Irish Licence, Moroccan Roads 2026: Right Side and 0.02

Can an Irish driver get behind the wheel in Morocco? Yes, for a holiday. The U.S. State Department’s country page says foreign licences are valid for up to one year, which covers any normal trip. The wrinkle is the IDP. UK government advice asks British visitors for a 1968-convention permit and says Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 one. Ireland issues the 1949 version, so the permit in an Irish post office drawer may not satisfy that stricter reading. Carry it anyway as a translation, and ask your rental company in writing what it wants before you pay a deposit.

The bigger surprise has nothing to do with paper. Ireland drives on the left; Morocco drives on the right.

The first hour is the dangerous one

Reflex is the enemy. People pull out of a petrol forecourt onto the wrong side, take a roundabout in the Irish direction, or glance right at a junction where the threat now comes from the left. Spend the first hour on quiet roads outside the city and say the side out loud at each turn. Leave Casablanca and Marrakech traffic until the habit has settled.

Two numbers that drop below home

Alcohol first. Morocco’s limit is 0.02 BAC, against 0.05 in Ireland. In practice that means none at all if you are driving. Checks are common near cities, and penalties include fines and licence confiscation.

Speed next. Irish drivers know motorways at 120 km/h, and Morocco matches it on its toll autoroutes. Elsewhere the limits are tighter than you might guess:

Towns are the oddity: Morocco allows 60 where you are used to 50, but pedestrians and handcarts share those streets, so the higher number is a ceiling rather than a target.

What speeding costs

Under 20 km/h over the limit, the fine is MAD 300. Higher bands add penalty points, and at 50 km/h over the matter becomes a criminal offence rather than a fine. A seatbelt or phone offence is MAD 300-700 (about EUR 28-65), and red light running runs to MAD 700-1,400 (about EUR 65-130). Ireland’s fixed charge for speeding is EUR 160 plus penalty points, so the sums look small by comparison, but fines are often settled on the spot and a dispute with a roadside officer in a language you do not speak is its own cost.

What the car needs

Unlike Ireland, where most equipment is only recommended, Morocco expects a warning triangle, a reflective vest and spare bulbs in the vehicle. A fire extinguisher and first aid kit are recommended. Check the boot at pickup rather than at a roadside stop, and photograph the triangle and vest in the car before you sign.

Roads off the autoroute

Between the big cities the toll autoroutes are excellent. Step off them and surfaces vary, donkeys and cyclists share the carriageway, and pedestrians step out without warning. The old medinas are not drivable; park outside the walls and walk in. Be especially wary after dark, when unlit carts and bikes are hardest to see. Sign language is not an issue on major routes, but mobile signal fades in rural areas, so save offline maps before leaving town.

Emergency numbers differ from home

Forget Ireland’s single 112. In Morocco the police are on 190, ambulance and fire on 150, and the Royal Gendarmerie, who cover roads outside towns, on 177. Put all three in your phone.

Our Driving Permit Checker shows what applies to your licence, the Morocco driving guide has the complete rules, and the Speeding Fine Calculator helps you sanity-check a ticket.

Sources

• United States Department of State, Country Information, Morocco (“Foreign driver’s licenses are valid for use in Morocco for up to one year”), last updated July 30, 2026: cadataapi.state.gov
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Morocco, safety and security (“Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 version of the IDP”): gov.uk
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (participants): treaties.un.org
• UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (participants): treaties.un.org