Buying costs for a riad in Morocco: notary, registration and land registry fees

Short answer: for a property with a registered land title, budget around 6 to 7% of the price in purchase costs, plus any agency fee. The two main items are registration duty (4%) and land registry fees (1.5%).

The sale price is never the price you pay. Here are the items added when buying a riad in Morocco, in order of weight. The rates are those generally applied in 2026; they are set by the annual finance laws and the notary will give you the exact figures.

Registration duty: about 4%

This is the largest item. It is calculated on the price stated in the deed and paid to the tax authority through the notary. Under-declaring the price to reduce it is illegal, exposes you to a reassessment, and costs you at resale through an artificially inflated capital gain.

Land registry fees: about 1.5%

For a titled property, recording the sale on the land title carries a proportional fee of about 1.5% of the price, plus a few fixed costs (ownership certificate, stamps). It is this entry that makes you the owner as against everyone.

Notary fees: about 1% plus VAT

Fees are negotiable within a scale. Expect around 1% of the price plus VAT, with a minimum for small amounts. Ask for a written quote before signing the preliminary contract.

What changes for a melkia

A melkia property is not recorded at the land registry, so there is no registry fee on the sale. The deed is drawn up by adouls, whose fees are usually modest, and registration duty is still payable. The apparent saving is misleading: if you later have the property titled, the titling procedure has its own cost and timescale.

The costs people forget

• Agency fees, which vary: get in writing who pays them, on what basis, and whether they are included in the asking price.
• Bank transfer and exchange fees if the money comes from abroad.
• A surveyor's measurement and a structural inspection before buying.
• Titling costs if the property is under melkia and you want a land title.
• Annual local taxes payable by the owner.

A worked example

For a titled riad bought for MAD 2,000,000: about MAD 80,000 in registration duty, MAD 30,000 in land registry fees, and MAD 20,000 to 25,000 in notary fees including VAT. That is MAD 130,000 to 140,000, excluding agency fees and works. This example is illustrative: only the notary's statement is binding.

At Airyod

The turnkey price shown on our listings includes these costs, titling where needed, the renovation and the furnishing. Each item is broken down on the property page so you can compare it with buying directly.

Indicative rates in force in 2026, which may change with each finance law. Only the notary's statement is binding.