Who needs to apply
- Every foreigner over 18 who stays in Morocco for more than 90 days (Law 02-03, articles 6 and 9).
- You apply within 90 days of entering the country. Some guides advise applying within the first 15 days, so don't wait.
- Without a card after 3 months, you risk a fine and being escorted back to the border.
- An unmarried partner who does not work cannot get one: Morocco does not recognise unmarried couples.
- Children who live in Morocco must have their own travel document issued by the DGSN (the national police). One parent must hold a residence permit first. Without this document, a child over one year old can be stopped when leaving the country.
Types of card
| Card | Who it is for | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Carte d'immatriculation "visiteur" (visitor) | Retirees and people living on their own income, with no professional activity in Morocco | 1 to 10 years by law, in practice 1 year at first |
| Carte d'immatriculation "activité professionnelle" (work) | Employees (contract approved by the Ministry of Employment) and company directors | 1 to 10 years |
| Carte de résidence (resident card) | After 4 years of legal, continuous residence, or from the first application for the spouse of a Moroccan citizen | 10 years |
Owning property in Morocco does not give you the right to a specific card. Your title deed (titre foncier) only counts as proof of address.
Documents to prepare
No official list is published online. The list below comes up in every source. Prepare all of it, and ask for the current list at the counter.
- The application form, in 2 copies.
- Certified copies of your passport pages (identity page, entry stamp). Certification (légalisation) is done at the town hall (commune).
- Recent passport photos. The number varies between sources (from 6 to 9): bring 9.
- Proof of address: a certified lease, a title deed, or a water or electricity bill.
- A criminal record extract from your home country, less than 3 months old.
- A medical certificate less than 3 months old, issued in Morocco.
- A certificate from a Moroccan bank showing sufficient means.
- Depending on your situation: a sworn statement that you do not work (retiree, visitor), the approved employment contract (employee), the company articles and trade register extract (director), or the marriage certificate with an apostille and translated into Arabic (spouse of a Moroccan citizen).
How much income you need
The law only speaks of "sufficient means of subsistence". There is no official amount. Retirees report that about €1,000 per person per month, paid into a Moroccan account, was enough. These are personal accounts, not a rule.
Where to apply
- At the foreigners' office of the central police station in Guéliz, not at your local police station.
- There is no online appointment booking or online pre-application for foreigners.
- Your fingerprints are taken on site.
- Your local police station issues the residence certificate (certificat de résidence) separately.
Marrakech police headquarters (préfecture de police) phone number: +212 5 24 43 05 70.
Cost and processing time
- Cost: 100 DH per year of card validity, according to most sources. This amount is not officially published.
- Receipt (récépissé): you get it when you apply, and it stands in for the card while you wait. Keep it up to date: the police check it when you leave the country.
- Processing time: there is no legal deadline. Reports from Marrakech range from about 5 weeks to 2 or 3 months.
Renewing your card
- The card is renewed every year until you get a 10-year card.
- Apply for renewal 1 to 2 months before it expires. Applying late can mean a fine, or even having to start over.
- For a renewal, the criminal record extract is Moroccan. You request it online on the Ministry of Justice website.
- A relative can apply for you with a power of attorney certified at the town hall.
- The 10-year resident card lapses if you stay outside Morocco for more than 2 years.
Our advice
- An incomplete file, or documents that are not properly certified, is the main cause of delays.
- Bring the originals and copies of every document.
- Don't confuse the residence card with tax residency: they are two different things (see our tax residency guide).
What is not yet confirmed
- The official fee, which the DGSN does not publish anywhere.
- How long the receipt is valid: 3 months renewable, or renewed every month, depending on the source.
- The exact address of the foreigners' office in Guéliz.
- How long before you can get the 10-year card: 4 years according to the law, 3 years according to some guides.
Sources
- Law 02-03 on the entry and stay of foreigners (Ministry of Justice, in French)
- Residence permits (French consulate in Morocco, in French), updated 08/10/2025
- Travel advice for Morocco (diplomatie.gouv.fr, in French)
- Implementing decree for Law 02-03 (CCME, in French), 06/11/2009
- Residence permits (demarchesmaroc, in French), updated 02/04/2025
- Legal guide for foreigners (GADEM, Böll Foundation, in French)
- Foreigners' residence (Embassy of Qatar in Rabat)
- Living in Marrakech (Conjoints expatriés, in French), 21/09/2026
- Residence card for a foreign spouse (lesmre.com, in French), Oct. 2026
- New generation of residence permits (Hespress, in French), 31/10/2020
- DGSN goes digital (Le360, in French), 18/12/2025
- Criminal record online (Ministry of Justice)
- Useful numbers in Marrakech (Visit Marrakech), 25/11/2024
- First-hand accounts: processing times in Marrakech (expat.com, in French)
- First-hand accounts: income required (expat.com, in French)