Morocco lifts all remaining Covid travel rules

The North African holiday favourite kept strict health rules in place for much of the pandemic

Morocco had retained specific rules around tourists having a booster jab (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Morocco has announced an end to its stringent Covid-19 travel rules, ending the requirement for either proof of vaccination or a PCR test result to be shown on arrival.

The North African holiday destination had previously kept strict rules in place, with tourists only able to enter without a test if they had received a booster jab.

Prior to the rule change, anyone unvaccinated, partly vaccinated, or who had had two jabs with the second dose given more than four months previously (with no booster) had to show a PCR test result from within the past 72 hours at the border.

As of 3 October, tourists are only required to download, print and sign a passenger health form before arrival in the country.

This means Morocco leaves the ever shrinking list of countries retaining Covid-19 measures for tourists.

The list of countries still insisting on tests, quarantine and/or proof of vaccination for tourists is now at 27, including Japan, Spain and the UAE.

Within the last month, the tropical island of Samoa ended its Covid rules, which had included a test before travel, as did Bhutan, scrapping both pre-travel testing and on-arrival quarantine.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong, which had retained one of the world’s strictest border policies during the pandemic, scrapped its three-day quarantine and pre-travel test on 24 September. Instead, tourists must “self-monitor” their health for the first three days of their trip.

On 1 October, Canada also eased an unpopular Covid policy, removing the on-arrival testing that risked putting tourists into lengthy quarantine, as well as allowing unvaccinated visitors.

Like Morocco, South Korea and New Zealand have both simplified their previous Covid restrictions down to one health form filled in before travel.

Spain is the last European nation to hang on to its pandemic border rules: adults must still show either proof of full vaccination (three doses); a PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to departure, or an antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to departure; or proof of recovery within the past six months.