The "visite technique" is Morocco's compulsory roadworthiness test, carried out in an inspection centre approved by NARSA, the national road safety agency. A private car generally needs its first inspection as it approaches five years from first registration, then every year, and one is also required before the car changes owner.
Who needs the inspection, and when?
Morocco's Highway Code (law 52-05) makes periodic inspection compulsory for registered vehicles. Inspection centres are approved and supervised by the Agence Nationale de la Sécurité Routière (NARSA). If you have bought or imported a car here, this is what applies:
- Private car: first inspection as it approaches five years from first registration, then once a year.
- Taxis, rental cars, driving-school cars, passenger transport: more frequent checks, usually every six months.
- Selling the car: an inspection is required before the change of ownership, depending on the car's age. Worth knowing if you are leaving Morocco and selling locally.
- Major modifications (mechanical changes, technical characteristics, type of use): a new inspection may be required.
Your next due date is printed on your last inspection report ("procès-verbal"): that is the date to go by. Proof of inspection must be kept in the car whenever you drive. Driving without a valid inspection exposes you to the penalties set by the Highway Code, and once the date has passed the car should only be driven to a garage or to the centre.
Many centres now require an appointment. Official information is on the NARSA website (in French and Arabic).
Documents to bring
- The original registration certificate ("carte grise").
- The last inspection report, if the car has already been inspected.
- Your ID or residence card, especially if you are not the owner named on the carte grise (a company car or a car borrowed from a friend, for example).
- A valid insurance certificate, which you should carry anyway.
- Your appointment confirmation if the centre asks for one.
The fee is set by regulation and displayed at the centre: ask for it when you book. It is paid before the inspection, whatever the result.
What the inspector checks
Nothing is taken apart. The inspector looks at the car's general condition and safety equipment, in particular:
- Brakes: efficiency and balance on the test bench, handbrake, visible condition of hoses and pipes.
- Steering and suspension: excessive play, ball joints, shock absorbers, bushes.
- Tyres: wear, matching sizes on the same axle, cuts or bulges.
- Lights and signals: dipped and main beams, indicators, brake lights, reversing light, number plate light, headlight aim.
- Visibility: windscreen (cracks in the driver's field of view), wipers, washers, mirrors.
- Emissions: exhaust emissions (smoke opacity on a diesel), visible leaks.
- Chassis and body: corrosion, deformation, readable number plates, chassis number matching the carte grise.
- Equipment: horn, seat belts, seats, doors.
- Warning lights: a fault light that stays on (engine, ABS, airbag, brakes) can be noted.
Modifications that do not match the documents, such as non-approved LED bulbs fitted in original headlights, can also be a problem.
How to prepare the car safely
A few simple checks avoid most re-inspections for small details:
- Walk round the lights with someone helping: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights, reversing, number plate. One blown bulb is enough for a remark.
- Check the wipers and washers: blades that clear without streaks, washer bottle full.
- Check the tyres when cold: pressure shown on the door pillar or in the handbook, even wear, no bulges or cuts.
- Switch on the ignition and make sure every warning light goes out once the engine is running.
- Check the fluid levels with the engine cold, on level ground: oil, coolant, brake fluid (if brake fluid is at the minimum, do not just top it up: tell the garage).
- Test the horn and seat belts, and clean the number plates.
Do not adjust brakes, steering or an airbag yourself to get through the test: these are safety systems and must be repaired by a professional.
Failed? How the re-inspection works
If the inspector finds one or more defects that need repair, the report is unfavourable and lists what must be fixed. You then have the car repaired and come back for a re-inspection ("contre-visite"), which covers the defects that were found.
- The maximum delay for the re-inspection is normally one month from the first inspection: check the date on your report.
- The re-inspection is charged, at a lower fee than the full test, displayed at the centre.
- Once the delay has passed, the car should only be driven to the garage or the centre, and a full inspection may be required again.
- A defect judged dangerous can mean the car must not be driven until it is repaired: call a tow truck in that case.
Keep the report: it is the exact list of work to show the garage, which helps if you do not speak French or Darija fluently.
What to tell the garage before the inspection
A quick check before your appointment often costs less than a re-inspection. Tell the garage:
- Make, model, year, engine and mileage, and the date of your inspection appointment.
- Any warning lights, noises when braking or cornering, a car that pulls to one side.
- Your last inspection report and any remarks on it.
- After a fail, the unfavourable report: ask them to repair only the listed points, with a written quote.
A good garage explains what it found and gives back replaced parts if you ask. For an audited garage, see our trusted partner garages.
Still unsure? A NUVIO expert answers for free
Send a photo of the inspection report or the dashboard, your car model and your question on WhatsApp. A NUVIO expert explains the defects in plain English, tells you what is urgent and what to ask the garage, then refers you to an audited partner garage if needed: free car advice on WhatsApp.