Hi
Heard so many bad stories regarding entering Morocco, could someone be kind enough to do a step by step guide from boarding the ferry in Spain to riding off and what's involved involved inbetween.
Many Thanks
Dave

Quite simple. If you are crossing to Ceuta that's still Spain so when you land there's no formalities.

If crossing to Tanger Ville (Tanger Town) or Tanger Med (the new port) then passport control is done on board the boat. Whilst waiting for the ferry complete the police immigration form you should have been given with the tickets. Then as soon as you are on board look for people queuing with passport/forms in hand and join the queue.

If you've not been to Morocco before (or have a new passport) a police ID number will be stamped in your passport. The details need to be entered onto the police computer system and sometimes this is done on board with a notebook PC, other times it's done on land after arrival. You need to show your passport when you exit to board to prove you've been processed.

You then drive to the customs point which is 200m at Tanger Ville and about 1km at Tanger Med. There you hand over your D16TER temporary vehicle import form together with V5C log book and wait patiently for it to be processed. Eventually it gets returned to you and you can move off.

If you don't have green card coverage for Morocco you can normally buy border insurance at Tanger Med from a booth on the left; there's also a change book. At Tanger Ville they are on the right.

DO NOT allow one of the touts to assist you. It's unnecessary and they often make the process slower by trying to show it's difficult to extract money from you.

If someone asks you for your documents only hand them over to customs or police.why.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

So, Tim when Moroccan police put first time C.I.N. into the passport it is valid until new passport is delivered?

The number will follow you... when you get a new passport they'll write/stamp it in that one.


Casper

Strongly agree with what Tim has written about tips etc.

Tanger Med is not as slick as it was and the touts have surfaced. We exited today and were given the run around requiring several douaniers to "inspect" the D16 and receive multiple stamps instead of the usual one.None of the looked at the vehicles, the Xray scanner staff couldn't be bothered scanning the vehicles and there were no searches.

Clocks went forward here last night which didn't help as some staff hadn't realised resulting in much confusion on ferry times even taking into account the Morocco/Spain time difference.

Plus ca change......

Don't let this put you off. as border crossings go it's very straightforward and well worth it to visit a fantastic country.

Back over tomorrow!

__________________
Atlas Overland - Specialist adventure tour company providing off-road holidays for 4x4 enthusiasts in Europe and North Africa.
Tours to Morocco, Iceland, Arctic Circle, Portugal, Alps, Pyrenees, Eastern Europe, Corsica, and UK weekend tours.

Not that it really matters, but all the "Time" websites are saying that the clocks are going forward in Morocco on Sunday, 29 April.

I should be there in a few days time

Cheers everyone, border probs won't put me off, just like to know what's what.

I was advised not to worry about tickets till i got to the port, never again, touts swinging out of me in Algerizas and would have had a much easier ride had i bought my tickets before the port in any of the agents selling tickets on the way down, thats my advice anyway

[I][We exited today and were given the run around/I]

Sorry to hear that. I also left out of tan med today about 5pm.
Not having been there before. The place looks like a space ship compared to the rest of morocco, at least the bits I've seen.

Place was deserted and all was quiet and no hassle. Bought my ticket on the right, pSome fat bloke in an orange jumpsuit tried to attract my attention but was easy to brush off.
Police and customs all normal.

Didn't go so well on the way out, almeria Nador on the acconia 'wisteria'.
Went to ride off and half my baggage was missing (moto). They tried to blame the pax but I am sure it was one of the crew. Had a bad feeling about them. Bike was parked by itself right at the back, no drivers would have gone anywhere near it when getting off. It was only an opportunistic grab, but unlucky for me a valuable bag. They could have ransacked my panniers too. I don't think they would go as far as breaking into cars. Plenty of vans with junk on top.

Watch out on that boat.

Ch

Chris sorry to hear about that. I'm going to enter Morocco via Tanger Med as well.

Last year I did pay to one of the touts, it was my first time there, and I was told horrible stories if you didn't pay them, like having to wait for hours to get in.

My main difficulty is that I don't speak french, and I'm not sure where to go to present the D16 . I've seen some "offices " on the left, but not sure which one to go.

24/7 , have a great drive, if you can let us know how it went at the border.

Tito

Will do Tito, I hardly speak any French either and I get by with just a smile and pointing

(In Spain at the moment)

When you arrive at Tanger Med, drive through the port to the customs area. If you've signed and dated your D16 just approach one of the blue uniformed douaniers - blue uniform with peaked cap, not the anorak wearing "helpers"

If you've not been to Morocco before you'll then be directed to another booth where a member of the police will enter your CIN number (which was stamped into your passport on the ferry) into the police computer.Once this is done you can present your D16 to the douanier. He'll take your D16 to one of the booths where the details will be entered onto the computer. EVENTUALLY - he'll collect it from the booth and return it to you.

The only glitch we had yesterday was there were no policemen in the booths so we had to walk up to the main terminal building.

Just be patient - and smile. And don't forget most Moroccans are mad on football so use this universal language!

__________________
Atlas Overland - Specialist adventure tour company providing off-road holidays for 4x4 enthusiasts in Europe and North Africa.
Tours to Morocco, Iceland, Arctic Circle, Portugal, Alps, Pyrenees, Eastern Europe, Corsica, and UK weekend tours.

Hello Tito, I'm in Morocco now and it's really cold and wet.

I never had any touts approach me at all in Tanger Med, it was a right mad house though as I was on the third boat to dock one after the other.

You can just stay in your car and you will be guided into a waiting area and the customs will come to you and collect and return your D16 and this year I was asked if I had any guns or catholic bible.

I just find the whole thing funny, the Moroccans blasting their horns and driving their cars into any gaps going, the Police, helpers and customs trying to maintain control and failing and then it kept raining really heavily.

Hi Mathew

Nice to know you are on the "other side" already, I can hardly wait for my turn, will be leaving on the 22nd, crossing the Med on the 23rd, Monday.

Last year there where so many touts, and being my first time there I did give them my documents and € 5

hopefully this year I'll know what to do

if we can we should me somewhere !

Tito

Most of the people I saw, never had a D16 and were filling in a green form, if you have your D16, then just say no to help with a smile and head for a Custom man.

I think we will be in the same area as you for a while and would love to meet up for a if it works out.

I have an internet dongle, so keep in touch.

I'm at Azrou at the moment and the sun is out and skys are clear