Morocco work permit and work visa

Morocco's work authorisation takes the form of a visa stamped on the foreign employee's contract by the ministry in charge of labour. The national public-service portal describes TAECHIR as the ministry's online service for employers who recruit foreign skills, linked to the granting of this contract visa. The employer, not the worker, files the request.

Before the contract is approved, the employer generally has to obtain an attestation from the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC) certifying that no Moroccan candidate is available for the post. According to UNHCR's guidance for Morocco, no ANAPEC attestation is needed for refugees whose card bears the mention "Réfugié", for migrants whose card bears "Régularisation exceptionnelle", for nationals of Senegal, Algeria and Tunisia, for spouses of Moroccan nationals and for some other categories such as company shareholders, foreign athletes or artists and persons of Moroccan origin.

For a visa-required worker, the consular work-visa file consists of the standard visa form, two 4 x 3 cm colour photos on a white background, proof of address, a passport valid longer than the stay and a copy of its identity pages, and the employment contract duly approved by the Ministry of Employment. Visa-exempt workers skip the consulate and present the approved contract directly to the police when applying for the residence card.

The usual sequence is: job offer, ANAPEC attestation (unless exempt), contract filed by the employer on TAECHIR and approved by the ministry, entry into Morocco, then the residence card. The date of the ministry's visa is the date on which the contract takes effect, so the worker should not start before it.

A foreigner who wants to exercise a professional activity subject to authorisation, and proves that the authorisation has been obtained, receives a carte d'immatriculation that mentions that activity. Apply at the police foreigners' department of your place of residence; the application receipt serves as a temporary permit, and address changes must be declared. A worker aged 16 to 18 receives the card by right if a parent holds the same card.

The approval is tied to the contract. A renewal or a new employer means a new contract approval through TAECHIR, followed by renewal of the residence card before it expires. If the card is refused or withdrawn, the holder must leave Morocco within 15 days.