What documents should I carry in Morocco?

My standing advice is to separate your "everyday ID" from your actual passport. For wandering souks, riding taxis and general touring, carry a clear photocopy or a phone photo of your passport's photo page (and the entry stamp) — that's enough to satisfy almost any casual situation, and it means a lost wallet or a pickpocket never costs you the one document that's a nightmare to replace abroad. The original passport's safest home is the locked safe at your riad or hotel, brought out only when it's genuinely required.

There are specific moments the original is non-negotiable, so know them in advance. You'll need the actual passport to check into hotels and riads (they're legally required to log it), to change money at a bureau or bank, to buy and register a SIM card, to board internal flights, and occasionally at police or gendarmerie checkpoints, which are routine on intercity roads — entirely normal, usually a quick wave-through, and a photocopy often suffices but the original may be asked for. Plan your day around these: if you know you're flying internally or changing a lot of cash, take the passport deliberately and guard it; otherwise leave it in the safe.

Beyond the passport, a small bundle of practical documents earns its place. Carry your riad's business card (invaluable for taxis and if you're lost), your travel-insurance policy number and the insurer's 24-hour emergency line, any driving licence and the rental papers if you've hired a car, and a note of key emergency numbers (police 19, ambulance 15). A printed copy of your first night's accommodation and any onward tickets smooths airport arrival. If you take regular medication, a copy of the prescription is wise. None of this is bulky — it fits in a slim folder or your phone.

Finally, build redundancy. Photograph or scan your passport, insurance, flights, vaccination records and cards, and store them somewhere you can reach from any device — a cloud account, your email, a password manager — plus leave a copy with someone at home. If the worst happens and your passport is lost or stolen, having a digital copy dramatically speeds up an emergency replacement at your embassy or consulate (Rabat and Casablanca host most). Keep the few cards you carry minimal, split from your cash, and you'll have everything you need on you without ever risking the document you can't afford to lose.