Do Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians need a visa to Morocco and how to apply for it. Visa to Morocco for Russians: necessity, conditions and contacts When visas to Morocco for Russians were canceled

The Kingdom of Morocco is located in North Africa. In Morocco, the high season lasts from spring to late autumn and, together with the low cost of living, makes this African country an excellent choice for a holiday. A nice bonus for Russian tourists is that a visa to Morocco for Russians in 2020, as before, is not required.

The full Arabic name of the state of Morocco is translated into Russian as "Western Kingdom"

Visa-free entry

Since 2005, there has been a visa-free regime for Russian citizens intending to visit Morocco for tourism purposes. However, if you permanently reside in Russia, but have the citizenship of Ukraine or Belarus, you need to apply for a visa. Some other restrictions apply to visa-free entry, except for Russian citizenship:

• The purpose of the trip is tourism;
• Length of stay - up to 90 days;
• Absence of things prohibited for import;
• Compliance with local laws and regulations.

If you plan to extend the time of stay, you need to issue a special permit. This must be done no later than 15 days before the end of the three-month visa-free period.

To enter Morocco without a visa, you must:

• Fill out a migration card;
• Pass customs inspection;
• Provide a valid minimum of 6 months passport.

It is best to take care of filling out the migration card in advance, the forms are issued on the plane during the flight. The map is filled in with Latin letters. Acceptable ink colors are blue or black. It is not recommended to print the blank card yourself, as it will most likely not be accepted..

Although a visa to Morocco is not needed for Russians, in addition, at passport control, a tourist may be asked to confirm a reservation for a hotel room and confirmation of the availability of funds for staying in the country. They may also ask for additional comments about the purpose of the trip, but this happens quite rarely, often in case the customs officers have any suspicions.

After passing through customs control, if everything is in order, instead of a visa to Morocco, a stamp will be put in the passport with the assignment of a special number under which the tourist is registered. A similar note will be made at the exit.

If a tourist crosses the border by car, then in addition to a passport, a completed migration card and a customs declaration, you will need to present an international standard driver's license. Russian driving licenses are not recognized in Morocco. You will also need to provide the car itself for inspection by the customs services, present a registration certificate and an international insurance policy.

Types of visas

It is not necessary for Russians to obtain a visa to Morocco for a tourist trip. But, as indicated, a visa-free regime does not give the right to stay in the country for a long time, or to work. The Kingdom issues the following visas:

• transit;
• Tourist;
• Student;
• Working;
• Business;
• long term;
• Resident card.

Transit and tourist visas to Morocco are not needed for Russians. The main thing is to observe the conditions of entry and the rules of stay for foreigners.

A student visa allows you to receive higher education in Morocco.

A work permit grants the right to conduct legal labor activities, to receive payment for their work.

A business visa works similarly to a work visa, only it gives the right to engage in entrepreneurship, open and register organizations.

Long-term visa, despite its name, is given for only 3 months. It is needed for persons whose purpose of visit is not work or leisure. This may be participation in conferences, gatherings, or business trips without doing business.

A residence permit grants the right to reside in Morocco for more than three months, practically on an equal footing with a citizen. Initially, it is issued for one year, with subsequent applications, the validity period is extended. The maximum is 5 years.

Required documents

To apply for a visa of the required type, it is required to prepare a package of documents. All documents, except for the passport, must be drawn up in Arabic or French. An alternative is a translation certified by a notary. Recall that the Russians do not need a tourist and transit visa to Morocco.

To apply for any visa you need:

1. A completed application form;
2. 4 photos;
3. Copy of the international passport;
4. Visa fee payment receipt;
5. Proof of residence;
6. Medical insurance policy.

• For tourist: reservation for round-trip tickets; a copy of the travel voucher;
• For student: invitation from the university;
• For working: an invitation from a Moroccan employer, a certificate from a previous job;
• For business: a letter from Moroccan partners, a letter from a Russian employer confirming that you have representation rights;
• For long term: justification of the purpose of the visit, tickets in both directions.

The following documents are required to apply for a residence permit:

1. Two copies of the international passport;
2. 6 photos;
3. Copy of marriage certificate (if any);
4. Guaranteed availability of accommodation;
5. Financial guarantees: a certificate from a local bank on opening an account and the availability of funds on it;
6. Medical insurance for the entire stay.

Photo Requirements

Many countries set their own standards for photographs submitted by tourists. But you don’t need any special photos to get permission to visit Morocco. It is sufficient that this is a standard 3x4 cm ID photo, that the applicant's face is open, photographed from the front, and that there are no sunglasses or headgear that make it impossible to identify the person.

The process of making your own

The process of legalizing the stay of a foreigner in Morocco depends on his citizenship, goals and length of stay. Russian tourists do not need a visa to Morocco, they just need to get a special stamp in their passport and not exceed the 90-day stay in the country.

To obtain a long-term, work, business or student visa, you need to contact the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Russia. The Embassy is located in Moscow.

To independently obtain a visa to Morocco, a Russian must visit the Embassy three times. At the first visit, the applicant will be given an application form and a list of required documents. At the second visit to the Consulate, a package of papers for issuing a visa will be accepted. And during the third visit, the applicant receives back his passport, in which the visa is affixed, in case of a positive decision.

It is not allowed to submit documents for other persons, the personal presence of the person who requests a residence permit in Morocco is required. The exception is parents acting on behalf of their minor children.

Registration for residents of the CIS

Citizens of Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries do not have the opportunity to visit Morocco without a visa, even if they permanently reside in Russia. To obtain an entry permit, they will need to apply to the appropriate embassy for the distribution of zones.

This is how residents of Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia apply to the Moroccan Embassy in Kyiv. Citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan can submit papers to the Moscow Embassy. Those who have citizenship of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan must obtain permission from the Turkish Embassy of Morocco, located in Ankara. Moldovans should go for a visa to Romania, to the Moroccan Embassy in Bucharest, and Tajiks - to Tehran.

Morocco with kids

With regard to minor tourists in Morocco, the following rules apply:

• If the child has his own passport, then a migration card is filled out for him;
• If the child is entered in the parents' passport, then the migration card is filled out one for two;
• If the child is not traveling with both parents, then permission from the second is required;
• If the child is accompanied by third parties, then a power of attorney is required from both parents;
• If it is not possible to obtain a power of attorney from one of the parents for objective reasons, then it is required to confirm those.

In all other respects, there are no special rules for minors to cross the border. A visa to Morocco for a child is issued in the same situations as for adults.

Transit through Morocco

For a transit visit to Morocco by a foreigner who does not have the citizenship of countries for which a visa-free regime is established, it is necessary to issue a transit visa. Russians do not need a transit visa to Morocco.

Price

In addition to abolishing the need for Russian tourists to obtain permits to stay in the country, the Moroccan authorities also canceled the payment for the entry of Russians. Visa-free stay in the country for three months without the right to conduct activities is free. That is, when setting a stamp in the passport, you do not need to pay any fee.

However, there is a fee for issuing a visa. The exact rates for work and business permits should be clarified during the first personal visit to the Embassy. Approximately obtaining a permit will cost:

Visa services are paid in rubles, but due to the exchange rate, fluctuations up or down are possible.

Terms of registration

Approximate terms for issuing a visa at the Embassy are announced upon acceptance of the applicant's documents. On average, the processing of the request takes 1 - 2 business weeks. If the Consulate staff has any questions, they can call the applicant for an interview, which will slightly increase the period for obtaining a visa.

For a visa-free visit to the country, the process of processing documents takes up to one hour due to waiting in line and passing through customs. Getting a stamp in your passport itself takes a few minutes.

Validity periods

All permits issued by the Moroccan Embassy are valid for three months, regardless of type. In addition, they are single-entry, but upon arrival, the visa can be extended.

Extension of stay

To extend it, you need to contact the territorial office of the local Moroccan police. Depending on the purpose of stay in the country, the first extension of the permit for 3, 6, 12 months is possible. Then you can apply for a residence permit if you want to stay in the country longer.

It is important not to miss the deadline for applying - no later than 15 days before the end of the permit.

An alternative option for extending the time of residence in Morocco is a “visaran” to Mauritania, Tunisia or the EU countries. After leaving the Kingdom and entering after from Tunisia without a visa to Morocco, you can reset the three-month counter. But it is better not to abuse this method, otherwise they may not be allowed to pass at the border during the next “visaran”.

Customs regulations in Morocco

One of the criteria for obtaining the right to visa-free entry to Morocco is the full compliance with the country's customs regulations. They are somewhat different from the usual for a Russian tourist.

Currency rules in Morocco are such that you can import foreign currency in unlimited quantities, but it is prohibited to use it in the country. Only local dirhams are used in circulation. But it is forbidden to take the national currency out of Morocco.

The following quantities of alcohol and tobacco are carried duty-free:

• 1 bottle of strong alcohol;
• 1 bottle of wine;
• Choice of: 10 packs of cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco.

Everything that exceeds the established norms must be declared.

Prohibited for import:

• Things forbidden by Islamic norms;
• Any weapon;
• Any drugs;
• Gasoline in cans.

Any photo and video equipment must be packed, declared, and if necessary, you must have a permit for their import, which must be obtained from the Embassy in Russia. All equipment and equipment, including sports equipment, is packed in cases and sealed. Import or export of valuable art objects is carried out with a special permit.

Customs legislation in Morocco is strict, with serious penalties for breaking the rules. up to and including immediate deportation and subsequent ban on entry into the country.

Refusal

You can be denied entry to Morocco if you violate customs rules. They can also prohibit entry from Tunisia without a visa to the Kingdom of Morocco if the passport contains a significant number of marks indicating the abuse of "visarans". With regard to tourists entering Morocco, who comply with customs regulations, who correctly filled out the declaration and migration card, refusals are rare.

The Embassy may refuse to issue a visa at its discretion, consular officers have the right not to explain the reasons for the refusal. Statistically rejected if:

• Wrong paperwork;
• A deception is done;
• The visa regime was violated earlier;
• Being in the "black list".

How to get to the Kingdom of Morocco

There are no direct flights between Moscow and Rabat, the capital of Morocco. You can get into the country either by charter flight or with transfers in Paris, Frankfurt am Main, Geneva, Amsterdam and other countries. Estimated travel time for a flight from Moscow to Morocco will be from 10 to 20 hours, depending on the carrier, the number of transfers and the route of the flight.

In addition, you can enter Morocco by ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain or by land from neighboring Tunisia or Mauritius.

It is important to remember that if on the way to Morocco there are countries with a visa regime for Russians, you need to take care of opening at least a transit visa.

Do I need a visa for Morocco?

For a tourist trip, a visa to Morocco for Russians in 2018 is not required. Citizens of Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus permanently residing in Russia need to apply for a visa.

Conditions for visa-free entry

The visa-free regime established since 2005 for citizens of the Russian Federation has some limitations:

• the purpose of the visit is tourism;
• visa-free period - up to 90 days;
• restrictions on the import of certain items;
• compliance with local laws.

An extension of the trip will require a special permit, which must be obtained no later than 2 weeks before the expiration of the visa-free period of 90 days.

Documents for entering Morocco without a visa:

• migration card filled out by hand in black or blue ink; the form is issued on the plane;
• a passport with a validity margin of at least six months;

Passport control checks arrivals for availability of reservations and funds for the duration of their stay in the country.

At the end of the check, a registration number and an entry permit stamp are affixed to the passport. When leaving the country, the tourist will receive a corresponding mark.

After checking the documents, visitors go through customs inspection.

When entering the country by private vehicle, a tourist will be required to have a driver's license and international type auto insurance, as well as documents for the vehicle.

Types of Moroccan visas

In addition to the visa-free permit, Morocco issues the following types of visas to applicants:

• transit visa (Russians do not need it);
• tourist visa;
• student visa - gives the right to receive higher education in the country;
• work visa - gives the right to legal labor activity;
• business visa - the applicant is allowed to have his own business and employ employees;
• long-term visa - issued for 3 months for non-tourist purposes;
• residence permit - allows you to live in the country on general civil rights, is given for a period of one year with the prospect of renewal, the maximum period is 5 years.

Required Documents for a Moroccan Visa

In addition to the passport, all documents for a visa are prepared in Arabic or French, a notarized translation will do.

To apply for a visa of any type, you must prepare a standard list of documents:

• completed visa application form;
• photo 4 pcs (3x4);
• international passport (copy only);
• receipt of payment of the visa fee;
• hotel, apartment reservation, housing rental agreement;
• international medical insurance policy.

Additional documents for visas:

• Tourist: round-trip tickets (booking), a copy of the tour operator's voucher.
• Student: An official invitation from an educational institution.
• working: an official invitation letter from an employer in Morocco (on company letterhead, certified); certificate from the previous place of work.
• Business visa: letter of invitation from a partner in Morocco; presentation from a Russian company, travel certificate.
• long-term: explanation of the purpose of the trip, round-trip tickets.

To apply for a residence permit you will need:

• 2 copies of the international passport;
• 6 photos 3x4 cm: full face, face open, without sunglasses, headgear or headband;
• a copy of the marriage certificate (if any);
• confirmation of the future place of residence (lease agreement, rental of housing);
• proof of financial security; (certificate of opening an account with the amount of the contribution of funds from the branch of the local bank).
• medical insurance policy valid for the entire period of residence.

How to apply for a visa to Morocco on your own?

All visas, except for transit and tourist, are issued through the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Moscow. For self-registration, you will need to visit the consular service of the embassy three times. During the first visit, the applicant will receive an application form and a list of required documents. On the second visit, the collected papers are handed over to the consulate. In case of a positive decision, the applicant receives a ready-made passport during the third visit.

It is not possible to become documents with the help of a third party, a personal presence is required to apply for residence in Morocco. When applying for visas for a family, their parents or guardians act for children.

Traveling to Morocco with kids

A visa to Morocco for children is issued according to the same rules as for adults.

For minors in Morocco, the following requirements apply:

1. For a child who has his own passport, a migration card is filled out.
2. For a child entered in the parents' passport, a migration card is filled out for two with a parent.
3. A child cannot leave with one of the parents without a notarized permission of the other.
4. For a child entering from Morocco accompanied by third parties, a notarized power of attorney from both parents is required;
5. In the absence or deprivation of the rights of one of the parents, documentary evidence is required.

Transit visa to Morocco

To transit Morocco Russians do not need a visa to Morocco. All the rest, who do not have the citizenship of the countries of the visa-free regime, issue a transit visa.

Moroccan visa cost

With a visa-free entry to Morocco, the Russians do not pay anything

To obtain a visa at the embassy, ​​you will need to pay a consular fee, the amount of which depends on the type of entry permit.

Actual prices for the current period must be clarified at the embassy.

Moroccan visa processing time

Approximate visa processing time the applicant learns when receiving documents at the embassy. The review usually takes 7 to 14 business days. In case of questions, the consular staff calls for a personal interview, and this may increase the time for issuing a visa.

With a visa-free entry into the country, registration takes about an hour, this is the time of waiting in line and passing through customs. Getting a stamp in your passport takes a few minutes.

Moroccan visa extension

Ordinary visa permits issued by the Moroccan embassy are single entry and are valid for 90 days, regardless of their type. After this period, the visa can be extended. To do this, you need to visit the Moroccan police station at your place of residence. Depending on the purpose of the visit to the country, the first extension is allowed for periods of 3, 6, 12 months. If you want to stay in the country longer, you need to apply for a residence permit.

Important: Do not wait for the permit to expire, apply for an extension no later than 2 weeks in advance.

There is an option to legally extend the period of stay in Morocco - "visaran". To do this, you need to travel to neighboring countries, for example, Tunisia or Mauritania, and then return back to the Kingdom. It does not build to abuse this opportunity, at the border once again they may not be allowed to enter by "Vizaran".

Moroccan Customs Regulations

A Russian tourist must strictly adhere to local legislation: unlimited import of currency is allowed, while using it inside the country is prohibited, since only Moroccan dirhams are in use. The export of local currency is prohibited.

Import allowed (duty free):

• strong alcohol - 1 bottle;
• wine - 1 bottle;
• cigarettes - 10 packs, cigars - 50 pcs., tobacco - 250 gr.

Anything above that must be declared by paying a fee.

Import is strictly prohibited:

• items and materials prohibited by Islam;
• any type of weapon;
• drugs and preparations;
• fuel in containers (gasoline).

Video and photo equipment is declared and imported in a packaged form. To import it on yourself, you will need permission from the Moroccan embassy. Sports equipment and special equipment is imported in a sheathed form and sealed cases. Import and export of valuables, objects of art is carried out by special permission.

To visit Morocco, a Russian citizen needs a valid passport.

Validity of a passport in Morocco - during the trip .

Rules for visa-free entry to Morocco

For visa-free entry to Morocco and stay in the country for no more than 90 days, a Russian citizen must fulfill the following requirements:

• have international passport which is valid for more than 3 months after the end of the trip
• fill out a migration card
• have return tickets(may require border guards)
• at the request of the border guard (in some cases) to present evidence of their financial solvency

If the period of stay in Morocco exceeds 3 months, then it is necessary to obtain a Temporary Residence Permit for foreigners, which is issued by the relevant authorities in Morocco, namely the nearest Police Station, at least 15 days before the expiration of the visa-free period of stay.

Visas in Morocco

• Visa-free entry allowed to citizens of the following states: Russia
• In other cases, to obtain a tourist, business or transit visa, or a visa by private invitation, visa processing at the embassy Morocco.

Migration card

Many travel agencies write that a visa is not needed to visit Morocco. Indeed, this is so - if a visit to the country is being prepared for recreation and excursions. For other travel purposes, such as doing business, studying or working, you will need to prepare a package of documents and obtain

stay in the kingdom

Most often, Russians visit Morocco for a recreational purpose - to swim in the sea, bask in the hot sun, and see local attractions. But sometimes citizens of the Russian Federation come here to study, work or live. Little is known about this in Russia, but in the kingdom of Morocco there are many good higher educational institutions and successful schools that teach how to do business, after which you can find a job here.

Morocco is one of the oldest countries in Africa. It was on the Moroccan coast, in the Casablanca region, that the first traces of human presence in North Africa were discovered.

To permanently reside in this country, you will need to go through some bureaucratic procedures, which include applying for a visa. For each specific traveler, this package will include various papers.

Morocco on Google Maps

Relaxation

Neither a residence permit nor a Moroccan holiday visa is required. Therefore, many Russians are happy to spend their holidays here. Starting from 2015, in order to be on Moroccan soil legally, it will be enough to fill out a migration card, which is issued to everyone entering the airport. However, people who have Ukrainian citizenship or citizenship of one of the CIS countries will have to deal with visa processing in order to enter the kingdom.

But there are requirements for the entry passport. Its validity period should end no earlier than six months after the tourist intends to leave the country. When visiting Morocco with children, you need to make sure that they also have foreign passports that meet this requirement.

To obtain a migration card, you do not need to present any documents or certificates. It is issued on planes flying to Morocco, or when passing through customs. People who are worried that they will not be able to fill it out correctly can download a sample from the Internet in advance and take it on the road.

At the same time, migration cards are issued for all those entering the country, including minors. All of them must be filled in block letters (namely, Latin) so that the text is written legibly. Fill in with a blue or black ink pen.

As with entry to other countries, a parent traveling with a child without a second parent must obtain the consent of the latter to leave the minor outside the Russian Federation. Confirmation of such consent is a written permission certified by a notary. In some cases, it is also important for border guards to have return tickets, as well as reservations in a Moroccan hotel.

Health insurance is not always asked, but it is better to get it anyway in order to feel protected.

Without a visa, a traveler can stay in the kingdom for up to three months. It is important that the visit to the state is really of a tourist nature - this means that you cannot study or work while entering the country as a tourist. However, in order to see the sights and recover from work, as well as bring home a lot of pleasant experiences, this period is quite enough.

Learn about clearance, cost and customs control in the country, from the article -

Video - Holidays in Morocco

Education

Education is not possible when entering Morocco for tourism purposes. Therefore, applicants and students cannot enjoy the benefits of a visa-free regime. But there is a small exception: vacation tourists may well take small courses - for example, surfing. Various master classes are also held at ski resorts.

But to get a full-fledged education in the kingdom, one cannot do without a student visa. In some cases, it also makes sense to apply for a residence permit, especially if you plan to live and work in Moroccan territory in the future.

To do this, you need to contact the embassy with the following package of documents:

• an application for a visa (it is important to correctly determine its type - it must be suitable for students);
• four photographs taken no earlier than in the last six months;
• a letter from a college or university confirming the applicant's enrollment;
• confirmation of rental housing or hotel reservations for accommodation during the period of study;
• confirmation of visa payment.

It is also important to ensure that it does not expire during the entire duration of the study. It must also have at least one blank page that can be stamped when entering Morocco.

As soon as the request for a visa is granted, you can go to the kingdom and, already on the spot, go to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to start processing a residence permit. People who have it also have the right to reside in the country for three months without having to leave it periodically.

Video - Visa to Morocco 2018

Work

Some citizens of the Russian Federation go to Morocco not to spend money, but to earn it. But to work as an employee or to run a personal business, you need to get a work visa. Moreover, in both cases we are talking about different visas.

To get a work visa, you must already have an employer who is ready to hire. In this case, the company must be registered in Morocco and comply with the laws of the country. Difficulties can arise here, because the Moroccan government is very interested in employment, first of all, citizens who live and were born in the kingdom. This is due to the high number of unemployed people.

To obtain this type of visa, you must:

• write an application for its extradition;
• take a photo and provide four recent photos;
• attach an invitation from the employer with information about the readiness to enroll a Russian in the state;
• pay the state fee for obtaining a visa.

Russians who would like to independently conduct business in Morocco can count on a business visa that is valid for three months. Moreover, it can be both single and multiple. The cost of these visas is different.

To obtain an entry permit, you must also prepare:

• a letter written by possible business partners from Morocco to whom a Russian businessman wants to make job offers;
• a letter of recommendation from a Russian company if a Russian travels to the kingdom as its representative.

You also need to confirm that a hotel room is booked or other accommodation is rented for the time that a person will spend in the state.

Long-term visas and citizenship

If you intend to stay in Moroccan territory for a long time, it makes sense to immediately apply for a long-term visa. This is true, for example, when attending various seminars or conferences.

When you need to regularly visit Morocco for more than three months, you can initiate the registration of citizenship of the country.

Table. Requirements for obtaining a long-term visa and citizenship.

But to obtain citizenship, some Russians have to wait several years. To apply for it, you must first spend at least six months in the country on an ordinary visa. Then you can count on a residence permit. The national card can be extended at the request of its holder for 5 years. Then it is advisable to apply for citizenship.

When marrying a person who has Moroccan citizenship, one can also become a citizen of the country. But the difficulty is the fact that the state is Muslim, and the creation of a family just for the sake of citizenship is rather reckless.

If a person has property in a kingdom, his chances of becoming a permanent resident of it increase.

Video - Visa to Morocco for Russians

When planning a stay in Morocco for more than 90 days, you need to remember that staying in a hotel with all the amenities and everyday life in a “non-tourist” kingdom are completely different things. You need to be prepared for the fact that the standard of living in Russia and Morocco is different, this is also due to the fact that in the second case we are talking about a Muslim country.

Sights of Morocco

Name	A photo	Description
El Badi Palace		An incomparable example of Maghreb architecture, a “wonder of wonders”, a model of architectural balance. The decoration of the palace was made of gold, turquoise, crystal, rare types of Italian marble, Irish granite, Indian onyx and precious woods.
Hassan II Mosque		The mosque, with the name of King Hassan II, seems ready to soar from the cliff over the Atlantic and ascend into the heavens. The main attraction of Casablanca and one of the best mosques in the world with a 210-meter minaret
Sahara Desert		The Sahara is the largest sandy area in the world, located in North Africa from the Red Sea to the Atlantic for almost 5 thousand kilometers.
Aït Benhaddou		This is the most colorful and authentic landmark of Morocco, which, along with Ouarzazate, is often found in the films of Hollywood directors. Located on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains
Bahia Palace		The most popular attraction in Marrakesh, located in the Medina. The Beauty Palace was built specifically for one of the wives in the harem of Bu Ahmed Sidi Moussa
Kasbah of Agadir		The Kasbah is the old part of Agadir, as in many Arab cities. This place is located on a hill where in the past a city fortress was built in the Old Town
Arab League Park		The huge park of Casablanca is named after the League of Arab States. An ideal place for walking and sightseeing visits. Beautiful nature in the very center of the city