Can You Use US Dollars in Morocco? Better to Exchange for Dirhams

Short answer: No, not reliably. The official currency is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD), a closed currency (cannot be legally imported/exported in large amounts).

Where USD *Might* Be Accepted (Poorly)

• High-end hotels / riads catering to Americans.
• Some large souvenir shops in tourist medinas (Marrakech, Fes).
• Tour guides / drivers (informal).

Why It's a Bad Idea

• Terrible exchange rate: Vendors apply ~10–20% markup vs. bank rate.
• Change given in dirhams at their rate.
• Small denominations only ($1, $5, $10, $20 — no $50/$100).
• Technically illegal for merchants to price/settle in foreign currency (rarely enforced on tourists).

Best Practice

1. Bring USD/EUR/GBP cash (clean, undamaged, post-2013 series) and exchange at banks or authorized bureaux de change (look for "Bureau de Change Agréé" sign). Airports have them (worse rate).
2. Use ATMs (Guichets Automatiques) with a no-foreign-fee debit card (best rate: interbank + 0–1%). Widely available in cities/towns. Daily limit ~2,000–4,000 MAD.
3. Credit cards (Visa/Mastercard) accepted at hotels, upscale restaurants, larger shops. Amex rare. Always choose charge in MAD (not USD) to avoid DCC markup.
4. Keep receipts to convert leftover dirhams back at airport bank on departure (legal limit: 50% of amount exchanged, max 10,000 MAD).

Current rate (2024): ~1 USD = 10.0–10.2 MAD. 100 MAD ≈ $10.