A POPULAR holiday destination for Brits has lifted laws that previously banned unmarried couples from sharing a hotel room.
The rules have been lifted by the government, who described them as being "based in the distant past".
The rules used to be in place in Morocco, where hotels were previously required to request to see a marriage license from couples before they were allowed to stay together.
However, it was very loosely enforced, with a lot of places turning a blind eye to the rule.
Nevertheless, it was technically in place and resorts risked "heavy fines" for allowing unmarried pairs to stay overnight, according to Cross Culture Love.
I'm a pilot- here's why you feel knackered after even short flights & how not to
They explained that the law came from penal code Article 490. which stated: "Every sexual relation between a man and a woman not bound by wedlock is a crime of corruption punished by imprisonment from a month up to a year."
However, they also said that such strict punishments were rarely, if ever, enforced and that couples would merely be turned away by hotels if they thought they were unmarried.
Additionally, when it was enforced, it was more commonly Moroccan couples who were affected, with foreign travellers often overlooked.
Now, however, the rules will not apply to anyone, according to the New Arab, who had the news revealed to them by a five-star hotel in the country's capital Rabat.
The source told them: "The police contacted us on Saturday, 25 May, and informed us that marriage contracts are no longer required for unmarried couples."
The New Arab said that the rules were "based not on law but on what seemed like an urban myth".
They added: "Some hoteliers say they were only verbal instructions, but if ignored, the hotels would face severe consequences, such as having their authorisation revoked."
Hotels could have seen the changes coming, following comments made by the Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi last month.
He described the practice of asking to see a marriage licence as illegal and discriminatory and said anyone who asks to see one could now face action.
He said: "The ban is based on an administrative note that circulated in the distant past.
I'm a flight attendant who only carries hand luggage on holiday - here's how
"Asking people for a marriage certificate is against the law.
"Those who ask for this document at the hotel are breaking the law and can face legal action."
Single women were also previously affected by the rules, and were not allowed to stay at hotels alone.
That rule typically applied to women who wanted to stay in a hotel or accommodation in their own city, but that has now also changed.
This means holidaymakers, including Brits, can continue to make the most of Morocco as a cheap and unique holiday destination, with its 35C summers and short flights from the UK.
A return plane ticket can be booked from as little as £70, with trips taking around four hours.
A night in a hotel in Marrakech can be booked from as little as £11 for two.
Meanwhile, Ryanair has launched new flights to Morocco this year.
And this Moroccan city is just thee hours from the UK and has been tipped to be big.
