According to the Tanger Med Port Authority, the measure, which has been in place for the past five years at the ports of Tangier City, Tarifa, Nador and Ceuta and was extended this year to Tanger Med and Algeciras, is part of efforts to regulate passenger flows and ensure smooth crossings while taking into account the capacity of the maritime fleet.
The authority requires all passengers, particularly Moroccans living abroad, to confirm their ferry departure times before heading to the port. This can be done at the Tanger Med and Ksar Sghir rest areas, or through the mobile apps, websites and customer service numbers of the shipping companies.
Passengers have also been urged to schedule their trips outside peak periods, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays and during the final week of August.
In this context, the port authority said it had coordinated with the various stakeholders to adopt a series of practical measures aimed at ensuring smooth traffic flow and reducing the time needed for border and customs procedures, through the continuous deployment of personnel from the General Directorate of National Security, the Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration and local authorities.
In a statement to the Moroccan Press Agency, Tanger Med Central Director Jaafar Ameyer said the “closed ticket” system had been introduced to organize passenger arrivals according to ferry departure times and prevent the capacity of the fleet operating this year from being exceeded, thereby avoiding overcrowding and long waiting times inside the port.
Read also : Marhaba 2026: More than 2.7 million Moroccans abroad return home
He noted that passengers who do not have a “closed ticket” can contact the shipping companies to change their booking date and time, or change their booking while traveling along the highway linking Kenitra and Tangier, particularly at the Tanger Med rest area managed by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, or at the Ain Chouka rest area near Ksar Sghir, a few kilometers from the entrance to the passenger port at Tanger Med.
Expecting a sharp increase in passenger numbers, particularly toward the end of August, the official urged travelers to check travel forecasts before heading to Tanger Med and avoid traveling in late August to ensure a safe, fast and smooth crossing as they return to their countries of residence.
It should be noted that these measures are part of efforts to carefully organize the reception and transit of passengers, helping ensure that Marhaba 2026 proceeds smoothly and safely while keeping pace with the growing scale of the operation from one year to the next.
