Morocco

Last Updated: 2026-04-02

Official Portal: Ministry of Justice — Kingdom of Morocco

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Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	5 years of continuous residence
Language requirement	Knowledge of Arabic or Amazigh (Berber) expected; no formal test codified
Civics test	None
Processing time	12—36 months (highly variable)
Naturalization fee	Set by administrative regulation
Dual citizenship	Permitted — Morocco does not require renunciation and does not recognize renunciation of Moroccan nationality
Citizenship by birth in Morocco	No automatic jus soli (with limited exceptions)
Citizenship by descent	Primarily through the father; maternal transmission expanded in 2007
Governing law	Code de la Nationalite Marocaine (Dahir No. 1-58-250 of 1958, as amended by Law 62-06 of 2007)

Dual Citizenship

Morocco permits dual citizenship in a distinctive way: not only does Morocco allow its citizens to acquire foreign nationality, but Morocco does not recognize any renunciation of Moroccan nationality.

Key provisions:

A Moroccan citizen who acquires a foreign nationality retains Moroccan citizenship indefinitely. The Moroccan state considers them Moroccan for all purposes, including entry/exit requirements, military obligations, and personal status matters.
There is no mechanism to renounce Moroccan nationality. A Moroccan citizen cannot voluntarily divest themselves of Moroccan citizenship. This is one of the few countries in the world with this absolute rule.
Foreign nationals who naturalize as Moroccan are not required to renounce their prior nationality.
Morocco will issue Moroccan passports and identity documents to dual nationals and expects them to enter and exit Morocco on Moroccan travel documents.

Practical implications:

Moroccan-origin citizens in Europe (particularly France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy — an estimated 5+ million in the diaspora) are considered Moroccan regardless of whether they hold another nationality.
This creates complications in consular protection cases: if a dual Moroccan-French citizen is detained in Morocco, France’s ability to provide consular assistance is limited because Morocco does not recognize the French nationality as superseding the Moroccan one.
Personal status law (mudawwana): Moroccan family law applies to all Moroccan nationals, including dual nationals, on Moroccan territory. This affects marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Soli)

Morocco does not apply automatic jus soli. Birth in Morocco to foreign parents does not confer nationality.

Limited exceptions:

A child born in Morocco to a Moroccan mother and a foreign father acquires Moroccan nationality (since the 2007 reform).
A child born in Morocco to foreign parents who were themselves born in Morocco (double jus soli) may acquire nationality under certain conditions.
A child born in Morocco to unknown parents is presumed Moroccan.

By Descent (Jus Sanguinis)

The 2007 reform (Law 62-06) significantly expanded descent-based acquisition:

Post-2007 rules:

A child born to a Moroccan father acquires Moroccan nationality at birth, regardless of place of birth. This has been the rule since the original 1958 Code.
A child born to a Moroccan mother acquires Moroccan nationality at birth, regardless of place of birth. This was the major 2007 reform — previously, maternal transmission was limited to cases where the father was unknown or stateless.
The right applies to children born in or out of wedlock, provided filiation is legally established.

Historical note: Before the 2007 amendment, Moroccan women could not transmit nationality to their children if married to a foreign man (unless born in Morocco). The reform was a landmark achievement for women’s rights in the MENA region, though Morocco has not fully equalized all provisions (e.g., a Moroccan woman’s foreign husband does not benefit from the same facilitated pathway as a Moroccan man’s foreign wife).

By Adoption

Morocco follows Islamic legal tradition and does not recognize full adoption (tabanni). Kafala (legal guardianship) is the applicable system. A child under kafala does not acquire Moroccan nationality from the guardian. If the child’s parents are unknown and the child was found in Morocco, they are presumed Moroccan regardless.

By Marriage

A foreign woman married to a Moroccan man may apply for Moroccan nationality after 5 years of marriage. The application is submitted to the Minister of Justice. She must demonstrate genuine marital community and is not required to renounce her prior nationality.

A foreign man married to a Moroccan woman has no facilitated pathway to Moroccan nationality through the marriage. He must apply through the standard naturalization process (5-year residency).

By Naturalization

Requirement	Details
Residence	5 years of continuous lawful residence in Morocco
Good character	No criminal convictions; clean record
Language	Knowledge of Arabic or Amazigh sufficient for daily life
Financial means	Adequate livelihood
Health	Good health
Integration	Evidence of integration into Moroccan society
Age	18+

Naturalization is granted by royal decree (dahir) on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. It is discretionary and relatively rare in practice. Morocco does not actively promote naturalization as a policy.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

Morocco does not recognize voluntary renunciation of nationality. A Moroccan citizen cannot divest themselves of Moroccan citizenship under any circumstances. This is an absolute rule with no exceptions in the Code de la Nationalite.

Even a formal declaration of renunciation before a foreign authority (e.g., as part of a naturalization process in another country that requires renunciation) has no legal effect under Moroccan law. The person remains Moroccan.

Involuntary Loss

Loss of Moroccan nationality is extremely rare and limited to:

Fraud: Nationality acquired through naturalization may be withdrawn if obtained by fraud, within a prescribed period.
Conviction: A naturalized citizen convicted of a crime against the state may be deprived of nationality by decree.

Citizens by birth or descent cannot be deprived of Moroccan nationality.

Restoration of Nationality

Given that Morocco does not recognize renunciation, the concept of “restoration” applies only to naturalized citizens who were deprived of nationality. In such cases:

The person may apply for a new naturalization.
There is no streamlined restoration procedure.

For citizens by birth, the question is moot — they never lost nationality in the eyes of Moroccan law, regardless of what another country’s records may indicate.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

A foundling discovered in Morocco is presumed Moroccan until the contrary is proven.
A child born in Morocco to stateless parents may acquire Moroccan nationality.
Morocco is party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons but has not ratified the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Document Checklist

Completed nationality application form (available from the Ministry of Justice)

Birth certificate (original + certified Arabic or French translation)

Valid passport or travel document

Proof of 5 years continuous residence in Morocco (for naturalization)

Criminal record certificate (Bulletin No. 3 from Moroccan authorities + country of origin)

Medical certificate of good health

Proof of financial self-sufficiency

Marriage certificate (if applicable — Moroccan marriage act/acte de mariage)

Proof of integration (employment, community ties, language)

Passport-sized photographs (6)

Application fee receipt

Sources

Code de la Nationalite Marocaine — Dahir No. 1-58-250 of 6 September 1958, as amended by Law No. 62-06 of 2007. Available through the Secretariat General du Gouvernement. https://www.sgg.gov.ma/
Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco (2011) — https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Morocco_2011
Ministry of Justice, Morocco — Processing authority for nationality applications. https://www.justice.gov.ma/
Law No. 62-06 (2007 Reform) — Amendment extending maternal transmission of nationality. Published in the Bulletin Officiel.
UNHCR Refworld — Morocco — https://www.refworld.org/
CEDAW Concluding Observations on Morocco — Gender equality progress and remaining gaps in nationality law. https://www.ohchr.org/

Morocco.ma

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