Buying an apartment, villa or riad in Marrakech is possible for a foreign buyer, including if they do not reside in Morocco. However, before signing, you should verify the legal status of the property, allow for the total cost of the acquisition and properly organise the transfer of funds.
An apartment in a co-ownership development, a riad in the Medina and a villa on a large plot on the outskirts do not require the same precautions. This guide outlines the main steps to prepare your real estate purchase in Marrakech, from the first viewings through to registering the property in your name.
Can a foreigner buy real estate in Marrakech?
Yes. Moroccan foreign-exchange regulations expressly provide for real estate investments by foreign nationals, whether resident or non-resident. It is therefore possible to arrange an acquisition while living abroad.
However, this does not mean that all properties can be acquired under the same conditions. The status of the land, the seller’s rights and applicable authorisations must be examined for each case.
Particular care is required for agricultural land or land intended for agricultural use. A non-agricultural use certificate procedure, generally referred to as AVNA or VNA, allows, under the prescribed conditions, acquisition by a foreigner for a non-agricultural investment project. The system distinguishes between a provisional certificate and a final certificate.
For a villa or property located outside the city, ask the notaire to confirm the status of the land and the precise scope of the available documents. The presence of a house, garden or swimming pool is not sufficient to establish that the acquisition is possible under the stated conditions.
Define your project before selecting properties
A pied-à-terre used for a few weeks each year is not selected in the same way as a main residence. Before viewings, define your overall budget, travel requirements, tolerance for renovation work and arrangements during your absences.
For an apartment, review how the co-ownership is run, the service charges, parking and any approved works. For a villa, request an estimate of maintenance costs and have the facilities checked. For a riad requiring renovation, have the building’s condition and the feasibility of the works assessed by the relevant professionals before setting your budget.
Our guide to Marrakech neighbourhoods can help you prepare this initial selection. You can then compare properties for sale in Marrakech according to your intended use, criteria and purchase budget.
Which documents should be checked before making a commitment?
For a registered property, examining the land title and registered entries is an essential step. In particular, it makes it possible to check the rights registered against the property.
Ask the notaire to verify:
- The seller’s identity and authority to sell.
- The existence of any other owners.
- Mortgages and other registered entries that may affect the transaction.
- Consistency between the documents and the property offered for sale.
- The documents and authorisations required to complete the acquisition.
Also clarify what is actually included in the sale: parking, terrace, outbuildings, furniture or equipment. These items must be identified in the appropriate documents.
Reviewing the land title does not replace checking building authorisations, occupation of the property or its technical condition. A property may present administrative issues or require works regardless of its land title.
If the property is not registered, request a specific assessment of the seller’s rights and the steps required. A promise of future regularisation should not replace a properly verified file.
Preliminary sale agreement and authentic instrument: what changed in 2026
Law No. 041.25, published in the Official Bulletin of 16 July 2026, amended Article 4 of the Code of Real Rights.
It now requires, on pain of nullity and unless a specific provision provides otherwise, an authentic instrument for the transactions it covers. This includes, in particular, the transfer of real estate ownership, preliminary real estate sale agreements and the corresponding powers of attorney.
In practice, involve the notaire in your project before signing a preliminary agreement or paying any sum. Ensure that the price, deadlines, conditions relating to financing or awaited documents, and arrangements for holding, returning or releasing funds are specified.
Do not rely on a verbal agreement concerning what would happen in the event of a refused loan or legal difficulty. The conditions protecting your commitment must be included in the instrument appropriate to the transaction.
If you wish to be represented from abroad, have the content and form of the power of attorney, as well as the formalities required for its use in Morocco, approved in advance.
How should funds be transferred to buy in Marrakech?
The banking process should be arranged before payment. The Office des Changes provides for a convertibility regime for foreign investments financed in foreign currency in accordance with its regulations. This regime covers, in particular, the transfer of income and sale proceeds from the investment.
Ask your bank and the notaire to determine the arrangement suitable for your acquisition: international transfer, foreign-currency account or convertible dirham account, depending on the transaction.
Keep the bank documents establishing the origin and use of the funds with the purchase deeds. It is not enough to show that a sum has left your account abroad: the file must make it possible to understand how it financed the investment in Morocco.
In the event of resale, the bank examines the required documents, including those relating to the investment, the sale and tax obligations. Preparing this traceability from the time of purchase makes it easier to compile the transfer file.
What costs should be expected in addition to the property price?
The price negotiated with the seller does not represent the total budget for the transaction. Before making a commitment, request a breakdown distinguishing:
- Registration duties.
- Land registration fees.
- Notaire’s fees.
- Disbursements and administrative costs.
- Any agency fees payable by you.
- Costs relating to the loan and its security, if you borrow.
For example, the 2026 General Tax Code provides for a rate of 4% for the acquisition of built premises falling within Article 133-I-F-1°.
For an apartment purchased for 2,000,000 DH and falling within this category, registration duties at the 4% rate amount to 80,000 DH. This amount does not constitute the total purchase costs.
The same code provides for an additional registration duty of 2% for certain real estate transfers exceeding 300,000 DH where the payment arrangements, or their mention in the deed, do not comply with the conditions laid down. This is not a general surcharge applicable to foreign buyers. Ask the notaire to confirm the treatment of your payment.
To prepare your budget, you can use our Morocco acquisition costs calculator. Its result remains indicative: the final calculation must take account of the property, the documents and the financing.
Also remember to keep a separate budget for any works, furnishing and set-up costs.
Can a non-resident obtain a mortgage?
Yes. Foreign-exchange regulations provide for loans in dirhams for non-resident foreign individuals.
The 2026 General Instruction on Foreign Exchange Transactions sets a regulatory ceiling of 80% of the price of the property to be acquired or built, subject to conditions concerning payment of the balance and repayment.
This ceiling is not a promise of financing. The bank must accept your application and determine the terms of its offer.
For loans intended for the acquisition or construction of residences, the instruction also requires the non-resident foreign borrower to provide a sworn declaration stating that they do not own any residence in Morocco. The rules applicable to Moroccans living abroad differ.
Before making a commitment, obtain written confirmation of the amount that can be financed, the required deposit, the cost of the loan, the security and the release conditions. Arrange suitable clauses with the notaire if your purchase depends on this financing.
After signing, check registration in your name
For a registered building, the process does not end with signing and handover of the keys.
Articles 66 and 67 of the dahir on land registration give a decisive role to the registration of rights on the land title, including for the effects of the transaction between the parties.
Request confirmation that your acquisition has been registered and an updated document showing your rights. Keep the deeds, proof of payment, bank documents and records relating to completed formalities together.
Then arrange the management of the property: necessary contracts, insurance, communications with the building manager where applicable, and maintenance during your absences.
Finally, if you are planning to settle in Marrakech, deal separately with residence formalities. A real estate project does not exempt you from complying with entry and residence formalities applicable to your nationality.
Preparing your purchase in Marrakech from abroad
Buying in Marrakech as a foreigner requires coordinating the property search, legal checks and financing. The aim is to have a clear answer before making a commitment as to what you are buying, what the transaction will cost and the conditions for completing it.
If you are arranging this acquisition from abroad, the Marrakech real estate search mandate allows you to entrust Cameron with the search and selection of properties matching your criteria, alongside the work of the notaire and your bank.
Official sources
Information verified on 7 September 2026.
- Office des Changes — foreign investment and transfer guarantee: Making a foreign investment in Morocco.
- Office des Changes — transfers, supporting documents and non-resident loans: General Instruction on Foreign Exchange Transactions 2026, in particular Articles 11, 12, 170 to 177 and 201 to 203.
- General Secretariat of the Government — authentic instruments: Official Bulletin No. 7526 of 16 July 2026, Law No. 041.25, page 4426, Arabic text.
- Directorate General of Taxes — registration duties: General Tax Code 2026, Articles 133-I-F-1° and 133-III.
- ANCFCC — land title and registration of rights: Dahir of 12 August 1913 on land registration, as amended and supplemented, in particular Articles 61, 65, 66 and 67.
- Casablanca-Settat Regional Investment Centre — AVNA: Investment Guide, presentation of the provisional and final certificates, page 59.
- France Diplomatie — residence of French nationals: Entry and residence formalities in Morocco.
This guide sets out the general rules. The notaire handling the acquisition must confirm their application to the property and the buyer’s circumstances.
