Mortgages in Morocco: What Are the Conditions for Moroccans Living Abroad and Non-Residents?

• Moroccans living abroad and non-resident foreigners can apply to Moroccan banks to finance the purchase of property in Morocco.
• Banks are authorized to grant loans up to the regulatory ceiling currently in force.
• Banks carry out more in-depth checks on certain types of property.

The Moroccan property market is quite attractive today, driven by several major projects and by the prospect of large international events, including the 2030 World Cup. The Kingdom's political stability also helps strengthen its appeal to investors, especially foreign ones, looking for investment opportunities. In this context, buyers do not hesitate to take the plunge and carry out their plans as soon as an interesting opportunity arises, all the more so because in Morocco banks and financial institutions offer financing solutions to support them.

Financing ceiling

In Morocco, banks are eligible to lend in dirhams to a Moroccan national living abroad (MRE), as well as to non-resident foreigners, so that they can buy or even build a property in Morocco. The financing offered by domestic banks can cover up to 80% of the property's price, with the remaining 20% to be provided by the buyer.

This rule marks a change from the previous one, where the ceiling was set at 70%, since the 2026 General Instruction on Foreign Exchange Operations, published by Morocco's Office des Changes and in force since 1 January 2026.

It is also worth stressing that the regulatory ceiling must be distinguished from the amount actually granted. Each institution keeps its own risk policy and may apply stricter conditions, depending on the borrower's profile and its valuation of the property.

Moroccans living abroad and non-resident foreigners: which documents to provide

As in any country, Moroccan banks ask for supporting documents. However, the personal documents required differ depending on whether the borrower is a Moroccan living abroad (MRE) or a non-resident foreign national.

For a Moroccan living abroad, the bank generally asks for a valid passport, a Moroccan national identity card or a renewal receipt, and a consular card or a residence permit in the country of residence. Proof of address abroad completes the file. For a non-resident foreign national, the passport and proof of address abroad are also requested. In addition, there is a sworn statement certifying that the applicant owns no residence in Morocco. In both cases, the bank may ask for further documents on family and marital status, such as the family record book, the marriage certificate or proof of the marital property regime. These requirements vary between banks and depending on the applicant's situation.

It is worth knowing that in Morocco the bank does not merely check the level of income: it also seeks to understand the borrower's overall financial situation and to establish the origin of the funds intended to make up the down payment. The file may therefore include, for example, the last six bank statements for accounts held in the country of residence and the last three statements for the Moroccan account, if the borrower has one. The bank may also require a bank certificate issued by the foreign institution, savings or investment statements showing that the down payment is available, and the amortization schedules of any loans in progress.

How to repay the installments

Repayments of principal, interest and fees must be paid in transferred foreign currency or from the convertible dirham account, in accordance with the system in force. Note also that once the loan is granted, the bank itself sends the loan contract and the proof of the down payment to the Office des Changes. The lender takes a first-rank mortgage as security or, depending on the structure chosen, a guarantee issued by a foreign bank (instead of relying solely on a mortgage in Morocco, the Moroccan bank may ask a foreign bank to guarantee repayment of the loan).

Points to check before choosing a bank

Before committing to a property purchase in Morocco, a non-resident buyer should get precise answers from the bank on the financing conditions. Beyond the regulatory ceiling, several parameters can affect the loan amount, the total cost of the transaction and the time needed to complete it.

First, find out the maximum loan term, the borrower's age limit at the last installment and the applicable interest rate, including whether it is variable.

Putting the file together is another point of vigilance. The bank should specify the form it expects for documents issued abroad, notably as regards legalization, consular approval or translation. The terms of death and disability insurance should also be examined, in particular any medical formalities imposed on non-resident borrowers. Timing is also a decisive issue: the time needed to process the file and appraise the property should be known in advance, then set against the validity period of the sales agreement, so as to meet the buyer's deadlines. Finally, the buyer should make sure the bank agrees to finance the type of property in question, and check its policy on unregistered properties or those undergoing registration.

Enhanced checks depending on the type of property

Before releasing the funds, banks carry out an in-depth analysis of the buyer's profile and of the property. In addition to the ownership documents, when the property is intended for construction, for example, the bank may ask for the architectural plans, a document certifying the building permit, or an estimate of the works. These documents let the institution examine the property project and the elements needed to finance it. Different documents may be requested depending, once again, on the nature of the property. For the purchase of an existing property, these may include the sales agreement, a recent certificate of ownership, or even the cadastral plan.

It is therefore easy to see that the land title is central to the financing structure, because the security for the loan rests mainly on the mortgage registered against the property in question. A property with a definitive land title is thus a simpler proposition for the bank. Conversely, a property held under Melkia tenure or undergoing a registration procedure can complicate, or even block, the registration of the mortgage. We advise buyers to first check that the bank accepts this type of property before committing to any transaction.

FAQ: Mortgages for Moroccans living abroad and non-residents

1. Can a non-resident foreigner get a mortgage in Morocco?

Yes. Several Moroccan banks finance non-residents and Moroccans living abroad, including Bank of Africa, Attijariwafa Bank, CIH Bank, Crédit Agricole du Maroc, Saham Bank and Société Générale Maroc. Conditions depend on the institution, income, assets, the down payment and the quality of the property being financed. In principle the property must have a land title, because the bank takes a first-rank mortgage. The general framework for acquisition by a foreigner is detailed on our page "Foreigners: buying property in Morocco".

2. Up to what amount can a Moroccan bank finance?

Up to 80% of the property's price since the 2026 General Instruction on Foreign Exchange Operations, in force since 1 January 2026, compared with 70% previously. The remaining 20% is provided by the buyer. This regulatory ceiling must be distinguished from the amount actually granted: each bank keeps its own risk policy and may be stricter depending on the borrower's profile and its valuation of the property.

3. What down payment should you plan for in practice?

The regulatory minimum is 20% since 2026, but banks commonly ask a non-resident for more, often 30 to 50% of the price depending on the profile and the property. The origin of this down payment must be documented: bank statements from the country of residence, a certificate from the foreign bank, savings or investment statements. Also plan for acquisition costs, around 8 to 10% of the price.

4. What rate and term for a non-resident?

Expect a rate of 4.5 to 5.5% in 2026, over terms of ten to twenty years. Reference simulations often use 4.755% over fifteen years. Ask the bank for the maximum loan term, the borrower's age limit at the last installment, and whether the rate is fixed or variable. As an order of magnitude, a loan of €169,000 at 5.5% comes to about €1,384 a month over fifteen years, and €1,165 over twenty years.

5. Does a Moroccan loan cost you the repatriation guarantee?

No, provided the proportion is respected. The guarantee of retransfer applies if the share contributed in foreign currency, through a convertible dirham account, is at least the 20% not financed by the bank. A property bought entirely with a loan in local dirhams does not automatically give the right to retransfer the sale price. This is the point to settle before signing, not at resale (see question 6).

6. How are installments repaid when you live abroad?

Principal, interest and fees are paid in transferred foreign currency or from a convertible dirham account, in accordance with the system in force. As soon as the loan is granted, the bank itself sends the loan contract and the proof of the down payment to the Office des Changes. This channel must be set up when the loan is structured: it is what will make your repatriation file consistent on the day of resale. To keep the repatriation guarantee, it is essential to repay the monthly installments with foreign-currency funds (a transfer from abroad).

7. What security does the bank require?

A first-rank mortgage on the financed property, which presupposes a land title. Depending on the structure, the Moroccan bank may also accept a guarantee issued by a foreign bank rather than relying on the local mortgage alone. In addition there is death and disability insurance, whose medical formalities vary for a non-resident, and insurance on the property.

8. Can you finance a riad held under Melkia tenure, or a property undergoing registration?

This is the point that blocks the most files. The loan's security rests on the mortgage registered against the land title: a property held under Melkia tenure or subject to a registration application complicates, or even prevents, that registration. Check the bank's position before signing anything.

9. Which documents do you need to gather?

For a Moroccan living abroad: valid passport, Moroccan national identity card or renewal receipt, consular card or residence permit, proof of address abroad. For a non-resident foreigner: passport, proof of address abroad and a sworn statement of non-residence in Morocco. Added to these are the financial documents (last six bank statements from the country of residence, last three statements of the Moroccan account, bank certificate, savings or investment statements, amortization schedules of current loans) and, depending on the bank, civil status and marital property regime documents.

10. How long does it take, and what deadline should go in the sales agreement?

Several weeks of processing, which brings the time between the sales agreement and the deed to roughly eight to thirteen weeks, including the property appraisal. Include a condition precedent for obtaining the loan with a realistic deadline, and ask the bank what form it expects for documents issued abroad: legalization, consular approval or translation.

11. Does a loan increase the purchase costs?

Yes, by about 1.4% of the amount borrowed. To register the mortgage, the land registry charges 0.5% on the portion up to MAD 250,000, 1.5% from MAD 250,001 to MAD 5,000,000 and 0.5% above that, plus MAD 100 per property. For a loan of MAD 3 million, this comes to about MAD 42,600, to which the costs of the loan deed are added.

12. Is it better to borrow in Morocco or in your country of residence?

There is no universal answer. A loan taken out abroad and transferred in foreign currency is often simpler to document for a future repatriation, and may offer a lower rate. A Moroccan loan makes sense if you receive income in dirhams or if your local bank offers good terms, but it requires a mortgage on the property. Compare the total cost, not just the rate.

Properties you can finance

Most of the titled properties we offer can be financed by a Moroccan bank, subject to its approval and a first-rank mortgage.

• ners: buying property in Morocco
• Land title and documents to check
• Acquisition costs
• Repatriation of funds on resale

Talk about your financing

We work through with you the down payment, the type of property that can be financed and the deadline to include in the sales agreement, before you commit.

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