International Driving Permit & Foreign Licenses in Morocco: Rules to Rent and Drive

You land in Casablanca, Marrakech or Tangier with your home driving licence: is it enough to pick up the car at the desk, then get through a Gendarmerie checkpoint? For most travellers, yes. What decides is the alphabet your licence is written in, not your nationality, with one exception for British drivers. Here are the rules, and the papers to keep with you.

AI-generated illustration (Google Gemini)

Published on 26 September 2026

European, UK & Latin-script licenses: is your national license enough?
Travelers from the United States, Canada and other non-EU countries
When is an International Driving Permit strictly mandatory?
Mandatory documents to present at the rental desk

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European, UK & Latin-script licenses: is your national license enough?

For EU licence holders, yes. A licence from France, Belgium, Spain or any other EU country is written in the Latin alphabet: as long as it is valid, it is enough to rent a car in Morocco without an International Driving Permit.

UK drivers are the exception. The UK government says you need both the 1968 version of the International Driving Permit and your UK licence in the car, and that Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 version. You can only get the IDP in the UK, so sort it out before you fly.

Travelers from the United States, Canada and other non-EU countries

US and Canadian licences are also written in the Latin alphabet: while valid, they are enough to rent a car. The rental agency still has the final say on its own conditions, shown on each car's page before you book.

Even when it is not required, an International Driving Permit can save a discussion at a rural checkpoint, because it translates your licence into several languages. In the US you get one from AAA, in Canada from CAA. It does not replace your licence; it goes with it.

When is an International Driving Permit strictly mandatory?

When your licence is written in a non-Latin script: Arabic, Cyrillic, Greek, Chinese, Japanese or Hebrew. Agencies then ask for an International Driving Permit on top of your national licence.

You apply for it in your own country before you leave, never at the rental desk, and it is only valid together with your original licence. Planning to sort it out on arrival is the classic mistake: without it, the agency can refuse to hand over the keys.

Mandatory documents to present at the rental desk

When you collect a car booked on Loccor, every declared driver shows their original, valid driving licence and an ID card or passport. The licence must have been held for at least two years: that is the rule the Loccor booking form applies, to the main driver and the second driver alike.

Bring the payment method for the balance too. If the car comes with a deposit, the agency takes it at the desk in the form it accepts, and the car's page says so before you book; other cars are rented without a deposit. Keep the licence itself with you: a photocopy or a photo on your phone is no substitute.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive in Morocco with a digital license on a smartphone?

Don't count on it. Agencies ask for a valid driving licence, and nothing guarantees they will accept a digital licence on a phone, a temporary certificate or a renewal receipt. Travel with the physical card; if that is all you have, ask the agency before you book.

What license seniority is required to rent a car?

At least two years, whatever the category: that is the rule the Loccor booking form applies, to the main driver and the second driver alike. Each agency can be stricter, especially for premium cars, which are often kept for drivers over 25.

What should I do during a road police checkpoint?

Stop where the officer signals and stay polite. Show your licence, plus the International Driving Permit if yours is not in the Latin alphabet or if you are British, the vehicle papers the agency left in the glovebox (registration and insurance certificate) and the rental agreement.

Sources

Service-Public.fr — service-public.gouv.fr

France Diplomatie — diplomatie.gouv.fr

GOV.UK

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Written by the Loccor editorial team, the platform connecting travellers with car rental agencies in Morocco.