Currency exchanges: International cards now accepted

The Exchange Office is introducing a subtle but significant change to the operation of the manual foreign exchange market.

With Circular No. 3/2025, published on December 05, 2025, the institution is expanding the payment methods available to authorized operators and integrating these activities into a more modernized framework. The Office emphasizes the importance of this development: it is not simply a regulatory update but a step towards a more secure, traceable, and internationally aligned foreign exchange practice.
The main innovation lies in the ability for currency exchange bureaus to accept international bank cards for foreign currency purchases. Until now, almost all transactions relied on cash. Now, customers (tourists, Moroccans residing abroad, or business travelers, etc.) will be able to pay using their foreign cards. This will allow users to utilize an international payment method, thus reducing cash handling and improving the flow of transactions. This shift towards electronic payment marks a break with past practices and paves the way for increased traceability of transactions.
The other advancement concerns the issuance of prepaid payment cards loaded with dirhams . When a customer sells foreign currency, operators can now offer them a prepaid card in local currency as an alternative to banknotes. This system, widely deployed in several countries to reduce the risks associated with cash, offers a more secure solution. It is part of a modernization of practices that seeks to reconcile operational efficiency with risk reduction.
The circular, however, strictly regulates these new developments. The Exchange Office reiterates that all operations must comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing requirements. Operators must formalize a third-party introduction agreement with their bank, in accordance with FATF Recommendation 17, and apply the same due diligence rules as banking institutions. Each transaction must be recorded on a compliant slip, which must be given to the client to ensure transparency of transactions.
This reform reflects the Exchange Office’s commitment to supporting the rapid transformation of financial practices. At a time when digitalization is progressing faster than standards, the aim is to adjust the regulatory framework to secure practices that are already expanding. All of this is done while strengthening the competitiveness of exchange operators in the face of evolving international standards. In any case, a country experiencing significant tourist flows could not remain on the sidelines of these developments. Entering into force immediately upon its signature, the circular marks a new phase in the modernization of a sector long perceived as stagnant. It is gradually establishing the conditions for a foreign exchange practice fully integrated with the requirements of an open economy.
Khadija MASMOUDI