How to Get a Moroccan Residence Card?

Residence Card Morocco: Who Needs One and How to Get It

If you're planning to stay in Morocco longer than 90 days, you'll need a residence card. It's called the carte d'immatriculation (or carte de séjour on renewal), and the police, not the immigration ministry, handle it.

Quick answer

Any foreigner staying in Morocco beyond 90 days needs a residence card morocco authorities call the carte d'immatriculation. You apply at the Foreigners' Bureau (Bureau des Étrangers) of the police prefecture where you live, within 15 days of deciding to stay past 90 days. First cards are typically valid 1 year; renewals can run up to 10 years. Expect to submit proof of address, income or employment, a medical certificate, and pay a 100 MAD stamp fee. Processing takes 2 to 6 months in practice.

Who actually needs one

The rule sits in Law No. 02-03 on the entry and stay of foreigners in Morocco, Articles 5 and 6. If you're a foreigner and you want to stay past your 90-day tourist stamp, you need to register.^[1]

That covers most situations people ask about:

• Working in Morocco under a contract (you'll need the labour visa first, then the card).
• Marrying a Moroccan national.
• Retiring here on foreign income.
• Studying at a Moroccan university.
• Running a business you own or co-own.

Diplomats and their families are exempt. So are foreigners on assignments shorter than 90 days.

Skipping registration is not a small thing. Fines under Article 43 of Law 02-03 run from 3,000 to 10,000 MAD, and repeat overstays can trigger a deportation order. Border agents check on exit. Frankly, don't gamble on this one.

The documents you'll need

Requirements vary slightly by prefecture — Casablanca asks for things Rabat sometimes doesn't — but the core file is stable. Bring originals and two photocopies of everything.

Standard file:

• Passport with a valid entry stamp (less than 90 days old at first application).
• Application form from the prefecture (usually two copies, signed).
• 8 recent passport photos, white background.
• Proof of address: recent utility bill, notarised lease, or a certificat de résidence from the local moqaddem.
• Medical certificate from a Moroccan doctor, dated within the last 3 months.
• Proof of purpose: work contract stamped by the Ministry of Labour (ANAPEC visa), marriage certificate, university enrolment letter, business registration (Registre de Commerce), or bank statements showing sufficient income for retirees.
• Criminal record extract (bulletin no. 3) from your home country, translated into Arabic or French by a sworn translator, plus a Moroccan casier judiciaire if you've been here more than 6 months.
• 100 MAD tax stamp (timbre fiscal), bought at any tobacco shop or Trésorerie.

Married to a Moroccan? Add the acte de mariage (family booklet or marriage certificate) legalised at the local Adoul or civil registry, plus a copy of your spouse's CIN (national ID card).

::: callout "Costs (2024)" Tax stamp: 100 MAD for the card itself. Sworn translations: 150–300 MAD per document. Medical certificate: 200–500 MAD. Casier judiciaire: 20 MAD. Total out-of-pocket usually lands between 500 and 1,500 MAD, excluding any home-country document costs. :::

Where and how you apply

You go in person to the Foreigners' Bureau (Bureau des Étrangers) at the police prefecture (Wilaya de Sûreté) of the district where you live. Not the province, the district. Casablanca has several, one per arrondissement. Rabat centralises at Hassan.

The steps, in order:

1. Assemble the file. Missing one paper means starting the queue again, so double-check with the prefecture's public window before you submit.
2. Submit and get a récépissé de dépôt — a receipt with a file number. Keep this. It's your temporary proof of legal stay while the file is processed.
3. Wait. Processing officially takes 30 days under the regulations. Reality is 2 to 6 months, and Casablanca is slower than most.
4. Collect the card in person. They'll call you or you check with your file number.

While you wait, the receipt lets you stay legally, but it will not let you leave and re-enter Morocco. If you need to travel, apply for an autorisation de retour at the same prefecture before you fly.

The first card is valid 1 year. Renewals under Article 15 of Law 02-03 can be issued for up to 10 years, though prefectures usually start with 3- or 5-year renewals depending on your situation.^[1]

Renewals and the 10-year card

Apply for renewal at least 2 months before your current card expires. Same prefecture, similar file, plus your expiring card.

The carte de résidence (the 10-year version) is what most long-term residents want. To qualify, you generally need:

• 4 continuous years of legal residence on the carte d'immatriculation, or
• Marriage to a Moroccan for at least 1 year with continuous cohabitation, or
• Being the parent of a Moroccan child.

The prefecture has discretion. Some files sail through at year 4. Others get another 3-year card and are told to reapply. There's no formal appeal beyond a written request to the prefect, though administrative courts will hear a challenge if the refusal is unjustified.

::: callout "Watch out" Losing your card triggers a police report (déclaration de perte) at the same prefecture within 48 hours, followed by a replacement application with the full file again. Budget 2 to 3 months for the replacement. Photocopy your card the day you get it and keep the copy separate. :::

Common mistakes to avoid

Most rejections come down to three things.

First, applying too late. The 15-day clock in Article 5 starts when you decide to stay, not when your 90 days expire. Show up on day 89 and you're already awkward with the officer.

Second, weak proof of address. A handwritten landlord note won't cut it. Get the lease notarised (légalisation de signature at the moqaddem) or use a utility bill in your own name.

Third, mismatched documents. If your work contract lists one address and your utility bill lists another, expect questions. Align everything before you submit.

For related permits and processes, see our Morocco visa category and the work permit guide if your card is tied to employment.