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Palmeraie estates, restored medina riads and Tangier above the Strait: buying prime property in Morocco as a foreigner, titled land, the costs, and your right to take the money home.
At a glance
| Can foreigners buy? | Yes. Urban residential property freehold, on the same terms as Moroccans, with no permit. Agricultural land is the main exception. |
|---|---|
| Buy titled property | Choose property with a land title (titre foncier) wherever possible. Untitled "melkia" property carries much higher title risk. |
| Purchase costs (resale) | Roughly 6.5–7.5%: 4% registration duty, 1.5% land-registry fee plus fixed charges, a notary fee and small stamp and certificate costs. On new builds, VAT is included in the price. |
| New from 1 July 2026 | An extra 2% registration duty on sales above MAD 300,000 where payment is not made by traceable means (only on the cash part if partly cash). |
| Residency through property | No. Owning property does not give residence. |
| Currency | Moroccan dirham (MAD), not freely convertible. Bring funds in as foreign currency through a bank to keep the right to take the price and any gain home. |
| US tax treaty | Yes (1977). |
Why buy here
Marrakech has been a second home for the world's wealthy for a century: gated estates in the Palmeraie, townhouses in the Hivernage beside the medina walls, restored riads inside it, and golf villas on the road to the Atlas. Tangier, an hour by fast ferry from Spain, looks across the Strait of Gibraltar from Malabata, California and Cap Spartel, with the Mediterranean coast at Tamuda Bay to the east.
Foreigners buy freehold without a permit, on the same terms as Moroccans, and money brought in through a bank can be taken out again. The one essential check is the title: buy titled property, and confirm the land use outside the city plan.
Planning a first visit? See our guide to Marrakech, La Mamounia and Tangier.
Who can buy
Freehold. Foreign individuals and foreign-owned companies can buy villas, apartments, riads and building land inside urban perimeters. There is no reciprocity test, no permit for urban homes and no special treatment for US citizens.
Agricultural land. Foreigners cannot own land with an agricultural vocation, and land outside an urban perimeter is presumed agricultural. A foreign buyer then needs a certificate of non-agricultural use (VNA), tied to a declared project. A 2022 circular removed this for land covered by a development plan and for authorised titled estates. A Palmeraie villa or a Route de l'Ourika estate outside the city plan needs a VNA check before any deposit.
Melkia property, common for older riads, can be bought but should be titled through the land agency (ANCFCC); titling takes months.
Company ownership through a Moroccan company is common for rental or development; a foreign-controlled company still cannot hold agricultural land without a VNA.
Best areas to buy
All prices are indicative averages, not valuations.
Indicative prime priceMAD 22,000–38,000 per m² (villas)
Gated villa estates among the palm groves, with golf; the classic second-home address. Check land-use status outside the city plan.
ReaConsult, April 2026.
The Marrakech Territory →Indicative prime priceMAD 18,000–26,000 per m²
The hotel quarter beside the medina walls, with serviced apartments and townhouses.
ReaConsult, April 2026.
The Marrakech Territory →Indicative prime priceMAD 25,000–40,000 per m² (renovated)
Restored prestige riads inside the walls. Often untitled, so titling matters.
ReaConsult, April 2026.
The Marrakech Territory →Indicative prime priceMAD 9,000–16,000 per m²; top golf villas much higher
Larger estates and golf villas south-east of the city, near Amanjena and the Royal Golf.
ReaConsult, April 2026.
The Marrakech Territory →Indicative prime priceMalabata MAD 11,500–15,000 per m²; California MAD 12,000–15,000 per m²
Villas and apartments with views over the Strait of Gibraltar, an hour by fast ferry from Spain.
ReaConsult, 2026.
The Tangier & the Mediterranean coast Territory →
Indicative prime priceNo published range
Cap Spartel's headland villas, a separate top segment, and the Mediterranean resort coast at Tamuda Bay.
Searched 31 October 2026.
The Tangier & the Mediterranean coast Territory →Also bought by international buyers: Anfa Supérieur and Ain Diab in Casablanca (MAD 22,000–28,000 per m² for apartments; ReaConsult, 2025–2026), Essaouira and Taghazout Bay near Agadir.
Homes and settings
Photographs to show the setting and style of homes; they are not listings for sale.
Developers
Projects selling or taking enquiries on 31 October 2026.
Two- to five-bedroom villas designed by SAOTA beside the Amelkis golf course; sales by enquiry. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗︎
About 80 residential villas by YAMED and Ennismore, going on sale at the end of 2026, with a 130-key hotel due in 2030. Visit website (opens the official site) ↗︎
The Four Seasons Private Residences in Marrakech are sold out; resales are the way in.
How to buy
Transfer the price in foreign currency and keep every bank credit advice: they prove the purchase was financed from abroad and protect your right to repatriate.
For foreign buyers of titled property a notaire is the norm; the notaire holds the funds in a deposit account and pays the duties. Hire your own lawyer for due diligence on larger purchases.
A certificate of ownership from the land registry (ANCFCC), the urban plan and land-use position, building permits and the certificate of conformity, and paid-up local taxes.
With a deposit held by the notaire. Off-plan homes are bought under a regulated contract with staged payments.
Signed before the notaire; the duties go to the tax office and the deed is entered on the land title. Ownership is good against third parties only once registered.
Typically six to twelve weeks for a clean titled property.
Lawyers and lenders who serve foreign buyers can be listed on this page. To advertise, write to [email protected].
Taxes and fees
| Item | Rate or cost | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | 4% of the price for homes and building land (6% commercial) | Buyer |
| Extra duty (from 1 July 2026) | 2% on sales above MAD 300,000 not paid by traceable means | Buyer |
| Land registry (ANCFCC) | 1.5% of the value, plus MAD 100 per property (minimum MAD 500) and MAD 100 per certificate | Buyer |
| VAT (new build) | 20%, included in the developer's price | Buyer |
| Notary | About 0.5–1% plus VAT | Buyer |
| Local taxes | Housing tax and municipal services tax, based on rental value | Owner |
| Rental income (non-residents) | 10% of gross rent below MAD 120,000 a year; 15% above | Owner |
| Capital gains on sale | 20% of the net gain, with a minimum of 3% of the sale price; withheld by the notary for non-residents | Seller |
Morocco has no wealth tax.
Residency
No golden visa. Morocco has never offered residence through property, and no programme was pending on 31 October 2026.
Main route: US citizens visit visa-free for short stays. Longer stays need a residence card from the national police, granted on means of subsistence such as a pension or investment income, on business activity or on family ties. Owning a home supports the file but is not itself a ground. After four years of continuous lawful residence, a ten-year card can be granted.
For Americans: the US–Morocco income tax treaty (1977) allows a foreign tax credit in the US.
Founding Partners
Founding Partners
Three places for Founding Partner Agencies and three for Developers in each Territory. Places are open.
Territories in Morocco: Tangier & the Mediterranean coast, Marrakech.
Questions
Yes. Foreigners buy urban homes freehold on the same terms as Moroccans, with no permit. Agricultural land outside urban perimeters needs a certificate of non-agricultural use.
Roughly 6.5–7.5% on a resale: 4% registration duty, 1.5% land-registry fee, the notary's fee and small charges. Pay by traceable means to avoid the extra 2% duty introduced on 1 July 2026.
Yes, if you brought the purchase funds in as foreign currency through a Moroccan bank and kept the bank's proofs.
No. A home supports an application for a residence card, but residence is granted on income, business or family grounds.
An untitled property held under traditional deeds, common for older riads. It can be bought, but have it titled through the land agency to reduce the risk.
Where to stay while you look
Selected by TheMediterranean.com · The medina, Marrakech
View the ResortChecked and sourced
Checked 31 October 2026. Rules and rates change; confirm with a qualified lawyer and tax adviser before you buy. TheMediterranean.com is not a real estate broker, agent or finder, and nothing here is legal, tax or immigration advice.
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