Moroccan Bank Accounts, the Office des Changes and Moving Money Abroad (2026)
Key takeaways
- The dirham is not fully convertible; outbound foreign-currency operations are controlled by the Office des Changes under the Instruction Générale des Opérations de Change (IGOC) 2026.
- Residents’ personal travel allowance is 100,000 dirhams per person per calendar year, plus a supplement of 30% of the prior year’s income tax, capped at 500,000 dirhams.
- You may carry a maximum of 2,000 dirhams in banknotes across the border in either direction.
- Any sum equal to or above 100,000 dirhams (or its foreign-currency equivalent) must be declared to Customs when entering or leaving Morocco.
- Non-residents and MRE use dedicated accounts — foreign currency accounts and convertible dirham accounts — that allow transfers abroad.
- The guarantee of retransfer lets investors take out what they brought in as foreign currency, provided it was declared to the Office des Changes.
Why the dirham is different: the exchange-control regime
Morocco operates exchange controls. The dirham is convertible for many current-account transactions but is not freely convertible for capital movements, and every foreign-currency operation must fit within an authorisation or an allowance set by the Office des Changes, the public body responsible for exchange regulation. The rulebook is the Instruction Générale des Opérations de Change (IGOC), whose updated 2026 edition took effect on 1 January 2026. In practice this means money flows in easily (diaspora remittances, foreign investment, export receipts) but flows out only through defined channels: travel allowances, specific account types, and documented transfers. Understanding which channel applies to you is the whole game when you emigrate.
The account types you need to know
Moroccan banking distinguishes accounts by convertibility, and this determines whether money can leave the country. A compte en dirhams (ordinary dirham account) held by a resident is domestic money and cannot simply be wired abroad. A compte en devises (foreign-currency account) holds actual foreign currency and can be used for external payments within the rules. A compte en dirhams convertibles (convertible dirham account) is the key instrument for non-residents and foreigners: funded from foreign currency sold on the market, it may be freely used for transfers to other convertible accounts, converted back into foreign currency, and used for outward transfers. The official rules for foreign convertible-dirham accounts (their permitted credits, debits and export of means of payment) are set out by the Office des Changes. Moroccans Residing Abroad (MRE) use convertible accounts of the same family to receive, hold and repatriate funds linked to their foreign earnings and Moroccan investments.
Taking money with you: the travel allowance
When you travel abroad from Morocco you draw on the personal travel allowance (dotation touristique). Per the Office des Changes, the base allowance is 100,000 dirhams per person per calendar year, available to Moroccan residents, MRE and foreign residents alike. On top of the base, you can add a supplement equal to 30% of the income tax (IR) you paid or that was withheld in the previous year, with the total (base plus supplement) capped at 500,000 dirhams per person per calendar year. These figures are confirmed on the Office des Changes FAQ. The allowance can be provided as foreign banknotes, traveller’s cheques, bank cheques or loaded onto an international payment card — but the amount delivered in foreign banknotes is itself capped, and any unused portion must be sold back on the foreign exchange market within 30 days of your return.
The travel allowance is designed to cover living costs during trips, not to move your life savings abroad. If you are emigrating with substantial assets, the allowance alone will not be enough, and you will need to combine it with the account and transfer channels below.
Carrying cash across the border and the declaration rule
Physical cash is tightly limited. The Moroccan dirham itself is a restricted currency: travellers may carry a maximum of 2,000 dirhams in banknotes in or out of the country. For all currencies combined, any amount equal to or exceeding 100,000 dirhams (or the foreign-currency equivalent) must be declared to Customs on entry or exit, using the customs declaration form at the airport or port. This declaration is what later lets you re-export foreign currency you brought in. The declaration threshold and dirham banknote limit are enforced by the Administration des Douanes et Impôts Indirects (douane.gov.ma) in line with Office des Changes rules. Do not attempt to move undeclared cash; it can be seized and penalised.
Moving larger sums: transfers and the guarantee of retransfer
For amounts beyond the travel allowance, the governing principle of the Office des Changes is simple: what came into Morocco in foreign currency can go back out, provided you can prove it. If you (or an MRE family member) financed a Moroccan investment — property, shares, a business — with foreign currency that was declared to the Office des Changes within the required deadline and routed through a convertible dirham account, you benefit from the guarantee of retransfer (garantie de retransfert): you may repatriate the sale proceeds abroad, up to the initial foreign-currency investment plus the corresponding capital gains, after settling Moroccan taxes. The framework for MRE transfers of investment income and sale proceeds is published by the Office des Changes. The 2026 IGOC also liberalised certain flows — for example, investors who have held a foreign-currency-financed Moroccan investment for at least ten years can transfer investment income abroad up to a defined annual ceiling with lighter documentation. Because these operations are documentation-heavy, keep every exchange receipt, customs declaration and investment declaration from the day you bring money in.
What to do before you leave
Talk to your Moroccan bank early — the bank is the “intermédiaire agréé” (authorised intermediary) that executes exchange operations for the Office des Changes, and it will tell you which allowance or account applies to your situation. If you will keep Moroccan property or investments, make sure the original foreign-currency inflow was declared so the guarantee of retransfer is available later. If you are an MRE, ensure your accounts are the correct convertible type before you rely on them for outward transfers. Keep organised records: exchange receipts, customs currency declarations, proof of the source of funds, and tax clearances. And time your travel allowance across calendar years if you need to move more than a single year’s ceiling. The authoritative rules for all of this are on the Office des Changes portal.
How Flyto can help
Flyto moves households from Morocco to Europe and worldwide, door-to-door; get a quote. We move your belongings while you organise your banking and exchange paperwork — and we can point you to the exact Office des Changes pages so your bank has everything it needs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I freely wire money from my Moroccan dirham account to my new bank abroad?
No. The dirham is not freely convertible; outward transfers must use an allowance (such as the travel allowance) or an authorised channel through a convertible or foreign-currency account. See the Office des Changes.
How much can I take abroad as a travel allowance?
A base of 100,000 dirhams per person per calendar year, plus 30% of the previous year’s income tax, capped at 500,000 dirhams in total. Source: Office des Changes FAQ.
How much cash can I physically carry across the Moroccan border?
No more than 2,000 dirhams in banknotes, and any total of 100,000 dirhams or more (any currency) must be declared to Customs. Source: douane.gov.ma and the Office des Changes.
I sold my Moroccan flat — can I send the money to Europe?
If the purchase was financed in foreign currency, declared to the Office des Changes and routed through a convertible account, the guarantee of retransfer lets you repatriate proceeds up to the original investment plus gains, after tax. See the Office des Changes.
What is a convertible dirham account and do I need one?
It is an account funded from foreign currency that can be used for outward transfers and reconversion to foreign currency — the standard tool for non-residents and MRE. Rules: Office des Changes.
Who actually executes these operations?
Your Moroccan bank acts as the authorised intermediary (intermédiaire agréé) applying Office des Changes rules; start there and keep all receipts. See the Office des Changes.
Sources
- Office des Changes — official portal (oc.gov.ma)
- Office des Changes — personal travel allowance amount (dotation touristique)
- Office des Changes — foreign accounts in convertible dirhams (NRF)
- Office des Changes — MRE transfer of investment income and sale proceeds
- Office des Changes — Instruction Générale des Opérations de Change (IGOC) 2026
- Administration des Douanes et Impôts Indirects — currency declaration and banknote limits (douane.gov.ma)
- Bank Al-Maghrib — dirham and exchange framework (bkam.ma)
- Direction Générale des Impôts — taxes settled before repatriation of proceeds (tax.gov.ma)