Last updated: June 2026
Morocco is a country that draws LGBTQ+ travellers every year. It also criminalises same-sex intimacy. Both of these things are true, and you deserve to know both clearly before you decide whether to go.
This is not a guide that will tell you Morocco is “surprisingly welcoming” and leave it there. Nor is it one designed to put you off. It presents what the law actually says, what enforcement looks like in practice, what specific precautions matter, and what trans travellers face. What you do with that information is entirely your decision.
We have run tours in Morocco since 2017. We have had LGBTQ+ guests on many of them. This guide reflects what we have learned, cross-checked against current government travel advisories, human rights documentation, and reputable LGBTQ+ travel resources.
The Law: What Article 489 Actually Says
Article 489 of the Moroccan Penal Code criminalises “lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex.” The penalties are six months to three years in prison and a fine of 200 to 1,000 Moroccan dirhams.
This law has been on the books since Morocco’s Penal Code was adopted in 1962 and applies equally to men and women. It covers all same-sex intimacy, not only public acts.
The Human Dignity Trust, which tracks the criminalisation of LGBTQ+ people globally, documents active enforcement of Article 489. According to a 2022 submission by the Moroccan Coalition for Gender and Sexual Diversity, 838 people were prosecuted under Article 489 between 2017 and 2020. The Office of the General Prosecutor recorded 170 people charged with same-sex relations in 2018 alone, out of 17,721 prosecuted for sexual relations outside of marriage that year.
In March 2024, Morocco’s Minister of Justice indicated that a Penal Code reform was in progress and mentioned a movement “towards decriminalisation of sexual relations in the private sphere.” However, no mention was made of Article 489 specifically, and as of June 2026 the law remains unchanged. Do not plan your trip on the assumption that reform is coming soon.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) explicitly states in its Morocco travel advice that same-sex relationships are illegal in Morocco and advises LGBTQ+ travellers to be mindful of local laws and customs. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs carries similar guidance.
What This Means in Practice for Tourists
Prosecutions under Article 489 overwhelmingly target Moroccan nationals, not foreign visitors. There is limited documented evidence of foreign tourists being formally prosecuted for same-sex relations alone. One case involving a foreigner in Marrakech was reported in connection with both homosexuality and drug possession charges. Two French activists were arrested and deported in 2015 after kissing in public during a protest.
The pattern that emerges from travel accounts, human rights reporting, and tour operator experience is this: tourists who behave with discretion - no public displays of affection, no overt signalling of same-sex relationships in conservative public settings - travel Morocco without legal incident. This is not a guarantee. It is the picture as it currently stands.
Discretion here means the same things it means for heterosexual couples in traditional settings across Morocco: no kissing or embracing in public, no hand-holding in medinas, souks, or smaller towns, and no openly sharing a room in ways that require a hotel to acknowledge your relationship status. The conservative public norms apply broadly to all romantic expression, regardless of orientation.
It is important to be honest about one thing: discretion reduces risk, but it does not eliminate it. You are visiting a country where the law defines your relationship as criminal. The fact that enforcement is inconsistent does not make the risk theoretical.
Booking Accommodation: What to Know
Sharing a room with a same-sex partner is where tourists most often encounter friction, though the reality varies considerably by property type and city.
Upscale riads in Marrakech, Fes, and Essaouira typically cater to international guests and exercise significant discretion. Staff are experienced with LGBTQ+ visitors and do not ask questions.
Budget guesthouses and smaller family-run properties in medinas can be different. Some may be unwilling to assign a double bed to two guests of the same sex; others apply no such policy. There is no reliable way to predict this without reading recent reviews.
Practical steps worth taking:
- Book accommodation with strong recent reviews from travellers whose accounts reflect your situation. Sites such as the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) list verified properties.
- In Marrakech particularly, the riad market is competitive and properties actively seek international guests. Standards of discretion tend to be high.
- When in doubt, book a private room with a double bed rather than requesting one at check-in.
- Cities known to be more broadly international in their hospitality include Marrakech, Tangier, Casablanca, Agadir, and Essaouira. Rural guesthouses and more conservative towns require more care.
For more on choosing the right accommodation, see our Morocco trip planning guide and our advice on riads versus hotels in Marrakech.
Dating Apps: A Specific, Serious Caution
This is not a general note about phone security. It is a specific, documented risk.
Human Rights Watch, in its 2023 report “All This Terror Because of a Photo,” documented cases of police and security forces across North Africa and the Middle East creating fake profiles on apps including Grindr to entrap LGBTQ+ individuals, lure them to meetings, and arrest them. While the most extensively documented cases involve Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan, Morocco is included in the regional research context. In 2020, Moroccan men were outed by individuals who shared their Grindr profiles in live social media broadcasts.
The straightforward advice from multiple sources: delete or log out of any dating apps - Grindr, Scruff, Hornet, and similar platforms - before you arrive in Morocco and do not use them while you are there.
This is not a theoretical precaution. It is the one area where the risk to foreign tourists is most clearly documented. Beyond app entrapment, phones can be examined at police checkpoints and border crossings in some circumstances.
Trans Travellers in Morocco
Trans travellers face a specific set of challenges in Morocco that differ from those of gay or lesbian visitors.
Morocco does not provide a pathway for transgender people to change their legal gender on national documents. A 2021 law (Law 36.21) created limited legal recognition for intersex people, but this does not extend to binary transgender individuals. For trans visitors, this means that travel documents may not reflect gender presentation, which can cause complications at border crossings and in accommodation check-ins where ID is required.
Trans women in particular face additional visibility and the possibility of hostile reactions, particularly in more conservative settings. This is partly cultural (strong gender norms in traditional Moroccan society) and partly a function of limited public awareness.
Practical steps cited by trans travellers who have visited Morocco include: carrying the most relevant legal documentation, booking accommodation that prioritises guest privacy, staying in international-grade hotels or well-reviewed riads when possible, and avoiding situations where gender presentation is likely to attract sustained attention.
The what to wear in Morocco guide is worth reading for all visitors, but the dress norms described there matter more when discretion is a practical safety consideration.
Some trans travellers have visited Morocco without incident. Others have reported difficult experiences. There is not enough aggregated data to give a statistical picture, and accounts vary significantly by city and type of accommodation.
The Broader Social Picture
Away from the law, it is worth understanding something about the social reality of LGBTQ+ life in Morocco, because the country is not monolithic.
Gay and queer Moroccan people exist. They navigate their lives with discretion and have built informal networks and communities, particularly in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, and Tangier. The country has a long history of artists, writers, and travellers finding a certain freedom in its cities - that openness has not fully disappeared from Morocco’s international-facing urban centres, even as the law has remained unchanged.
Several hotels, riads, and restaurants are considered de facto LGBTQ+-welcoming spaces by virtue of their clientele and their owners’ attitudes. These operate through word of mouth and review platforms rather than any official marking. The IGLTA directory is the most reliable starting point.
None of this changes the law. It is context worth having.
For a broader view of who visits Morocco and how different travellers experience it, see our Morocco for every traveller guide and our Morocco safety guide.
Making Your Own Decision
We are not going to tell you whether to visit Morocco. That is your decision to make with full information.
Some LGBTQ+ travellers conclude that the legal risk, required discretion, and the ethical dimension of visiting a country where their relationship is criminalised is not acceptable to them. This is entirely legitimate.
Others visit, applying the precautions described in this guide, and travel without incident. They find Morocco’s food, landscape, architecture, history, and people worth the careful navigation required.
Some find that being closeted for the duration of a trip - suppressing a part of their identity as a condition of safe travel - is too high a price, regardless of how the legal risk plays out in practice.
All of these are reasonable positions. The goal here is to make sure you are choosing with accurate information, not false reassurance or exaggerated alarm.
If you have questions about how LGBTQ+ travellers experience our specific tours, contact us before booking. We will give you an honest answer.
You can browse our available Morocco tours at /tours/ and read about trip planning at /guides/morocco-trip-planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to be gay in Morocco?
Same-sex intimacy is illegal under Article 489 of Morocco’s Penal Code, with penalties of six months to three years in prison. The law applies to both men and women. Sexual orientation itself is not referenced, but same-sex acts are criminalised regardless of where they take place. There is currently no indication that this law will be repealed in the near term, though a general Penal Code reform has been announced.
Have foreign tourists been arrested under Article 489?
Documented cases of foreign tourists being prosecuted for same-sex relations alone are rare. One case in Marrakech involved a foreigner charged alongside drug possession. Two French activists were arrested and deported in 2015 after a public protest kiss. Prosecutions overwhelmingly target Moroccan nationals. Discretion is the consistent advice from government travel advisories and LGBTQ+ travel organisations.
Should I delete Grindr and other dating apps before going to Morocco?
Yes. This is the single most consistently recommended precaution across human rights organisations, government advisories, and experienced LGBTQ+ travellers. Human Rights Watch documented police use of fake profiles on dating apps to entrap LGBTQ+ individuals across the North Africa and Middle East region. Delete or log out of Grindr, Scruff, Hornet, and similar apps before arrival and do not use them while in Morocco.
Can a same-sex couple share a hotel room in Morocco?
In practice, many same-sex couples do share hotel rooms in Morocco without difficulty, particularly in upscale riads and international-facing accommodation in Marrakech, Tangier, Agadir, and Essaouira. Some budget guesthouses and family-run properties in conservative areas may be unwilling to assign a double to a same-sex couple. Booking through IGLTA-listed properties or reading recent guest reviews is the most reliable way to select appropriate accommodation.
Is Morocco safe for trans travellers?
Trans travellers face specific challenges in Morocco: there is no legal gender recognition pathway for transgender people, which means documents may not match gender presentation - a practical issue at border crossings and check-ins. Trans women in particular may encounter unwanted attention in public, particularly in more conservative areas. Many trans travellers have visited Morocco and managed well; others have had difficult experiences. Researching accommodation carefully, staying in privacy-conscious properties, and focusing on major cities tends to reduce friction.
What does the UK government say about LGBTQ+ travel in Morocco?
The UK FCDO’s Morocco travel advice (last updated February 2026) states explicitly that same-sex relationships are illegal in Morocco. It advises LGBTQ+ travellers to be mindful of local laws and customs and to avoid public displays of affection. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs provides broadly similar guidance. Neither advisory recommends against travel to Morocco entirely, but both make clear the legal status of same-sex relations.
