For passengers, tourists, travelers, businessmen, Moroccans residing abroad, some change is happening at Morocco’s international airports. Indeed, the Customs Administration has just put in place new rules to be observed both when entering and when leaving Moroccan territory. From now on, travelers of all categories must pay duties and taxes for the gifts they bring back with them. “As a traveler visiting Morocco, you are authorized to bring back from abroad, without customs formalities or payment of import duties and taxes, gifts in limited quantities and without commercial character within the limit of a value total of 2,000 dirhams” (about 185 $USD), specifies the Moroccan Customs Administration.
Outside of these tolerances, any other imported goods must systematically be declared to the customs services with the payment of the corresponding duties and taxes and completion, where applicable, of the formalities provided for by regulations other than customs. However, if the goods in question are not of a commercial nature, travelers will pay the related duties and taxes without signing a customs declaration.
In detail, the customs services of international airports have just put in place a protocol and posters which explain the levels of tolerance. Thus, all gifts and imported goods that exceed a value of 2,000 Dirhams will be systematically taxed. For example, the traveler is only allowed to carry one 150 ml perfume and one 250 ml eau de toilette. Moreover, each passenger is only allowed one carton of cigarettes. In addition, any traveler with pets (dog, cat, birds, etc.) must absolutely provide health documents.
In addition, all medicines transported must absolutely be justified by a medical prescription or a certificate. In the event that the traveler cannot pay the taxes on goods that are exempted from the benefit of the allowances provided for, “the traveler has the option of depositing them at the customs office of entry. Depositing (the imported goods with the Customs Administration at the point of entry) ) does not result in the collection of a storage tax. The deposited items can be retrieved at the end of the stay in Morocco provided they do not exceed a retention period set at sixty (60) days. If at the end of this period, the goods in question are not recovered, they will be considered as abandoned and may be transferred to the Customs Administration under regulatory conditions”, specifies an official document.
Amin RBOUB
