorney.

Ok thanks Tim, I was just wondering whether you can drive to Ceuta and re-enter or have to get a ferry to the Spanish Mainland.

Thanks Mark