Best currency to take to Morocco from UK?
We often get asked from British people flying into Morocco from England and UK, what is the best currency to take to Morocco from UK?
Most importantly, you need to know how you can save yourself from expensive currency exchange counters too.
So, here is our guide to the best currency to take to Morocco from the United kingdom.
The Moroccan Dirham
The official currency in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham.
However, Euros are often widely accepted in a large amount of shops, hotels and restaurants.
For UK visitors to Morocco, a lot of people believe that they should exchange their British pounds into Euro to bring them to Morocco. This is a bad move. Firstly, you would lose money twice – once when changing pounds to Euro and then secondly when having to exchange Euro for Moroccan Dirham. So, the best currency to take to Morocco from UK is to just bring your Pounds with you to Morocco. You can then exchange the pounds directly into Moroccan Dirham when you are in Morocco. By waiting until you arrive in Morocco, you will save yourself a bunch of money. You will only be paying for the one currency exchange transaction.
Why not just pay with Euro when in Morocco?
If you have some left over Euro and you do want to use it in Morocco, this is not a problem. This is sometimes a good idea to use up those old Euro notes. If you want to spend your Euro whilst in Morocco, then be aware that you need to know the current exchange rate between Euro and Dirham.
The correct currency exchange rate between Euro and Moroccan Dirham
Be aware of the current exchange rate between Euro and Moroccan Dirham if you intend to spend your Euro in Morocco. A lot of traders, particularly shops and street traders will try to convince you that the correct exchange rate between Euro and Moroccan dirham is 1 Euro = 10 dirham. This is not correct, and is a rate which harps back to many years ago.
The correct currency exchange rate between Euro and Dirham is around 11.13 dirham to every 1 Euro. But do ensure that you check the correct rate on the day. You should do this by looking in on the currency exchange rate counters in the country.
Where to buy Moroccan dirham
When you arrive into Morocco, perhaps at Marrakech Menara Airport, you will definitely need some Moroccan Dirham almost instantly. Most people fear buying foreign currency at Airports when they arrive into a foreign country. However, when arriving into Morocco at an Airport, the exchange rate is usually very good. However, there are a few tips to remember.
Where to buy Moroccan dirham at Marrakech Airport?
When you arrive on a flight at Marrakech Airport, you’ll first go through immigration (passport control) and then you will collect your luggage. You should collect your luggage and proceed through Customs. You will then arrive into the Marrakech Airport main terminal building. In the main terminal building there are plenty of Banks and foreign currency exchange counters that offer very competitive rates.
Can i buy Moroccan Dirham in the United Kingdom?
The Moroccan dirham is classed as a closed currency. This means that it cannot (or rather, should not) be traded outside of Morocco. You’ll find some foreign currency counters in the UK which sell Moroccan Dirham. This is particularly so at UK Airports. It is best to not buy Moroccan Dirham from an agent in the UK because you will most usually get a bad exchange rate. It is most usually best to wait until you arrive into Morocco and then buy your Moroccan Dirham.
Exchanging Moroccan Dirham for Pounds in Morocco
At the end of your trip to Morocco, you may have some left over Moroccan Dirham. If you don’t want to hang on to the Dirham, then you will need to exchange them back into Pounds before you leave Morocco.
The Moroccan Dirham is a closed currency, meaning that it cannot be traded outside of Morocco. When you arrive into Morocco and exchange Pounds for Dirham, you will be given a yellow or white transaction receipt. You really must keep this receipt safe because you will need it when you want to exchange the dirham back into Pounds. I have personally queued at the currency exchange counter at Marrakech Airport and seen then refuse to exchange many tourists unwanted dirham back into Euro or Pounds solely because the person could not produce an exchange receipt.
Be aware! that if you withdraw Moroccan Dirham from an ATM in Morocco, and you then want to exchange it back into your currency, the currency exchange counter can refuse to exchange the dirham – Even if you have the receipt from the ATM. So, plan carefully with your British pounds and your Moroccan Dirham when you visit Morocco.
Also remember that generally, that you may be limited to the amount of Dirhams stated on your initial currency exchange receipt, when exchanging Dirham back into other Currencies. So, if you initially received 5000 Dirham from Pounds, and you were given the receipt, and you later want to exchange 7000 dirham into British pounds, you may encounter a problem, and they may only allow you to exchange only 5000 dirham (the amount that your receipt says you received on the initial transaction).
So, when considering what is the best currency to take to Morocco from the UK, you also need to consider about exchanging the Dirham back into British pounds.
Why does Morocco have such tough rules on currency exchange?
Why do i need to keep the currency exchange receipt and why can they not exchange the dirham back into Pounds without it?
The simple reason is that they are trying to ensure that you have not gained the Moroccan dirham by gambling in Casino’s. Gambling in Casino’s and taking Moroccan Dirham will have special rules for tax. Obviously, in the past, some gamblers have tried to get away without paying the special gambling tax, posing just as a tourist. So, now, they insist upon seeing that currency exchange receipt to make sure that you aren’t trying to pull a fast one after a win at the Casino! Additionally, it is to ensure that you are not trying to sneak out of Morocco with Dirham that you may have earned from work in Morocco, without paying the proper amount of tax.
What can i do if i do not have the Moroccan dirham currency exchange receipt?
Essentially, there is not much that you can do if you find that you do not have the receipt which proves you bought the money into the country in the first place. There is just one possibility. Perhaps you can find another tourist at the Airport who does not need to use their own Currency exchange receipt and will allow you to use theirs to exchange your Moroccan Dirham back into your own currency, such as British Pounds or Euro.
Can i just take the Dirham out of Morocco instead of exchanging it into British Pounds or Euro?
Yes, it is no problem to just take the Moroccan Dirham out of Morocco instead of exchanging it back into British Pounds. However, there is a limit. The current limit for taking Moroccan Dirham out of Morocco is up to 10,000 Moroccan Dirham. The best currency to take to Morocco from the UK is the British pound, unless you have some left over Euro.
