Buying an apartment in Morocco from abroad: the 2026 guide

Every year, thousands of Moroccans living abroad (MRE) buy an apartment in Morocco: for the holidays, to prepare a return, to house the family or to invest. The good news is that an off-plan purchase can now be handled almost entirely remotely, provided you know the rules. Here is, step by step, how to buy a new apartment in Morocco from the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany or the Netherlands without endless return trips.

1. Can you buy in Morocco without travelling?

Yes. Signing the reservation contract, the preliminary contract and the final deed of sale can be entrusted to a representative through a notarised power of attorney. There are two ways:

• At the Moroccan consulate in your country of residence: the simplest route, as the consulate directly issues a power of attorney valid in Morocco.
• Before a local notary (in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Spain…), followed by legalisation or an apostille so that the deed is recognised in Morocco.

The representative can be a trusted relative or, more often, the Moroccan notary themselves. Ask the notary handling the sale for the power of attorney template they want to receive: it specifies the exact powers (reserve, pay, sign, take delivery) and the property concerned.

2. The steps of an off-plan purchase (VEFA) in Morocco

In Morocco, buying a new apartment that is still under construction falls under the off-plan sale regime (vente en l'état futur d'achèvement, VEFA), governed by Law 44-00 as amended by Law 107-12. The typical process:

• Reservation: you choose the apartment (floor, orientation, layout) and pay a reservation deposit against a receipt.
• Notarised preliminary contract: it describes the property, the price, the schedule of payments in instalments tied to construction progress, the expected delivery date and the guarantees.
• Staged payments: each instalment is called at a stage of construction (structural work, second fix, finishing, delivery) — never the full amount before completion.
• Final deed of sale at the notary, after completion and issue of the occupancy permit.
• Delivery and registration: handover of the keys, then registration of your land title at the Land Registry (Conservation foncière).

At every step, insist on written documents (receipts, bank certificates, handover report). A developer who refuses to go through a notary for the preliminary contract should put you on your guard.

3. Financing the purchase from abroad

The convertible dirham account

Open an account with a Moroccan bank — most allow this remotely or during a visit home — and fund it by foreign-currency transfer (pounds, euros, dollars…). An investment financed in foreign currency and duly documented benefits from the convertibility regime: if you resell, the proceeds can be transferred back to your country of residence. Keep the transfer certificates issued by the bank carefully.

Mortgages for Moroccans abroad

The major Moroccan banks offer home loans dedicated to Moroccans living abroad, repayable in dirhams or sometimes in foreign currency. They generally ask for:

• Proof of income from your country of residence (payslips, tax notices, employment contract).
• A personal contribution, often 20 to 30% of the price.
• The notarised preliminary contract and the programme's land title.

Compare offers: rates, insurance, arrangement fees and early repayment conditions vary from one bank to another. A broker or the developer can point you in the right direction, but the choice of bank is yours.

4. Fees and taxes to plan for

Acquisition costs for a new apartment amount to about 6 to 7% of the price: registration duties, Land Registry, notary fees and stamp duties. We detail them, with a worked example at 650,000 MAD, in our guide Purchase costs of a new apartment in Morocco (in French). As for annual taxes, the housing tax and the municipal services tax apply; new buildings used as a main residence benefit from a temporary exemption. As the rules change regularly, have them confirmed by your notary or a tax adviser.

5. Monitoring construction remotely

It is the first worry of non-resident buyers: “what is happening on site while I am not there?” A transparent developer publishes real progress:

• Dated photos and videos taken on site, not stock images.
• A milestone timeline (structural work, second fix, finishing, delivery) showing the current stage.
• The apartment's dimensioned floor plan and, ideally, a 3D model to picture it room by room.
• A single point of contact reachable by WhatsApp, email and phone, in your time zone.

This is exactly what we do for the Oum Kaltoum Residence in Martil, Harmonie Bâtie's new-build programme: downloadable dimensioned plan, immersive 3D tour of the apartment, site photos and videos, and a progress timeline updated at every stage.

6. Pitfalls to avoid

• Untitled land: choose a programme built on a land title (titre foncier, not a mere “melkia” deed), which can be checked at the Land Registry.
• A developer with no legal existence: check its trade register entry and its liability insurance (ten-year liability).
• Untraceable payments: never cash without a receipt; favour transfers to the developer's or the notary's account.
• No building permit: ask for it, as well as the occupancy permit on delivery.
• Vague floor areas: insist on a dimensioned plan and a precise living area, written into the contract.

7. By country of residence: consulate, power of attorney and banks

The procedure is the same everywhere, but the addresses change. The power of attorney is signed either at the Consulate General of Morocco for your area (with no further formality), or before a local notary, in which case it must be apostilled and then translated if it is not in Arabic or French. Book online: consular slots fill up quickly before the summer. For transfers and the convertible dirham account, the three large Moroccan banking groups have branches in Europe: Attijariwafa bank Europe, Chaabi Bank (Banque Populaire group) and Bank of Africa (BMCE Euroservices), in addition to the Moroccan banks' online offers for Moroccans abroad.

• France: consulates general in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Montpellier, Rennes, Dijon, Orly, Pontoise, Colombes and Villemomble, among others; branches of the three banks in most large cities.
• Belgium: consulates general in Brussels, Antwerp and Liège; Moroccan bank branches in Brussels and Antwerp.
• Spain: consulates general in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Algeciras, Almería, Bilbao and Las Palmas, among others; Moroccan bank branches in Madrid and Barcelona.
• Italy: consulates general in Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Verona and Palermo, among others; Moroccan bank branches in Milan and Turin.
• Germany: consulates general in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt, consular section in Berlin; Moroccan bank branches in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.
• Netherlands: consulates general in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and 's-Hertogenbosch; Moroccan bank branches in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
• Elsewhere (United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Gulf countries…): the same procedure applies through the Moroccan embassy or consulate of your country of residence.

Check the jurisdiction and the documents required on the consulate's website before you go, and tell us your country of residence: we adapt WhatsApp call times and the video visit of the site to your time zone.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy an apartment in Morocco without travelling?

Yes. A notarised power of attorney, drawn up at the Moroccan consulate of your country of residence or before a local notary and then legalised, allows a relative or the notary to sign the reservation contract and the deed of sale on your behalf.

Can a Moroccan living abroad get a mortgage in Morocco?

Yes, most Moroccan banks offer home loans to Moroccans living abroad, on presentation of proof of income from the country of residence. The personal contribution required is generally 20 to 30% of the price, depending on the bank and the profile.

Why pay in foreign currency from abroad?

An investment financed in foreign currency, transferred through a Moroccan bank, benefits from the convertibility regime: the proceeds of a future resale can be transferred back abroad. Keep all transfer receipts.

How can I monitor construction remotely?

A reliable developer publishes real progress: dated photos and videos of the site, a milestone timeline, a dimensioned plan and a 3D model. Harmonie Bâtie publishes these online for the Oum Kaltoum Residence in Martil.

Which documents should I check before signing?

The land title of the plot, the building permit, the developer's trade register entry and insurance, then the preliminary off-plan sale contract (VEFA) drawn up by a notary.

Conclusion

Buying an apartment in Morocco from abroad is no risky adventure if you follow four principles: a notary at every step, traceable payments in foreign currency, an identifiable developer and verifiable construction monitoring. The rest — choice of area, orientation, layout — can be prepared calmly from home.

At Harmonie Bâtie, a property developer based in Tetouan, we support Moroccans abroad from start to finish on the Oum Kaltoum Residence in Martil: 3-bedroom apartments of about 70 m² from 650,000 MAD, delivery expected early 2027, with the power of attorney and the notary included in our support.