Do Us Citizens Need A Visa For Morocco
Visa Free entry for US citizens was suspended in April 2011 and currently US citizens need to now have a visa to enter Morocco.. If you had an old stamp in your passport visa free, this is what you need to do.The United States Citizens are allowed to travel to Morocco for touristic and business purposes without prior authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However citizens should be aware that even for these kinds of trips, some requirements must be met.
Citizens of the US can travel to Morocco for a limited period of time without needing to get a visa. Anyone who is planning on staying in Morocco longer than 3 months should therefore apply for a visa before leaving home.I get asked this a lot so I thought I’d put up a post with all of the information that there is out there. You’ll find visa requirements, embassy addresses and any other important information below.
Do Us Citizens Need A Visa For Morocco
Morocco Visa Document Guidelines
You will have to legalize several of your documents, especially if you are applying for a long-term visa and residence card. The documents you have to legalize include civil status documents, academic qualifications and diplomas, the certificate of police clearance, and even your passport in some cases.
You can legalize the documents either by an Apostille Stamp (if you’re from a country included in the Apostille Convention) or at a Moroccan Consulate or Embassy.
Additionally, you will most likely have to translate several of your documents, either in Arabic, English or French. Consult the Moroccan embassy/consulate for more specific language requirements.
How to Apply for a Morocco Visa?
You must apply for a Morocco visa at a Moroccan diplomatic mission in your country. The exact application process changes depending on your country and the Moroccan representative office. However, it can be summed up as follows:
- Make an appointment at the Morocco consulate or embassy.
- Complete the Morocco visa application form.
- Gather the required documents.
- Submit them at the Moroccan embassy or consulate.
- Pay the visa fee.
- Wait for the Morocco visa to be processed.
- Get the visa.
Make an appointment
Depending on where you’re applying from, you may be able to make an appointment online, but you may also have to appear in person or make a call.
Most representative offices will not accept your application if you do not have an appointment.
Some Moroccan embassies, however, have outsourced visa applications to private agencies. If that is the case, you may have to contact the relevant visa application agency to start the process of obtaining a Morocco visa.
Complete the Morocco Visa Application Form
You can get an application form for the Morocco Visa at the embassy or consulate in which you apply or you can download it through their website.
You must complete the Morocco Visa Application Form completely and truthfully, and then sign it. You may also have to attach a picture of yourself if it so indicates.
Gather the required documents
Along with the application form, you must submit several other documents that support your visa application.
Submit the application
Once you have all the required documents, you have to submit them at the Moroccan embassy or consulate. In most cases, you have to submit them yourself, in-person.
However, depending on the country and the specific situation, you may be able to submit your application through a legal representative or by mail. If you apply by mail, you also have to include a prepaid, self-addressed special delivery envelope so they can return your passport.
You have to ask the office in which you’re applying for more details regarding visa application submission.
Pay the Morocco visa fee
At the time of application, you also have to pay a visa processing fee. The Morocco visa fees are as follows:
- For a single entry (up to 90 days): DH220 (appx. $23)
- For two entries (up to 90 days): DH330 (appx. $34)
- Transit visa: DH170 (appx. $18)
Wait for the Morocco visa to be processed
In most cases, the Morocco visa processing time is two weeks (10 business days), but it may take longer depending on a case-to-case basis. For example, if you’re missing any documents or it is a busy time of year, the processing time could be longer.
Additionally, if you have a non-ordinary travel document, your visa could take longer to be processed, so take that into account.
How Long is a Morocco Visa Valid For?
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 as well as a 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 do not extend your stay and get a Residence Card, then you have to leave after three months, even if you have a long-term visa.
Can I Extend a Morocco Visa?
If you have a Morocco Tourist Visa which you would like to extend beyond 90 days, you must request a Visa Extension at the nearest Police Precinct in Morocco.
Applying for a Morocco Visa in India
In order to apply for a Morocco visa from India, you have to visit a Morocco Visa Application and Information Center (MVAIC), which operates under the Cox & Kings Global Services (CKGS). The Morocco embassy in India has outsourced visa submissions to CKGS.
There are MVAIC centers in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Goa, Cochin, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.
If you need more information, you can contact the Morocco Embassy in New Dehli or the Moroccan Honorary Consulate in Mumbai.
Applying for a Morocco Visa From the UK
If you are a UK national living in the UK, then you do not need a visa to enter Morocco.
However, if you are living in the UK as a resident, and you are a national of a visa-required country, then you must apply for a Morocco visa at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco in London.
If you are in the UK on a tourist visa, you cannot apply at the consulate of Morocco in London. You must apply for a visa from your country of legal residence.
What are the Morocco Visa Requirements for US Citizens?
As a US citizen, if you want to travel to Morocco for tourism or other short-term purposes, you are not subject to any visa requirements at all. US citizens, along with several others, are exempt from Morocco visas and can visit the country with just their passport and a return flight ticket for up to 90 days.
However, if you want to travel for longer than 90 days, such as for work or family reunion, then you must get a long-stay visa at one of the Moroccan diplomatic missions in the US.
Applying for a Morocco Visa From the USA
If you are a legal resident of the US, and you are a national of a visa-required country, then you may apply for a Morocco visa at the Morocco Embassy in Washington, D.C. or the Morocco Consulate-General in New York.
Quick Facts About Morocco
Morocco is a country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa, with access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is known as one of the most liberal of the Arab countries and receives millions of tourists every year.
Some of the most popular attractions of Morocco include the Marrakech Medina, Casablanca, Rabat’s picturesque Oudaias Kasbah neighborhood, and its many beautiful mosques.
With Morocco’s culture and history on one hand, the beaches and mountains on the other, as well as the immediate access into the Sahara Desert, there’s really something in Morocco for everyone.