What Currency Can I Use in Morocco?
What Currency Can I Use in Morocco? A Family Guide
You land in Casablanca or Marrakech, and before the kids have even finished their snacks, someone is going to ask you for money. A taxi driver. A porter. The vendor with the orange juice cart outside the airport. So if you have been Googling what currency can I use in Morocco, you are asking the right question at the right time.
The short answer is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). The longer answer is far more useful, especially when you are traveling with children, juggling multiple bags, and trying to figure out whether the cab driver actually wants 50 dirhams or something closer to 5. This guide walks you through everything practical: which notes and coins you will see, when foreign cash actually helps you, where ATMs work and where they do not, how to handle tipping without offending anyone, and the small currency tricks locals use that confuse almost every first-time visitor. By the end, you will know exactly what currency is used in Morocco, how to carry it, and how to keep your family stress-free at the till.
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The Quick Answer: What Currency Can I Use in Morocco
The official currency in Morocco is the Moroccan dirham, written as MAD internationally and shown locally as DH or the Arabic symbol د.م. Every legitimate price tag, restaurant bill, museum ticket, train fare, and taxi meter is set in dirhams. If you are paying like a local, you are paying in dirhams.
That said, you will sometimes hear travelers say they paid in euros or dollars at a riad or a desert camp. This happens, and we will get into it later, but you should not plan a trip around it. Treat foreign cash as a backup, not a primary plan. The best answer to what currency can I use in Morocco is the one the country runs on. Your meals taste the same and your camel rides go the same distance whether you paid clean dirhams or fumbled through a euro conversion, but your wallet will notice the difference at the end of two weeks.
One important detail: the dirham is a closed currency, which means you cannot legally buy it before you arrive. We will get into what that actually means for your trip in a moment.
Meet the Moroccan Dirham: Notes, Coins, and What They Look Like
Before your kids start treating banknotes like trading cards (mine did), it helps to know what is actually in your wallet.
Banknotes you will use every day
Moroccan banknotes come in 20, 50, 100, and 200 dirham denominations. The country issued a fresh series in late 2023 and early 2024, so you may see two slightly different designs of the same note in circulation. Both are valid. The newer notes feature King Mohammed VI on the front and Moroccan landmarks like the Hassan II Mosque, the Mohammed VI Bridge, and Ouzoud Falls on the back. The 100-dirham note got special treatment around the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and you may still see commemorative versions floating around.
Pro tip for your trip: ATMs almost always spit out 100 and 200 dirham notes, which are the worst denominations for actual day-to-day spending. Break them into 20s and 50s as soon as you can, ideally at a sit-down restaurant or your hotel front desk. Small vendors, especially in souks, almost never have change for a 200.
Coins for tips, taxis, and sweets
Coins run from 10 and 20 santim pieces up through ½, 1, 2, 5, and 10 dirhams. The 5 and 10 dirham coins are bi-metallic and look a bit like euro coins, which is handy because kids tend to recognize them quickly. You will burn through coins faster than you expect: public toilets, rounding up taxi fares, tipping the porter at the riad, buying a single mandarin from a street cart. Always keep a pocketful of small dirhams when you head into the medina.
Why the Dirham Is a Closed Currency
This is the single most useful fact for any first-time visitor. The dirham is officially classified as a closed (or non-convertible) currency, which means Bank Al-Maghrib, the central bank, restricts how much can leave the country. According to UK government travel guidance, you can carry up to 2,000 dirhams in or out of Morocco legally. Beyond that, you are meant to declare it, and any foreign currency worth roughly 100,000 dirhams or more must also be declared at customs.
What this means in plain English:
- You cannot walk into a bank in London, New York, Sydney, or Berlin and simply order Moroccan dirhams the way you would order euros or yen. Some specialist providers technically stock small amounts, but rates are poor and the supply is unreliable.
- You will exchange or withdraw money once you arrive.
- At the end of your trip, swap leftover dirhams back into your home currency before you board your flight home, because it is genuinely difficult to do once you land back home. Keep your original exchange receipt, since some kiosks ask for it.
So when people ask what currency is in Morocco and whether they should buy some at home before flying out, the honest answer is no. Land first, then get cash.
Can You Pay in Euros, Dollars, or Pounds in Morocco?
Sometimes, yes. But not the way most travelers hope.
Higher-end riads, desert tour operators, some carpet sellers, and a handful of upscale restaurants in tourist hubs will accept euros, US dollars, or British pounds in cash. They almost never accept Australian or Canadian dollars. Even when foreign currency is accepted, the seller sets the exchange rate, and the rate is rarely in your favor. You typically lose between 5 and 15 percent compared with paying in dirhams. Your change, if any, often comes back to you in dirhams anyway.
There are two situations where bringing some foreign cash genuinely helps:
- Emergency backup if your card is swallowed by an ATM or your bank flags a transaction.
- Pre-arranged tour payments, especially private desert excursions, where some operators quote prices in euros or dollars and prefer to be paid that way.
For everyday spending, paying in dirhams will save you real money over a one or two week family trip. Currency in Morocco is a closed system for a reason, and the locals are most comfortable transacting in their own money.
Where to Exchange Money in Morocco
Once you land, you have several options for getting dirhams. They are not all equal.
Airport bureaux de change
Convenient, especially right after a long flight, but they usually offer the weakest rates. Change just enough to cover transport to your hotel and your first meal, then top up later in the city.
Banks and dedicated exchange offices
These typically offer the best rates after ATMs. Look for signs that say Bureau de Change in the medina or downtown shopping districts. Banks operate Monday to Friday and close early, often by 3 or 4 pm, and are shut on weekends. Plan accordingly.
Hotel front desks
Easy, but the rate is usually poor. Use only when nothing else is open.
ATMs (the realistic best option)
For most travelers, ATMs are the simplest way to access currency used in Morocco. They are widely available in cities, towns, and even smaller villages, and they pull from the official mid-market rate (your home bank may add a small markup). Withdrawal limits are typically 2,000 dirhams per transaction, around 200 US dollars depending on the day’s rate. If you need more, you may need to make multiple withdrawals. Stick to ATMs attached to actual bank branches when possible, both for safety and because freestanding machines in tourist zones occasionally charge extra fees.
A small but useful detail: when an ATM offers to convert the transaction into your home currency (this is called dynamic currency conversion), always decline and pay in dirhams. Your own bank will almost always give you a better rate than the local machine.
Cash or Card? A Family-Tested Approach
Cash still rules in Morocco. Estimates vary, but somewhere around 70 to 90 percent of transactions are made in physical money. That said, card acceptance has grown a lot, especially in Marrakech, Casablanca, Fes, and Rabat, and at coastal resorts.
Where cards work reliably:
- Mid-range and upscale hotels and riads
- Sit-down restaurants in cities
- Supermarkets (Carrefour, Marjane, BIM)
- Train stations and intercity bus offices like CTM and Supratours
- Larger pharmacies and museums
Where cards rarely work:
- Souks and street markets
- Petits taxis (the small in-city ones)
- Most café terraces
- Small village shops
- Tipping situations
- Public toilets
For families, the practical setup we recommend is simple. One adult carries the day’s cash split into two zip pockets, with smaller notes and coins kept on top. The other adult carries a backup card and a separate stash of larger notes, ideally in a money belt or hidden pouch. That way, if a wallet goes missing in a crowded medina, your trip is not over.
Estimated daily budget (family):
- Meals: 200 to 400 Moroccan dirham per person (≈ $20–$40 USD / €18–€36 EUR)
- Transport: 50 to 150 Moroccan dirham per person (≈ $5–$15 USD / €4.5–€13.5 EUR)
- Activities and extras: 100 to 300 Moroccan dirham per person (≈ $10–$30 USD / €9–€27 EUR)
Total daily budget:
A typical day might cost between 400 and 800 moroccan dirham (≈ $40–$80 USD / €36–€72 EUR) for a family, depending on your travel style.
It is not necessary to carry all your cash at once. Instead:
- Keep a daily amount in your wallet
- Store the rest safely in your accommodation
A helpful tip is to separate your Moroccan dirham into different sections, such as daily spending and emergency funds. This makes it easier to stay organized and avoid overspending.
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The Rial Trap: Why Moroccan Prices Sometimes Sound Confusing
This is the single best piece of advice you will read in this article about what currency is used in Morocco, and almost no other guide explains it clearly.
In daily speech, especially in markets, smaller villages, and among older shopkeepers, Moroccans often quote prices in rials rather than dirhams. The rial is an old, informal unit. One dirham equals 20 rials. So if a vendor says “100 rials,” they actually mean 5 dirhams. Some shopkeepers (and yes, some taxi drivers eyeing a tourist) will quote a price in dirhams while a regular Moroccan customer beside you is being quoted in rials, which can feel disorienting until you catch on.
You will also occasionally hear prices in centimes (or santimat), where 100 centimes equals 1 dirham. So “5,000 centimes” is just 50 dirhams.
Quick rule of thumb when in doubt: ask “in dirhams?” and watch the answer. A confident “yes, dirhams” usually means dirhams. Hesitation, or a quick recalculation, often means the original price was in rials. This is not a scam, just a different way of speaking, but it does mean you should always confirm the unit before handing over a 100-dirham note for what should have been a 5-dirham loaf of bread.
Tipping in Morocco: Small Amounts, Big Impact
Tipping is woven into Moroccan hospitality, and small change goes a long way. You do not need to overtip, but acknowledging good service is expected.
A practical tipping cheat sheet:
- Café waiter: 5 to 10 dirhams
- Restaurant server (sit-down meal): round up the bill or add 10 percent for excellent service
- Riad housekeeping: 10 to 15 dirhams per night, left at the end of the stay
- Porter at hotel or train station: 5 to 10 dirhams per bag
- Petits taxi driver: round up the fare
- Tour guide for a half-day: 50 to 100 dirhams per family
- Camel handler in the desert: 20 to 50 dirhams per family
- Public toilet attendant: 1 to 2 dirhams
Keep a stash of 1, 2, and 5 dirham coins specifically for tipping. Nothing kills the moment faster than fumbling for change after a kind gesture.
Currency in Marrakech: What to Expect in the Red City
Travelers searching for advice on currency in Marrakech Morocco usually have one specific worry: will I get ripped off in the souks?
Honest answer: probably a little. Everyone does on their first visit. But the rules are simple.
In Marrakech specifically, you will find ATMs on every major street around Jemaa el-Fnaa, in Gueliz (the new city), and at the airport. Stick to bank-owned ATMs (BMCE, Attijariwafa, Banque Populaire, BMCI). The bureaux de change scattered through the medina generally offer fair rates, but always check the rate before handing over your money. Avoid changing money at hotels in Marrakech if you can help it: the markup is usually steep.
Card acceptance in Marrakech is the best in the country. Most riads, the better restaurants in the medina, the major spice and oil shops, and museums take Visa and Mastercard. American Express and Diners Club acceptance is patchy. For street food on Jemaa el-Fnaa, the tanneries, the spice market, and most artisan workshops, cash is the only option.
If you are wandering into the souks, take a small day-amount with you (300 to 500 dirhams per adult is usually plenty) and leave the rest locked in your riad safe. Carrying an obvious wad of 200-dirham notes is unnecessary and attracts attention.
Travel Money Tips for Families With Kids
Traveling Morocco with children adds a layer of small expenses that adults traveling solo never think about: bottled water bought every two hours, ice cream after a long medina walk, public toilet fees, the occasional small souvenir bargained down to 30 dirhams. These add up.
A few family-tested tips:
- Give kids their own small wallet of dirhams. A 50-dirham starting budget for a teenager, or 20 dirhams for a younger child, turns currency conversion into a math lesson. They quickly learn what 5 dirhams actually buys (a pastry, a small bag of fruit) and what 50 dirhams represents (a memorable souvenir or a meal).
- Always have small notes for taxis and tips. Drivers will sometimes claim they have no change for a 100, which means you either tip generously by accident or argue at the end of the ride. Avoid both by carrying 20s and 50s.
- Keep cash split between parents. If one wallet is lost or stolen, your trip continues normally.
- Travel insurance with theft cover. Marrakech and Fes are generally safe, but pickpockets do operate in tourist crowds. Insurance lets you replace a stolen wallet without dipping into emergency funds.
If planning the logistics of moving cash, dirhams, kids, and luggage between Marrakech, the desert, and the Atlas Mountains feels like more than you want to handle on your own, this is exactly where Morocco Family Vacation can help. We design custom private tours for families, with child-friendly experiences, trusted local guides, and comfortable stays from the medinas to the Sahara, so the only thing you have to think about is enjoying the trip. Plan Your Family Adventure with us, and the currency, transport, and daily logistics get handled in the background.
Smart tips:
- Avoid exchanging large amounts at airports
- Compare rates at different exchange offices
- Use ATMs for better rates
- Always choose local currency when paying
Another useful tip is to exchange money in smaller amounts throughout your trip. This helps you adapt to your spending habits and avoid ending up with too much unused Moroccan dirham at the end.
Common Currency Mistakes Tourists Make in Morocco
A short list of the avoidable ones:
- Buying dirhams at home. Either you cannot, or you pay a terrible rate.
- Changing too much at the airport. A small amount for the taxi is fine; doing your full week at the airport rate costs you.
- Holding only large notes. ATMs hand out 200s; vendors hate them. Break them down early.
- Skipping the receipt. When exchanging cash, keep the slip. You may need it to convert leftover dirhams back at the airport.
- Saying yes to dynamic currency conversion. Always pay in dirhams, both at ATMs and at card terminals.
- Carrying all your cash in one pocket. Split it. Always.
- Trying to take more than 2,000 dirhams home. Technically illegal, and customs occasionally check.
Mobile Payments and Modern Options
Morocco has been pushing mobile money since 2018, and you will see logos like inwi money, Orange Money, and Maroc Telecom Cash at small shops and even some taxis in larger cities. Tourists generally cannot register for these without a Moroccan phone number and ID, so they are not practical for short visits, but it is worth knowing the country is shifting.
International travel cards like Wise, Revolut, and Travelex Money Card all work in Morocco at most card terminals. They typically give better rates than a regular bank debit card, especially if you load them with euros or pounds before traveling. Just remember that you cannot pre-load actual dirhams (closed currency rule), so your card will convert when you spend.
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Quick Takeaways
- The official currency in Morocco is the Moroccan dirham (MAD), divided into 100 santimat.
- The dirham is a closed currency: you cannot legally buy it abroad. Get cash on arrival via ATM or bureau de change.
- You can carry up to 2,000 dirhams in or out of Morocco.
- Cash dominates outside hotels and big-city restaurants. Always carry small notes and coins.
- Avoid airport exchanges for the bulk of your money. ATMs and city banks give better rates.
- Locals sometimes quote prices in rials (1 dirham = 20 rials). Always confirm the unit.
- Decline dynamic currency conversion at every ATM and card terminal.
- Pack tips in 1, 2, and 5 dirham coins for taxis, porters, and café staff.
Final Thoughts on Using Currency in Morocco
Morocco rewards the traveler who pays attention. Once you understand that the country runs on dirhams, that you cannot get them at home, and that small change is more valuable than big notes, the whole money question becomes simple. The first day or two you will be overconverting in your head (“wait, is 80 dirhams a lot?”), but by the third day you will know that a tagine should cost you 70 to 100 dirhams in a sit-down restaurant, that a bottle of water is 5 to 10 dirhams from a small shop, and that a petit taxi across town rarely tops 30.
Hopefully you now feel confident answering the question what currency can I use in Morocco for yourself, your partner, and the kids who will absolutely ask you the same thing again at every snack stop. Bring a credit card, a debit card, a small reserve of euros or dollars for emergencies, and a plan to hit an ATM as soon as you land. That is the entire formula.
If you would rather hand the entire planning puzzle (currency questions included) over to people who do this every day, Morocco Family Vacation designs custom private Morocco tours built around families, with child-friendly experiences, trusted local guides, and comfortable stays from the medinas to the Sahara. Plan Your Family Adventure with us and turn up to your trip ready to relax, not budget-spreadsheet your way through the Atlas Mountains.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Our dedicated team is here to answer your Morocco Travel questions and ensure a smooth, memorable journey through Morocco.
What currency can I use in Morocco besides the dirham?
The official answer is the Moroccan dirham, full stop. In practice, some hotels, desert camps, and high-end shops in tourist areas accept euros, US dollars, or British pounds in cash, but the exchange rate they offer is almost always worse than what you would get from a Moroccan ATM. Use foreign currency only as a backup, and never expect to pay for taxis, café meals, or souk purchases in anything other than dirhams.
Should I exchange money before flying to Morocco?
No. The dirham is a closed currency, so you cannot legally buy meaningful amounts of it outside the country. The cleanest plan is to bring some euros, dollars, or pounds as backup and use an ATM at the airport on arrival to get your first batch of dirhams. Avoid airport exchange counters for large amounts because the rates are usually weak.
Are credit cards accepted everywhere in Morocco?
Cards are accepted at most mid-range and upscale hotels, larger restaurants in cities, supermarkets, train stations, and tourist museums. They are rarely accepted in souks, street food stalls, petits taxis, small village shops, or for tipping. Plan to carry cash in dirhams for daily spending and use cards for bigger expenses like hotels and sit-down dinners. Visa and Mastercard work most reliably; American Express and Diners Club are spotty.
How much currency in Morocco should I budget per day for a family?
Costs vary by travel style, but a comfortable mid-range family of four can budget roughly 600 to 1,200 dirhams per day (around 60 to 120 US dollars) for meals, taxis, snacks, small entry fees, and tips, on top of accommodation. Marrakech and Casablanca run higher than Fes, Chefchaouen, or smaller towns. Desert tours are usually paid as a package separately. The currency in Marrakech Morocco specifically tends to stretch further than in European cities, so families often find their budget goes further than expected.
Is $50 a lot in Morocco?
$50 USD is a more comfortable and flexible amount in Morocco for a day of travel-style spending, especially for budget to mid-range travelers. Converted into Moroccan dirhams, $50 can cover a combination of meals, transportation, entrance fees, and small shopping expenses. In many cities, this amount could support a full day of moderate activity, including dining at a mid-range restaurant and taking taxis or public transport.
That said, $50 is still not considered “a lot” in the context of accommodation, private tours, or upscale experiences, which can quickly exceed that amount. For example, hotel stays, guided desert tours, or luxury dining will require a higher budget. Overall, $50 is a solid daily spending amount for a modest but comfortable travel day, especially if you manage expenses wisely.
Can I take Moroccan dirhams home with me?
You can legally take up to 2,000 dirhams out of Morocco. Beyond that, you are meant to convert your leftover cash back into euros, dollars, or pounds before leaving. Keep your original exchange receipt, since some airport bureaux ask for it before converting dirhams back. Once you land back home, exchanging dirhams is genuinely difficult and the rates are poor, so spend or convert before you board.
Kate Carter
Family Travel Blogger
Kate Carter is a mom and travel blogger who fell in love with Morocco’s culture and warmth. Through Morocco Family Vacation, she shares tips and stories to help travelers enjoy authentic, stress-free experiences. Join us along the way.
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