Buying property in Morocco as an MRE

Moroccans living abroad (MREs) buy property in Morocco as Moroccan nationals, and since 1 January 2026 Moroccan banks may lend them dirhams for up to 80% of the price, up from 70% (Office des Changes). The traps are specific to the diaspora: signing from abroad under rules tightened in 2026, inherited family land, and keeping the right to send money back out.

Updated 5 October 2026

Key facts

Since 1 January 2026, Moroccan banks may lend MREs dirhams for up to 80% of a property's price, up from 70%, for any number of properties (Office des Changes).
The balance of the price and all loan repayments must be paid from abroad or from a foreign-currency or convertible dirham account (IGOC 2026, Arts. 11 and 202).
Bank of Africa's Salaf Dari loan for MREs runs for up to 27 years, for borrowers aged up to 70 at the end of the loan (Bank of Africa).
Since 1 June 2026, powers of attorney for property go through a national register of procurations (Hespress).
Since 16 July 2026, promises of sale and special powers of attorney must be authentic acts, or they are void (Law 41-25, according to Bladi).
MREs made up 24% of the 101,521 people who had received Morocco's direct housing aid by 7 May 2026 (maroc.ma).

What rights do MREs have when buying property in Morocco?

The same as any Moroccan. If you hold Moroccan nationality you buy as a citizen, whether you grew up in Casablanca, Charleroi or Rotterdam, whatever your other passport.

The clearest advantage is farmland. A 1975 dahir reserves agricultural land outside urban perimeters for Moroccan individuals and companies, after a 1973 dahir transferred foreign-owned farmland to the State; foreigners need an attestation de vocation non agricole, which certifies a non-agricultural project. MREs are not restricted, which matters for rural family land.

Foreign exchange is the exception: the exchange rules treat MREs like foreign investors (IGOC 2026, Art. 170), so your right to move money back out depends on how you pay.

Can MREs get a mortgage in Morocco?

Yes. Since 1 January 2026, foreign-exchange rules let Moroccan banks lend MREs dirhams for up to 80% of the price of a property bought or built, up from 70%, for any number of properties (IGOC 2026, Arts. 201-203). The conditions:

The balance of the price, and every repayment, must be paid from abroad or from a foreign-currency or convertible dirham account.
Unlike non-resident foreigners, MREs are exempt from the declaration on honour that they own no home in Morocco, and their loan goes into a dirham account in their own name rather than a 'special account' closed to transfers abroad.

Within the cap, each bank sets its own terms. Bank of Africa's Salaf Dari runs for up to 27 years, for borrowers aged up to 70 at the end, with all repayments in Morocco and abroad capped at 40% of net income; its page still mentions up to 85% of the cost, so ask how it applies the 80% cap. See our mortgage guide.

How do MREs keep the right to send money back abroad?

By paying in foreign currency and keeping the paperwork. Property bought with foreign currency or convertible dirhams carries a right to transfer the sale proceeds and gain abroad (IGOC 2026, Arts. 171-173); a transfer from your European bank counts as much as a convertible dirham account.

There is no declaration to file with the Office des Changes. Keep the bank's settlement document for each transfer (Art. 12): at resale, the bank pays out on seeing it, the deeds and proof that tax is paid (Art. 177).

Bought with a dirham mortgage: proceeds are transferable up to your initial foreign-currency contribution, plus the principal repaid in foreign currency or convertible dirhams, plus the gain (Art. 203).
Paid from ordinary dirham savings: an MRE has no right to transfer the proceeds.
Rent: transferable only if the purchase was funded in foreign currency (Art. 161).
The 2026 MAD 2 million rule: it covers the investment income of foreign nationals living in Morocco, not MREs and not sale proceeds.

More in our guide to repatriating funds.

Can you buy property in Morocco without being there?

Yes, through a power of attorney, but no longer a privately signed one. Since a 2017 reform, a private power with only a legalised signature has not been enough, according to the guide site lesmre.com, and the Moroccan press reports that the rules tightened again in 2026:

Since 1 June 2026, powers of attorney for property go through a national register of procurations (Hespress).
Since 16 July 2026, Law 41-25 voids promises of sale and special powers of attorney that are not authentic acts, so a privately signed compromis no longer counts (Bladi).

In practice, sign before a notary where you live, with an apostille and a sworn Arabic translation, or before a Moroccan notaire or adouls, and confirm the form with the notaire handling the sale first. The tighter rules target forged powers: a victim has four years from a fraudulent registration to challenge it (Law 39-08, Art. 2).

On a summer visit you can sign the compromis before the notaire and complete later under the power of attorney.

Family property: indivision, melkia and the acte d'hérédité

Establish who owns what before any money moves. Inherited property cannot be sold until adouls have drawn up an acte d'hérédité (iratha) listing the heirs and their shares, approved by the court of first instance, according to ReaConsult.

Until the estate is divided, the heirs hold it jointly, in indivision. Building on it, or buying a relative's share, without every co-heir's formal agreement invites later claims, and co-heirs can buy back a share sold to an outsider (chefaa) for up to four years if they never knew of the sale (Law 39-08, Arts. 296-304).

Family land is often held under melkia, an adoul deed based on 10 years' possession against outsiders or 40 years against relatives (Chambers). It cannot be mortgaged unless a registration application is pending, and registering it as a Titre Foncier runs through publication and objection stages; see Titre Foncier vs melkia. Every listing on Villas of Morocco is checked at the land registry for a Titre Foncier and confirmed by a notaire before publication.

Can MREs get Morocco's housing aid?

Yes, if the home fits. The direct housing aid pays MAD 100,000 towards a new home priced up to MAD 300,000 including VAT, or MAD 70,000 for one priced between MAD 300,000 and MAD 700,000, and MREs were 24% of beneficiaries by 7 May 2026.

It rarely suits a holiday home: you must own no home in Morocco, never have had state housing aid and buy a new home with an occupancy permit dated 2023 or later, and since 1 January 2026 it must be your main residence for five years or the aid is repaid. See our housing aid guide.

What taxes do MREs pay on property in Morocco?

Broadly the same as residents. Buying costs about 7% of the price in taxes and fees, before agency commission; since 1 July 2026, any part paid in cash on a sale above MAD 300,000 adds 2% (CGI Art. 133-III).

A home you keep in Morocco, or lend free to a spouse, children or parents, counts as your main residence (CGI 2026, Art. 63; DGI). That cuts its rental value for local taxes by 75% and, after five years if it has not been let, exempts it from capital gains tax, except 3% on any part of the price above MAD 4 million. Otherwise the tax is 20% of the gain, with a minimum of 3% of the price.

Unfurnished rent is taxed after a 40% allowance, and Morocco has no inheritance tax. See capital gains and rental income tax. This is general information: confirm your case with a notaire and a tax adviser who knows both countries.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can MREs buy agricultural land in Morocco?

Yes. As Moroccan nationals, MREs are not caught by the 1975 dahir reserving agricultural land outside urban perimeters for Moroccan individuals and companies; foreigners need an attestation de vocation non agricole, which certifies a non-agricultural project. Rural family land still needs checks: confirm the title, the zoning and every co-heir's agreement with a notaire before paying.

How much can an MRE borrow from a Moroccan bank?

Up to 80% of the price. Since 1 January 2026, exchange rules let Moroccan banks lend MREs dirhams for up to 80% of the price, up from 70%, for any number of properties, with the rest paid from abroad or from a convertible account. Each bank also applies its own affordability test.

Can I buy property in Morocco without travelling there?

Yes, through a power of attorney that is an authentic act. Law 41-25 has required this since 16 July 2026, according to Bladi, and since 1 June 2026 property powers go through a national register, Hespress reports. In practice, sign before a notary at home with an apostille and a sworn Arabic translation, or before a Moroccan notaire or adouls.

Can I sell an inherited family home in Morocco?

Yes, once the heirs are established. According to ReaConsult, adouls must first draw up an acte d'hérédité listing the heirs and their shares, approved by the court. A sale without every co-heir's formal agreement invites later claims, and co-heirs can buy back a share sold to an outsider. Have a notaire check the whole file before you agree a price.

Do MREs need to declare a property purchase to the Office des Changes?

No. There is no declaration to file. Your right to send sale proceeds abroad later comes from paying in foreign currency, by transfer from abroad or from a convertible dirham account. Keep the bank's settlement documents with the deed: at resale, the bank transfers the proceeds on seeing them, the deeds and proof that the tax is paid.

Does the 2 million dirham repatriation rule apply to MREs?

No. Since 1 January 2026, foreign nationals living in Morocco who have held an investment for at least ten years can transfer its income, up to MAD 2 million a year, without proof of foreign-currency funding. It covers income, not sale proceeds, and excludes MREs, whose transfer rights depend on having funded the purchase in foreign currency.

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