Everything You Need To Know About A Morocco Visa

British nationals in possession of a valid British Citizen passport do not need a visa to travel to Morocco if they plan to stay in the country for less than three months.

Now, when you wish to avail the benefits under the visa-free regime, you need to have a passport that is valid at least for the planned stay period in Morocco. However, Moroccan immigration officials recommend that this validity should cover a minimum span of 3 months from your date of entry to Morocco. So, if your passport fails to meet this criterion, you should probably get it renewed or seek advice from Moroccan authorities and your travel provider prior to your travel dates.

Other requirements which you should meet include possession of return or onward tickets, evidence of enough funds to sustain your stay in Morocco, and having all the documents required to grant you entry into the next destination on your itinerary.

Entry requirements for foreigners residing in the UK

Holders of UK travel documents who do not have a British passport require a visa to enter the Kingdom of Morocco. Applicants who are married to UK nationals and are traveling with them need a visa as well.

Note: If you are in the UK on a tourist visa, you cannot apply for a Moroccan visa through the Consulate in London. You need to lodge an application through the embassy in your home country.

Additionally, when you are in the UK under a residence permit or a UK visa and do not fall in the list of visa-exempt countries as specified by the Moroccan government, you need to apply for a visa in advance through the consulate. Please visit thewebsite of the Moroccan Embassy in London to check the list of countries that fall under the visa-free regime.

Again, if your stay exceeds 90 days, you have to apply for a Moroccan resident permit that can be issued by the police department in your place of stay in Morocco.

So, now that you know if you need a visa or not, let’s go through the common visa types issued by the Moroccan consulate.

• Tourist visa
• Business visa
• Work visa
• Student visa
• Visitor visa

Below, we have outlined the necessary documents for the specified visa types:

Tourist visa

• A fully completed and signed entry visa application form into Morocco
• Two colored, passport-size photographs on a white background
• An identity card or residence permit issued by the UK government
• A passport that is valid for at least 3 months from your entry date in Morocco. You should ensure that its validity is longer than the duration of stay
• A photocopy of the biodata pages of your passport
• Return tickets
• Comprehensive travel insurance
• Recent bank statements
• Hotel reservations
• A legalized or attested letter of invitation, when going for a family visit. The letter should include a guarantee of medical coverage and repatriation expenses (if the case arises)
• If you don’t have a LOI, you can also submit a request letter from an authorized travel agency or a recommendation from the Ministry of Tourism or from a representation of the Moroccan National Tourist Office

Business Visa

The primary documents required for a business visa are a visa application form, photographs, passport (in original and a photocopy), and UK identity card or residence permit.

The supporting documents are:

• A recommendation letter from the appropriate ministry when you are going to conduct public business activities OR a recommendation from the professional chambers in the case of private business
• A letter of invitation if your visit includes participation in fairs and exhibitions
• A letter of invitation from an industrial, commercial or service operator

Work Visa

For a work visa, the primary documents are the same as mentioned above for a business visa. Additionally, you will need to produce a contract of employment duly validated by the Ministry of Employment

Student Visa

For a student visa, apart from the primary documents outlined in the preceding section, you will require:

• An authentic certificate granted by the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) or any other related financing body which specifies that you are enrolled in a Moroccan institute or availing a scholarship in the country
• You need to ensure that your name is in the consulate list, which contains the names of all the foreign students selected for pursuing education in a Moroccan public university and names of foreign trainees traveling for an internship in the country
• A certificate of enrollment from a Moroccan public university or private higher education institute. In the second case, the visa application request must receive prior approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Only students accepted in major Moroccan schools are barred from this requirement
• Proof of sufficient funds to sustain the said stay period in Morocco
• A signed and legalized certificate from a guarantor who resides in Morocco

Visitor Visa

In order to lodge a visitor visa application, you will need the same primary documents as we have already mentioned before. Additionally, you will need:

• An application requesting immigration to Morocco for the purpose of staying in the nation on a long-term period (exceeding one year)
• Proof of funds in the form of a recent bank statement
• A written declaration which states that the applicant will conduct no professional activities during the stay period in Morocco
• Adjustment of situation of staying in the capacity of "visitor" by the qualified services of the Directorate-General of National Safety
• A comprehensive medical insurance certificate

Visa Application Process

Once you have all the documents with you, you can submit your application in person if you reside in Greater London.

Otherwise, you have the option to apply via post as well. You cannot apply via post if you stay in Greater London.

Enclose all of the documents (original passport and copies of all the other documents, as per the visa type), visa fees in cash in another envelope (£20 for single-entry visa and £27 for multiple-entry visa), a prepaid self-addressed envelope special delivery with your name and address on it for returning your passport.

You can then post the application at the below address:

THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO

DIAMOND HOUSE

97 / 99 PRAED STREET, PADDINGTON

LONDON W2 1NT

Once the documents are received, the consulate takes around 14 days to process your visa. You should visit the consulate only after booking an online appointment.

Additional points

Moroccan citizens staying in the UK and visiting Morocco might not be granted to exit Morocco and leave for the UK unless they carry proof of immigration status, which can be either a UK biometric residence permit card or a valid UK entry clearance.

If you need to apply for a visa as a non-employed individual and a dependant spouse, you can submit the bank statement and work details of your employed husband/wife.

If you don’t have a passport and need to apply through travel documents, ensure that you apply at least 3 months in advance. The process for visa approval often exceeds 2 weeks in these cases.