Morocco on a Brazilian Licence 2026: 1968 IDP, Donkey Roads

Good news to start with: Morocco drives on the right, exactly like Brazil, so there is no side switch to relearn. That removes the single biggest hazard most long-haul drivers face. What replaces it in Morocco is the road environment itself, and it asks for a different kind of attention than a Brazilian motorway.

Paperwork: the 1968 permit, not just the licence

UK government travel advice for Morocco says drivers need both the 1968 international driving permit and their licence in the car, and that Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 version. Brazil is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention, so the permit issued in Brazil is the format Moroccan police and hire desks expect. Arrange it before you fly; it cannot be obtained in Morocco. Carry your Brazilian licence, the IDP and your passport together.

Donkeys, carts and the night rule

On rural and mountain routes (the High Atlas, the road to the desert, the stretches between towns) you share the tarmac with donkeys, sheep, slow-moving carts and pedestrians who treat the verge as a footpath. Many carts and mopeds run unlit after dusk, which is why the firm advice is: do not drive between towns at night if you can avoid it. The gendarmerie runs speed checks on the approaches to towns.

Then there is the medina. Cities like Fez, Marrakesh and Chefchaouen have old quarters that are physically impassable by car, alleys narrower than your wing mirrors. Park at a guarded lot on the edge and walk in.

Speeds, fines and the alcohol limit

Towns are 60 km/h (with 40 and 20 zones), national roads generally 80 km/h with some sections at 100, and the toll motorways 120 km/h. NARSA, the national road-safety agency, sets the fines: under 20 km/h over costs MAD 300; 20-29 km/h over MAD 500 and 2 points; 30-49 km/h over MAD 700 and 4 points; 50 km/h or more over is a criminal offence. The alcohol limit is 0.2 g/l, so drink nothing before driving. NARSA’s checklist asks for a yellow vest, a warning triangle and a set of spare bulbs in the car. For emergencies dial 190 for police, 150 for ambulance and fire, and 177 for the gendarmerie on rural roads.

For tolls, documents and mountain-pass conditions, see our Morocco driving guide, confirm your paperwork with the driving permit checker, and if a checkpoint fine ever lands on a rental, who pays driving fines abroad explains how it gets billed back.

Sources

• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Morocco, safety and security (“1968 version of the IDP”; “Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 version”): gov.uk
• UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (Brazil and Morocco parties): treaties.un.org
• NARSA, excessive speed (limits and fine bands): narsa-securiteroutiere.ma
• NARSA, documents and equipment checklist: narsa-securiteroutiere.ma
• NARSA, alcohol and driving (MAD 10,000, prison, licence withdrawal): narsa-securiteroutiere.ma
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Morocco profile (BAC 0.02 g/dl): who.int
• GOV.UK, Morocco, getting help (190, 150, 177): gov.uk