Car rental insurance in Morocco: what is covered and do you need full insurance?

Third-party liability insurance (responsabilité civile) is compulsory for every vehicle on Moroccan roads under the Insurance Code (Law 17-99). It pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people, their cars and their property. It does not pay for damage to the car you are driving.

Any legitimate rental company includes this cover in the price, and the insurance certificate stays in the car with the registration papers. If an agency cannot show you the insurance document, do not take the car. You can read exactly what a Miles Cars car includes in our rental conditions.

CDW (collision damage waiver) is the cover for damage to the rental car itself. It is not unlimited: you remain liable up to a fixed amount called the excess (franchise in French), and the company pays the rest. If repairs cost 3,000 MAD and your excess is 10,000 MAD, you pay 3,000 MAD; if they cost 25,000 MAD, you pay 10,000 MAD.

Theft cover usually works the same way, with its own excess. Always ask for the exact excess amount before you sign and make sure it is written on the contract, because this is the number that decides what a scratch or a dent will cost you.

At major international brands in Morocco, the published excess for small cars is about 11,500 to 14,000 MAD (roughly €1,050 to €1,300) and rises to 20,000–36,000 MAD for SUVs, family and premium cars. Local agencies set their own amounts, often lower, so compare the figure rather than the brand.

With most agencies, the excess is also blocked on a credit card as a deposit at pickup, which is why travellers worry about holds of €1,000 or more. Miles Cars works differently: there is no deposit, no credit card is required and nothing is blocked. The excess still applies to covered damage and its amount is given to you at delivery.

Full insurance, often sold as SCDW or zero excess, reduces your excess for covered damage to zero or close to it. At international desks it typically costs around 140 to 240 MAD per day for economy to mid-size cars; local companies are often cheaper. In return, a dented door or a scraped bumper costs you nothing.

There is no legal definition of full insurance in Morocco, so read what each company means by it. Ask three questions: is the excess really zero, is a deposit still taken, and which parts of the car are excluded?

Even zero-excess cover has exclusions, and they are similar across most Moroccan rental companies. At Miles Cars, the renter remains liable for the following, even with the optional full insurance:

Sometimes, but check before you travel. Rental cover from a credit card or a standalone excess insurance policy usually reimburses you after you have paid the rental company; it does not stop the company from charging the excess on the spot.

Before relying on it, check these points in the policy wording, not in an advert:

Stop safely, check whether anyone is hurt and call the rental company straight away. If someone is injured, call the police on 19 in towns or the Royal Gendarmerie on 177 outside towns; 15 reaches the emergency medical services.

For damage-only accidents with another vehicle, Morocco uses the constat amiable, a joint accident report in French and Arabic filled in and signed by both drivers. According to ACAPS, the insurance regulator, if the other driver refuses to sign, you should ask the police or gendarmerie to draw up an official report instead. Take photos of the scene, both cars and the other driver's licence, registration and insurance certificate.

With Miles Cars, the report must reach us within 48 hours. Do not admit liability or agree a cash settlement with the other driver, as this can leave you uncovered. Our checklist before driving off shows how to document the car at delivery so there is no doubt about existing damage.

For most visitors, yes. Town traffic is dense, parking is tight, mountain roads are narrow, and a single dent can cost more than a week of zero-excess cover. With full insurance, the only damage left for you to watch is to tyres, glass and the underbody, which careful driving on paved roads keeps rare.

If your trip is short, you mainly drive on the motorway and you have checked a card policy that covers Morocco, basic cover can be enough. Either way, factor the insurance into the real cost of renting a car in Morocco rather than looking at the daily rate alone. At Miles Cars, basic insurance is included and full insurance is an option when you book your car for car rental in Agadir or at the airport.