Ferry from Almería to Nador

This site exists to show travellers to Morocco the advantages of the Almería-Nador ferry and to give them all the information they need to choose between the four operators. We are independent: you book with the operator itself or through Direct Ferries. See also contact and the disclaimer.

Almería lies in the south-east of Spain and is the port closest to the Rif mountains: the ferry docks in Beni Ensar, a few kilometres from Nador. If you have family in Nador, Al Hoceima, Driouch or Oujda, you are home one to two and a half hours after the crossing. Via Algeciras and Tangier Med the crossing is shorter, but the drive afterwards is often half a day longer.

The Almería-Nador crossing takes seven to ten hours, depending on the operator. That sounds long, but it is exactly the break you need after a long drive: you sleep in a cabin or a seat, eat on board and drive off the ship rested.

In July and August this is one of the busiest routes between Spain and Morocco. Then booking early is not a tip but a condition, and the queues at customs in Beni Ensar are at their longest. How to get through is explained under documents and customs.

In short: this crossing is worth it above all for north-east Morocco. For Nador, Berkane and Oujda you save yourself a long drive from Tangier. If you are heading for Rabat, Casablanca or further south, Algeciras-Tangier Med is usually more logical. Not sure? See which crossing suits your destination.

There are two ways to reach Almería with your own car. The first is the Bay of Biscay: Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth, Plymouth and Rosslare to Bilbao and Santander, a crossing of roughly a day and a half, and from there it is about 930 to 1,000 kilometres and ten to eleven hours on Spanish motorways to Almería, most of them toll-free. The second is the Channel: Dover-Calais or the tunnel, then about 2,100 kilometres and 22 hours through France and down the Spanish coast, with French motorway tolls on the way. Distances are road distances calculated with OSRM on 11 September 2026, without stops.

Papers for a UK car: the V5C logbook, a green card that covers Morocco and, according to GOV.UK, both your UK driving licence and a 1968 International Driving Permit, which you buy at a Post Office before you leave. Many UK insurers will not issue a green card for Morocco; ask early, use a specialist insurer if needed, or buy border insurance in the port of Nador on arrival. Everyone needs a passport valid for at least three months after arrival; there is no visa for stays up to 90 days. All of it on the customs page.

The crossing is so popular that by 2027 four operators sail it: Baleària, Naviera Armas, GNV and, as the newcomer, Africa Morocco Link (AML). They use different ships, which can change with the season. The number of sailings per day also depends heavily on the season, and towards summer the ticket prices climb.

In the booking module at the top of this page you compare the operators on price for your date. To see how they differ, read the operator pages: they also tell you more about the ships that regularly sail the route.

You drive the car onto the vehicle deck yourself; during the crossing you cannot get to it. So take everything you need on board upstairs: papers, medicines, a jumper and something to eat for the children. At check-in you show the registration document, and the car must have the length and height you gave when booking. A roof box, bike rack or trailer counts, otherwise the operator can refuse to load you.

If you run on LPG, say so when booking and at check-in: gas cars get a separate spot in the garage. Trailers, caravans and campers can come and pay by length and height. Pets can come, but the rules differ per operator; book them in advance. Taking a hire car to Morocco usually is not possible: most rental companies forbid it.

For Moroccan customs you need: the registration document, your passport, your driving licence and insurance that covers Morocco, so a green card on which MA is not crossed out, or otherwise border insurance bought in the port. If the car is not registered in your name, you need a letter of authorisation from the owner, preferably in French. Everything in one place on the customs page.

Half of every summer’s traffic goes the other way, back from Nador to Almería. For EU citizens the return is simple: Moroccan customs takes back the temporary import document of the car, the police stamps you out, and in Almería the Spanish police stamps you in. Moroccan citizens need a Schengen visa to enter Spain, unless they hold a valid residence permit of a Schengen country; the ferry operator checks this at check-in in Nador, and without the right document you will not board. Check the rules with the Spanish consulate before you buy a ticket.

The border on the outbound trip comes in three steps: Spanish exit control in Almería, the Moroccan passport check on board during the crossing, and customs for the car in Beni Ensar, with the temporary import document D16 ter, valid for at most 180 days per calendar year. Fill it in beforehand on the Moroccan customs website and it goes faster in the port. The documents and the order are on the customs page.

A guide, not a live price. Outside the summer a single crossing with a car and two people starts at around 214 euros with Baleària, 225 euros with GNV and 314 euros with Naviera Armas, without a cabin, price level December 2025. AML has not published a starting price yet.

More expensive in summer. In July and August prices rise sharply, and the cabins sell out fast.

The earlier, the cheaper. The cheapest sailings and the cabins go first; those who book months ahead pay the least. You only see the actual price when booking, for your date.

All prices and ways to save