# How Does the Tarifa to Tangier Ferry Work, and Is a Day Trip Worth It? > The Tarifa to Tangier ferry takes about 1 hour and lands at Tangier Ville port beside the medina. Baleària and AML run it in 2026; fares start around €30 to €40. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/tarifa-to-tangier-ferry-day-trip-guide - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from a 526-day trip across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-08-18 The fast ferry from Tarifa to Tangier takes about **1 hour** and docks at **Tangier Ville port**, a short walk from the medina. In 2026 the route is run by **Baleària** and **AML (Africa Morocco Link)**, with roughly 5 to 15 sailings a day depending on season, and one-way fares on booking sites start around **€30 to €40**. Moroccan passport control is done **on board** during the crossing. Here is how the crossing works, what happens on arrival, the time difference, and whether to do Tangier as a day trip or continue by train. ## Who runs the Tarifa–Tangier ferry in 2026 The route changed hands in 2025. **FRS**, whose red-and-white fast ferries ran it for years (later under DFDS), stopped sailing it on **May 5, 2025** after the Algeciras port authority awarded the line to **Baleària**. **AML (Africa Morocco Link)** also runs high-speed ferries between Tarifa and Tangier Ville. Older blog posts that mention FRS or Inter Shipping on this route are out of date. Crossings take about **an hour**; the quickest are listed at just under 60 minutes. Booking sites in 2026 show around **5 to 15 departures a day**, more in summer. Fares vary by date and operator: one-way adult tickets typically start around €30 to €40, and Baleària's own estimate for a foot-passenger return is about **€82**. Rough seas in the Strait occasionally cancel sailings, especially when the *levante* wind blows, so do not plan a tight connection on the return. ## Leaving Spain and passport control on board The port is at the foot of Tarifa's old town, a few minutes' walk from the center. Aim to be at the terminal **about an hour** before departure. You go through **Spanish exit control** before boarding; since **April 10, 2026** non-EU travelers are registered in the EU's **Entry/Exit System (EES)** with fingerprints and a photo instead of getting a stamp. Once the ferry is moving, a **Moroccan police officer** sets up a desk in the passenger lounge. Join the queue straight away, hand over your passport and get it stamped there. Do not leave the ship without that stamp, or you will be sent back. Bring a **passport**, not a national ID card. Most Western passport holders get 90 days visa-free; check your nationality in our [Morocco visa guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/do-i-need-a-visa-to-visit-morocco). ## Arriving at Tangier Ville port Foot passengers leave the ship first, pass a quick passport check and a luggage X-ray, and walk out of the port building. **Tangier Ville port** sits right below the old city: the medina walls and the Kasbah are about a 10 to 15 minute walk uphill, and the Grand Socco square a little further. Blue *petits taxis* wait outside; agree the fare or insist on the meter before getting in. Morocco's dirham is a closed currency, so you cannot buy it in Spain. There are ATMs and exchange counters near the port and in the medina; our [dirham and ATM guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/morocco-dirham-closed-currency-exchange-atm-guide) explains the fees. Small euro amounts are often accepted on day-trip routes, but at poor rates. ## Time difference and timetables Morocco stays on **GMT+1** all year, except during **Ramadan** when it moves back to GMT. Spain is GMT+1 in winter and GMT+2 in summer. In practice: • **Late March to late October:** Morocco is **1 hour behind** Spain. • **Late October to late March:** the two are on the **same time**, except during Ramadan, when Morocco is 1 hour behind again. Ferry departure times are given in the local time of the departure port. Before a day trip, check the last sailing back in Moroccan time and set your phone's clock to update automatically. ## Day trip from Tarifa or onward travel by train A **day trip** works well: an early ferry gives you six or seven hours for the medina, the Kasbah museum, the Café Hafa terrace and lunch. Organized day tours sold in Tarifa bundle the ferry, a guide, lunch and transfers; going independently costs less and lets you choose your own pace. The main nuisance is **unofficial guides** who attach themselves at the port or the medina gates, tell you a street is closed, or steer you into a shop. A firm "no, thank you" and walking on usually ends it. Licensed guides carry an official badge. More on this in our [Morocco scams guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/is-morocco-safe-marrakech-scams-tourist-guide). To go further into Morocco, take a petit taxi about 3 km to **Tanger Ville train station** and board the **Al Boraq** high-speed train: about **50 minutes** to Kenitra, **1 hour 20 minutes** to Rabat and about **2 hours 10 minutes** to Casablanca. For Marrakech you change to a regular train, and the whole journey takes most of a day. Book on the ONCF site or app; fares are cheaper booked ahead. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier? About 1 hour on the fast ferries, landing at Tangier Ville port next to the medina. ### Which ferry companies go from Tarifa to Tangier? Baleària and AML (Africa Morocco Link) in 2026. FRS stopped running the route on May 5, 2025, when it was awarded to Baleària. ### Where do you get your passport stamped on the Tarifa to Tangier ferry? On board. A Moroccan police officer stamps passports at a desk in the passenger lounge during the crossing, and you must have that stamp before you leave the ship. ### Is there a time difference between Tarifa and Tangier? From late March to late October Morocco is 1 hour behind Spain. In winter they share the same time, except during Ramadan, when Morocco is 1 hour behind. ### Can you do a day trip from Tarifa to Tangier? Yes. An early ferry gives you six or seven hours in the medina and Kasbah, either independently or on an organized tour that bundles the ferry, guide and lunch. Check the last sailing back in Moroccan time. ### How far is the Tangier ferry port from the train station? Tanger Ville train station is about 3 km from the port, a short petit taxi ride. Al Boraq trains run from there to Rabat in about 1 hour 20 minutes and Casablanca in about 2 hours 10 minutes. ## Official sources - [Baleària: Tarifa–Tanger Ville route](https://www.balearia.com/en/routes-timetables/ferry-tarifa-tanger-ville) - [AML (Africa Morocco Link)](https://www.aml.ma/) - [ONCF (Moroccan railways, Al Boraq tickets)](https://www.oncf-voyages.ma/en) - [European Commission: Entry/Exit System](https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en)