When you prepare to visit Morocco, one of the first things you need to think about is money. It is very important to understand how money works here so you can buy things easy and have no stress. In this guide, I will explain everything you need to know about our currency, how to pay for things, and the rules you must follow in 2026.
1. Quick Answer: What is the Currency?
If you want the fast answer for your trip, here are the most important facts to know right away.
- Currency Name: The official money in our country is the Moroccan Dirham.
- Currency Code: When you check exchange rates online, you will look for MAD.
- Symbols you will see: In shops and restaurants, you will see prices written with DH or the Arabic letters د.م. Sometimes people just write “dhs”.
- Subunit: One dirham is divided into 100 santimat (we call them centimes in French).
In short, cash is widely needed everywhere in Morocco. You will need paper money and coins every day. Bank cards work mainly in big hotels, large restaurants, and modern supermarkets. For everything else, you must have cash in your pocket.
Last updated: Feb 27, 2026
2. Morocco Currency Basics (What the Dirham Is)
It is good to understand a little bit more about the money you will hold in your hands.
2.1 Official Name and Issuing Authority
The official name is the Moroccan dirham. This money is made and controlled by Bank Al-Maghrib, which is the central bank of Morocco. The central bank decides how much money is in the country and they make sure the money is secure and safe.
2.2 Denominations Travelers Should Recognize
When you go to a bank or an ATM, you will get paper money. We call these banknotes. The banknotes that are commonly in circulation are:
- 20 DH (purple color)
- 50 DH (green color)
- 100 DH (brown color)
- 200 DH (blue color)
The 200 DH note is the biggest one. It is very common, but sometimes it is hard to use it to buy a very small thing, like a bottle of water.
We also use coins very much. According to the Bank Al-Maghrib listings, the coins in circulation are 10, 20, and 50 centimes. We also have bigger coins for 1 dirham, 2 dirhams, 5 dirhams, and 10 dirhams. The 10 dirham coin is very heavy and has two colors (silver and gold). You will need these coins for many small things every day. It is very smart to keep a small bag for your coins.
3. Can You Use Euros or Dollars in Morocco?
Many tourists ask this question. They want to know if they can just bring money from their home country and spend it in the streets.
Officially, the answer is no. You must pay in dirhams (MAD) everywhere in the country. The dirham is the only legal money for buying things in Morocco.
But in practice, the reality is sometimes a little different. In very touristic places like the medina of Marrakech or Fes, some tourist shop owners might say they accept Euros or US Dollars. They might tell you a price in Euros to make it sound easy for you. Also, some tour guides might accept a tip in Euros or Dollars.
But I strongly recommend that you do not do this. If you pay in foreign money, the shop owner will choose the exchange rate. They will always choose a rate that is bad for you and good for them. You will lose money this way. It is always much better and cheaper to go to an exchange office, get Moroccan dirhams, and pay the local price in the local money.
4. Cash vs Card in Morocco (What Works in Real Life)
When you travel in Europe or America, maybe you only use your phone or your plastic card to pay. In Morocco, you have to change your habits a little bit. We use a mix of both, but cash is still the most important.
4.1 Where Cards Usually Work
You can use your Visa or Mastercard in many modern places. If you stay in a big hotel or a nice riad, they will take your card. If you go to higher-end restaurants in the big cities, they have card machines. Also, big supermarkets like Carrefour or Marjane always accept cards. Even some train stations let you buy tickets with a card. If you want to know about prices in these modern places, you can read my guide asking is Marrakech expensive.
4.2 Where Cash is Still “King”
For most of your daily life as a tourist, cash is king. You absolutely need cash for:
- The Souks: The small shops in the old markets do not have card machines.
- Taxis: No taxi driver will take a card. You must pay with coins or small notes.
- Small Cafes: If you want a mint tea or a cheap local meal, it is cash only.
- Rural Areas: If you travel to the mountains or the desert, cards will not work anywhere. You must bring cash from the city.
4.3 Contactless and Tips to Avoid Card Issues
Contactless payment is growing in Morocco now. Many big shops have the machine where you just tap your card. But sometimes, foreign cards do not work on the first try. Sometimes the internet connection in the shop is bad. Because of this, you must always carry backup cash. Never go to a restaurant with only a card, because maybe the machine is broken that day. It is also good to have a second card from a different bank, just in case one gets blocked.
5. ATMs in Morocco (How to Withdraw Dirhams Safely)
The easiest way to get your Moroccan dirhams is to use an ATM. We have many ATMs in all the cities and big towns. You will see them outside banks, in shopping centers, and at the airport.
Most ATMs in Morocco accept Visa and Mastercard. When you put your card in, the machine will usually ask if you want French, Arabic, or English language.
There are some limits you need to know. ATM availability and common withdrawal limits can vary depending on the bank. Many machines have a limit around 2,000 MAD for one transaction. Some machines give 4,000 MAD, but 2,000 is very common. If you need more money, you might have to do two transactions and pay the fee two times.
Here are some safety tips for using ATMs. You can also read more general safety tips in my post is it safe to travel to Morocco right now.
- Always try to use an ATM that is attached to a real bank building, especially during the day when the bank is open. If the machine eats your card, you can go inside and ask for help.
- Avoid making late-night withdrawals in dark streets.
- Always use your hand to shield your PIN number when you type it.
- Keep your receipts. The machine will ask if you want a receipt. Say yes. It is good to have proof if there is a problem with your bank at home.
6. Best Places to Exchange Money (And What to Avoid)
If you bring cash from your home country, like Euros, Dollars, or Pounds, you will need to exchange it. It is very easy to do this in Morocco, but you must choose the right place.
6.1 Where to Exchange (Recommended)
The best places to exchange your money are the official banks and the authorized exchange offices (we call them “Bureau de Change”). You will see many of these in the tourist areas and city centers. They usually have a big electronic board outside showing the rates. The rates in the city are usually very fair and very close to the real global rate. Some big hotels also exchange money, but their rate is usually a little worse than the office in the street.
6.2 Receipts Matter (Very Important)
When you give your foreign money and get dirhams, the person in the office will give you a small paper receipt. This is a very important piece of paper. Official brochures commonly emphasize this. You must keep these exchange slips in your wallet. If you have too many dirhams at the end of your trip, you will need to show this receipt to the bank at the airport to prove you bought the dirhams legally. If you have no receipt, they might say no and you cannot change the money back.
6.3 Avoiding Bad Rates
The biggest mistake is exchanging all your money at the airport. The exchange offices inside the airport give very bad rates. You will lose a lot of money. The best thing to do is exchange a small amount only at the airport, maybe 20 or 30 Euros. This is enough for your first taxi, to buy a local SIM card, and to get some snacks. Then, when you arrive in the city, you can go to a normal exchange office and change the rest of your money with a good rate.
7. Official Rules for Bringing Money Into and Out of Morocco
Morocco has strict rules about money crossing the borders. The dirham is a “closed currency”. This means you cannot normally buy dirhams in your home country before you travel, and you should not take them home with you. You must follow the customs rules.
7.1 Bringing Moroccan Dirhams In
If you have some dirhams from an old trip, you can bring a little bit back. The Moroccan Customs (Douane) traveler information notes specific limits. Currently, they say you can import Moroccan currency up to 1,000 dirhams. This is just enough to pay for a taxi when you arrive. You can read the official traveler documents on their website to see all the small rules.
7.2 Taking Dirhams Out
When your holiday is finished, you must not take a big bag of dirhams home. The Moroccan customs documents state that the export of dirhams is allowed up to 2,000 dirhams. If they find more than this in your bag at the airport, they can take it from you. It is better to spend your dirhams or change them back before you go through security.
7.3 Declaration Threshold for Large Foreign Currency Amounts
If you bring a very large amount of cash from your home country, like Euros or Dollars, you have to tell the government. The official Office des Changes brochure says you must declare foreign currency amounts if they are equal to or above the equivalent of 100,000 dirhams (this is roughly 10,000 Euros or Dollars).
You do this declaration at the customs desk when you arrive at the airport, before you leave the baggage area. It is free to do. Why do you do it? These declarations protect you. If you want to take that same money back out of the country later, or if you want to exchange a large amount of leftover dirhams back to Euros, you need this paper to show where the money came from.
Please remember, government rules can change. It is always smart to check the latest customs guidance on their official websites before you fly.
8. Typical Prices in Morocco (To Help Travelers Budget)
When you have your dirhams, you need to know how fast you will spend them. Prices change depending on if you are in a local place or a tourist place. But I want to give you a simple cost snapshot so you can plan. If you want a full budget plan, please read my big post about how much does a trip to Morocco cost.
Here is a simple list of typical prices in dirhams:
- Cup of coffee in a local cafe: 10 to 15 DH
- Cup of coffee in a tourist cafe: 25 to 40 DH
- Big bottle of water at a small shop: 6 DH
- Small taxi ride inside the city (with meter): 10 to 20 DH
- A simple meal in a local street restaurant: 30 to 50 DH
- A nice dinner in a tourist restaurant: 150 to 300 DH
- Museum or historical site ticket: 50 to 70 DH
These are ranges, so do not expect the exact price everywhere. Sometimes it is cheaper, sometimes more expensive. But this gives you a good idea of what a 100 DH note can buy in the street.
9. Tipping in Morocco (Dirhams Etiquette)
Tipping is a very big part of Moroccan culture. People who work in service jobs do not have big salaries, so they depend on tips to feed their families. You should always use small dirham coins or small notes for tips. Do not tip in foreign coins because the banks here will not change foreign coins to dirhams for the workers.
Who should you tip and how much?
- Cafes and Restaurants: You can leave 5 or 10 DH for a coffee. For a big meal, 10% of the bill is very good.
- Porters: If a man takes your bags in a cart to your riad in the medina, give him 20 DH.
- Tour Guides and Drivers: You tip them at the end of the day or the end of the tour.
- Parking Guards: If you rent a car, you will see men in yellow vests on the street. You give them 2 or 3 DH when you leave. You can read my post should I rent a car in Morocco for more driving advice.
10. Common Money Mistakes Tourists Make
Many people make the same small mistakes when they come here. It is normal, but if you know them, you can avoid them. You can read more general advice in my guide about what should you do and what should you not do in Marrakech.
Here are the money mistakes to avoid:
- Exchanging too much at the airport: As I said before, the rates are very bad. Just get a little bit for the taxi.
- Not carrying small notes and coins: If you give a 200 DH note to a taxi driver for a 15 DH ride, he will not have change for you. Always break your big notes in supermarkets or big restaurants, and save the small coins for taxis and tips.
- Paying in EUR or USD: When the shop owner says “10 Euros or 100 Dirhams”, always pay the dirhams. The dirham price is always better.
- Not keeping exchange receipts: If you throw away the small paper the exchange office gives you, you might have big problems changing your money back when you leave the country. Keep them safe with your passport.
11. FAQ: Currency in Morocco
Here are some fast answers to questions people ask a lot.
What currency is used in Morocco?
The official currency used everywhere in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham. You cannot officially pay with other money, so you must get dirhams when you arrive to buy food, pay for taxis, and shop.
What is the currency code for Morocco?
The international currency code for the Moroccan dirham is MAD. If you use a currency converter app on your phone to check prices, you need to select MAD to see the correct value.
Can I use euros in Morocco?
Officially no, you must use dirhams. Sometimes tourist shops or guides will take euros to make it easy for you, but the exchange rate they give you is usually very bad. It is always cheaper to pay in dirhams.
Is Morocco cash or card?
Morocco is a mix, but mostly cash. You can use cards in big hotels, large supermarkets, and nice tourist restaurants. But for taxis, small shops in the medina, cafes, and rural areas, you absolutely must use cash.
Are ATMs easy to find in Morocco?
Yes, ATMs are very easy to find in all Moroccan cities and towns. You will see them outside banks and in tourist areas. They usually accept Visa and Mastercard and offer English language menus.
How much dirham can I take out of Morocco?
The customs rules say you can only take a maximum of 2,000 Moroccan dirhams out of the country when you leave. It is a closed currency, so it is better to spend it or exchange it before your flight.
Do I need to declare cash when entering Morocco?
You only need to declare cash if you are bringing foreign currency (like Euros or Dollars) equal to or more than the value of 100,000 dirhams. You do this at the customs desk at the airport.
Where is the best place to exchange money?
The best places are the authorized exchange offices in the city centers or official banks. They give the most fair rates. Avoid exchanging large amounts at the airport because the rates there are very poor.
12. Sources and How We Update This Page
We want to give you the most true and correct information for your trip. To write this guide, we use the real rules from the government.
You can check the official information here:
- Bank Al-Maghrib (for official coins and banknotes details)
- Moroccan Customs / Douane (for traveler document rules on borders)
- Office des Changes (for foreign currency declaration brochures)
How we update this page: We review this money guide monthly. We also update it immediately if there are major regulation changes from the central bank or customs office, so you always have the right facts.