Work permits in Morocco

Who needs a work visa in Morocco

If you plan to settle and work in Morocco, you must apply for a work visa (work permit) within the first 3 months of your residency at the Department of Labour in Rabat. You should also apply for a residency card at the Bureau des Etrangers at the head police precinct. The only requirement for a work permit is to have an employment contract present. If you intend to work in Morocco, you should apply for a residency card within the first 15 days of your stay, and register at the local commissioner's office as being looking for an employer willing to hire you.

Required documents

For your first work permit, the required documents include:

• Evidence of domicile or hotel reservation. If accommodation is provided by the employer, the latter must provide a certificate to confirm he is taking up the housing costs
• Copies of your passport.
• Copies of all your diplomas and degrees,
• 2 identification sized photos.
• Four passport-size photos taken within the previous 6 months.
• Passport (valid for at least 6 months from date of exit of Morocco, and with at least one blank page), with a photocopy of the relevant data pages.
• Fee (payable by postal order only).
• Evidence of employment or bank statements.
• Photocopy of the flight ticket(s)
• Completed application form
• Copy of the invitation letter issued by the company you are planning to work with.
• Copy of your employment contract.
• Business letter from employer
• Work experience evidence

The work permit is valid for 3 years and must be renewed before its expiry date. After three years of regular presence on Moroccan territory, you will be eligible for a residence permit valid for 5-10 years, depending on your country of origin. After filling out the application for a residence permit, you will receive a receipt until your card is issued.

Work permits in Morocco

In Morocco, you must be in possession of legal authorisation to work. If you are currently working for a company, the company will take care of most of the procedures for your work permits. You will have to take your documents to the prefecture to apply for a residence permit in person.

Differences by country of origin

Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a visa to enter Morocco. This could be a work visa, or you can enter on a tourist or student visa and then apply for a work visa once in the country, depending on your activities. You can find the list of countries that do not need a visa to enter in the article on travelling to Morocco.

 Good to know:

Foreign residents cannot work in jobs that could be filled by a Moroccan citizen. If you are doing a job that requires a special skill not commonly found in Morocco, this requirement may not be very challenging. For example, if you are a native speaker of a language not generally spoken in Morocco, or have received training not available in Morocco, you will only need a document proving that you have that skill. Some countries, such as the United States, have agreements with Morocco that allow employees such as English language teachers to easily get through this step. However, if you are working in a job that could be filled by a Moroccan, your employer might be required to advertise your position and even interview other candidates to prove that there is no Moroccan better suited for the job. This can be a lengthy and stressful process, as you will not have job security before completing these steps.