If you are married to a Moroccan citizen — or joining a spouse who already holds Moroccan residency — you apply under regroupement familial (التجمع العائلي). It is the fastest, most secure residency route in Morocco and the only one that leads to naturalisation after five years of marriage.
Official document list (as posted at the prefecture)
This is a direct translation of the notice handed out at the Bureau des Étrangers for a family-reunification application:
- Criminal record from your home country, translated — required for a first application. For a renewal, a Moroccan criminal record (casier judiciaire) issued in Morocco instead — obtained at the Tribunal de Première Instance de Tanger.
- Medical certificate from a Moroccan doctor (~300 MAD).
- Handwritten declaration of support (engagement de prise en charge) signed by the Moroccan spouse and legalised at the moqataa, plus a copy of their national ID card (CIN) and a certificate of residence (certificat de résidence).
- Marriage certificate, or the family civil-status book (livret d'état civil) for children, or any document proving the family relationship.
- Proof of address: rental contract or property title, plus a payment receipt or a water and electricity (Amendis) bill.
- Bank certificate showing the balance (attestation bancaire avec solde).
- Bank statements for the last three months.
- Employment and salary certificate (attestation de travail et de salaire).
- 8 passport photos, 35×45 mm, grey background.
- Fees paid on site: 100 MAD per file (timbre fiscal).
- Copy of your passport and visa.
The notice ends with the standard line: the administration reserves the right to request any additional document. Expect it — bring spares of everything.
Where and how to file in Tangier
File at the Bureau des Étrangers, Préfecture de Police, Avenue Mohammed V near Place de France, Tangier. Go early — the queue forms before opening.
You hand over the complete file and receive a récépissé, a paper receipt that legally covers your stay for 3–6 months while the card is produced. Keep it with your passport at all times; it is what you show at banks, hospitals and police checks.
You must file within 90 days of entering Morocco, before your tourist stamp expires.
Preparing the documents correctly
- Apostille first, translate second. Your home-country criminal record and marriage certificate need an apostille at home, then a sworn translation (traducteur assermenté) in Morocco — 150–400 MAD per document.
- Criminal record must be under 3 months old on the day you file. Order it last.
- Marriage abroad? A marriage contracted outside Morocco must be transcribed at the Moroccan consulate or registered with the Moroccan civil status service before it is accepted here.
- Photos: grey background for this file — not the white background used for other Moroccan paperwork. Any photo studio in Tangier knows the format; say "photos pour carte de séjour".
- Legalisation: the handwritten support declaration and copies are legalised at the moqataa (local administrative annexe) — a few dirhams per page, same day.
- Make three sets of everything. Files get sent back for one missing photocopy.
Timeline & renewals
First card: usually 1 year, issued 3–6 months after filing.
Renewals: file at least 2 months before expiry. On renewal, the criminal record must be the Moroccan one issued by the court in Mghogha, not your home-country record. Second card is typically 3 years, then 5, then a 10-year card.
Naturalisation: possible after 5 years of marriage and continuous residency (versus 10 years on other routes), with proof of integration and basic Arabic. Morocco permits dual nationality — check your own country's rules.
Can you work on this card?
A residency card issued through marriage to a Moroccan citizen carries the right to work without a separate ANAPEC work permit — a significant advantage over the salarié route. If you are joining a foreign spouse who holds residency, your right to work depends on the category noted on your card; confirm it at the prefecture before signing a contract.
FAQ
- Do I need to convert to Islam to marry a Moroccan?
- A non-Muslim man marrying a Muslim Moroccan woman must provide a certificate of conversion to Islam. A non-Muslim woman marrying a Muslim Moroccan man does not. Marriages of foreigners are processed through the family court and your consulate first.
- How long does the marriage-based carte de séjour take?
- Typically 3 to 6 months in Tangier from filing to collecting the physical card. The récépissé receipt covers you legally in the meantime, including for exiting and re-entering the country.
- What if my spouse doesn't own the property we live in?
- That's fine — a rental contract in either name plus a recent Amendis bill works, as long as it matches the address on the certificate of residence.
- Where do I get the Moroccan criminal record for renewal?
- At the Tribunal de Première Instance de Tanger in Mghogha, not at the police station. Bring your passport, residency card or récépissé, and a 20–30 MAD tax stamp. Issued in 24–72 hours.
- Can I apply if I entered on a tourist stamp?
- Yes. Visa-exempt nationals (EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia and most of Latin America) enter for 90 days and file the residency application from inside Morocco within that window.