Menu
Expat.com

Apply for Moroccan citizenship or remain a foreigner?

Last activity 07 November 2017 by hkh m43

Post new topic

hkh m43

Salaam,

My wife is Moroccan but me and our two children (<13) are British.
We're planning to live in Morocco very soon and have been thinking about applying for Moroccan citizenship.

Anyone had a similar situation?
What are the pros and cons of being a foreigner vs a Moroccan national?

At the moment, from the little I've read, I don't see many advantages of applying for Moroccan citizenship for the kids or me, but happy to hear advice.

Here are my initial pros and cons:

Pros: Simpler paperwork generally, easy to gain employment, buy agricultural land
Cons: Become a dual-national

Katti_09

I'm not sure if there is such a thing as citizenship for foreigners in Morocco. Usually you apply for a Carte Sejour/Carte Residence if you want to live here.
For your kids it might be different. If their mother is Moroccan they could get a passport here. So they don't need the residence and can stay as long as they want.
Me personally I don't see why having two nationalities is a con. I would have it on the pro column.
Good luck with your decision!

hkh m43

Thanks.

Cons for having dual nationality might include:
- some countries require declaring this and may view the Moroccan nationality negatively
-  the UK will not help dual nationals in the country of the other nationality
- you no longer benefit as a foreigner in Morocco (what are the benefits?)

Katti_09

Did you do some research if it would be even possible for you or your kids to get a moroccan passport?
As I said, for you I guess not, for your kids you could get both and let them decide themselves after they reach age of consent what to with it. There is no military service so don't worry for that.
I don't see why it should be negative having UK passport plus moroccan nationality. They are moroccan anyway by genes.

tajiouti

Me personally I don’t think  u need to apply for Moroccan cotizenship, u can get residency so easily given the fact that ur spouse is Moroccan, no need for that !! Good luck

hkh m43

Thank you all for your advice and good wishes.

Given that it's not easy to undo/reverse, I think we'll delay the decision until we're on the ground and gain a better feel of the pros and cons and will hopefully share our experience.

Articles to help you in your expat project in Morocco

  • Getting married in Morocco
    Getting married in Morocco

    If you want to get married in Morocco, there are different steps and a variety of procedures to follow. These can ...

  • Choosing your neighbourhood in Marrakech
    Choosing your neighbourhood in Marrakech

    Marrakech comprises five leading neighborhoods, namely Medina, Mellah, Gueliz, Hivernage and Chrifia. Each of them ...

  • Casablanca neighbourhoods
    Casablanca neighbourhoods

    Stretching over 220 km², Casablanca is more than twice the size of Paris. Like all historical cities and ...

  • Making phone calls in Morocco
    Making phone calls in Morocco

    During your stay in Morocco, you will certainly wish to keep in touch with friends and family. To do so, you can ...

  • Opening a bank account in Morocco
    Opening a bank account in Morocco

    Opening a bank account in Morocco is relatively easy. The language barrier could be an obstacle if you do not ...

  • Getting around Marrakech
    Getting around Marrakech

    In Marrakech, there are many means of traveling inside the city and outside, whether for work or leisure. Each of ...

  • Getting around Casablanca
    Getting around Casablanca

    Moving around in Casablanca is a day-to-day challenge. However, the city has a fairly developed ...

  • Driving in Morocco
    Driving in Morocco

    You can drive with an international driver's license in Morocco for a period of one year as from your date of ...

All of Morocco's guide articles