Work move to morocco...should we marry?

Hey well you caqn stay together without being married shouldnt be a problem but iuf you wanna get residence as his partner then you need to get married otherwise Morocco is an open country.

Hi and welcome on board wekshie

Thanks for the advice Nassimmee!

And thanks Armand for the warm welcome!

Hello Welshie,

Be advised that openly gay relationships are strictly forbidden here and the consequence is jail time. You will see many Moroccan men in platonic relationships holding hands, walking together with arms around one another's shoulders, but a gay couple is something you do not see here in Morocco. I'm sure there ARE gay couples here, but everything happens behind closed doors. Remember this is a Muslim country, so you have to plan/behave/respect accordingly.

Morocco is an enchanting, amazing country and should you both make the move here, I am sure you will love it here! Especially Agadir

Well yeah if you re gay couple then u shld be discrete so no comign out in public areas also in clubs and as Jaime said all happened behind closed door :-)

Hello Welshie -

To answer your question about whether to marry or not, some of that really depends on WHERE you are living in Morocco.  Cities are more tolerant than rural areas, for example.  Also, as a foreignor and non-muslim you are not expected to act according to local customs, although you are expected to be a law abiding citizen.

If you were going to live with a Moroccan/Muslim, then you would need to be married, or at least state that you are married, as it is illegal to live together as an unmarried couple, even if you are not Moroccan/Muslim.  I know US expats that have lived there, with their Moroccan boyfriends/fiance's, and had to tell people they are married even when they were not.  Need to be careful with that, as sometimes the authorities will ask for proof.   If you and your boyfriend are both UK citizens, then I think you will be okay....although I do wonder why you would consider making such a serious international move with someone, but not willing to make a marriage committment..?  Just curious.   

Also, if you were married, you would qualify for spousal benefits, like health insurance and what have you.   However, don't get married simply as a gesture to appease a foreign entity...only do it if you are committed and really love each other. 

One more thing - if you don't have a resident visa, you will need to leave the country every 90 days and re-enter.  I do believe the only way you can get a resident visa is to have a legitimate job there, or be married to someone who has a legitimate job there.   Have you thought about what you will do while there...?  I hope you have spent some time visiting the country and acquainted yourself with their ways and customs, at the very minimum, before making such a big committment.

Good luck!

Tifa

Hello, Welshie...

where you MAY run into problems is during signing of the lease.  Having two names on the lease (1 male and 1 female) can cause a lot of problems if either of you have to turn in the paperwork for your residency permit, which I'm sure your partner will HAVE to do.  Proof of a lease signed is required with their papers to file for residency.  BE WARNED... my friend has major problems doing this when filing for residency!

You'll have to leave and come back every 90 days (border hop) I believe if you DON'T have a job.

By the way, if you do decide to get married it takes a LONG LONG time.  My husband and I (he's moroccan) moved here last August and we just now got approval to get married here.  There's a million pieces of paperwork and a million different people you have to see to go through each step.  And we've been married for 5 years, but it was in the US and US marriages aren't recognized here.

GOOD LUCK!  Let me know if you've got questions.  I've been through both sides now... getting married and applying for residency, so I know how it works.