How to read these guides
Every page follows the same structure, because that is what you look for when you are putting an application together: a box with the cost, the processing time and the place; the list of documents required; the steps in order; then the pitfalls that make you come back a second time.
The processing times given are those observed in practice, not the theoretical ones posted at the counter. They vary with the local authority, the season – summer is congested everywhere – and how complete your application is.
Do you live abroad?
Most of these procedures can also be carried out at a Moroccan consulate, with different processing times and sometimes different documents. The guides say so where that is the case. For the topics specific to the diaspora – a return removal, buying property remotely, transfers – see the Moroccans abroad section.
The documents that come up in almost every application
Four documents come up in the large majority of the procedures listed here. Preparing them once, in several copies, saves a second trip to the counter.
A copy of the CNIE, front and back on the same sheet. For residents abroad the passport often replaces the CNIE, but not always: the guides say which applies for each procedure.
A recent birth certificate extract. Several administrations refuse an extract more than three months old, even though the document itself does not expire. Ask for two or three at once.
Tax stamps, ranging from 20 to 300 MAD depending on the document. The breakdown is in the stamp duty calculator.
Biometric standard passport photographs. Photo booth pictures are not always accepted: plain light background, face fully visible, no tinted lenses.
Two habits that save time. Check the spelling of your civil status exactly as it appears in the register, character by character, because a single letter of difference is enough for an online application to be rejected. And when a foreign administration is the recipient, ask them in writing whether they want a sworn translation, a legalisation, or an apostille, because those three are not the same thing.
Last updated: January 2026 · Indicative estimate - check with the relevant administration.