Bonjour, tous le monde. / Hello, everyone.
The user jess1406 made an excellent thread back in 2016 about her mixed marriage process in Morocco from a British female foreigner's perspective marrying a Moroccan male, however, I have heard that process is slightly different, harder or complex compared to a male foreigner's perspective marrying a Moroccan woman. For some unknown reason, a Moroccan man marrying a foreign woman has to go through more hurdles than a Moroccan woman marrying a foreign man.
Not to spill too much details of my personal life, I will share the early steps of my process from a male Canadian perspective as it is similar to most countries for which you don't require a VISA to enter Morocco or have a tangible relationship. For countries like Turkey where you can get an eVISA, there seems to be an extra step of 'authentication'. I don't know know too much details of this, but the Morocco thread on Reddit can shed more light for countries with eVISA, if anyone is curious.
I am a Muslim man who met my Moroccan Muslim fiancée online about a year ago and was engaged to her a couple months ago when I went to Morocco to visit her and met her family. I hope to get married later this year, but with travel restrictions and COVID, it may be a challenge to take my family. I have no knowledge of French, even though I live in Canada and while I can read and write (Traditional) Arabic, I cannot speak/understand the language, let alone the Moroccan dialect. Nevertheless, based on research I did using the Government of Canada, free resources on Public Immigration Services and the Public Services Portal of Morocco (only available in French and Arabic), I have detailed a list of three major factors and a hidden factor only mentioned on the Public Services Portal of Morocco:
1. Documentation I require from Canada
2. Documentation I require in Morocco
3. Documentation my fiancée requires in Morocco
*Hidden*. Applies to All Moroccans, but Some Documents May not be Required for the Foreigner
1. Documentation from Canada (Multiple Photocopies)
- Notarized Certificate of Nationality, i.e. Citizenship Card and/or Citizenship Certificate
- Canadian Passport
- Original Birth Certificate or Notarized Photocopy
- Police Record, Authenticated by Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in Ottawa
- Notarized Medical Certificate
- Notarized Work Certificate
- Notarized Residence Certificate: What types of documents comply for the Certificate of Residency for Canada? Is it only the document issued by the CRA? Does passport, driver's license, health card or a combination of all of these comply for the residence certificate? Surely if the Canadian Passport complies for Canada, it must comply with the Canadian Embassies of any country, right?.
- Notarized Muslim Faith Certificate
- Four (4) Recent Photos of Passport Size, 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm
2. Documentation in Morocco (Multiple Photocopies)
- Eligibility to Marry Document/Capacité de Mariage, via Canadian Embassy
> Certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rabat
- Confirmation of Nationality/Attestation de Nationalité, via Canadian Embassy
= Completed & Signed Affidavit for Two Documents Above
- Sworn Single Status Statement in French, thus resulting in the Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage, which can be Completed in Canada as well
- Notarized Canadian Passport, via Canadian Embassy
- Notarized Medical Certificate
- Notarized Police Record, via Ministry of Justice in Rabat
3. Documentation for Moroccan Fiancée (Multiple Photocopies)
- Notarized Copy of the National ID (Card)
- Latest Birth Certificate or Notarized Copy
- Medical Certificate or Notarized Copy
- Capacité de Mariage/Eligibility to Marry (Single Status) or Administrative Marriage Certificate
- Copy of Police Record, via Ministry of Justice in Rabat
- Four (4) Recent Photos of Passport Size, 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm
*Hidden*.
> Documentation Required to Obtain Permission to Certify Marriage for Adults
= Copy of the Birth Certificate for Both Individuals
= Administrative Marriage Certificate for Both Individuals
= Medical Certificate for Both Individuals
= Notarized Copy of the National ID (Card) for Both Individuals
> Administrative Marriage Certificate
= Copy of the Birth Certificate for Both Individuals
= Sworn Statement by the Fiance or Fiancée testifying of his/her Family Status (if applicable)
~ Certificate issued by the Court in the Local City of the Applicant, on the basis of an Investigation by an Administrative Agent, such as a Muqaddam or Islamic Official (i.e Imam/Adoul). Contains Information relating to the Marital Status of the Fiance, Fiancée, their Family Status, their Place of Residence and their Profession (official title). Profession cannot be generic 'Employee of So and So'.
I would like for anyone with knowledge on this website to confirm to me if all of these documents are the same for you if you are in a similar position as me or the exact position if you are a male foreigner seeking to get married in Morocco. Also, feel free to answer my question in BOLD if you know the answer. Keep in mind, generally speaking, all of these documents must not be older than 3 months and for Canadians, the Eligibility to Marry Document/Capacité de Mariage that is attained from the Canadian Embassy in Morocco is ONLY valid for 1 month. For some unknown reason, American have 6 months and Canadians get 1 month. After my formal marriage process is completed, I will update this thread accordingly.
Au revoir.