Visa regime with Morocco. Do you need a visa for Morocco?

Morocco is on the list of visa-free countries for Russian citizens. We will find out in which cases a permit is required and in which cases a visa to Morocco is not required for Russians in 2020, and what documents are required to open a visa.

Holders of Russian citizenship who visit the Kingdom for tourism purposes do not need a visa to Morocco. The necessary conditions:

Sample migration card

Availability of a foreign passport, the validity of which expires no earlier than after 6 months.
Filling out the migration card. It is mandatory for everyone crossing the border. You are asked to fill out the paper during the flight. A certificate is filled out for each person entering, including a child who has reached passport age. Children take their foreign passport with them. The migration card must be filled out using a pen with black or blue ink. Information is entered in Latin letters, printed font. Download also in Russian. It is not recommended to fill out the migration card yourself.
Passing customs control.

Border guards may ask to see return tickets and documents confirming financial solvency, cash and confirmation of a hotel reservation.

Mark in the passport

Those arriving in the Kingdom are given an arrival stamp at border control points and assigned a personal number, which is marked in the passport. When leaving the state, a mark is placed in the foreign passport.

There is no need to pay a consular fee. Medical insurance is not required, but is recommended for tourists visiting the Kingdom.

For Russians who plan to stay in Morocco for longer than 3 months in 2020, a temporary residence permit is required.

Clearing customs

To pass customs control, follow the rules:

It is allowed to import no more than 1 bottle of strong alcohol and 1 bottle of wine per adult citizen.
They take no more than 10 packs of cigars with them to the Kingdom. Each pack contains 20 pieces. Instead, you are allowed to take 250 g of tobacco or 50 cigars.
Perfumes are taken in quantities not exceeding 5 g.

It is prohibited to import:

Drugs.
Ammunition and all types of weapons.
Things that do not comply with Islamic norms.
Photo, video, printed products that contain pornographic elements.

The following are subject to mandatory declaration:

Sport equipment.
Equipment for hunting.
Professional photographic equipment.

The import and export of foreign currency is not prohibited. You cannot pay it on the territory of the state. Settlement transactions are carried out in national currency: dirhams. It is prohibited to export dirhams outside the country.

If a foreign citizen stayed in Morocco for less than 48 hours, then when exchanging Moroccan money, he receives for it the same amount as he gave when purchasing. If he stayed in the country for more than 48 hours, he will receive only half.

Transit through Morocco

Russians do not need a transit visa to Morocco. These are used to visit several countries at once. Most often, Morocco is visited together with a visit to Tunisia, where residents of Russia also do not require a visa.

Trip to Morocco with children

Parents are wondering if their children need a visa to Morocco. The answer to this question is negative.

To fly to the Kingdom for tourism purposes, a child requires the same papers as an adult. If a child flies with one of the parents, then permission from the other is required, which is certified by a notary.

If one of the parents is not alive or he has been deprived of parental rights, then when passing the border post, a death certificate or a certificate of deprivation of parental rights, respectively, must be presented.

In what cases is a visa issued?

The visa-free regime for Russians does not allow them to stay in Morocco for a long period of time. For a long stay, study or work, a long-term visa is issued.

A long-term visa is opened if it is necessary to participate in meetings, conferences, or make business trips. At the same time, business activities are prohibited.

Sample long-term visa to Morocco

Visa package

A visa to Morocco can be obtained either independently or through travel companies. In both cases, a package of papers is submitted to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Moscow.

The embassy issues a permit for a period that does not exceed 3 months.

Visa application form

To obtain permission prepare:

Questionnaire. .
4 photos. Photos, size 3.5x4.5, must be current: no older than six months.
Passport and copies of the first 3 pages in a single copy.
Copies of air tickets indicating the exact dates of entry and exit from the country.
A copy of a document confirming that the Russian Federation is a permanent place of residence.
Medical insurance.
Certificate from the place of work.
Photo of the person concerned.

For a work visa, an invitation from an employer from Morocco is attached. For a business visa – a letter from partners from Morocco and a letter from an employer from the Russian Federation, which confirms the applicant’s representation rights.

To obtain a student visa, you need an invitation from a university in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The cost of a one-time permit is 2095 rubles.

The papers that are prepared for the embassy, except for the passport, are drawn up in Arabic or French. Translation of documents is also accepted if it is certified by a notary.

Tourists who loved to fly to Egypt on vacation were initially disappointed because this country had become inaccessible for vacation. But after surviving for several days, they began to rejoice again, because there is such a country as Morocco, which is better than Egypt, and maybe cheaper in price! And it was to this tourist country that hundreds of thousands of our compatriots flocked. To spend your vacation. Let's get a look. Do Russians need a visa to Morocco in 2019 to vacation here? We will tell you how to get a visa and what documents are needed. So, let's begin.

And so, let’s say right away that you don’t have to apply for a visa to vacation in Morocco. According to the agreement signed by the countries, Russians will be able to visit Morocco for a holiday without a visa in 2019. But you still have to collect some documents.

And this only document is a foreign passport. Yes, you only need a passport and you can enter the country for a holiday. Upon arrival, or maybe even on the plane, you will have to fill out a form, which will need to be handed over to customs officers. And you can calmly step onto the earth and begin your vacation.
True, Moroccan customs officers still have some requirements for a foreign passport. First, your passport must be valid. And also it should not end for another 6 months from the moment you leave the kingdom of Morocco. This rule is quite common in other countries. So there is nothing surprising here.
The application form, or emigration card, can be filled out in our country or, as we have already said, on the plane or at customs. If you fill out everything in Russia, then you can go straight from the plane to the hotel. And if you decide to fill out the form on the plane or upon arrival, then you will have to wait a little before starting your vacation.

The form is easy to fill out: enter all the information in printed Latin letters.
This is how you can get to Morocco and enjoy your holiday in the country. But remember that without a visa you can only relax there. If you decide to earn extra money and you are caught, then be prepared to be deported from the country. And you will be banned from visiting Morocco for ten years, and maybe for the rest of your life. So it’s better not to violate customs rules.

Morocco did not take the path of attracting tourists to the country so quickly, and now the country’s policy is aimed at developing the tourism business. For citizens of many countries, the visa regime has been greatly simplified. Including for Russians, a visa is not required.

Document requirements when crossing the border

The validity of your passport should simply cover the duration of your stay in Morocco. There are no reserves of 3 or 6 months, as in other countries, here. You just need to have one blank page in your passport for stamping. This is where the requirements end.

Even if you have a stamp about visiting the state of Israel, in Morocco they don’t specifically look at this, and if they notice, they don’t pay attention. This may be due to the fact that Moroccan territory is located far from the sites of Israel's conflicts with the Arab world. And tourism income is growing rapidly with the abolition of visas.

For citizens of other countries

Unfortunately, Moroccans are not so loyal to citizens of Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The visa-free regime does not apply to these countries and you will have to obtain a full visa.

Additional documents that may be required

When entering Morocco, the border guards may still have some questions for you. You may be asked to present your return ticket and travel voucher as proof of your travel intentions in good faith.

If you come to Morocco on your own, then a printout of your hotel reservation will do. If you don’t have any of this, we recommend that you stock up on evidence that you have the financial means to live in the country and the ability to buy a return ticket. This could be a bank statement or cash. 2-3 thousand US dollars will be quite satisfactory, but it is better to have a figure of about 5 thousand in this document.

Morocco is a paradise for those who love sun and beaches. Summer occurs for about nine months of the year. Due to budget tours, the resort is very popular among Russians. Most Russian tourists relax by the sea, take part in excursions, get acquainted with local culture and visit ancient cities. These conditions make your vacation unforgettable. Before choosing a suitable tour, you should find out how a visa is issued in Morocco and in what cases you can do without it.

Do Russians need a visa to Morocco?

Russians like the Kingdom of Morocco not only because of the year-round summer, but also because of the visa-free regime. An ordinary tourist just needs to take his passport and migration card with him. Upon presentation of these documents, he is given a stamp equivalent to a visa. The mark is also placed when leaving the country. In this case, there is no need to pay the consular fee. It is advisable to have a return ticket, as checkpoint employees may inquire about its availability.

A visa to Morocco is required if tourists intend to stay in the country for more than three months. You can obtain permission at the Moscow branch of the Moroccan Consulate or upon arrival at the resort. To do this, you should visit any police station no later than 15 days before the end of the visa-free period.

In 2019, a visa to Morocco is required if a Russian citizen intends to study or work in the country. He will need an official permit to work or study.

Conditions for visa-free visits to the country

Visa-free entry rules apply to Morocco:

if the purpose of the trip is recreation and tourism, and its duration is up to 90 days, permission is not required;
on the plane you will be given a migration card, which must be filled out carefully;
when crossing the border you must present a foreign passport and a migration card;
tourists are assigned a personal number, which is affixed along with a stamp;
The Moroccan government does not deny entry to citizens whose passport has a stamp indicating a visit to Israel.

If a Russian tourist liked Morocco so much that he doesn’t want to leave, he can extend his visa-free stay in the country. This can be done in several ways:

Get a visa. The permit is issued no later than 15 days before the end of the visa-free period of stay. You need to contact the police department. Extension is possible if there are certificates of illness and other compelling reasons.
Make a visa run. An option for those who do not want to waste time on obtaining an official permit. When the end of the visa-free period approaches, the tourist can leave for a neighboring state. Nearby is Tunisia, which allows entry without a visa. If you have a Schengen visa, you can go to Spain or France. In a few days you can return to Morocco and receive a new stamp for three months of residence in the country.

When crossing the Moroccan border by car, the following will be added to the standard set of documents:

driver's license;
technical certificate;
power of attorney to drive a car if the tourist is not its owner.

If you have an international medical policy, it is better to take it with you. This is not a requirement. Medical services in Morocco are expensive, so it is better to have a health insurance policy with you.

Customs regulations

There are restrictions on imported items into the Kingdom of Morocco:

You can take 1 bottle of wine and 1 bottle of spirits with you without paying a fee;
200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars do not need to be declared;
It is prohibited to transport professional cameras and video cameras across the border;
The import of printed materials that desecrate Islam is prohibited;
When crossing the border by car, it is prohibited to carry gasoline in cans.

Types of visas

There is no need to obtain permission to travel to Morocco if Russians are going on vacation for up to three months. The right to a long stay in the country or to carry out work activities is given by having a permit. You can get a visa to Morocco both in Russia and upon arrival in the country.

Working

A work visa to Morocco is a document that allows you to find employment legally. The permit is valid until the end of the work contract. To obtain a work visa, you must provide a special permit to the Moroccan Embassy. This is an invitation from an employer who is registered and located in Morocco.

Without an invitation, it is difficult for foreigners to get a job. This is due to the fact that the Moroccan government’s priority is employment of the indigenous population. Foreign citizens are often refused, but if they have an official letter from the employer, there will be no problems.

Transit

For tourists, Morocco may not be the only country they want to visit during their vacation. It is often combined with Tunisia, Spain and other nearby countries. When transiting, you do not need a visa, but you need to take care of the documents required to visit other countries.

Tunisia is a visa-free state for citizens of the Russian Federation, and France and Spain are not included in this list. Before planning a vacation, you should apply for a Schengen visa. It can be obtained no earlier than 3 months before the trip. The registration procedure takes up to 10 days.

Student

If you want to get an education or take advanced training courses in Morocco, Russian citizens need a visa. It is issued for 90 days, after which you can apply for a residence permit. The college, institute or other educational institution must send an invitation to the student indicating his details.

To obtain a student permit you will need:

a foreign passport that will be valid while the Russian is in the country;
completed application;
4 color passport photographs taken no later than 6 months before submitting documents;
an invitation from the institution, which indicates its coordinates and the conditions under which the student was enrolled;
a document confirming the presence of a permanent place of residence (hotel reservation, rental agreement);
check for payment of the consular fee (original and copy).

Long-term

Despite the name, a long-term visa is issued for only 3 months. This document is needed for those who visit the country not for leisure or work. The reason for the visit may be a business trip, participation in conferences, etc. To obtain a long-term visa to Morocco, you must provide the authorized body with a document confirming the invitation to the event.

Required documents

To obtain a Moroccan visa you need to collect the following documents:

foreign passport (original and copy);
permission form;
4 photos;
receipt for payment of visa fee;
document confirming accommodation reservation in Morocco;
medical insurance;
invitation from an educational institution or employer;
round-trip tickets if you are applying for a long-term visa.

All documents (except for the international passport) must be translated into Arabic or French, then the translated copies must be certified by a notary. The application form can be downloaded from the official website of the Moroccan Embassy. It is worth filling out the form carefully, as even the slightest mistake will cause a refusal to issue a permit.

The questionnaire includes a number of points:

personal data: gender, full name (you must also indicate your last name before marriage);
Date and place of birth;
nationality;
marital status (if there is a spouse, his first and last name is indicated);
information about children;
foreign passport details;
telephone number and address of permanent residence;
occupation;
place of work, address and telephone number of the employer;
border point through which the border will be crossed;
purpose of visit to the country;
permanent residence address in Morocco;
dates of departure from the country and validity dates of the permit;
confirmation of timely departure from the country.

Processing times and costs

To obtain a permit, you will have to visit the Moroccan embassy several times. It is located in Moscow at Prechistensky Lane, 8a. The immigration reception department is open on weekdays from 9.00 to 17.00. You can get a consultation by calling +7 495 691-17-62 or +7 495 637-73-51.

Registration takes about two working weeks. For a visa-free trip for tourism purposes, you do not need to pay a fee. To obtain student and other permits in Morocco, residents of the Russian Federation must pay a consular fee in the amount of 2,095 rubles.

Visa validity periods

The Moroccan government issues permits for three months, regardless of the purpose of travel to the country. The document is one-time, but it is possible to extend it. Depending on the purpose of your stay in the country, extension is possible for 3, 6 and 12 months. After a year of permanent residence in the country, you can apply for a residence permit.

How to apply for a visa for a child

There are a number of rules for children:

To travel to Morocco you do not need to obtain a visa if the child is under 16 years of age;
if the child is under 14 years old and is listed in the parents’ passport, then his data is entered into the parents’ migration card;
a child over 14 years of age with his own passport is required to obtain a separate migration card;
permission from the other parent is required if only one is accompanying him (the document is not needed if the parent is deceased or missing).

Who can be refused

The main reasons for refusal of entry are the following:

documents are filled out incorrectly;
false documents were provided;
insufficient funds to live in the kingdom;
there is an outstanding criminal record;
there is a debt to the FSSP;
suspicion of extremism or terrorism;
public insult to Islam;
violation of Moroccan laws on previous visits.

A citizen of the Russian Federation receives a letter commenting on the reasons for the refusal. If the problem is the absence of any documents or an error in the application form, you can submit a second application. If the decision of the Moroccan authorities is again negative, then you can challenge the decision in court. In this case, it is advisable to use the services of a lawyer specializing in immigration matters.

The Kingdom of Morocco is a real discovery for many Russians. The holiday season lasts almost the entire year. During this time, vacationers can visit the beaches, go on excursions and get acquainted with local traditions. There are many hotels throughout the country where you can stay at a budget price.

Many tourists come here without a visa, since the stay period is three months. This is quite enough time for a vacation. Obtaining a visa to Morocco for Russians is necessary if they want to undergo training or get a job. This must be done in advance, since entry requires an official invitation from an educational institution or employer.