Getting married in Morocco

Ah, bummer. Well there was a reason I was reluctant to give you an answer, and was right not to, seeing that you received contradictory answers from those who should know best. We can advise someone who is heading there to get married to a local. As we know about the paperwork required, and the process (for marrying a resident). As for 2 non-residents, getting married over there, it's the first time to hear about that. I don't know who else you can ask. I thought they should know. Because the British Embassy in Morocco is the place where you take your Certificate of non-Impediment, and in return they give you a certificate which is part of the papers you need to get married in the country. Also when I was at the consulate here, sitting in the waiting room, there was a Moroccan woman, and an Asian guy. She asked me if I was Muslim, and whether I can be "a witness" (don't ask me, I didn't understand either), as they intended to get married. So we went into the Judge's room, but he threw me out because I wasn't Moroccan. Anyway, the point is, they deal with marriage, so should know, that's why I mentioned it. I really don't know what else to say. Hopefully someone can clarify the situation, and give you a concrete answer.

May wanna browse this site.

http://www.service-public.ma/en/web/guest/home

hello dear nebraska all what I want to keep the contact cause we are old friends if you rememberd ksikas abdelhak
ok i'm in facebook too
if you really intersting of any kind of subject or something else so don't hesitate to write
thanks
so ksikas abdelhak it's my real first second name....
my email / ksikas33@yahoo.fr

i am married in morocco as mix marriage. any one can get back to me for procedure.

Hi thank you so much for the information, im getting married  to a Moroccan man next April 2016 hopefully it will be no trouble  to get everything. .im from  Canada.

Hello Alisa. 👋

Hello; )

So we meet again... How have you been? 

im very good ty..how are you?

Im a US citizen planning on getting married in Morocco in December to a Moroccan man from Khemisset. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

stranger786 wrote:

salam and peace to you all.

Is anyone foreigner here who is plannng to marry recently to a morroco citizen?

Yes, I am planning this in April 2016.

I am getting married there in December!

amydbradberry wrote:

Im a US citizen planning on getting married in Morocco in December to a Moroccan man from Khemisset. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have posted information to several people asking similar advise. Here is the most relevant information I have to give you. I am also an American.

If you are going to get married here in Morocco, then you will need to have proof you are available for marriage. You as a woman must be single. You will need a proof of nationality and permission to marry from the American Consulate. If you are divorced, or widowed  you will need to provide documentation proving this. There are many requirements and it is best to contact the Moroccan Consulate for a more or less complete list before you go. there are always things that are asked for that never seem to be mentioned on any list.

I am not sure if this applies to you, but it is worth mentioning: Once you are married to a Moroccan National you may apply for residency to stay here. Residency is not automatic so don't delay if this is what you are wanting to do. You will need to consult a lawyer about how to bring other members of your family here. Children of previous marriages are treated differently in these situations than other adult family members. So it may be easier to bring your children here than it is for you to bring others. Most of the documentation needed for your residency card is similar to what you need for marriage.

Here is a post from another contributor that is also relevant. It better explains the required documents you will need for your marriage.

Moroccan1 wrote:

For Américan : Getting married with moroccan Man

you should bring with you this papers from USA :

* police background check
* birth certificate
* Certificate of Previous employment stating dates worked and annual salary (( if u work if u don't work don't bring it )
* devorce certificate ( if u were devorced )

The paper that u have to take it from Usa embassy in Casa morocco :

* Certificate of eligibility for marriage ( go to the usa embassy and take with you 900 dhs )
* certificat of  nationality ( give just u'r passport to the usa embassy in casa 'll give u this certifacte !!

this papers u can preaper it in morocco with u'r hubby and it's easy :
* Four photographs of u
* A copy of the passport with the date of entry to Morocco
* Criminal record from the Ministry of Justice in Morocco ( take u'r  passport and stamp of 10 dhs  and go to the Ministry of Justice in Rabat located behind the parliament (that 'll take just 30 munites to get this paper)
* Certificate of Religion
* A medical certificate (in Arabic)  cost 200 dhs  at any general practitioner

Finally you neeed to translate all papers into arabic

The papers that u'r hubby should preaper !!!
*Administrative certificate relating to approved of the fiancé ( bring it from Mqadam if he don't know the name tell him ( Certificate of celibacy)
* Complete copy of the birth chart
* A medical certificate
*  police background check
* Four photographs
* A copy of divorce if he was divorced

for other nationality they can check this topic :
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=145465

Please be aware that the prices he mentioned may have changed a bit as this post was made quite awhile ago, but I do believe all the required documentation is basically the same. Also, You will never get any of these documents you provide returned from the Moroccan court (or any of the government offices), so don't submit original documents unless you have no other choice.  Make plenty of copies of everything. Have those copies legalized here in Morocco. The legalization stamps will be valid for only 3 months. All documents will need to be officially/legally translated into Arabic before being given to the court. Although you may have been told you only need 4 pictures to get married, you may need more to get your required background check done. I assume you have only lived in the USA, but in any case I will mention a background check must be submitted for each of the countries you may have lived. So have plenty of extras photographs made. I know from experience, nearly everything you need to do, you must attach a photo. I suggest having an extra 8 to 12 photos. they are cheap to have made in Morocco, but they should all be the same or they might get rejected.

It can take 3 to 6 months to get everything for your marriage application approved (longer if you have moved around often), so you may need to make arrangements to get your passport VISA stamp renewed. Each port of entry stamp is good for 90 days and it often take all of that before your marriage is legal & longer if you are seeking residency. Many people arrange to take a day or two in Europe when their stamps are close to expire. Other people opt to hire an advocate, but you will need to be present when the court reviews your application as the judge will need to privately interview you before he will sign off on the application. Arrange for a translator. Many of the judges will not allow your intended spouse to act as a translator for you, and even if the judge can speak English, he is within his rights to demand that the interview be conducted in Arabic.

I survived this process. It can be done. I have been Happily married to my Moroccan husband for 4 years now. I love him very much. Morocco is my home...even when I have to return to the USA for family matters, I still am anxious to get back to my beloved Marrakech.

I wish you all the best in your future and may God bless you and your family.

getting married in morrocco is very complicate because of many rules to applicate and to respect, like you have to wait for longtime and passion to do everythings, and sometime all what you done are not sure to get what you want, kind of risk to be refused to marry, I knew many examples but still possible so depend of feeling, passion, courage and documents that you must have with you of course.
Also depend of the country and consulat so many steps to cross till you get what you want and after all that you have to wait for almost one years to get the final result. and before of that you have to passed kind of interview I mean exame, they want to be sure if it's real marriage or bussiness marriage.

Hi

I'm so glad to hear you are happily married.

1. Please can you advise on how long it took to get approval to marry once u had submitted your documents?

2. Also once you get the approval how long do you have to get married? As in, do u have to have your islamic/legal marriage (aka nikkah) there and then at the court?

3. As the british muslim female, woyld i yave to have a male relation (father, brother for example) present giving his consent to me marrying when applying for courts permission?

Many thanks in advance.

Jojo

Hi Nebraska girl,

Love reading that u have had a successful marriage. Please can i ask for your advice?

In ur comment u say that both parties need to be present when the judge reviews the applocation, but is this the same day the application is submitted?

The reason i ask is because i intend to submit my application and stay in marrakesh for a week. And then return to the UK as i have work. Then i was going to go back to marrakesh for when the judge reviews the application. But does the court give a date to return to the court to get a decision on the application? You say it can take 3-6 months to get approval... so will the courts contact us with a date to return?

Im so confused about how this part of the process works.

Many thanks in advance

Jojo

I will like to know what I will do if live in the  U S  but I have a woman I love ❤ in Morocco and I want to go married her

Hello Jojo,
When I said it will take 3 to 6 months, I am refering to the process of gathering the information from various agencies from your homeland and other required materials from Moroccan resources and completing the require prematital tasks you must do before submitting your file to the court clerk. It will take a few days for the clerk to review it before he will approve the file, and then allow you to take it to the office of a judge. The clerk quite often will reject the file...once or twice.....and he may, as an excuse, tell you that you or your fiancee are missing some obscure document no one ever mentioned before. Collect the document, and use your best judgment as to anything extra (and unmentioned) that may need to be included in the file when you resubmit.

I understand that you simply cannot suspend your life for Moroccan beaurocracy. Unfortunately,  someone has to do it. You can have a lawyer or an advocate do much of the legwork for you. But meeting with the Adoul and the Judge are things much like an examination. Think of it similar to getting a medical physical done. For it to be valid, YOU must do for yourself. BUT, this other person can submit your documents to the various agencies and to the court clerk. Once your file actually is in the office of the court clerk, the process moves somewhat faster. It is at this point you will need to be prepared to be in Morocco. You and your fiancee will need to be at the court (or waiting for a call from the lawyer or advocate who will need to go dailey) to the office of the clerk to inquire if your file is ready. You will not get much prior notice as to when you will need to meet with the judge. It will be at his leisure and not yours, so it is advisable that you don't try to reschedule that meeting once you have been granted one.  Get there when he wants to see you. It will only cause you significant delays and frustration if you refuse.

I hope this helps. May God bless you and your family with a bright future.

I am American engaged with a moroccan man.  One of the question is:  where should we get married, USA or Morocco?  we plan to live in the USA, and all of his family members are in Morocco, they can not come to the USA to attend the wedding if we get married in the US

Hi nebraskagirl,

Thank you soooo much for your response. I apologise for my delayed reply.

Ive had limited internet access, but i will reply properly later today hopefully.

Jojo

Esser,
It is complicated either way you choose to do it. I choose to marry in Morocco. I was living in Morocco, so it made sence for me to marry in Morocco.  I know that many couples choose to get married after they both can go to the USA. If he can get his VISA quickly,  then it might be easier to get married in America.  But, quite often an American VISA is not a fast thing. Even though it is complicated to get married in Morocco,  it might be faster than waiting for a VISA. Also His family will be happy if you include them in the celebration.
Here is something to consider, On average, a family based immigration visa into the USA takes about 2 years if the applicant has never had a visa before. If he has had a VISA , then he might be able to go on a Tourist visa, but there is no guarantee that he will be allowed to stay in the USA after the marriage. If that occurs,  then you are right back to waiting tp be together for that 2 years for him to get a visa.
I know immigration is not the brightest sounding process,  but I hope the information helps in making the choice as to which place to wed.
I wish you a happy future and may God bless you

Thank you, and thank you Nebraska Girl
Regarding immigration waiting time, I am totally shocked by the length of time one must wait, my jaw almost dropped to the floor.
Thank you again, hope all is well

Salam everyone.

I need some general information. As i am also getting married to a Moroccan girl. I have the complete list of documents required for marriage. What i am not sure about is that which visa should i apply for when i am going to morocco to get married. Can anyone please guide me through it. Thanks in advance. ( I will be travelling from Saudi Arabia, am an expat here).

silverghost123 wrote:

Salam everyone.

I need some general information. As i am also getting married to a Moroccan girl. I have the complete list of documents required for marriage. What i am not sure about is that which visa should i apply for when i am going to morocco to get married. Can anyone please guide me through it. Thanks in advance. ( I will be travelling from Saudi Arabia, am an expat here).

I suggest you either contact the Pakistan consulate or the Moroccan consulate there in Saudi Arabia for the answer before you attempt to go. I am familiar with American guidelines,  but your situation is unique.

Hi everyone,
we are in the process of getting all the papers gathered, BUT, we don't know what to do after we gather them all ? should we get a lawyer ? or do it ourselves ? whats the easiest and cheapest step ? we contacted few lawyers but they're ask for lot of money, over 10000 dhs, can anyone suggest someone ? or maybe tell us what to do exactly?
I heard that doing it all in a small town could take months, so should we do it in a big city ? how long does it take to get done ? WE ARE CONFUSED !

thanks lot

Where did you do yours ? any advice ? we are in the process of doing it, but its all confusing .

Yas87 wrote:

Should be no problem.

I completed it in two weeks.

The family court don't even look at the papers

Where did you do yours ? any advice ? we r in the process of doing ours, and its so confusing, !!!

Yas87 wrote:

When it comes to moroccan men marrying, the family court process it quickly. Its only a problem when its the women marrying...

Also, i think it depends on the origins of the person.
Myself being british of pakistani origins, i think this speeded up the process a lot as they knew from my name and birth certificate i am muslim and so fourth..

I did not give any under the table fees or back handers, i think they adouls, police and family court were happy with our marriage. Also as i have a few stamps for holidays to morocco in my passport, this may also have helped the process.

Its the classic case of, judge the price based on the person. Classic Moroccan tactics at the finest, oh he is european/american/australian... he must be very wealthy, lets fleece him.. Its quite apparent from many people i met that they imagine foreigners to be extremely wealthy and pockets lined of gold..

where did you do yours ? did you hire a lawyer ?

stranger786 wrote:

Jess

I am Pakistani working in UK and recently married.Feel free to ask any question.

I thanks all in those who help me and indeed this guidance help me a lot and i was able to finish the process in one week.

BIG Special thanks to Nebraska Girl.Thanks for her realistic and kind help and guidance.!!

Jav

Can you tell me the steps u went throu and in which city did you get married ? did you use a lawyer  ?

stranger786 wrote:

Hi.

I recently married in Casblanca and done the whole process in one week Alhumdulillah.A lot of thanks and respect to all people online who guided me.

Feel free to ask any question.

Regards

Hi,
i'm in the middle of gathering papers, can you please tell me how you did it in one week? the steps ? did you need a lawyer? thansks !

Hi,

I saw a lawyer on wednesdsy when i went to the court to ask about what papers are needed. She gave me a quote of 7000 dh which is approx £486. I dont know if thats a good price or not. She was not willing to negotiate the fee. I took her contact details anyway as I hope to return to marrakesh in february (the next time i have holiday from work) and submit my documents.

Are you in morocco or in the UK?
Also which city/town will you be getting married?
I have a list of all the documents required by the court in Marrakesh. It also says which documents need to be stamped by your consulate/embassy in morocco.

Iv read somewhere on this forum that the documents required vary from court/city to court/city which is why i asked which city you will be getting married.
If you would like a copy of the list i got from the court let me know and i will send it to you somehow.

In response to your queation about what you do once you have the documents, well from what i know you get them translated into arabic and take originals and the translations to the court and show to the Adul (clerk). The clerk will then ask you to get the documents stamped feom different places (including the uk consulate in rabat for me), and then return all stamped documents to the court and wait for approval.

THe lawyer i bumped into on wednesday there told me it takes 1 month, which is why people tend to hire a lawyer to do the chasing and running around for a decision either once the documents ahve been submitted (or possibly to get all documents stamped from all the different places and submit to the court on your behalf).

She spoke only a little english which is why i was unable to ask her about what the 7000 dh fee is for exactly. I will email and ask her.

Also do you know if as a muslim british female who has never been married needs to have a male relative (brother or father) present throughout the whole process? Or just at the final stage when we have our marriage contract (nikkah)?

The lawyer i spoke to said i didnt need a male relative at all, but im not so sure that she was 100% sure about this herself. The court was so busy and it was so hot on wednesday that i didnt get to ask anyone else who works in the court. I regret it now because im back in the UK now and wish id gone back to the court and asked someone. I will ring the moroccan consulate in london next week and see if i can find out from them. But if you (or anyone on here) knows please tell me?

Thanks

Jojojojojo2015 wrote:

Hi,

I saw a lawyer on wednesdsy when i went to the court to ask about what papers are needed. She gave me a quote of 7000 dh which is approx £486. I dont know if thats a good price or not. She was not willing to negotiate the fee. I took her contact details anyway as I hope to return to marrakesh in february (the next time i have holiday from work) and submit my documents.

Are you in morocco or in the UK?
Also which city/town will you be getting married?
I have a list of all the documents required by the court in Marrakesh. It also says which documents need to be stamped by your consulate/embassy in morocco.

Iv read somewhere on this forum that the documents required vary from court/city to court/city which is why i asked which city you will be getting married.
If you would like a copy of the list i got from the court let me know and i will send it to you somehow.

In response to your queation about what you do once you have the documents, well from what i know you get them translated into arabic and take originals and the translations to the court and show to the Adul (clerk). The clerk will then ask you to get the documents stamped feom different places (including the uk consulate in rabat for me), and then return all stamped documents to the court and wait for approval.

THe lawyer i bumped into on wednesday there told me it takes 1 month, which is why people tend to hire a lawyer to do the chasing and running around for a decision either once the documents ahve been submitted (or possibly to get all documents stamped from all the different places and submit to the court on your behalf).

She spoke only a little english which is why i was unable to ask her about what the 7000 dh fee is for exactly. I will email and ask her.

Hi thanks for your reply,
We still don't know where we're getting the aqd done, I live in a small tons and many said that in small towns it takes months and can be complicated, so we are planning to do it in tangier or kenitra or Rabat if it's possible, one lawyer told us 15000 dhs which is a lot , since many did it for much less, we are still gathering paperwork, and still confused if it has to be done in the city I'm living in or it can be done anywhere, everyone is telling us different things, so hard to decide, your lawyer is in Marrakech ? Does he work elsewhere too? Can you find out pls? Some say you can get it done in one week, I'm wondering how they do it,

Jojojojojo2015 wrote:

Also do you know if as a muslim british female who has never been married needs to have a male relative (brother or father) present throughout the whole process? Or just at the final stage when we have our marriage contract (nikkah)?

The lawyer i spoke to said i didnt need a male relative at all, but im not so sure that she was 100% sure about this herself. The court was so busy and it was so hot on wednesday that i didnt get to ask anyone else who works in the court. I regret it now because im back in the UK now and wish id gone back to the court and asked someone. I will ring the moroccan consulate in london next week and see if i can find out from them. But if you (or anyone on here) knows please tell me?

Thanks

Hi where are u getting married in morocco? And how much does lawyer cost you?

Let your Moroccan fiance deal with them, and anything related to payments. They are obviously going to try get out as much as they can from you because you're foreign. Even if you're the one paying, involve him in it. I don't think Moroccans are paying nearly £500 just to get married. If that's truly the case, I feel sorry for them.

Hi,

Yes she is a lawyer in marrakesh. I doubt she will work in any other city but i will ask her for you.

As you live in Morocco hopefully you will be able to find a lawyer who doesnt charge so much money.

I dont think a lawyer is even needed. There are many people who.got the whole process done without a lawyer on this forum. I intend to at least try and get the process done without a lawyer. Im hoping to get all my paperwork stamped and submitted whilst im there in february and then return a month or so later for the aqd/nikkah. Hopefully a lawyer wont be required. I hope and pray the whole process can be completed within a week or 2 as some people on here have said that it can. I just dont have much time off in february (1 week onky) which is why i plan to ask the adul to allow me to return 1 month later for the aqd/nikkah after all documents have been submitted and approved.

Hi

Yes you're right. I'm hoping that my fiance will be able to get a cheaper quote.

Re moroccans paying this much - as far as i know they dont use lawyers for marriage. Its just for mixed marriages because of the amount of documents needed and the time the courts can take to process the whole thing. Im hopi g to avoid using a lawyer unless absolutely necessary.

You don't require a Lawyer. Many managed the process successfully without using one. I'm pretty sure so did GoldKhalipha, who can confirm this. How long are you staying there for? Can't you find a relative to go along with you? That would be preferable.

Hi

Do you mean taking a relative with me would be preferable for the aqd/nikkah?

Or do u mean its preferable to have a male relativr for the whole process of going to different offices to get papers stamped etc?

Im not sure if anyone will b available to go with me on both occassions thats the only concern. I was hoping to just take a male relative when i go the second time for the actual aqd/nikkah

"Do you mean taking a relative with me would be preferable for the aqd/nikkah? "

Yes - this.

And seriously consider avoiding a lawyer if you can.