Japanese Licence in Morocco 2026: Valid a Year, Drive Right

Japanese drivers can use their home licence in Morocco for a normal trip. On the road, the two things that genuinely change under you are the side of the road and a near-zero alcohol limit — plus a couple of items the law makes you carry.

The licence verdict

The U.S. State Department’s country page for Morocco says “Foreign driver’s licenses are valid for use in Morocco for up to one year,” which covers any normal trip. UK government travel advice, written for British licence holders, asks them for a 1968 IDP and says Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 version. Japan is a party to the 1949 convention but not the 1968 one, so the permit you can get at home is the 1949 model; bring it anyway as a translation of your licence. Keep your Japanese licence and passport together, and before you book, ask the rental company which documents it will accept.

The side switch is the real adjustment

Japan drives on the left; Morocco drives on the right. This is what catches Japanese drivers out, and the risk is concentrated in your first day — roundabouts now flow the opposite way, and the reflex glance at a junction points the wrong direction. Take your first hour on quiet roads rather than in a medina-edge scrum, and stay deliberate at every turn.

A stricter-than-home alcohol limit, and the kit you must carry

Morocco’s blood-alcohol limit is a near-zero 0.02, even tighter than Japan’s 0.03 — so the only safe policy is no alcohol before driving. By law you must carry a warning triangle and a reflective vest (a first-aid kit and extinguisher are sensible additions); rental cars usually have them, but check, since roadside fines apply. Speeds run 60 km/h in towns, 100 km/h rural and 120 km/h on motorways, and a typical speeding penalty is around MAD 300–700 (≈ €28–65), often paid on the spot. Note the unusual emergency number — 190 for police — and that fuel sits near $1.38/litre.

Check your documents with the Driving Permit Checker, read the full rules on the Morocco driving guide, and estimate a penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator before you go.

Sources

• U.S. 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