Rabat – Morocco has announced that it would be using an e-visa platform for visitors from select countries, starting Sunday July 10. There remain a lot of questions concerning the details of the initiative however.
Here are some of the more common questions we have seen floating about regarding Morocco’s e-visa program.
Which countries does it apply to?
The program will apply to 49 countries, at first at least. The countries will be divided into three categories.
The first category will include nationals of certain countries, with Israel and Thailand being selected “as a first step,” according to Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. More countries may be added to this category later.
The second category includes foreign nationals holding a residence or stay permit in one of the approved countries. The permit must be valid for at least 180 days when applying for the e-visa. The permit must be from one of the EU countries, the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, or Switzerland.
The third category concerns foreign nationals who hold non-electronic visas to the Schengen area, the USA, Australia, Canada, the UK, Ireland, or New Zealand. These applicants’ visas must be valid for at least 90 days and have multiple entries on the day of submitting for Morocco’s e-visa.
Obtaining the e-visa and its validity
The e-visa is a one-time authorization for a single person, and is valid for a maximum of 180 days from the day it is issued. It allows entry into Moroccan territories for up to 30 days.
Applications can be made through the Access Maroc site starting Sunday, with applications for tourist and business visas.
Applicants will be able to choose the “express” visa option which takes 24 business hours to be processed, or the “standard” option, taking 72 business hours to process.
What if I did not need a visa before?
The e-visa will only apply to nationals of countries that previously required a non-electronic visa to enter Morocco.
Nationals from the EU, the US, Canada, or other countries that had visa-free access to Morocco before can still enter the country just like before, without applying for an e-visa.
Will requirements change for Moroccans traveling abroad?
The e-visa only concerns foreign nationals coming into Morocco. For Moroccans, traveling to any of the countries listed above will still continue to require the same procedures, which differ from state to state.
