eSIM or SIM card for Morocco?
The short answer
For a trip, an eSIM wins: it is installed before you fly, needs no registration counter and keeps your own number on WhatsApp. A local SIM wins for long stays that need a Moroccan number, at the price of a shop visit and passport registration that has applied since 1 April 2014.
Checked on September 30, 2026
eSIM against a local SIM card
Where you get it
- eSIM from this site
- Online, before you fly
- Local SIM card
- A shop or airport counter, after landing
Registration
- eSIM from this site
- None
- Local SIM card
- Identity registration, with your passport
Number
- eSIM from this site
- Data only
- Local SIM card
- A Moroccan number
Your own number
- eSIM from this site
- Stays on in the phone
- Local SIM card
- Stays on only if the phone takes two SIMs
Refund
- eSIM from this site
- Full refund if it cannot be made to work
- Local SIM card
- The shop's rules
Two ways to get online in Morocco, and the choice is mostly about how long you are staying and whether you need a Moroccan phone number.
The quick comparison
| eSIM from this site | Local SIM card | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you get it | Online, before you fly | A shop or airport counter, after landing |
| Registration | None | Identity registration, with your passport |
| Number | Your own stays on WhatsApp | A new Moroccan number |
| Time to online | Minutes after landing | As long as the queue |
| Best for | Trips up to a month or so | Months, local transactions |
Where the eSIM wins
- The first hour. You land online: maps, ride-hailing and messages work before the bags arrive.
- No paperwork. Nothing to register, no passport copy, no counter.
- Your number stays yours. WhatsApp, bank codes and two-factor texts keep working on your home SIM.
Where the local SIM wins
- The local number. Some services want a Moroccan number; long stayers need one.
- Big data at local prices. For months of heavy use, a local bundle is cheaper per gigabyte.
The fine print
The local plans on this site are lines on Orange Maroc, one of Morocco’s three networks, so the phone connects as a Moroccan line. The regional plans cover other African countries and connect through a partner network in each, with data roaming on for that line. Either way the plan is prepaid, so nothing can add charges to it. The full setup is in the help centre.
Keep reading
The plan for this trip
Lowest price per day for trips of 8 to 15 days
15 days · 2 GB · US$12.99
Not needed: local line on Orange Maroc
Buy on BaobabSIMQuestions
Can I keep my number on an eSIM?
Yes, on a dual-SIM phone: your usual SIM stays in for calls and WhatsApp, and the eSIM carries the data. Almost every phone from the last five years does this.
Is an eSIM more expensive than a local SIM?
Per gigabyte a shop SIM is often cheaper on paper, since a start bundle costs about 20 dirhams. Add the queue, the registration and a trip that does not need a Moroccan number, and for trips under a month the eSIM usually evens out.
Do I need to register an eSIM?
Not this one. Moroccan prepaid SIMs and eSIMs bought in Morocco are registered to the buyer's identity, with a passport for visitors. An eSIM bought online before you fly is sold abroad and needs no counter registration.
What if I stay for months?
Get both: an eSIM for the first days, and a registered local SIM once you have an address and time for the paperwork. Long stayers also get a Moroccan number for banks and deliveries that way.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from.
Get your eSIM for Morocco
Checkout is on BaobabSIM, the company's store for Africa and the Middle East, run by LuKas Holdings. Prices in US dollars, tax included.
See the plansCheckout on BaobabSIM · full refund if it does not work