Change currency, Euros to Dirhams

In Morocco the official currency is the Dirham. Its usual change is 11 Dirhams per Euro, but depending on the demand it can range between 11.1 and 10.8.

The Dirham is divided into 100 cents. Banknotes of 200, 100, 50, 20, and coins of 10, 5, 1, (silver color) and smaller amounts (0,1,0,20 and 0,5) gold color circulate.

As a rule, banknotes are usually very tampered with and sometimes in poor condition, since most economic transactions are made with money, with little use of other forms of payment, such as cards.

Exchange and payments:

Banks in Europe do not usually have dirhams (they are not listed on the foreign exchange market) and if they do they make a bad exchange. It is recommended to change Euros to Dirhams in Morocco or at the borders.

Ways to Change:

• At the border: on the land borders of Ceuta and Melilla there are often people who live off this exchange trade. They are the ones that offer the best changes and are generally safe. As a precaution, do not deliver the Euros until they give us the change and we check it, to avoid missing a ticket.
• At customs and airports: There are usually exchange offices, often related to a bank. They have worse change, but an official receipt is delivered, which can be useful if we change a large amount of euros.

Inside the country: In almost all cities there are exchange offices, central and sometimes inside stores during business hours, usually at a good price, so it is also a good alternative. Bank offices can be changed, although with limited hours. In almost all hotels you can change currency, at a worse price.

How to pay:

In almost all shops they admit paying with Euros, but in these cases they usually make the change of 10 Dirhams for 1 Euro. When they are small quantities it is of little importance, but if the item is expensive it implies an extra cost of 10%.

A good alternative to pay when it is a moderate amount, (example from 500 Dirhams), is to use the card. They usually make a good change, always in serious establishments. ATMs can be dangerous, if they do not return the card, it is better not to use them.

Travelers Checks are only valid in luxury hotels.