It can be daunting on your first go, but it's actually a very easy border crossing to get into Morocco, though like any African border, you will need a modicum of patience, as you'll need to trot from one booth to another getting the various bits of paper stamped.
You'll find lots of blokes in Djellabah's milling around the place, most with a badge dangling around the neck, offering to help you through the process.....if it's your first time, take one of them up on the offer...a ten euro note at the end is about right for their assistance and it can make things go smoothly.
I'd recommend Algeciras-Cueta as your Med crossing, then cross from cueta into Morocco proper (Cueta is a Spanish Enclave, and a tax free zone IIRC...the fuel is certainly rather cheaper than in Mainland Spain so get there with empty tanks)
You don't need a VISA or Carnet for Morocco, but must have the original motor registration document (V5) plus your passport. If you don't have green card cover for Morocco you can purchase it per below.
When purchasing your ferry tickets at Algeciras, ask for white Moroccan immigration forms. You need two variants of these, one for entry, one for exit. Use the time on the ferry to complete them.
As you leave Spanish Morocco, you will be directed into a holding area for processing your entry into Morocco. You can safely ignore anyone not wearing either a gun or a pale blue customs uniform.
They've changed the layout of the holding area now...I was there in January and again in April, and in that time they completely switched things around.
It looks something like this though, with you entering from the portacabin area closest to Cueta.
^
|
| Assurance
| Frontiere
|
^
|
| B.M.C.E.
| (bank)
|
^
|
| Passport
| windows
|
^
|
| Portacabin
| offices
|
|
1. Go to the portacabin and get a temporary import form for the bike (Declaration dImportation Temporaire de Moyens de Transport). This is green and in triplicate. Write down your name (first, family), your nationality, passport number, and number of nights you are staying. Then the bike registration and country (GB), the manufacturer and model, and the chassis number from your V5.
2. Go to the passport window and hand in your passport and white immigration form. You will get a stamp and a number in the passport. Add the number onto the green import form after your nationality (second line).
3. Go to the BMCE bank and change some money. If you don't already have green card cover go to the Assurance Frontiere office to arrange. This will cost 59 or 558MAD for 10 days and about 80 for a month.
4. Now go back to the portacabin and hand in the passport, green import form, your V5 and either the green card or the border insurance. The forms will be stamped.
5. Now find the head honcho in the pale blue uniform (probably sitting down somewhere in the shade) to let him see and initial everything.
6. You can now drive forward to the actual customs post, but don't put anything away as you'll need to show everything again.
The return trip is much easier. You need to queue with your passport and white exit form. Then queue again to hand in the two remaining sheets of the temporary import form, one of which will be returned to you.
Don't take any photos in the customs area (or if you do, keep the camera hidden away) and once you're clear of the final gates, be very careful lingering outside under the hill on the big parking area..it'll be your first encounter with the beggars and unless you harden up quickly, it can be both annoying, upsetting and tedious
I absolutely love the country..it's got everything from forests to high mountains amazing beaches to extreme deserts, more Roman ruins than most European countries (see Volubilis) and the people are amazingly welcoming.
I feel more uneasy walking in any UK town centre after dark than I do in most towns in Morocco, but petty crime is a problem in some areas so keep wallets purses etc close and tight......and shut.
I have to disagree with roamingyak...the south is much much better than the north........
Until you get over the Rif mountains, you'll get non stop hassle from Kif (weed) sellers......a lot of economic migrants head north to try and get into Spain and it can be a rather unpleasant place, but once clear of the Rif range, it gets better.
I could go on for hours......it's just a phenomenal country.....I'm over again in October in the newly acquired 110, then I'm running a couple of bike trips before Christmas........I'm quite happy to natter to anyone about the place if you'd like more info or specifics on Morocco...as you can tell, I'm a bit of an enthusiast!!
Bill
