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Join on Telegram Doha – In a significant policy change, Moroccan mothers can now obtain passports for their minor-aged children without seeking prior authorization from the father. This new measure, announced by the Moroccan consulates in New York and Madrid, follows a circular issued by the Ministry of Interior and applies to consulates abroad as well as within the Kingdom.
The consulate in New York cited the simplification of procedures as the reason behind this decision, while the consulate in Madrid provided more context, stating that the circular informs prefectures and provinces that mothers can now “obtain, withdraw, and renew” passports for their minor children without the “express and prior authorization of the father.”
Both consulates clarified that this new rule applies unless there is a court judgement stating otherwise.
In Morocco, the father’s authorization for obtaining a passport is tied to his status as the “legal representative” of the child. This status remains even in cases of divorce and when the mother is granted custody. Consequently, mothers have been obliged to go through their former spouses to obtain passports for their children, a rule that has faced criticism and was discussed during consultations held by authorities as part of the anticipated reform of the Moudawana (Family Code).
The passport website of the Interior Ministry still mentions the need for prior consent from the legal representative. When addressing the specific question of whether a divorced woman with custody of her children can obtain passports for them without the father’s consent, the website states that the father remains the legal representative of his minor children even after divorce, and custody does not grant the mother this status. Therefore, the father’s consent is necessary, and if he refuses, the mother must obtain a court decision to request passports for her children.
The Madrid consulate indirectly revealed the existence of an Interior Ministry circular that lifts this restriction nationwide. Medias24, a Moroccan news outlet, has confirmed the existence of this internal note, which has not yet been made public.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Interior confirmed last December that it is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the General Treasury of the Kingdom to prepare a project related to the electronic submission of applications for biometric passports.
This project aims to enable Moroccan citizens, both within Morocco and abroad, to submit passport applications remotely, relying on the electronic national identity card or the biometric passport, as part of efforts to digitize and streamline administrative procedures.
