Language

The official language of Morocco is Arabic. Berber, a native North African language, is also widely spoken, but is not recognized as an official tongue. French is prolific as result of the country’s French colonial history. English is starting to become more popular, but is not known by the majority, even in the business and tourism industries.

Currency

The official currency is the Moroccan dirham which is divided into 100 centimes. Most credit cards are accepted at guest houses, hotels and local shops. ATMs are readily available in the larger towns, but tend to be scarce when traveling to remote areas. Currency exchange should be made at an official bureau de change office – other places offer worse rates and are typically illegal.

Time

Morocco is on Western European Time which is GMT +1.

Electricity

Morocco runs electricity at 110 to 220V or 50Hz and uses European plug points.

Communications

The international dialing code for Morocco is +212 and the code for Rabat, the capital, is +37. SIM cards can be purchased from airports and at local stores with most networks providing 3G coverage and excellent connectivity. Internet cafes can be found all over the country and service can be accessed for a reasonable hourly rate.

Duty-free

Duty free regulations generally depend on the country of origin, but the following can be used as a guideline. Travelers are permitted to carry 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 400 g of tobacco, one liter of wine, one liter of spirits, five grams of perfume, and other gifts not exceeding a value of US $500.

Tourist Office

Moroccan National Tourist Office, Rabat: +212-5-37-674-013 or www.visitmorocco.com

Consulates in Morocco

American Embassy, Rabat: +212-37-76-22-65 Chinese Embassy, Rabat: +212-3-77-54-056 British Embassy, Rabat: +212-53-63-33-33 Canadian Embassy, Rabat: +212-37-68-74-00 German Embassy, Rabat: +212-37-68-91-00 Italian Embassy, Rabat: +212-37-70-65-97 French Embassy, Rabat: +212-37-68-97-00 Norwegian Embassy, Rabat: +212-37-76-40-84

Emergency

Police: 19 Fire Service: 15 Highway Emergency Service: 177