Getting married in Morocco

Nebraska Girl wrote:

hourico,


So it is corruption none the less. Think of it how you like, it doesn't change the facts. You simply have to pay people a little extra cash to get them to do the job they are already paid to do. It is a cultural thing here.

Then be careful to who u'll pay this corruption . or for sure u gonna be arrested . not all moroccan take '' extra cash ''  the goverment tries to limit from this phenomenon .

The only time I came across it was when the adoul asked for 100 or 200 DH for fast tracking the receiving of the final certificate.

The proper places do not take bribes or tips.
They get offended rather.

At the ministry of justice and internal affairs. They have large signs and CCTV highlighting this.

Christine wrote:

Hello everyone,

I think that the last several messages were out of the subject. Just want to remind all of you that the initial subject was " getting married in Morocco".

All useful comments would the most welcome.

Thank you
Christine

Aurélie wrote:

Christine wrote:

Hello everyone,

I think that the last several messages were out of the subject. Just want to remind all of you that the initial subject was " getting married in Morocco".

All useful comments would the most welcome.

Thank you
Christine

I am sorry to disagree,

IF YOU REVIEW THE ARCHIVES OF THIS TOPIC OF DISCUSSION YOU WILL SEE IT IS VERY MUCH APART OF THE TOPIC.

Getting Married in Morocco is a complex task. Actually facing the choice of whom and when to pay bribery is a very real part of getting Married in Morocco. It is ugly, it is frightening,  and it is a part of the process. The more wealthy one of the people involved appears; the more aggressive the shakedown. Of Course not everyone in the government takes Bribes, but those who do, will position themselves to take control of the cases they think they can push on. It is an unofficial part of the process. It can happen at many stages of the couple's Marriage application....police reports/interviews, residency verifications, the Adul, and even at the Court Clerk office. I have spoken to many people and nearly everyone says the same thing, but indicating different people who shook them down at different stages.

I am happy that the government is trying to control this, but it is still very real fact. Bribery and the corruption surrounding marriage is something everyone (Moroccan couples and more so for mixed marriages)in Morocco have to contemplate when getting married.

I suggest people don't offer a bribe until they experience an obvious delay to processing their file; but it is at that point it becomes real.

2 years ago, I got married. I tried to chose to avoid paying Bribes, it took significantly over 5 months to process my file.  It was due 3 times it was handed back to me and my husband with a smile, a cough, and with requests for unusual and unnecessary documentation. I knew what was happening, but as a former government employee in the USA I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to comply with something that felt so wrong. But I was aware of a small bribe my husband paid, and it upset me at the time.

No, they don't ask you for the Bribe Directly!

I didn't discover until months after I was married that the only reason my file made it through the court had nothing to do with the small bribe my husband included in our file. It was finally transferred to the Adul, was because a relative in my husband's family offered to help us. He quietly paid the Bribes that  I was trying to avoid to someone (2 significant lumps of cash). It was done through someone in a position of power,  he had this unnamed official person look into the matter of why we were being delayed.

The report of the investigation was that there is nothing extraordinary about my case to cause the delay. I was told in the end, that I was just being jerked around because I am American woman and I was getting Married to a Moroccan man in Morocco. The people delaying my file believed because I am  a former government employee in America that I am automatically rich. The investigation didn't stop the demand for the Bribe. The man who helped us, as a wedding gift to my husband, paid the bribes for us without my knowledge. I don't know the exact amount, but he was able to get the stamps and signatures on the various documents we needed. That was the end of it. 3 days later we were happily married.

You can deny all you like, but to whom and when to pay a bribe  is on topic of getting married in Morocco.

LondonJess, I suggest that you get all the papers you need in London before you go to Morocco. I made the mistake of going to Morocco thinking I would get married and didn't even have most of the papers I needed. There was a big list, now I am back in Canada collecting the papers so I can go back there and get married. It is much easier to get them in your country. Get your finance to go to the aduls or court in his city and ask for a list of papers needed for mixed marriages and then get them in your country. It will be a lot easier.

Has part of the marriage in Morocco, I have informed that you must provide a written request to the judge in order to get married. What should be included in that request? Please give some useful help, I find no one really answers your questions directly. Thanks

This is the information I have found for an American who wants to marry a Moroccan, in Morocco but, I imagine it will be basically the same for ALL...it is a 3 page document so I hope no one takes offense to the hugeness of this post! ALSO, I am a US female to marry a Muslim man...here goes, and good luck!!:

Marriage in Morocco

This document is intended only as a guide to marriage in Morocco.  Requirements may vary according to local authorities are subject to change.  Marriage is a legal act governed by the law of Morocco and U.S. citizens are subject to those laws as interpreted by the appropriate Moroccan authorities.
Marriages cannot be performed at U.S. Embassies or Consulates, or do U.S. diplomatic personnel have the authority to preside over marriages.  A Moroccan marriage is recognized in the U.S.; you do not need to register your marriage at the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca.
The length of time needed to marry in Morocco varies.  A non-Moslem man who wishes to marry a Moslem woman may anticipate one to three months to complete the process, including the time needed to convert to Islam.  In general, the process is less complicated for a Moslem man who wishes to marry a non-Moslem woman.
Documents a U.S. Citizen Needs to Marry in Morocco
Note:  These are Moroccan Government requirements, thus all documents not in Arabic must be translated into Arabic.
A completed Affidavit of Nationality and Eligibility to Marry. This document may be obtained at the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca during our public hours. There is a US $50 fee for a Consular Officer to notarize the document. The document is in English and you will need to have it translated. This document is the only reason you will need to visit the U.S. Consulate General in relation to getting married in Morocco. Please note that this document is only valid for 1 month.
    A valid U.S. passport and notarized copies of the biographic page and the page containing your date of entry to Morocco. Notarized copies of your passport can be obtained at the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca during our public hours for a $50 fee.
    If divorced, provide original or certified copies of proof of dissolution of any previous marriage(s).
    If former spouse is deceased, provide original or certified copy of his or her death certificate (s).
    Provide an original or certified copy of your birth certificate.
    An American police record must be obtained from a police department in the state where you last resided or from the FBI. Please note that it is best to obtain the FBI record or to obtain an original record from your police station - records obtained online or copies are often not accepted by the Moroccan authorities.
Where can I obtain the copy of my police record?
The U.S. Consulate cannot provide police records.  U.S. citizens who would like to obtain their police records are required to contact the FBI.  If you have not obtained your police records, you will need to submit your fingerprints to the FBI. The Consular Section cannot take your fingerprints and the Moroccan authorities will only fingerprint individuals who are resident to Morocco (holders of a carte de séjour). If you already have your fingerprints and wish to submit the criminal background check by mail, you will need:
Fingerprint card with your name, date of birth and place of birth;
An informal note explaining the reason for your request;
And a certified check or money order payable to the U.S. Treasury for
$18.00 in U.S. currency.
Please send your documents and the required fee to the FBI at the following address:
FBI, CJIS Division
SCU - MOD, D-2
1000 Cluster Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
The FBI will send your record in approximately 8 to 10 weeks.  For more information on Criminal Record Checks, please refer to:
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm
Evidence of employment from employer in the United States or source of income.
    A written statement indicating your intention to marry in Morocco.
    If resident in Morocco, a copy of the residency card.
    If resident in Morocco, obtain a Moroccan police record from the Ministry of Justice in Rabat (Office of Penal Affairs and Pardons). (For U.S. citizens, resident in Morocco, you will need both an American and Moroccan police record.)
    A medical certificate of good health from a doctor in Morocco. This document must be obtained in Morocco.
    Four (4) recent passport photos (3cm x 4cm, please note this is the same size required for a Moroccan passport).
    The fee for submitting an application for marriage to an adoul is 150 Moroccan Dirhams.
Important note about document requirements:  This list is not exhaustive.  Moroccan authorities may ask for additional information or other documents.
What do I do next?
The marriage process is handled by the Government of Morocco.  After obtaining a completed Affidavit of Nationality and Eligibility to Marry and notarized passport pages, you will NOT need to return to the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca. You will need to have your completed Affidavit of Nationality and Eligibility to Marry translated into Arabic.  Be certain all documents that are not in Arabic are translated into Arabic.
Take your completed Affidavit of Nationality and Eligibility to Marry and other documents to the following Government of Morocco office to be certified.  There is a fee for this certification.   The length of time needed to complete this phase of the process varies from a few days to a few months.
Annexe du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères
Zankat Tetouan
Hassan, Rabat
Tel: 0537-76-61-02
After obtaining the certification from the above office, you and your fiancé(e) must contact the Family Law Section at the Prosecutor's office at the Court of Appeal in the city where you will be married.  You will need to provide that office all the required documents.  Authorization to marry should be granted after the court completes administrative processing. The length of time required for this process varies.  The file with your documents is forwarded to a family judge who will inform you of the next steps you must take in order to obtain your Moroccan marriage certificate. 
More info: http://www.thevillamorocco.com/getting- … n-morocco/
•    Request for marriage written in Arab language and taken to a family court Judge (Court in the city where the marriage certificate will be established)
•    Medical certificate both from your country and from Morocco attesting the absence of any transmissible disease
•    For the non Muslem women, the proof of your Jewish or Christian confession (Baptism certificate works)
•    If you don’t want to loose the your important papers, such as orginal copies of death certificates, birth certificates, divorce papers, etc. make sure you have photo copies of everything to give the authorities, so you can keep the original.
•    It is recommended for you to consult a Ladoul (agent in Morocco who performs the final papers for the marriage) in the area where you will be getting married. He will make sure that all paperwork needed is in order and he will instruct you in what to do next.
•    Note that all the documents have to be translated into Arabic by a sworn in translator in Morocco. Most marriage paperwork will take about 2 weeks to 3 weeks to  get finalized.

lava27 wrote:

Has part of the marriage in Morocco, I have informed that you must provide a written request to the judge in order to get married. What should be included in that request? Please give some useful help, I find no one really answers your questions directly. Thanks

This is really a very simple statement. It is only a declaration of intent to marry.  And you really don't have to include a great deal of information. As with all document that you submit to the court it does need to be translated into Arabic, but I have heard of cases where a judge accepted it written in French. I don't suggest you risk it being rejected, so spend the pennies to have it translated.

I suggest you submit a letter something similar to this:

(Your Name)
(your address)
(date)

Dear Sir:
My Name is ___(your name)_____. I am the son/daughter of ___(Your father's name)_ and _(your mother's maiden name)_____. I am a citizen of _____(your nationality)____. It is my desire to marry ____(your fiance's name)_______ who is a Moroccan National and the son/daughter of ___(Your fiance's father's name)_ and _(your fiance's mother's maiden name)______. It has been agreed by both parties that a dowry gift will be provided to the Bride and her family amounting to ________MAD__ and/or __(include any valuable non-cash item agreed to)____.
Sincerely,
(Sign Your name)

Then get it legally translated and copy and legalize both copies.

The dowry is a customary part of the Moroccan marriage and doesn't need to be a large amount. For my case it was a token amount of 2000 MAD. But the Adul will usually directly ask both the bride and groom if one is paid before he will complete the contract (and he can reject the application if you don't have one agree upon); so, you and your fiance should agree on something to be put in the letter of declaration before you get to that point. No one is going to demand proof, but if the Bride is the Moroccan, her family will likely expect it to be a real payable amount. If the Bride is an international, I suggest that the amount be a symbolic token amount and be kept rather small. Especially if there will be an immigration Visa application following the wedding.

May God Bless you and your family

salamoalikum sis Nebraska

can I hire a advocate for all the paper work which I will need in Morocco. can my advocate will do all paper at behalf of me. and I will go for only last work (Adul)? I can pay to advocate but problem is this that I will have no time when I will go to Morocco for marriage. Thanks

Salamoalikum sis Nebraska

If I have advocate, will it have chance to demand for bribe?
Thanks sis

Having a marriage advocate is a good idea if you cannot be in Morocco or you simply don't want to deal with the drama yourself. Any good advocate (including a lawyer) will already know about bribes, have contacts to avoid them, and be prepared to cover the extras costs as part of his/her fee for those that he can't. Therefore you probably won't notice the expense of the majority of bribes.

Of Course you will need to be present at the Adul, you cannot get married unless you personally sign you own marriage contract in front of witnesses and the Adul.

why keep calling it bribes.....!!!! it is a VIP path or a shortcut to those who can afford it other wise just stand in line and wait for your turn... simply

Thank you Nebraska girl for your reply. I do have one question those, what if the girl does not have a father? Do I just leave that out?

lava27 wrote:

Thank you Nebraska girl for your reply. I do have one question those, what if the girl does not have a father? Do I just leave that out?

This is a complex issue. It depends on if she is orphaned of her father or if she a child born outside of marriage.

If she is orphaned, then she can still use her father's family book. Another adult male member of her family can act in his place or if there is none, then her mother can act in that place. Or she can act as her own representative.

If she is a mis-fortunate sole that was born outside of marriage, then it will depend on if made a ward of the court at the time of her birth such as if she was abandoned aa a child to a center or was legally placed into Kafalla family.

If she was legally a ward of the court, then she can use the court order in place of her family book. In some cases the oldest male member of the Kafalla Family can stand in for the place of her father.

In some cases she can be added to her mother's Father's family book and her Grandfather can stand for her. 

If she was home birthed, quietly kept by her mother, or place privately into a Kafalla family without a formal court order then her birth was not formally recorded. Then she is a person without an Identity by Moroccan law. She will probably need to correct this status with the court. This situation is complex and I suggest if it applies to her situation that she contact a lawyer.

hourico wrote:

why keep calling it bribes.....!!!! it is a VIP path or a shortcut to those who can afford it other wise just stand in line and wait for your turn... simply

Please stop beating the horse, it is dead.....this is now just an annoying matter of semantics. You can call the illegal exchange of funds what ever you like, it still doesn't change what it is.

sorry for all the questions. If she was born out of wedlock and raised by her mother and her mothers parents, then she can use her grandfather (even if passed away?) or brother? Would there be an issue if she only stated her mothers name? or do you need to state both

I suggest  you consult a lawyer. This is a more complex issue, and I don't wish to mislead you

Thanks sis Nebraska for your information.

Brother hourico , if the matter will solve to stand in line, than no problem but here they delay for this.

im a moroccan girl & im in love with an algerian guy who wants to go to the military, i want to know if we're able to get married because i heard that military don't let you to marry a foreigner so pleaase help us

Hourico,,,, my dear I think you have a prob and obviously a lot of time to hire your self a manager or a god father or something on that subject, why you are giving obstacles and bad comments to all??? is it your experience? not good enough? then it is you, start with your self fix your own problems

hey all have faith n God and trust your iner feeling and proceed do not listen to sycos

good luck to all

They are bribes. Not VIP. People who work in those offices should just do the job that they get paid for, rather than sitting on their butts, drinking tea until someone offers them a bribe to ACTUALLY DO THEIR JOB!

Thank you all for your comments , the best thing that came out of this discussion is that we all are sharing ideas agree and disagree which is a good thing and on the real way to human brainstorming to reach the best of what we can do at the end NO one forces any one to pay whatever you call it and it is not an obligation also it is a matter of choice.

MOre over yousrrana please be advised that as far as i know that yes you need to hurry up the marriage process NOT because of the military does not allow but because once he is enrolled in the military he will need a security and background check and approval from HQ. it will happen eventually but it will take time and effort you do not need to spend. good luck and make sure this is the right one to commit your self to as marriage is the point of no return(without dear costs at least)

welcome! 

Hi,

I would be appreciative of some advice or places to seek information.

I have a moroccon lady friend, she recently married a UK citizin (Married for 9 months).  She went through the whole process of marriage, he intitiated the visa process, which she told me, she received paperwork for.  He now is not agreeing to call her over and is giving her ultimatiums.  She is distraught as in a nutshell she has been clearly a victim of a fraud, as he clearly has not real intentions on keeping her and living with her.  She has gone through so much with him to get everything sorted.

What are her options?

What can she do?

is there any organisations she\I can speak to?

Many Thanks

[Moderated: This is not a dating website]

My advise stay out of it, you can never know what happened between the two let them sort it out I am sure they are both mature and clever enough.

Sounds like a mess. I'm sure she can find out from one of her government websites about divorcing him? She should do it right away before one year...in the US you can easily have the marriage annulled if it is before one year but, I have no idea about the laws where she lives. Make this a lesson about truly getting to know someone before jumping into something! Personally, if I had made the decision, I would have also known that if it turned out to be fraud I had no one to blame but myself.

Thanks for the replies.

Exactly my sentiments to her, she made the decision on the basis of HER knowing what was right for her.  Unfortunately the consequences are negative but she obviously realises her mistake.

Liek I mentioned to her, all she can do is divorce him and move on with her life.  I really can't see much else that can be done, but she was getting emotional and eas wondering if she can take any action legal or anythign like that.  My advice was, its pointless as what is the end goal?.  He clearly doesn't want you to be his wife anymore, there isn't much else to acheive.

So was just wondering if there was a process of reporting this and for her to get any action against him done.

hourico wrote:

My advise stay out of it, you can never know what happened between the two let them sort it out I am sure they are both mature and clever enough.

To be honest I am not involved as such, was just told about it by her and being a listening ear really.  Just trying to advice on the questions she asked, she doesnt want sympathy, more advice on moving things forward.

I think it is pointless to take action against him as well. What would be the point? Also, from what you have revealed, it doesn't sound like he has gained anything by marrying her so, what's to report? That he broke his promise?? LOL, that's why I'm divorced twice! Sorry, I know that it's not a laughing matter but, truly, she should just be grateful that she found out what kind of person he really is before spending a life time unhappy with him.

I wanna marry a morrocan in morrocco, what are the requirements

[moderated: off topic]

Im an australian soon to visit morocco to meet the girl I intend to marry.  I hope someone could guide me to the services of a public notary  My fiance needs to get certified copies of her passport and birth certificate from a Notary Public but is having a hell of a time finding one who can do this in Casablanca? It would be extremely helpful if anyones able to give some advice or provide details whom she could get in contact with regarding certifying photocopies as true copies of an original document. The reason we need to go through this step is because for my certificate of no impediment which I am told needs to be issued by my country's embassy.  The problem is we dont have an embassy or consulate for Australia in Morocco the nearest being Paris France and the embassy staff tell me they will only accept copies certified as true copy by a notary public

She should go to the court in Casablanca. They are helpful. When she gets there she should not go in the front but go to the right towards the back of the building, that is where they help with marriage stuff. When she goes inside the big doors there is a desk to the right. They will direct her where to go. She will get a number at a machine to the left when she enters, she will choose the "mixed marriage" option. Good Luck! ALSO, some documents have to be certified in Rabat, but they should tell her if she needs to do that.

Hi all,
What an excellent, informative forum!

I am planning to travel to Morocco for marriage and want to hire a lawyer who can prepare my file with the documents I send him, submit it and hopefully get approval from the marriage courts before I arrive. But I don't know if this is possible because I need to get a medical test done from Morocco before the file can be submitted - right?
Or can I get a medical done in my country of residence and can that suffice? Is there any other way to expedite the entire process?

Also I am a bit confused about a few things like where exactly do I need to get all the papers certified, is it in the country of residence or in Morocco at the ministry of foreign affairs in Rabat? Like for example the Certificate of No Objection from the Embassy of country of origin - where should this be certified?

Some documents that they are requesting don't exist in my country of residence - like a certificate of residence. Here in Saudi we only have an official residency card and all the people I have asked have no clue where or how to get a certificate of residence. The card is all that is used - nothing else.

The most important question - can anyone share the contact details of the good lawyer in Morocco who has experience in mixed marriages?

I hear the marriage requirements in different parts of morocco are different. Given this does anyone know where the simplest place is? - I.e.the one requiring the least number of documents and beauracracy etc..

I would really appreciate any help.

Thanks

It is my understanding that you AND your fiance must get the medical exam in Morocco. We went to a doctor in Casablanca, it wasn't even really an "exam", he just wrote out a document stating that we were both in good health to marry and copied down our names and ID#'s from my passport and his National Card.

You are correct, the ministry in Rabat will certify most of the documents. You can find out which documents need certification versus notarization or a court stamp from the court. NOTE: We were told that each court in Morocco requires different documents, some of our documents were not necessary in Casablanca and we wasted quite a bit of money with unnecessary translations AND certification.

I believe your passport will be your certification of residency. That was all they required from me. I did have to go to the US Embassy in Casablanca to have my passport notarized.

I have no clue about lawyers, we did it all on our own.

One tip, if you are a male and she is Muslim you will need to convert or they will never let you marry her. If you are a female you will need to provide proof of your religion. I am Christian and had to write a statement saying so. Although ALL the documents must be translated into Arabic we found out the hard way that this one particular document must be translated into French NOT Arabic.

Hope this helps and Good Luck

Thanks so much for your reply. I am now clear about the necessity of a medical exam in morocco and residency certificate, but still need help with:

1. Do any documents that I bring from abroad have to be certified or notarised in my country of origin or residence? I am worried about going to morocco and someone telling me that I should have got papers certified or stamped from institutions in my own country before coming....

2. Need any recommendations of good lawyers in Morocco with experience of helping with mixed marriages.

3. Any ideas on the places in Morocco with the least requirements (in terms of paperwork) for marriage?

If you want to keep your original birth certificate, you will need to bring a certified copy from your own country.

[moderated: off topic + pls do not generalize]

what part of Morocco were you in? that is not what I have seen in Casablanca and my husband can attest to that.