Before you start

Physical passport, or carte de séjour
For postpaid: carte de séjour and a Moroccan bank account
An unlocked or eSIM-capable handset

Step-by-step

1
Buy the SIM in an operator shop on day one
Registration requires the physical identity document. A photocopy is generally refused, and a pre-activated card from a street seller is in someone else's name and will be cut. The three operators have shops throughout Agdal and the centre.
In personWho: YouDay 1–2
2
Start prepaid and upgrade later
Prepaid data bundles are inexpensive and need nothing beyond the registered SIM. Postpaid requires a carte de séjour and a Moroccan account for direct debit, which you will not have in the first weeks.
In personWho: You
3
Order fibre early — coverage here is good
Rabat's newer districts and the administrative centre are well covered, and Hay Riad and Agdal in particular are reliable. Order as soon as you have the lease; installation is days to a few weeks depending on the building.
OnlineWho: You
4
Check the building in the older centre and in the medina
As everywhere in Morocco, coverage maps show the street rather than the riser. In older blocks near the Hassan district and inside the medina walls, ask a neighbour or the syndic what is actually installed before you sign.
In personWho: You
5
Consider an eSIM as a second line
All three operators support eSIM on compatible handsets, activated from the operator app after identity verification. It is a convenient way to keep a home-country number live alongside a Moroccan one.
Mobile appWho: You
6
Set a reminder for the Ramadan clock change
Morocco sits on GMT+1 all year but reverts to GMT+0 for the month of Ramadan. Phones handle it; recurring calendar invites created abroad frequently do not, and for a month everything with European colleagues is an hour out.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Physical passport
Carte de séjour, for postpaid
Moroccan bank details, for direct debit
Proof of address, for fixed-line installation

Things most newcomers don’t know

Morocco's Ramadan clock change is the telecom-adjacent thing that actually disrupts a working year.

The country runs on GMT+1 permanently but returns to GMT+0 for the month of Ramadan and then shifts back. Handsets follow it automatically. Calendar invites created by colleagues in Europe, booking systems, recurring meetings and any automation you have set up often do not, and for four weeks everything is an hour off in one direction. It catches people every single year. Re-check standing meetings when the change lands rather than trusting the invite.

Source: community-reported

Anonymous prepaid SIMs no longer exist here, and the enforcement is delayed rather than absent.

The ANRT made identification of every prepaid card mandatory and operators deactivated unregistered stock at the time. A ready-activated card bought informally is registered to someone else, and lines like that are eventually cut — usually months later, after you have given the number to your bank, your landlord and your employer. Buy in the operator's own shop with your passport.

Source: ANRT

The SIM is the one thing you can complete on day one, and several other things depend on it.

Moroccan banks want a local mobile number for one-time passwords, and so do most Moroccan online services. The SIM needs only a passport, whereas the bank account needs the residence file and the residence file needs the address. Doing the SIM immediately removes a dependency from a chain that otherwise stalls in week three.

Source: community-reported

Rabat's connectivity is quietly better than Casablanca's for a home worker.

The administrative districts, Agdal and the purpose-built Hay Riad have newer building stock and denser fibre than much of central Casablanca, where beautiful 1930s blocks are frequently the worst served. For someone whose income depends on a stable home connection, Rabat is the easier Moroccan city — a point that rarely features in comparisons between the two.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying a pre-registered SIM from a street vendor.
Arriving at the operator shop with a passport photocopy.
Assuming an older building in the Hassan district or the medina has fibre to the flat.
Forgetting the Ramadan clock change when scheduling with Europe.
Signing a postpaid contract before you have the residence card and bank account it requires.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.