The useful distinction is not “dry country” versus “anything goes.” Morocco regulates alcohol sales and licensed premises, and availability changes by city, venue, branch, and season. This guide separates what current official sources support from details you should confirm directly.
Is alcohol legal for tourists in Morocco?
Current UK travel advice says licensed hotels and bars in tourist areas serve alcohol. It also says drinking in the street, or anywhere other than a licensed restaurant or bar, is illegal and can lead to arrest.
That supports a practical rule: drink only in a venue that confirms it is licensed, keep alcohol out of streets and other public spaces, and do not assume a rooftop, riad, restaurant, beach, or event serves alcohol merely because it caters to tourists.
This article is travel guidance, not legal advice. A venue can apply rules that are stricter than the minimum required by law.
What does Moroccan law say about alcohol sales?
Morocco's Ministry of Justice publishes Decision no. 3.177.66 of 17 July 1967 in a version consolidated through 28 October 1970. Article 1 requires prior local authorization for bottle retail; Article 5 requires a licence for on-premises beverage outlets; Article 25 makes opening hours subject to local authority rules.
Article 28 prohibits a licensed operator from selling or giving alcohol to Moroccan Muslims. This seller-facing rule does not establish how identity is checked, how the rule is enforced, or a general rule for foreign Muslims or private consumption.
Article 2 allows local bottle-sale restrictions around religious buildings and certain protected sites, while Article 4 restricts outlets near such sites. These provisions do not establish a universal Ramadan closure.
Morocco's food-safety authority, ONSSA, separately lists regulations for wine, beer, spirits, liqueurs, and other alcoholic drinks. Those product rules confirm a regulated market, but they do not prove that a specific shop or venue currently sells a given product.
Where can tourists buy alcohol in Morocco?
Use a licensed specialist shop or a supermarket branch that confirms it has an alcohol counter. Availability is branch-specific. Do not rely on a chain-wide list copied from an old travel article.
Carrefour Morocco's online loyalty terms, retrieved 1 August 2026, refer to purchases from a cave alcool, which confirms that alcohol-counter products exist somewhere in its network. It does not prove that every Carrefour, Carrefour Market, or Carrefour Express branch has one. No current primary source reviewed for this guide supports a nationwide Marjane, BIM, Aswak Assalam, or other chain comparison.
Before making a special trip:
- Contact the exact branch and ask whether its alcohol counter is open.
- Confirm the day's hours, especially around Ramadan and public holidays.
- Ask whether identification is required.
- Buy sealed products from the licensed counter and retain the receipt.
For useful shopping phrases, see the Morocco language guide.
Which hotels and restaurants serve alcohol?
Licensed hotels, bars, and restaurants may serve alcohol, but a property's star rating, rooftop, menu style, or location does not prove that it is licensed.
Check the venue's current official menu or contact it directly. Ask three precise questions: whether alcohol is served, whether non-guests may enter, and whether service changes during your dates. Avoid static lists of named venues unless every listing has a direct source and a visible “checked on” date.
If you are deciding where to eat rather than where to drink, the Moroccan food guide covers dishes and dining customs without assuming alcohol service.
How much does alcohol cost in Morocco?
Prices vary by city, brand, bottle or serving size, and venue. A supermarket bottle and a hotel-bar glass are not comparable units, and old ranges quickly become misleading.
This review found no dated, normalized national 2026 price table. Compare the exact branch or venue, product, size, displayed price, currency, and observation date. Check a current official menu or call the retailer, and treat any undated online range as an estimate rather than a quote.
What changes during Ramadan?
Opening hours and service can change during Ramadan, so verify the exact retailer or venue for your dates. The UK FCDO advises visitors not to eat or drink in public during daylight hours and to check shop and restaurant hours. Morocco's tourism office says tourists are not required to fast and may be served food during the day. Neither source establishes a universal rule for alcohol sales.
Respect screening or separate service arrangements used by hotels and restaurants. The Morocco during Ramadan guide explains the wider daily rhythm.
Where should you not drink alcohol?
Follow the broader FCDO visitor advice: do not drink in the street or anywhere outside a licensed restaurant or bar. Morocco's Royal Decree no. 724.66 separately penalizes manifest public drunkenness in streets, roads, cafés, cabarets, and other public or publicly accessible places.
Do not infer a universal private-space exception. If your plan involves a hotel room, villa, event, or private gathering, ask the host or operator what is permitted.
What other alcohol risks should visitors know?
The UK FCDO reports deaths and serious illness from alcoholic drinks containing methanol in Morocco. Methanol cannot be identified by taste or smell. Buy sealed drinks from licensed sources, do not accept an unlabelled spirit, and seek urgent medical attention if someone becomes ill after drinking.
Do not drive after drinking. Morocco treats drink-driving as a serious offence, with fines and possible imprisonment. See the driving in Morocco guide for the current road-law details.
For hosting and public-behaviour context, read the Moroccan culture and customs guide. If you are a guest in someone's home, follow the host's lead and do not bring alcohol unless they have specifically asked for it.
In summary
Use only a venue or retailer that confirms it is licensed, verify current service and Ramadan hours, and follow the FCDO rule against street drinking or drinking outside a licensed restaurant or bar. Avoid unlabelled alcohol and do not drive after drinking.
Frequently asked questions
Can tourists drink alcohol in Morocco?
Licensed hotels and bars in tourist areas serve alcohol, and licensed restaurants may do so. Drink only where the venue confirms it is licensed. Current UK guidance says street drinking and drinking anywhere outside a licensed restaurant or bar is illegal and can lead to arrest.
Can tourists buy alcohol in Moroccan supermarkets?
Some licensed supermarket branches have alcohol counters, but availability is not chain-wide. Carrefour Morocco's terms refer to a cave alcool, confirming that such counters exist in its network. Contact the exact branch before visiting and check its current hours and identification policy.
Why should visitors buy alcohol only from licensed sources?
Morocco travel advice reports deaths and serious illness linked to drinks containing methanol, which cannot be identified by taste or smell. Choose sealed branded drinks from licensed stores or venues, avoid unlabelled or homemade spirits, and seek urgent medical help if anyone becomes ill after drinking.
Can visitors buy or drink alcohol during Ramadan?
Availability, service policies and opening hours can change by branch and venue. Confirm directly rather than assuming a universal closure or exception, and do not treat an old menu as current proof. During daylight hours, follow current FCDO advice not to eat or drink in public and respect local arrangements for visitors.
How much is beer or wine in Morocco?
There is no reliable single national price. Compare the same product and serving size using a current branch listing or official venue menu, and check whether service charges are shown separately. An undated range cannot account for differences in city, venue type, brand, package size, or the date of purchase.
Sources
- Moroccan Ministry of Justice — Decision no. 3.177.66 of 17 July 1967 regulating trade in alcoholic or alcohol-mixed beverages, version consolidated through 28 October 1970; retrieved 1 August 2026.
- Moroccan Ministry of Justice — Royal Decree no. 724.66 concerning manifest public drunkenness, retrieved 1 August 2026.
- Moroccan Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) — Addictive behaviours report, pp. 66–67; checked 1 August 2026.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — Morocco safety and security, updated 17 February 2026 and still current 1 August 2026.
- FCDO Travel Aware — Spiking and methanol poisoning, checked 1 August 2026.
- Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) — Ramadan visitor guidance, checked 1 August 2026.
- ONSSA — Alcoholic-drinks regulations, retrieved 1 August 2026.
- Carrefour Morocco — online loyalty terms referring to
cave alcool, retrieved 1 August 2026; this does not establish branch availability.
Continue with the Morocco during Ramadan guide, Moroccan culture and customs guide, and driving in Morocco guide.
