Buying a Morocco SIM card in 2024: Everything you need to know to have an incredible trip

Why buy a sim card in Morocco

In these current times, it’s essential to stay connected while travelling around the world, especially if you work online like me.

Whether you need help with directions on Google Maps, want to collect inspiration from a blog or Instagram, need roadside assistance or simply want to stay in touch with your family and friends, having a reliable internet connection in Morocco makes things so much easier.

Add to that, that a Morocco sim card comes at a fair price, and buying one becomes an absolute no-brainer.

While there are quite a few places that offer public WiFI, it’s pretty common that those networks are unsecured – so I personally prefer a data connection from a trustworthy provider instead.

If you do prefer to use public WiFI abroad, make sure you use a reliable VPN such as NordVPN.

Can I use my current phone number while using WhatsApp?

To me, one of the best things about buying a local sim card in Morocco is the fact that you can still use your own phone number while using the services of Whatsapp.

The reason being is that your existing WhatsApp account is registered to your existing number, so switching sim cards makes no difference as long as you don’t change the number in your WhatsApp settings.

While I can imagine that this sounds rather confusing, it will continue to work as before, but now with the data plan package that is active on your local sim card. 

I’ve personally done this quite a few times during my travels, so I’m pretty confident that it works for you too.

Also, if you purchase a data plan package at the Marrakech Airport (which I did myself), the vendor will assist you with setting up the sim card to your phone.

Where to buy a sim card

When it comes to buying a sim card in Morocco, you can either buy one upon arrival at the airport, grab one from the many mobile provider stores, get one online and in advance and even buy one from the street vendors at the famous Djemaa El Fna square.

I’ve listed the four options down below:

 

Marrakech Airport

To me, the best option is to buy a local sim card straight away at the Marrakech Airport, right after you touched down in the country.

As soon as you’ll arrive in the baggage claim area, you’ll stumble upon the stands of Morocco’s leading mobile providers; Orange, Maroc Telecom, and INWI.

These providers have a wide variety of data plan packages on offer, so you can easily select the option that suits your needs.

One thing that’s worth mentioning, is that if you wish to buy your sim card for Morocco at the Marrakech Airport, you’ll have to buy it at one of the above-mentioned stands since you can’t re-enter the baggage hall after you went through customs.

Also, in some cases it is not possible to pay with credit or debit cards – so make sure you have some local currency on hand too.

 

Mobile provider stores

If you missed the opportunity to buy a sim card at the airport, don’t worry – there are plenty of phone stores situated in Morocco’s major cities, including Marrakech, Fez, Casablanca, and Rabat.

In general, the prices and packages at these stores are similar to those at the airport.

For those looking to buy a sim card from a phone store, make sure you’ll bring your passport, as well as a copy of your passport just to be sure.

As with so many stores in Morocco, English-speaking employees are often limited, which makes those stores slightly more challenging than the stands at the airport.

 

Street Vendors

Another option is buying a Morocco sim card directly from one of the many vendors found at the popular Djemaa El Fna square in Marrakech.

While these vendors do offer sim card packages from trustworthy providers such as Orange, INWI and Maroc Telecom, you’ll never know which package you receive unless you know Arabic.

Since this option is highly prone to all sorts of scams, I would strongly discourage buying a sim card from street vendors.

However, given the fact that I haven’t purchased a sim card here myself, and had a great experience at Orange at the airport, I’m slightly biased. 

Having said that, if you somehow end up picking this option; be cautious and keep in mind that the prices are always negotiable.

 

E-sim cards

If you’re the type of person that prefers to have everything sorted out before a trip, you likely value the benefits that come with buying an eSIM online.

The eSIM is a completely digital sim card and is by far the most straightforward option. Just order the Choukran eSIM card from Airalo and activate your data package by scanning the QR code that you received in your mail, and you’re good to go!

When in the market for an eSIM, it’s good to know that it’s only possible to obtain one from a 3rd party. I recently stumbled upon Airalo and ever since it has become my go-to when it comes to eSIMs.

Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store and offers data plans for over 190 countries, which makes it super straightforward to be connected to the internet from the moment you land. 

More information on the Choukran eSIM for Morocco here. 

Morocco sim card Providers

 

Orange

Even though Orange has the smallest 4G network in Morocco, I still believe it is one of the best options if you’re looking to grab a sim card with a data plan in Morocco.

The data packages at Orange include

10 GB data and 300 minutes that are valid for 30 days | 165 MAD(€15,-)

20 GB data and 600 minutes that are valid for 30 days | 330 MAD (€30,-)

 

INWI

A great option for those looking for flexibility, since INWI offers the possibility to create your own package, which operates at the best 4G/5G network in Morocco.

At INWI, you can either choose a custom amount of data that suits your needs at €1,- per gigabyte, or opt for their unlimed plan for 550 MAD (€50,-). 

It is good to note that both of these packages are valid for 30 days.

 

Maroc Telecom

Known to have the best 4G/5G network strength in the whole of Morocco, Maroc Telecom offers a wide variety of prepaid data packages.

The data packages at Maroc Telecom include

20 GB of data that is valid for 30 days | 220 MAD (€20,-)

30 GB of data that is valid for 30 days | 330 MAD (€30,-)

40 GB of data that is valid for 30 days | 440 MAD (€40,-)

 

Airalo

Ever since the rise of the now extremely popular eSIM, Airalo has become the leading company when it comes to this innovative digital alternative.

For Morocco, Airalo created the Choukran eSIM, a data-only package that operates on the networks of Orange or Maroc Telecom.

The Choukran data package at Airalo includes

1 GB of data that is valid for 7 days | 98 MAD (€9,-)

Also, at Airalo you can easily top up your data with 1 GB at a time for 98 MAD (€9,-) through the Airalo app on your phone.

My advice

Given I bought my sim card for Morocco from Orange upon arrival at the Marrakech Airport and had great connectivity throughout my trip, I would obviously recommend anyone to do the same.

For 150 MAD (€13,60), you’ll receive 10GB of data and 300 minutes that is valid for 30 days.

If you’re a large consumer or spent more time in the country, you can also opt for 20GB and 600 minutes at a price of 300 MAD (€27,20). Do note that this package is also valid for 30 days.

I opted for the first option, and had more than enough data for a week in Morocco – plus had a reliable connection for most of the time (except for the High Atlas Mountains).

Alternatively, if you’re the type of traveller that likes to have everything sorted out before your trip, you probably enjoy the benefits of buying an eSIM online too.