Morocco is located in the Maghreb region of North Africa, with access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to beautiful desert landscapes, ruins of ancient cities and epic mountain ranges – seemingly custom-made for tourists.
It is known as one of the most liberal of the Arab countries and the people of Morocco are also hospitable, making the country a second home to millions of tourists, travellers and adventurers. Morocco is often called the gateway to Africa and it is fairly easy to fulfil requirements to obtain a Morocco visa and travel to this amazing destination.
This information piece tells you everything you need to know about visa requirements for visiting Morocco. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these legal requirements of entry before your visit, in particular if you are travelling with your family members.
Visa requirements are often subject to change without prior notice. Rather check the country’s official website or enquire from a reputable travelling agency or tour operator like MoAfrika Tours what the latest updates or changes to the requirements for a visa application may be.
WHAT IS A VISA?
A visa is issued to international travellers visiting Morocco for a short stay on a temporary basis for tourism, business, study or medical reasons. Visas are normally issued for a maximum 30 or 90 days, depending on your country of residence.
A valid visa allows you to enter the country through a port of entry and stay in the country for the period specified in your visa. Note that you are restricted to the activity or reason stated in your application, for example, if you applied for a visa for a holiday or family visit, you are not allowed to work in the country during your stay.
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR VISITING MOROCCO
A visa is authorised and issued upon application by a representative of a country’s embassy, mission or consulate after it has been determined that you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose.
Visitors holding passports from countries that are classified as ‘exempt’ do not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving in Morocco. Instead, they are issued with a short-stay visa at the point of entry for a period of time relevant to the status of the visitor’s country.
There are some special visa exemptions for travellers from various countries entering Morocco. Travellers from most countries in the North and South Americas, Europe and the Gulf countries, require no visa. If you’re from any other country, you need to obtain the visa before boarding your flight. For obtaining the visa, you’ll need to fulfil various Morocco visa requirements applicable to the purpose and duration of your travel.
Visa-free access is also only applicable for stays up to 90 days, so, if your stay in Morocco extends for longer, you’ll need to obtain a resident permit. This can be obtained from a local police station in Morocco.
COUNTRIES EXEMPTED AND COUNTRIES THAT NEED VISAS
Nationals from the following countries do not need a visa for Morocco for stays of up to 90 days (except when otherwise specified): A European Union country, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Hong Kong (citizens can only stay in Morocco for up to 30 days), Iceland, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore (citizens of Singapore can only stay in Morocco for up to 30 days) South Korea, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and United States.                          Â
Morocco also allows certain visa-exemptions for non-ordinary passports. Citizens of the following countries that carry diplomatic, official, or service passports can stay in Morocco without a visa for up to 90 days: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome e Principe, Serbia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Vietnam and Yemen.
Morocco also offers an online visa, called the Morocco Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) which is only available to citizens of Republic of the Congo, Guinea and Mali. These nationals can obtain the electronic authorization entirely online. They can apply for the ETA from anywhere in the world. After their application is processed and accepted, they have to print it and show it at the point of entry in Morocco as well as when they leave.
Morocco does not offer a visa on arrival. If you require a visa, it has to be obtained before you travel. Only visa-exempt nationals are eligible to travel without obtaining the visa beforehand. They simply need a passport, which must be valid for another six months and has at least one blank page for the entry stamp.
Visitors also need a return-flight ticket for within the next 90 days.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF VISAS
Morocco grants three main types of visas: A short-term visa, also known as a tourist visa, a transit visa and a long-term visa.
The short-term or tourist visa is issued to visa-required nationals who want to enter Morocco as a tourist or for short-term purposes like business, a personal visit, attending a cultural or academic event such as a conference, for sports events, for journalism or for medical treatment.
Tourist visas for Morocco can be issued for single or multiple entries and allow for a maximum stay in Morocco for up to 90 days.
Travellers need a Morocco transit visa when they will transit through the territory of Morocco on their way to a third country. This transit visa can be issued for one or two transits, allowing you to stay in Morocco for no more than 72 hours.
The long-term visa for Morocco is issued to foreigners who want to enter Morocco for long-term purposes such as for work or joining family members. Technically it is also only valid for three months but allows the holder to apply for a Residency Card (Carte de Séjour) from the Moroccan General Directorate of National Security.
The Morocco long-term visa is divided into several subtypes: a work visa, for foreigners who find a job in Morocco and can provide a work permit; a student visa, issued to foreigners who want to pursue their studies at a Moroccan educational institution; and a Morocco Family Reunification Visa, issued to foreigners who want to join a family member living in Morocco.
HOW AND WHERE TO APPLY FOR VISAS WHEN VISITING MOROCCO
Travellers must apply for a Morocco visa at a Moroccan diplomatic mission in their country. The exact process depends on the country and the representative office, but it normally proceeds as follows:
Start the process by making an appointment at the Morocco consulate or embassy. Depending on the country, you may be able to make the appointment online, but it may also be necessary to make a call or appear in person. Most offices will not accept an application without an appointment.
Some Moroccan embassies have outsourced visa applications to private agencies, in which case you have to contact the relevant agency to start the process.
Gather the required documents, complete the visa application form (available from the embassy or consulate or you can download it through their website) and attach a picture of yourself if it is requested.
Once you have all the other documents that support your visa application, you can submit them at the embassy or consulate – mostly it is expected that you submit them in person, but sometimes, depending on the application, you may submit it through a legal representative or by mail. If the latter, you have to include a prepaid, self-addressed special delivery envelope for the return of your passport.
When submitting the application and necessary documents, you have to pay the visa processing fee. Then you have to wait for the visa to be processed, mostly about two weeks (10 business days), but it may be longer, especially if you hold a non-ordinary travel document.
Once your application is approved, the visa-issuing authorities will affix a Morocco visa sticker into your passport. If you applied in person, you have to pick it up yourself, but if you applied by mail, the embassy/consulate will mail it back to you.
If there is no Moroccan embassy or consulate where you live, you must find out if the Moroccan government has outsourced visa submissions to another diplomatic authority in your country or to a visa application agency. If this is not the case, you may have to apply via mail directly to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rabat and if approved, you’d be able to receive it at the airport.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR APPLICATION FOR A MORROCAN VISA
When you apply for a Moroccan visa, you need to submit several documents in support that serve to convince the Moroccan visa-issuing authorities that you are fit to receive a visa.
The requirements differ according to the reason of your visit, your country and the duration of your stay. The standard list of documents however includes:
The Morocco visa application form completely filled and duly signed. You need to submit three forms – keep at least one original, while the other two can be photocopied from the original.
Your passport and photocopies of the first page of the passport that contains your photo. Ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from the date of your return and that it has a minimum of 2 blank pages.
Four passport-size photos, taken in the last six months with your face clearly identifiable.
Return flight ticket.
Proof of accommodation.
Proof of sufficient financial means.
Travel insurance.
Proof of paid Morocco visa fee.
Certain other documents may also be requested, depending on the nature and purpose of your visit, like an hotel reservation receipt if you are a tourist. If you are sponsored by a Moroccan resident, you can get a notarised invitation letter from your sponsor in Morocco to prove that the sponsor will take care of your accommodation arrangements.
If you are on a business trip to Morocco, you’ll need to prove the existence of your company like registration documents, Income Tax Returns Certificate, or evidence of your employment or contract with the company you’re representing.
If you are an employee, you’ll need to provide proof of your employment as well as the No Objection Certificate from your employer. If you pursue your career in Morocco and apply for a job visa, you should provide your offer, your work permit, and the employment contract with the from the Moroccan company.
If you are a student applying for a student visa, you’ll have to provide the enrolment letter from the educational institution in Morocco, along with all other mandatory documents. If you are the spouse of a Moroccan citizen who plans to stay or visit Morocco, you must submit your marriage certificate and a valid ID proof of the Moroccan spouse too.
You will have to legalize several of your documents (civil status documents, academic qualifications and diplomas, the certificate of police clearance, and even your passport) especially if you are applying for a long-term visa and residence card. This can be done either by an Apostille Stamp or at a Moroccan Consulate or Embassy.
It may also be necessary to translate some of your documents, either in Arabic, English or French. Consult the Moroccan embassy/consulate for language requirements.
COST OF AN MOROCCO VISA
The visa processing fees for Morocco are:
Single entry (up to 90 days): DH220 (appx. $23)
Two entries (up to 90 days): DH330 (appx. $34)
Transit visa: DH170 (appx. $18)
VACCINES NEEDED WHEN VISITING MOROCCO
A yellow fever vaccination certificate may be required for a foreign visitor who is travelling from or transiting through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. A yellow fever certificate is valid 10 days after the vaccination is administered, making it important to get the vaccination in time before leaving for Morocco. You may be refused entry if you leave it too late and arrive in Morocco within the 10-day waiting period.
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OVERSTAYS ON A VISA IN MOROCCO
A visa for Morocco is valid for a maximum of 90 days and can be issued for a single entry or multiple entries. Both the Morocco Tourist Visa and the long-term visa have the same validity, but the latter allows the holder to apply for a Residence Card after they enter Morocco, while the tourist visa does not.
If you don’t extend your stay and get a Residence Card, you have to leave after three months, even with a long-term visa. If you have a tourist visa you would like to extend beyond 90 days, you can request a visa extension at the nearest Police Precinct in Morocco.
ENJOY A SAFE HOLIDAY IN MOROCCO WITH A REPUTABLE TOUR OPERATOR
Visiting areas outside of recognised tourist areas isn’t recommended for safety reasons and travel regulations are known to change without notice to the public. MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to Morocco. We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in Morocco who make safety a priority.