Importing a car from China to Morocco: full landed-cost guide 2026

Importing a car from China to Morocco: duties, single-vehicle approval and the carte grise

Morocco has no free-trade agreement with China, so a new petrol car pays the standard 17.5% import duty, then 20% VAT and a 0.25% parafiscal import tax (TPI). A new car whose maker has no accredited representative in Morocco, or which is not type-approved there, needs single-vehicle approval (homologation à titre isolé) before it can get a carte grise.

Policy checked: 26 October 2026. The customs (ADII) and road-safety agency (NARSA) websites could not be opened from our location that day, so rates were checked in the European Commission's Access2Markets tariff data for Morocco, the WTO's trade policy review and Germany's GTAI, and procedures in the Bulletin officiel texts. Valuation, approval and registration are decided by the ADII and the approval and registration services on the actual vehicle; nothing here guarantees the outcome.

Who can import, and what the car must be

The import formalities listed for heading 8703 are the customs declaration, commercial invoice, bill of lading, insurance certificate, an engagement of importation, commercial registration and a customs release certificate for vehicles. Under the registration order 2711-10, the clearance certificate must be in the name of the owner who registers the car; a company registered as a vehicle importer may use its own clearance certificate to register a car in a buyer's name.

Article 96 of Decree 2-10-421 requires single-vehicle approval for new imported cars whose maker has no accredited representative in Morocco, new cars not type-approved, and used cars imported at less than five years old. Ask the broker before buying an older used car.

Taxes and the landed cost

1. Import duty 17.5% on new petrol passenger cars up to 2,200 cc, per the Access2Markets tariff data for 8703.23; 2.5% for battery-electric cars.
2. Parafiscal import tax 0.25%, levied on imported goods according to the WTO review (para. 3.53).
3. VAT 20%, the standard rate, on the customs value plus duty and other import taxes.

Two petrol SUVs, calculated live by the same rules engine as this site's calculator on the CIF value. The approval row is an estimate, not an official fee:

Landed charges come to about 44% of CIF, or 114–121% on top of the ex-works price. These are estimates, not a binding DDP offer; the ADII's assessment prevails.

Single-vehicle approval and the carte grise

Approval. Order 2730-10 sets the file for a new car without an accredited representative: three copies of the vehicle's descriptive notice, all documents proving its technical characteristics comply with Moroccan rules, and proof of payment of the fees; a car not type-approved also needs test reports. If the vehicle conforms, the national testing and approval centre (CNEH) issues the approval report (procès-verbal). LandedCar collects the manufacturer's descriptive notice and conformity documents in China and sends them with the shipping documents.

Registration. Order 2711-10 lists the carte grise file for a car bought abroad: application form, proof of residence, purchase invoice, the identification certificate and approval report, the clearance certificate in the owner's name and the fee receipt. The identification certificate is issued in three copies, the first used for customs clearance, and the filing deadline runs from the clearance date. NARSA's online pages could not be opened, so confirm current fees and steps with the broker.

Shipping

Cars ship from China by roll-on/roll-off or container; the calculator uses reference freight to Casablanca or Tanger Med. LandedCar delivers to the Moroccan port (FOB or CIF), handles the Chinese export declaration and supplies the manufacturer's documents; clearance, taxes, approval and registration are carried out in the importer's name by a licensed customs broker. We found no official requirement for a pre-shipment certificate on whole cars; if the broker asks for one, LandedCar arranges and pays for it in China and lists it in the quotation. The responsibility for each step must be written into the quotation and pro forma invoice.

Frequently asked questions

Is an electric car cheaper to import? The duty on battery-electric cars is 2.5% instead of 17.5%; VAT 20% and TPI still apply.

Does a larger engine pay more duty? New cars up to 2,200 cc are listed at 17.5%; check the exact tariff line with the broker for anything larger.

Can a dealer register the car in my name? Yes, the order lets a registered vehicle-import company use its clearance certificate to register the car in a third party's name.

Sources, checked 26 October 2026: Access2Markets: Morocco tariff 8703.23 · Access2Markets: Morocco tariff 8703.80 · Access2Markets: import formalities · WTO Trade Policy Review WT/TPR/S/453 · GTAI: Morocco import duties · BO 5878 bis: Decree 2-10-421 and Order 2711-10 · BO 5910: Order 2730-10. The approval fee shown is an estimate. Rules change; the decisions of the ADII and the approval and registration services on the actual vehicle prevail.