Guide

Buying a home in Morocco, from abroad

This guide follows the usual path for titled urban homes (an apartment, villa or riad with a titre foncier). You do not have to travel to Morocco if you grant a valid special power of attorney. Melkia, agricultural land and off-plan purchases (VEFA) follow partly different rules; those are noted separately below.

Notary or adoul? It depends on the title

Morocco has two land-tenure regimes. Which professional draws up the deed follows from the property’s status — not from a preference to pay less.

Titre foncier — usually a notary

If the property is registered with ANCFCC (titre foncier), a notary draws up the deed. The notary checks title and encumbrances, collects registration duties for the tax authority (DGI) and files the transfer with the Conservation Foncière. This is the usual path for urban apartments and villas.

Melkia — two adouls and the judge

For unregistered property (melkia), two adouls draw up the deed. It must then be homologated by the judge (cadi). Melkia is a presumption of ownership, not an unassailable title, and is easier to challenge.

Since Law No. 41-24 (in force 22 August 2024), the preliminary sale contract and any power of attorney for transferring real rights must, on pain of nullity, be an authentic deed (notary or adoul) or a date-certain deed by a lawyer accredited to the Court of Cassation. A private paper between individuals is no longer valid.

The steps, in order

The sequence below is the usual path for a titled urban home bought from abroad. Some steps overlap, especially title checks, the power of attorney and funding.

  1. Find and assess the home

    Who: Buyer, optionally an agentTime: At your own pace

    Pick a listing and check the title badge (titre foncier, melkia or unregistered). For a remote purchase, titled urban housing is the lower-risk path. Foreigners generally cannot buy agricultural land; whether a plot is agricultural is a local classification your notary should confirm.

    Search homes for sale

  2. Get in touch and view remotely

    Who: Buyer, seller or agentTime: A few days to a few weeks

    Use the listing contact form or WhatsApp. You can request a video viewing; the agent books a slot on WhatsApp video, Google Meet or similar. Asladi does not host video.

    Search homes for saleRequest a video viewing on the listing

  3. Have the title checked

    Who: Notary, optionally a lawyerTime: A few days to about 2 weeks

    Ask your notary for a recent certificat de propriété from the Conservation Foncière (ANCFCC). It shows the registered owner, the area and any mortgages, easements or oppositions. Without a current title check you are signing blind. For an apartment, also obtain the co-ownership rules.

    Search homes for sale

  4. Make an offer, with conditions

    Who: Buyer, seller, optionally an agentTime: A few days

    Agree price, handover and conditions precedent (for example financing or clear title). An informal offer is not yet a sale. Once you sign a compromis, it is binding — and it must be in the proper form.

    Search homes for sale

  5. Arrange a special power of attorney

    Who: Buyer, notary, attorney-in-factTime: A few days to several weeks

    If you are not in Morocco, an attorney-in-fact signs with a special power of attorney (procuration spéciale) in authentic form or as a date-certain instrument. A Moroccan consulate does not itself draw up that real-estate mandate: it can at most legalise a signature on a private deed, which the land registry will not accept. From the Netherlands, Belgium or France the usual route is a local notary plus an apostille. The power-of-attorney guide sets out the steps, documents and official links.

    Power-of-attorney guide

  6. Sign the preliminary contract and pay the deposit

    Who: Notary or adoul, or a cassation-accredited lawyer; buyer and sellerTime: 1 to 3 weeks to sign

    The compromis or promesse de vente sets the property, price, deposit, conditions and the deadline for the final deed. That deadline is in the contract itself; the law does not set one nationwide number of weeks. The deposit is often 10 to 20 percent in practice, but that is not fixed by statute. Prefer escrow with the notary over paying the seller directly.

    Indicative purchase costs

  7. Transfer the price and the extra costs

    Who: Buyer, bank, notaryTime: In parallel; depends on the bank

    The balance plus registration duties, land-registry fees and notary fees go through the notary. Non-residents should import currency through a Moroccan bank and keep the paperwork (Office des Changes). Without that trail, later repatriation of sale proceeds is harder. Every sale listing on Asladi shows an indicative cost breakdown.

    Indicative purchase costs

  8. Sign the final deed

    Who: Notary; buyer or attorney-in-fact; sellerTime: Signing day; tax filing often within about 30 days

    The authentic sale deed is read aloud and signed. The notary collects the duties and pays them to the Direction Générale des Impôts. In practice a 30-day window after the deed is often cited for tax registration; confirm it with your notary. The buyer usually pays deed costs unless the compromis says otherwise.

    Indicative purchase costs

  9. Have the transfer registered

    Who: Notary, Conservation Foncière (ANCFCC)Time: A few weeks to a few months

    The notary files the transfer with the Conservation Foncière. Only after inscription on the titre foncier is the transfer enforceable against third parties (land-registration dahir of 12 August 1913). Processing time differs by office and file.

  10. Take delivery of the home

    Who: Buyer or attorney-in-fact, seller, optionally the syndicTime: As agreed in the deed

    Keys, meters and any co-ownership handover follow the deed. Ask for the updated certificat de propriété as proof that you are registered as owner.

Documents typically required

The list below is common practice, not a nationwide identical checklist. Your notary will give the file list for your deed.

Buyer

Passport or CIN, proof of funds and a traceable payment, and for a remote purchase the special power of attorney. Some notaries also ask for a tax identification number.

Seller

A recent certificat de propriété or titre foncier, ID, and for married sellers often marital-status documents. An inheritance sale needs extra succession papers.

The property

For an apartment, the co-ownership rules. Sometimes tax receipts or planning documents. Extra items differ by notary and property type.

What does buying cost on top?

On top of the asking price, budget roughly 6 to 10 percent for registration duties, land-registry fees, notary fees and stamp duties. Asladi shows an indicative breakdown on every sale listing (standard rates for existing homes). Social housing, large cash payments and other special cases differ.

Browse listings with a cost estimate

What can differ by city or notary

  • The gap between compromis and final deed is set in the compromis; there is no single nationwide statutory number of weeks.
  • The deposit percentage (often 10–20%) is custom, not a statute. Escrow with the notary is wise, not automatic.
  • Conservation Foncière processing time differs by office. Casablanca or Rabat can be busier than a smaller office.
  • The buyer usually pays deed costs unless agreed otherwise in writing. Notary fees follow a degressive scale; ask for the exact statement.
  • Whether a foreign notarial power of attorney with an apostille is accepted is for your Moroccan notary to say. Opening hours, fees and waiting times differ by consulate.
  • The document list is not identical nationwide. A notary in Tangier may ask for different papers than a notary in Marrakech.

When this roadmap is not enough

Off-plan purchases (VEFA) have their own framework, including a standard contract and a completion guarantee. Melkia needs extra due diligence and, ideally, registration before you pay the balance. Agricultural land is generally not for sale to foreigners. Those tracks belong with a notary or lawyer, not with this general overview.

Sources

This guide is based on primary legal texts and practitioner explanations. Where practice diverges, that is stated explicitly above.

  1. Law No. 41-24, enacted by dahir No. 1-24-39 of 7 August 2024, published in Official Gazette No. 7328 of 22 August 2024: amendment of article 4 of Law No. 39-08 (Code des droits réels). Both the compromis and any power of attorney to transfer real rights must, on pain of nullity, be authentic or date-certain. Report: LexisNexis Maroc. Open source
  2. Captain.Legal (June 2026): commentary on Law 41-24, nullity of a private compromis, escrow of the deposit, and the fact that the law does not set a uniform delay between compromis and final deed. The sale is enforceable against third parties after inscription on the titre foncier (dahir of 12 August 1913). Open source
  3. ANCFCC: inscription of a transfer on the titre foncier after filing the deed, review by the registrar and payment of land-registry fees. Open source
  4. Redinmo (Tangier, 2026 practice): notary for titre foncier, two adouls plus homologation for melkia; tax registration often cited within 30 days; Conservation Foncière inscription from weeks to months; deed costs usually paid by the buyer. Open source
  5. Lawyer.net.ma (March 2026): foreigners may buy urban property; agricultural land generally not; deposit often 10–20% in practice; presence or a special power of attorney at the final deed; funds via a Moroccan bank / Office des Changes for later repatriation. Open source