Guides to crossing to Morocco by ferry
The things that are not on the ticket and decide whether the trip goes well: paperwork, vehicle customs, pets and what to do when the levante wind shuts the Strait.
Documents for travelling to Morocco by ferryTo enter Morocco you need a passport: a Spanish national ID card (DNI) will not do. Everything else (minors, money, mobile, time zone) takes ten minutes to sort out if you know about it before you reach the port.
Taking a car to Morocco: insurance, green card and temporary importThe car needs three things the passenger does not: insurance valid in Morocco, a temporary import at customs and a driver who can prove they are entitled to take it.
Travelling to Morocco by ferry with a dog or catGoing is easy; for the return, plan ahead. The European Union asks for a rabies antibody test for animals arriving from Morocco: done before you leave Spain, it lets your animal come back with you without any wait.
Operación Paso del Estrecho: dates, peak days and tipsEvery summer, around three and a half million people cross the Strait of Gibraltar in three months. Knowing how the operation works saves hours of queuing.
Open or dated ticket: which to buy for the ferry to MoroccoThe open ticket used to let you come back whenever you liked. Today it will not get you into several ports, and with it you lose rights if the ship is cancelled.
Ferry cancelled by bad weather: what to do and what you can demandThe levante, the easterly wind, shuts the Strait of Gibraltar several times a year. The ferry company does not owe you compensation for the wind, but it does owe you the choice between travelling later and getting your money back.