Casablanca - what are the pitfalls of living in Casablanca?

You need to demonstrate that you do not have a criminal record for ANYTHING AT ALL in your home country to become a resident.

Casablanca can become polluted in the summer when there is little wind.

The poshest areas are expensive, but if you are careful, you can find an unfurnished flat for 2000 dirhams in an acceptable area. There are even furnished flats for this price in the furthest suburbs and in less salubrious areas. In areas that are up and coming because of the Tramway, such as Belvedere, you can find nice furnished flats for 3500 a month. You must find flats when you are there. Don't rent from the internet.

Whatever you do, DO NOT accept or reply to offers of "help" that arrive in your expat-blog inbox. These will be certainly from scammers. Do not listen to or reply to offers of "help" from  locals who join the site just to reply to this thread or "landlords" (they will actually be intermediaries). Do not take up offers from locals who only have a posting history of wanting to "help" foreigners. What they are actually interested in is helping themselves to your money.

And the advantages? A busy vibrant city with culture, restaurants, the sea, little hassle, the hub for the rest of Morocco (El Jadida 70 minutes by train, Rabat 60 minutes by train, Marrakech 3 hours by train and so on). Modernity and oldness. I love Casablanca!

rdadams wrote:

I am prepared to become fluent in French before moving.

Oh, and by the way, that would take you about 3 or 4 years and the equivalent of a degree course at a decent university!

completely agree. For the residence you will need firstly a contract...then lot of applications and papers to be filled....it is a little messy.

The "contract" people are referring to, by the way, is either a "contrat de bail" (a rental contract) or a "contrat de travail" (a work contract). There are other less common ways to get residence, but they probably won't apply in your case.

The procedure is, as the previous contributor said, onerous and time-consuming.

By the way, dontcha just love it when someone poses a question, gets a detailed answer, then doesn't come back to say thank you, make further comments or pose more questions?

it s messy ; but easier than most Europeen Countries?

That is. .... but nevermind we do what we do don't need to be granted:

It is always messy no matter where are you from.... be sure that one paper, stamp or whatever will be forgotten or not told...so you need to come back again hehehehe last time they lost my photos hhhhhhh so ....

It is just only burocracy.... welcome to morocco in all cases.

Moroccanlawyer wrote:

it s messy ; but easier than most Europeen Countries?

European countries give out residency, left, right, and center, like sweets. Anyone can get it. It used to be a privilege. Now it appears to be a human right to be given it.