Citizens of Azerbaijan enter Morocco without a visa for up to 90 days, so a full spring semester needs a student residence card from the police. Cash still rules outside big shops, no more than 2,000 dirhams may leave the country, and UIR’s campus sits in Technopolis, well outside central Rabat.
Money
Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Language
Arabic and Amazigh (official); Darija spoken, French widely used
Time
UTC+0 all year since 20 September 2026 (it was UTC+1 before)
Plugs
Type C and E; 220 V
Tipping
Small tips are customary in cafés, restaurants and taxis
19 or 112 reach the police in cities; outside cities call the Gendarmerie Royale on 177. 15 is the Civil Protection for ambulance and fire, and 141 the SAMU medical emergency line. Operators may answer only in Arabic or French.
Set these up before you fly
The essentials that take days to arrange or have to work the moment you land.
Places, programmes and the minimum cGPA are from ADA’s list. Confirm them with the Office of Global Outreach and Partners before you apply: exchange@ada.edu.az
Payments & banking3
Cards work in malls, chains and hotels, but taxis, markets and small shops want cash; the dirham is a closed currency.
DC
Dirham cashEssential
Taxis, markets, cafés and small shops
On arrival
Why you need it: Petits taxis, snack bars, souks and corner shops in Rabat mostly take cash only, so you need dirhams from the first hour.
Bring euros or US dollars in clean notes, or a Visa or Mastercard that works abroad
Change a small amount at the airport, or withdraw from a bank ATM after landing
Keep small notes and coins for taxis and tips
Before you rely on itThe dirham is a closed currency: do not expect to buy it before you leave Baku, and travellers may carry no more than 2,000 dirhams in banknotes in or out of Morocco. Spend or change back what you have before you fly home.
Source: oc.gov.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
BD
Bureau de change and exchange slips
Changing euros or dollars, and changing dirhams back
On arrival
Why you need it: Licensed exchange offices and banks are the legal way to buy dirhams, and the slip they give you is what lets you change leftover dirhams back when you leave.
Change money only at a bank or a licensed bureau de change, never on the street
Keep every exchange slip (bordereau de change) with your passport
Before departure, show your slips to change unspent dirhams back
Before you rely on itUnder the Office des Changes rules, changing dirhams back without a customs import declaration needs an exchange slip in your name less than six months old, up to 20,000 dirhams, so keep the recent ones. Rates differ little between offices; compare a couple.
Source: oc.gov.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
MB
Moroccan bank account (RIB)Essential
Local account the residence card file asks for
On arrival
Why you need it: UIR’s residence card checklist asks for the RIB (account details) and a statement of a Moroccan bank account, so you need one in your first weeks, not just for convenience.
Cost variesVaries by nationalityVaries by university
Ask UIR’s international office which bank branch near campus opens accounts for exchange students
Bring your passport, UIR’s attestation de scolarité and a proof of address, and ask the branch what else it needs
Ask for the RIB and a statement (relevé) for the police file
Install the bank’s app once the account is open
Before you rely on itBig banks include Attijariwafa bank, CIH Bank and Bank of Africa; what each asks a foreign student for, and its monthly fee, differs by bank and branch. A foreigner’s account may be opened as a convertible account; ask the branch how to close it before you leave.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
Essential apps4
Everyday life runs on a handful of apps: ride-hailing, food delivery and classifieds; the train has its own app.
In
inDrive
Rides where you propose the fare, in 34 Moroccan cities
On arrival
Why you need it: Technopolis is far from the tram and petits taxis cannot leave their city, so a ride app is how you get to campus after the last shuttle or back from the airport.
Install inDrive and sign up with your Moroccan number
Enter pickup and destination, then propose a fare
Pick a driver by rating and arrival time; share the trip with a friend
Before you rely on itYou agree the price before the ride, so check what a taxi would cost first; offers far below it are often ignored. Have cash ready, as many drivers expect it.
Source: indrive.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
He
Heetch
Ride app working in Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech
Optional
Why you need it: A second ride app helps at peak hours and late at night, when one app has no drivers near Technopolis or the medina.
Install Glovo and sign up with your Moroccan number
Set your address with a pin, and add directions for the courier
Pay by card or choose cash on delivery where offered
Before you rely on itCheck whether your campus residence lets couriers in or makes you meet them at the gate. Prescription medicines still come from a pharmacy, not the app.
Source: glovoapp.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
Av
Avito
Classifieds for flats, furniture and second-hand goods
Optional
Why you need it: Many private rentals in Rabat and Salé, and cheap second-hand fans, heaters and bikes for a semester, are listed on Avito.
Search by neighbourhood, for example Agdal or Hay Riad, near a UIR shuttle stop
Contact sellers by phone or WhatsApp and meet in daylight
Never send a deposit before seeing the flat or the item
Before you rely on itListings are in French and Arabic. Fake rental ads with photos copied from elsewhere are common; a landlord who will not show the flat or sign a lease is a warning sign.
Source: avito.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
Transport5
Rabat and Salé share a tram network; trains link the cities, and petits taxis cover short trips within a city.
PU
PASS UIR (campus shuttle)Essential
UIR’s buses between Technopolis and Rabat, Salé and Témara
On arrival
Why you need it: UIR’s campus is in Technopolis, outside the city with no tram, so the university’s subsidised shuttle is how most students get to class from Agdal, Hay Riad, Tour Hassan, Salé or Témara.
Paid · 700 dirhams a month or 2,100 a semester (2025/26 rates)Varies by universityVaries by city
Choose the route nearest your flat: Agdal, Tour Hassan, Hay Riad, Témara or Salé
Pay by card or bank transfer through UIR’s e-services; cash is not accepted
Show your student card or payment receipt when you board
Before you rely on itA pass is for one route only. Shuttles run on a fixed timetable, roughly 07:30–21:00 on weekdays with fewer runs at weekends, and may be suspended during university holidays and public holidays; check the 2026/27 rates and times at the start of the semester.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
TR
Tramway Rabat-Salé
Two tram lines across Rabat and Salé, with a student pass
On arrival
Why you need it: The tram is the easiest way round central Rabat, the medina and Salé, and connects with the UIR shuttle at Tour Hassan.
Paid · Student pass (Irtiyah Talib) 160 dirhams a month (2026)Varies by city
Buy a single ticket at the machine on the platform for the first rides
For a monthly pass, have UIR stamp the operator’s school form
Take the form, your enrolment certificate, an ID copy and a recent photo to a sales agency
Before you rely on itThe student pass is for students under 26 and runs for a month from the day you buy it. The operator asks for a copy of the Moroccan ID card (CIN), so ask at the agency whether a passport is accepted. Validate every ride: inspectors fine riders without a valid ticket.
Source: tram-way.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
OV
ONCF Voyages
Train tickets, including Al Boraq high-speed
Optional
Why you need it: Trains are the comfortable way to Casablanca, Fès, Marrakech and Tangier at weekends; the Al Boraq high-speed line stops at Rabat Agdal.
Book and pay by card; the e-ticket shows in the app
Ask at a station whether a young person’s discount card is worth it for your trips
Before you rely on itRabat has several stations: Rabat Agdal (Al Boraq and most intercity trains) and Rabat Ville in the centre. Book Al Boraq early for Friday and Sunday evenings. The site may not open from some foreign networks; the app usually does.
Source: play.google.com · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
AC
ALSA city buses
City buses across Rabat, Salé and Témara
Optional
Why you need it: Buses reach places the tram does not and cost less than a taxi; ask at an ALSA agency which line, if any, serves Technopolis from where you live.
Check your line on the ALSA site or ask at the stop
Carry small change for the fare
For regular trips, ask an ALSA agency about the Carte Etudiant
Before you rely on itBuses are crowded at rush hour and timetables are loose; for daily trips to campus the UIR shuttle is more reliable. The student card form asks for a Moroccan ID card (CIN) copy, so ask whether a passport is accepted.
Source: alsa.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
RS
Rabat-Salé Airport (RBA) arrivals
Getting from the plane to campus or the city
On arrival
Why you need it: The airport is in Salé, close to Technopolis, so arriving at RBA rather than Casablanca saves a two-hour transfer on your first day.
Agree the fare to UIR or your flat before the ride starts
If you land at Casablanca (CMN) instead, take the airport train and change for Rabat Agdal
Before you rely on itTaxis from the airport are grands taxis, which may leave the city, unlike the blue petits taxis. The airport operator ONDA lists taxi and bus options on its page, which blocks many foreign connections. Ask UIR whether it arranges a pickup for exchange students arriving before the semester.
Source: onda.ma · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
SIM, eSIM & internet2
Three operators sell prepaid SIMs with a passport; data is cheap and coverage good in the cities.
OM
Orange MarocEssential
Prepaid SIM with data top-ups from 5 dirhams
On arrival
Why you need it: A Moroccan number is what taxis, landlords, the bank and your classmates’ WhatsApp groups expect, and prepaid data is cheap enough to top up weekly.
Paid · Internet top-ups from 5 to 1,000 dirhams, valid up to 30 days (2026)
Buy a SIM at an Orange shop, showing your passport
Top up with a scratch card or in the Max it app
Choose the *3 internet option when topping up; dial #554# to check your balance
Before you rely on itEvery prepaid SIM in Morocco must be registered to an identity document, a passport for foreigners; pre-activated SIMs sold without ID are not legal. Maroc Telecom and inwi sell similar prepaid SIMs; ask classmates which has the best signal on campus and where you live.
Source: orange.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
MT
Maroc Telecom (IAM)
The historic operator’s prepaid SIM
Optional
Why you need it: If Orange’s signal is weak in your residence or on trips to the mountains or the south, a Maroc Telecom SIM is the usual alternative.
Buy a SIM at a Maroc Telecom agency with your passport
Top up with a scratch card from any corner shop
Ask the agency which internet pass fits a month of use
Before you rely on itIts site blocks many foreign connections, so ask in the shop for current prices. Registration with a passport is required by the telecom regulator (ANRT) for every prepaid line.
Source: anrt.ma · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Visa, registration & legal4
Visa-free entry for up to 90 days, then a student residence card from the police for the rest of the semester.
VF
Visa-free entry (90 days)Essential
Entry without a visa for up to 90 days
Before departure
Why you need it: You fly in on your passport alone, but the 90 days end before a February–June semester does, so the clock matters from the day you land.
Check that your ordinary passport is valid well beyond your return date
Carry UIR’s acceptance letter and your return or onward ticket in your hand luggage
Make sure the border officer stamps your passport, and photograph the stamp
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: holders of ordinary passports may stay up to 90 days without a visa (in force since 28 August 2024). Press reports of the Moroccan embassy’s announcement add that the passport must be valid for at least 180 days from the day you enter; this was not found on an official page, so travel with at least that much. To stay past 90 days you need the residence card below. Other nationalities: check the Moroccan consulate’s rules for your passport, and apply for a visa at the Moroccan embassy at home if you need one.
Ask UIR’s international relations office for the attestation de scolarité and their help with the file in your first week
Collect the forms at the police prefecture in the district you live in
Gather a legalised passport copy, 8 photos under 3 months old, proof of address, a medical certificate under 3 months old, your criminal record certificate, and a Moroccan bank RIB and statement
Submit the file and keep the receipt (récépissé), which stands in for the card until it is ready
Before you rely on itUIR’s guidance says it takes about 35 days: 20 days for the récépissé, then 15 for the card, and that you should apply 30 days before your permitted stay ends: for a visa-free entry, by about day 60. Under Morocco’s Law 02-03, a visa-exempt foreigner still in the country after three months without the card or the récépissé can be removed. The list asks for a Moroccan bank account, so open one early. Copies must be certified (légalisées) at a local légalisation office.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
CR
Criminal record certificate from homeEssential
Home-country certificate the residence card file asks for
Before departure
Why you need it: A first residence card application needs a criminal record extract from your own country, which is far easier to get before you leave Baku.
Request the certificate (məhkumluq barədə arayış) at an ASAN xidmət centre
Ask UIR whether it must be apostilled or translated into French
Carry the original and a copy in your document folder
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: the certificate is free and usually issued on the spot at ASAN (up to one working day if a record needs checking). Both countries are in the Apostille Convention, but whether the police in Rabat accept it without an apostille or a translation was not confirmed; ask UIR before you fly. Other nationalities: get the equivalent from your own country.
Source: asan.gov.az · the provider or a government body · Checked
HI
Health insurance valid in MoroccoEssential
Medical cover UIR requires for the whole exchange
Before departure
Why you need it: UIR asks for proof of insurance covering you in Morocco for the full stay in your application, and private clinics expect payment up front.
Buy or extend a policy covering Morocco from arrival to departure
Make sure it covers hospital, emergency care and repatriation
Get an insurance certificate in English or French for UIR
Before you rely on itUIR asks students to extend the cover they already have at home rather than offering a policy of its own. Keep the policy number and the insurer’s emergency line on your phone.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
Housing & daily life2
UIR has on-campus residences; private flats in Rabat are found through the university, word of mouth or classified sites.
UR
UIR residence hallsEssential
Single and double rooms on campus, two minutes from class
Before departure
Why you need it: Living on campus solves the Technopolis commute and gives you a proof of address for the residence card, but rooms are limited, so apply as soon as you are accepted.
Paid · About 2,000–3,500 dirhams a month by room type and floor, plus 84 dirhams a month for shared spaces and a 3,000-dirham deposit (UIR’s residence leaflet, undated; confirm for 2027)Varies by university
Once UIR accepts you, ask ri@uir.ac.ma or hebergementuir@uir.ac.ma how exchange students book: the platform needs a UIR login
Choose a single or double room by availability and book it
Pay online, by bank transfer or by cheque, and keep the proof of payment
Ask the residence office for an attestation d’hébergement for the police file
Before you rely on itResidences are single-sex. Campus access runs 06:00–00:00 and visitors are allowed only 08:00–20:00. UIR’s leaflet charges rent by semester, commits residents to the September–June year and says a semester once started is owed in full, so ask how this applies to a spring-only stay before you pay. The deposit is refunded after you register your departure on the platform.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
PF
Private flat in Rabat
Renting a room or flat in Agdal, Hay Riad or Salé
Before departure
Why you need it: If the residences are full or you want the city, flats near a UIR shuttle stop in Agdal, Hay Riad or Tour Hassan are the practical choice.
Ask UIR’s international office and students for landlords they trust
Choose a flat near a shuttle stop (Agdal, Hay Riad, Tour Hassan, Salé or Témara)
See the flat in person before paying anything
Sign a written lease and have it légalisé at the commune for the residence card
Before you rely on itThe residence card needs proof of address: a legalised lease, a utility bill or an attestation d’hébergement. Landlords who refuse a written lease leave you without one. Classified sites such as Avito list flats, but scams exist; never pay a deposit for a flat you have not seen.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
Student life3
UIR’s international office and student clubs are the way into campus life, which is far from the centre.
UD
UIR Directorate of International RelationsEssential
Your contact for nomination, housing and the residence card
Before departure
Why you need it: Nomination, the acceptance letter, the residence booking and the documents for the police all go through this office, so it is your first stop on campus.
Check that ADA has sent your nomination to ri@uir.ac.ma; for spring, UIR’s deadline is 1 November
By 30 November, email ri@uir.ac.ma the application form, passport copy, photo, enrolment certificate, last semester’s transcript, CV, language certificate and insurance certificate
Keep the acceptance letter: you need it at the border and for the police
Visit the office in your first days on campus
Before you rely on itFor the spring semester UIR’s page gives 1 November for nominations and 30 November for applications, so for Spring 2027 the file will be due in November 2026. Applicants need a GPA of at least 2.8 and B2 French or B1 English, depending on the language of their courses. Several schools teach only in French, so check which courses run in English before you build your learning agreement.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
AD
Attestation de scolarité and student card
Proof of enrolment for the police, the tram and the bank
On arrival
Why you need it: The residence card, a bank account, the tram student pass and the UIR shuttle all ask for proof that you are a UIR student, so ask for it the day you enrol.
Ask for several stamped copies of the attestation de scolarité
Ask for the tram operator’s school form to be signed and stamped too
Before you rely on itThe police want an attestation homologuée issued by UIR; a copy of your acceptance letter is not enough.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
US
UIR Student Office (BDE) and clubs
The elected student union and clubs, from sport to AIESEC
Optional
Why you need it: With the campus far from the centre, clubs are where exchange students meet Moroccan classmates who will explain the city, the shuttle and the paperwork.
Install the app and download French and Arabic for offline use
Use the camera mode on forms, signs and menus
Use conversation mode at the bank or the prefecture
Before you rely on itMoroccan Darija is not among Google Translate’s languages: Arabic output is Modern Standard Arabic, which people understand but do not speak day to day. French is usually the more useful bridge.
Take the placement test, which new students need before they first enrol
Register for the session starting nearest your arrival
Check that class times fit around UIR’s shuttle timetable
Before you rely on itCourses run in fixed sessions, so a spring session may already have started when you land; check the course calendar before you fly. It teaches French, not Darija; ask classmates for Darija.
Source: if-maroc.org · the provider or a government body · Checked
Words for the first week
السلام عليكمsalam ʿalaykum
Hello (the everyday greeting)
شكراshukran
Thank you
عافاكʿafak
Please
واخاwakha
OK, agreed
بشحال؟bshhal?
How much is it?
فين كاين…؟fin kayn…?
Where is…?
بغيت نمشي ل…bghit nmshi l…
I want to go to… (to a taxi driver)
لا، شكراla, shukran
No, thank you (to street sellers and touts)
ما كنهضرش الدارجةma kanhdrsh d-darija
I don’t speak Darija
Le compteur, s’il vous plaît
The meter, please (in a petit taxi, in French)
Emergency & safety3
Save 19, 15, 141 and 177, UIR’s 24-hour medical line and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Rabat before you need them.
EO
Embassy of Azerbaijan in Morocco
Consular help for citizens of Azerbaijan, in Rabat
Before departure
Why you need it: If your passport is lost or stolen, the embassy in Rabat issues an emergency travel document (qayıdış şəhadətnaməsi) to get you home.
Save +212 537 75 13 25, the hotline +212 762 74 35 35 and rabat@mission.mfa.gov.az
Keep a scan of your passport and entry stamp in your email
Before you rely on itNot from Azerbaijan? Your own embassy’s page is the one to save. The embassy is at 50 Oulad Said street, Souissi, Rabat, a taxi ride from Technopolis.
Source: mfa.gov.az · the provider or a government body · Checked
UI
UIR infirmary and Medhelp emergency line
On-campus doctor, and a 24-hour medical line
On arrival
Why you need it: Technopolis is far from the city hospitals, so the campus infirmary and its night emergency service are the fastest help if you fall ill on campus.
Paid · Consultation 100 dirhams; emergency call-out free (UIR’s published rates)Varies by university
Save the infirmary (+212 600 06 00 30) and Medhelp emergencies (+212 600 06 00 40)
Find the infirmary on the ground floor of Building 2
Ask the international office whether exchange students are covered by the Medhelp subscription
Before you rely on itThe infirmary is open Monday to Friday 08:00–18:30 and Saturday morning; Medhelp covers nights. UIR also runs a free, confidential counselling service. UIR says the yearly 200-dirham Medhelp subscription is mandatory and included in tuition; exchange students pay their tuition at home, so ask whether you are enrolled or must sign up yourself.
Source: uir.ac.ma · the provider or a government body · Checked
ME
Moroccan emergency numbers
Police 19, ambulance and fire 15, SAMU 141, Gendarmerie 177
Before departure
Why you need it: There is no single number everyone uses: the police, the civil protection and the gendarmerie each have their own, so save them before you need them.
Learn to say your address, or share your location pin, in French
Before you rely on itOperators may answer in Arabic or French only; say “urgence” and your location clearly. Outside cities the Gendarmerie (177), not the police, is responsible.
Ramadan, Friday prayers and greetings shape the week; a few words of Darija go a long way.
01Ramadan falls in your semester
In 2027 Ramadan is expected from about 8 February to about 9 March, with exact dates set by the moon. Many cafés close by day and offices shorten their hours. Avoid eating or drinking openly in the street by day.
02Petits taxis stay in their city
Rabat’s petits taxis are blue and may not leave the city; they often share rides with other passengers and should use the meter. Grands taxis run fixed routes between towns. Ask for the compteur before you set off.
03French opens the offices
Prefectures, banks, landlords and the tram operator work in French and Arabic. A few sentences of French, written down if need be, get paperwork done faster than English.
04Copies must be certified
Moroccan offices want copies certified as true (légalisées) at the local commune, not plain photocopies. Bring the originals and expect a small fee and a queue.
05Haggle in the souk, not the shop
Prices in markets and the medina are open to bargaining; start well below the first price and stay friendly. Supermarkets, pharmacies and shops with price tags do not haggle.
06Friday has the long midday break
Many offices and shops close for a longer lunch on Friday, the main prayer day. Plan police or bank visits for a morning earlier in the week.
07Greetings take time
People greet before any request: a handshake and a question about how you are. Use your right hand to give, take and eat. Close friends of the same sex greet with kisses on the cheek.
08Dress for the medina
Campus and Agdal are relaxed, but in the medinas and smaller towns covering shoulders and knees draws less attention, for men and women alike.
09Ask before photographing people
Many Moroccans, especially women and older people, object to being photographed. Ask first, and expect some performers in tourist squares to want a tip.
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