🛫 Legacy Terminal (Current Operations)

Carriers: Royal Air Maroc (RAM, Morocco’s flag carrier and oneworld member since April 2024 — most CDG / ORY / FCO / MAD / BRU / LHR routes), Air France, Iberia, ITA Airways, Brussels Airlines. The Wizz/Ryanair LCC presence at RBA is meaningfully smaller than at CMN or AGP.

Modernised but small: ~1.5 M annual capacity, basic facilities, no jet bridges (apron buses only). Café-bar landside, modest duty-free.

🌐 New 69,000 m² Terminal (Target June 2026)

Capacity: 5 million passengers/year. Six telescopic jet bridges, fully digital/contactless processing, advanced biometric e-gates ready for AEVM rollout, dedicated CBP-equivalent arrivals, lounge spaces (likely RAM + Priority Pass partner).

1,300-space two-level car park integrated into the terminal building. Designed as the model facility for Morocco’s 2030 FIFA World Cup co-hosting with Spain and Portugal.

Visa-Free 90 Days for Most Western Nationals

EU-27, UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein all visa-free 90 days for tourist purposes. Passport requirements: 6 months validity from arrival + 1 blank page minimum. AEVM electronic travel authorisation is rolling out for some non-exempt nationalities; Morocco has signalled future expansion to all visa-exempt visitors, but the timeline is TBD as of mid-2026 — verify on the official Moroccan foreign ministry page before booking.

MAD: Closed Currency, ~10.79 MAD per EUR

The Moroccan dirham (MAD) is officially a closed currency with a ~MAD 2,000 import/export limit (small amounts ignored in practice). Rate ~10.79 MAD per EUR in 2026 (corridor 10.7–11.0). 2026 policy shift: Morocco is loosening its EUR/USD basket peg in 2026 — central bank technically ready, regulators finalising. Expect more rate volatility through 2026. Cash exchange at RBA bureau works fine on arrival; bring euros (preferred) or USD.

Customs Reality at RBA

Drone declaration required; drones are restricted near Royal Palace and government zones. Cigarettes 200, alcohol 1L. Algerian-stamped passports are not a problem at RBA (Morocco does not enforce reciprocal flags), but the Algeria–Morocco border has been closed since 1994 and Algerian airspace was closed to Moroccan aircraft September 2021 — assume no direct ALG↔CMN/RBA/RAK flights. Connect via Tunis (TUN), Istanbul (IST), Paris (CDG), or Madrid (MAD).

⭐ Bus AE (Alsa City Bus) — MAD 25, ~30–40 Min, NOT 24/7

The Bus AE (Alsa City Bus) connects RBA arrivals to Gare Rabat Ville (the central train station). The stop is directly in front of arrivals between the taxi rank and car park. ~30–40 minutes journey, MAD 25 (~€2.30) single ticket. Crucial caveat: NOT 24/7 — long headways (~30–60 min between buses), and no service in early morning / late evening windows. Useless for a 06:00 departure or a 23:00 arrival; petit taxi or pre-booked transfer for those.

🚕 Petit Taxi (Red) — MAD 150 Day / MAD 200 Night, Cash Only

Petit taxis are the small red sedans that work intra-city (max 3 passengers). From RBA the standard fare to central Rabat is MAD 150 by day, MAD 200 by night (~€14–€19). Cash MAD only — no cards, no foreign currency. Drivers rarely speak English; write your destination in Arabic or French — many hotels print this on the booking confirmation, or use a translation app. The official taxi rank is in front of arrivals; ignore touts who approach you in the hall.

📱 Careem — Patchy at RBA, Better in Casablanca

Careem is the Middle Eastern Uber-equivalent (Dubai-based, owned by Uber) that operates in Morocco. Coverage at RBA is patchy — supply is thin, surge can be high, and pickups sometimes get cancelled when drivers can’t locate the kerbside zone. Petit taxi remains the default for RBA arrivals. For 2-3 day Rabat stays, Careem works in central Rabat for intra-city moves (MAD 30–60 typical), but don’t bet on it for the airport run. Uber, Bolt, Free Now do NOT operate in Morocco in 2026.

🚇 Blassty App — Multimodal Mobility (No RBA Direct)

The Rabat Région Mobilité “Blassty” app (2026) unifies bus, tram, and parking for the Rabat-Salé-Témara metro area. Useful for in-city moves on the Rabat-Salé tram (which doesn’t reach RBA but covers central Rabat, Hassan, the Old Town, and the Bou Regreg crossing) and the local bus network. Multimodal trip planning + payment in one app. Doesn’t replace the airport options above — RBA needs Bus AE, petit taxi, or Careem.

Unlike Casablanca CMN (which has a Plaza Premium-style Priority Pass lounge), RBA in 2026 has no confirmed Priority Pass / DragonPass / LoungeKey partner lounge. Priority Pass cardholders flying economy through RBA use the airside café-bar — there’s no airport-lounge alternative. If you’re Royal Air Maroc business class or hold oneworld Sapphire / Emerald status (post-RAM’s April 2024 oneworld accession), route via CMN if your itinerary allows — CMN’s RAM lounge is the real flagship in Morocco. Watch for the June 2026 new terminal — proper lounge inventory should follow handover.

RBA airside food is functional, not iconic — eat in central Rabat before heading out if you have an hour to spare. The classic Moroccan plates: tagine (slow-cooked stew with lemons, almonds, prunes, depending on regional variant — Rabat-style leans saffron-rich), couscous (Friday is the traditional couscous day in Morocco), harira (chickpea-and-lamb soup, especially during Ramadan iftar), and mint tea (the universal Moroccan welcome — ~MAD 10–25 anywhere). Look for restaurants in the Old Town medina or along Rue des Consuls for authentic versions at locals’ prices.

Morocco produces ~95% of the world’s argan oil (the Argan tree grows only in southwestern Morocco). Cosmetic-grade argan oil at RBA duty-free runs MAD 200–400 for 100ml (~€18–37) — fine but markup-heavy. Real value buys are at the women’s argan cooperatives in the Rabat / Casablanca / Essaouira region (~MAD 100–200 for the same bottle, often direct from co-op female producers). Beware fake argan oil at souks — genuine argan smells nutty / faintly toasted, not heavily perfumed.

Take-home picks: argan oil (cosmetic + culinary; airport-priced for convenience, co-op-priced for value), Moroccan saffron from Taliouine region (one of the world’s top three terroirs alongside Iran and La Mancha), tagine clay pots (decorative + functional, available in Salé’s pottery market across the river), Berber-pattern carpets and rugs (Rabat’s carpet market on Rue des Consuls is genuinely good but bargain hard — start at 30% of asking). Skip airport-priced “Maroc” tourist tat — souks in Rabat’s Old Town are 50–70% cheaper for similar quality.

Rabat’s Old Town has been UNESCO-listed since 2012, with four anchor sights: Hassan Tower & Mohammed V Mausoleum (the unfinished 12th-century mosque + the modern royal tomb), Kasbah of the Udayas (the spectacular blue-and-white Andalusian quarter overlooking the Atlantic — the most photogenic spot in Rabat), Chellah Roman/Merenid ruins (combined Roman necropolis + 14th-century Marinid royal cemetery, with stork nests on the minarets), and the Old Town medina itself (smaller and more relaxed than Marrakesh / Fez but authentic). Allow 1.5 days for all four at a comfortable pace.

Ramadan 2026 falls roughly 18 February to 19 March (moon-sighting dependent), with Eid al-Fitr ~20 March. Restaurant hours daytime restricted in Rabat (most close 06:00–18:00), alcohol harder to find (licensed hotels and restaurants only — and they may pause service mid-Ramadan), airport airside food kiosks reduced during fasting hours. Iftar surge after sunset (~18:00–19:00) — restaurants get busy; book ahead for sit-down meals if you want a specific place. Tourists are not expected to fast; eating discreetly indoors is fine. The fasting context is more visible in Rabat than in Casablanca/Marrakesh because Rabat is the more conservative capital.

The Al Boraq high-speed rail (opened 2018, Africa’s first) connects Tangier–Kenitra–Rabat–Casablanca at 320 km/h, with the Rabat-Agdal HSR station in central Rabat. Tangier ↔ Rabat in ~1h25m, Rabat ↔ Casablanca in ~50 min — this is faster and more comfortable than flying for any Casa-Rabat or Tangier-Rabat hop. The Tangier-Casablanca-Marrakech HSR extension is under construction for World Cup 2030 readiness. Tickets via the ONCF app, ~MAD 200–500 (~€19–47) depending on class and route.

The Algeria–Morocco land border has been closed since 1994, and Algeria closed its airspace to Moroccan aircraft in September 2021 (still closed in 2026). There are zero direct flights between Algerian airports (ALG, ORN) and any Moroccan airport (CMN, RBA, RAK, FEZ, NDR, TNG). Connection options are Tunis (TUN), Istanbul (IST), Paris (CDG), or Madrid (MAD) — adds 4–6 hours of layover plus a second segment. If your North-Africa trip plan includes both Morocco and Algeria, fly in/out of separate hubs and route via Europe — there have been no signals of a 2026 reopening.

Rabat is Morocco’s administrative and diplomatic capital but a far quieter, cleaner city than its rivals. Casablanca is Morocco’s commercial mega-city (5M+ people, business-traveller dominant); Marrakesh is the tourism-machine red city; Fez is the medieval craft capital with the world’s largest car-free medina. Rabat is more relaxed, more European-coded, with embassies, universities, and government buildings replacing the relentless hustle of the other three. This is the capital to choose if you want Moroccan history without Marrakesh-grade hawking, or if you prefer Atlantic-coast climate over the inland heat.

Maroc Telecom (IAM), Orange, and Inwi sell tourist SIMs at RBA arrivals kiosks. ~MAD 50–150 for a 30-day plan with 10–25 GB. Show passport at activation. EU roaming via your home plan does NOT cover Morocco. eSIM via Airalo / Holafly / Ubigi from ~$5–10 for 7-day Morocco coverage. 5G covers central Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakesh; spotty in mountain regions and the deeper medina alleyways. French is the de facto second language at telecom counters; English coverage is improving but limited.