It comes up before many trips: should you install a VPN for Morocco? For most travellers the short answer is no, it is not essential. A VPN can still be useful in three specific situations. Here they are, and what to know before you switch one on.
A bit of history: the 2016 block on WhatsApp calls
The "you need a VPN" idea comes from 2016. Early that year the ANRT, Morocco's telecoms regulator, had internet voice calls (WhatsApp, Skype, Viber) blocked on mobile networks, and many people used VPNs to get round it. The block was lifted in autumn 2016, shortly before the COP22 climate conference in Marrakech, without an official announcement.
Today WhatsApp calls and messages work normally in Morocco on mobile data or Wi-Fi: no VPN needed for that. If a WhatsApp call fails, the cause is almost always signal or phone settings; the fixes are in WhatsApp not working in Morocco.
Is a VPN legal in Morocco?
We found no rule that forbids a traveller from using a VPN in Morocco; businesses use them every day for remote work. What is illegal without a VPN stays illegal with one: a VPN does not change local law. If you have a specific work use in mind, check with your employer.
The three cases where a VPN really helps
- Public Wi-Fi. In a café, an airport or a hotel lobby, the network is shared with strangers. A VPN encrypts your traffic on it. With an eSIM the question matters less: your data goes over the mobile network, not the café's Wi-Fi.
- A banking or government app that blocks foreign connections. Some apps refuse a connection that looks foreign. A VPN set to your home country can help; see also why some banking apps block access from abroad.
- Your streaming catalogue. Platforms adapt their catalogue to the country you connect from. A VPN changes the country shown, but the platforms' terms do not always allow it.
What a VPN changes to your connection
A VPN routes all your traffic through a distant server, usually in Europe. Three practical effects:
- Speed drops a little and latency rises, more so the further away the server is. For a video call, pick a server close by, in Spain or France rather than the US.
- Data use rises slightly because of the encryption. On our plans (1 GB a day at full speed, then 512 Kbps) that changes nothing for normal use, but leave the VPN off when you do not need it.
- Some services distrust VPNs: a bank may ask for an extra check, a site may show a captcha. Turn the VPN off if something is blocked.
A VPN works on any data connection, an eSIM included. If the app cannot connect, change the protocol in its settings; that fixes most cases.
Before you leave
- Install the VPN app and sign in at home, on Wi-Fi.
- Test a connection to a server in your home country.
- Install your eSIM at the same time: it starts on your first connection in Morocco.
- Once there, keep the VPN off by default and turn it on only on public Wi-Fi or for an app that needs it.
Our plans run from 1 day (€6) to 30 days (€79), hotspot included: see the Morocco eSIM plans. Check first that your phone takes an eSIM.