Visa to Morocco: visa-free entry, types of visas, documents, cost. Visas to Morocco for Russians
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As early as 2005, Russians had the opportunity to visit the Kingdom of Morocco without a visa. Nevertheless, not everyone can do this, but only tourists.
Why is Morocco attractive to Russians?
Morocco is a North African state that offers great opportunities for people who want to get closer to the Arab world or just want to experience a new culture.
Since the official languages in this country are Arabic and French, this for the most part limits the employment of foreign citizens in this state. Although the population in the Kingdom of Morocco is quite poor, the state itself is quite promising for foreigners in terms of education and vacancies. At the same time, education in Morocco is organized according to classical French standards and is significantly cheaper than in the European Union, the United States or the United Arab Emirates.
Only on the territory of the Kingdom of Morocco grows the famous argan tree, the properties of the oil of which have become widely known outside the country. His rejuvenating abilities, so to speak, are widely used in practice in this state.
Morocco is also famous for its shoes called grandmothers.
Among the points that positively affect the development of the tourism sector, I would like to note:
How to get from Russia to Morocco?
You can fly to Morocco from Russia by regular flights, flights with transfers, as well as charter flights. Charter flights and flights with transfers are carried out by planes both from Moscow and from the northern capital of Russia. A regular flight from Moscow to Casablanca is operated by the Moroccan airline Royal Air Maroc. Charter flights during the season (and it usually lasts from May to November) usually fly exclusively to Agadir.
Among the cheapest route options, many tourists advise using the services of Turkish Airlines with a transfer in Istanbul.
Airport in Istanbul - "Ataturk"
And since you do not need a visa to visit Turkey, one of the best options for traveling by air would be a transfer flight using this airline and an eight-hour delay in Istanbul, which you can devote to a short tour of this large Turkish city.
Find out detailed information on when and how to apply for a visa to Morocco from a new article -
Entry into the territory of the state without a visa
In order to get into the state of Morocco without any problems, a Russian tourist (the goal should be only a tourist one) must have a number of documents with him:
- a passport with a standard validity period of 6 months or more from the date of your departure from Morocco;
- migration card filled with data. It is filled either on the plane with the help of the staff on board, or already upon arrival at the airport in Morocco;
- consent to the export of a child from Russia, which was certified by a notary (when only one parent is sent to the kingdom with a child);
- tickets from the country (papers indicating that you booked these tickets will do);
- a guarantee of sufficient financial independence for the period of travel (an extract from a bank account will do).
The last paper is not inspected as often, but still the customs officer from the Kingdom of Morocco has the right to check it.
It can be very prudent for a tourist to stock up on other papers that can be useful:
- medical policy;
- tourist voucher;
- hotel reservation confirmation.
Although these documents are not of particular interest to customs officials, the guarantees that they give are still not superfluous.
Important! The discrepancy between your actions in the Kingdom of Morocco and the purpose declared upon entry or visa is fraught with danger!
The movements of beach tourists in Morocco are limited outside the special tourist zones. In these cases, the tourist is usually accompanied by highly professional guides. In the case of an independent trip to the Kingdom of Morocco, a tourist can travel quite freely without a guide, but still a number of places for foreigners in this state are prohibited.
You can stay in this country, but this will require your appeal to the police station. A very important circumstance in this case is the number of days before the date on which the departure is scheduled. It must be at least 15. The delay in this case is only one-time and can be 3, 6 or 12 months. The duration depends on the purpose of your stay in the country.
How to get a long-term visa to Morocco on your own?
It makes no sense for tourists from Russia to apply for a long-term visa to the kingdom, since its duration is the same 90 days. These visas are most often issued by entrepreneurs and participants in scientific or scientific-practical conferences. Rarely, but tourists are also interested in this visa. In order for a Russian citizen to obtain a long-term visa to Morocco, it is necessary to apply to the embassy of this state in the city of Moscow.
Documents for a visa
To obtain a visa to the Kingdom of Morocco, you should collect the following series of papers and submit them to the embassy of this country. Here is a list of these papers:
- the questionnaire you filled out;
- paper that confirms your purpose of departure to Morocco (this can be a document on booking a hotel room, a tourist voucher, an invitation from a person offering a job or educational institution);
- photograph of the applicant (1 copy) 3x4, in color, without ovals and corners;
- air tickets or copies thereof (a document on their booking is suitable) with well-written numbers indicating when the flights will take place;
- a copy of the certificate indicating your permanent place of residence in Russia;
- foreign passport with its photocopy;
- a receipt showing that you have paid the consular fee.
As of December 2017, the consular fee is a little less than 1,800 rubles. For the exact price for the current date, please contact the Consular Section on the website of the Moroccan Embassy in Russia, or the Embassy itself.
Customs regulations
In order to travel fearlessly both in and out of Morocco, it is important to clearly know the rules for importing into and exporting various objects from the country. Let us give the most general description of the requirements of customs control for different situations.
Foreign money can be imported without restrictions, as well as exported. Nevertheless, dirhams (local currency) will be required within the state - you can get them by exchanging dollars or euros within the country. It is impossible to pay with foreign money in the kingdom.
Important! The export of dirhams from Morocco is prohibited! You should not take them with you when leaving the kingdom, even as a souvenir!
For one adult, it is possible to import strong or weak alcohol in the amount of 1 bottle of both.
It is mandatory to declare all professional video and photographic equipment, as well as professional equipment for sports or hunting purposes.
For any particularly valuable item from the field of art, export is possible only with the special permission of the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom.
Banned from import:
Important! In the Kingdom of Morocco, the rights to Russian-style equipment are not valid! International law will do.
Tricks to extend visa-free stay
It has already been said that the period of stay in the Kingdom of Morocco without a visa is limited to 90 hundred days. For cases where you have not abused this, a departure or departure from the country with a subsequent return to it is suitable. This method, if you go to the nearest country, is cheaper than flying back to Russia and then returning to Morocco. Among all the options for this action, the so-called downshifting, the cheapest will definitely be a flight to Tunisia for this purpose, since this country is free for Russians to enter it, like Morocco.
Another way is to purchase a Schengen visa so that you can get either to the Canary Islands or to Spain and return back.
You can live the next 90 days in the same way, but you should not abuse this method. A large number of stamps in a foreign passport for customs officers may serve as a basis for refusing your entry.
Video - Morocco
One of the new, but already quite popular for recreation and visiting tourist destinations has become a country like Morocco. Do Russians need a visa (2017), in what cases, what kind of documents will have to be issued to enter the country as travelers, to relatives and relatives, on business, to study and work, to leave for permanent residence - all these nuances we consider below. This kingdom is located on the territory of the African continent, in its northern part. For recreation, it is not year-round, although for sightseeing you can come here at any time. The high season lasts here from early spring to late autumn.
When you do not need a visa
Let's start with some good information. Visas to Morocco for Russians who are going to come here for tourism purposes have not been required since 2005. Therefore, it was not difficult to visit this country, it was not necessary to face various bureaucratic obstacles. But even now this kingdom is included in the list of visa-free countries for Russia. In order to rest here, you just need to have a passport to travel abroad. In addition, on the plane or at the airport, you will have to fill out a migration card, where you indicate the information required by customs and border guards. However, this rule is subject to certain conditions:
What do you need to apply for an entry permit?
Although visas to Morocco are not required for Russians arriving in the country as tourists, some documents are still required to be carried with them. First of all, this is your passport, which must be valid - that is, at least six months must remain until the end of its term from the moment you left your homeland. True, such a requirement is not something out of the ordinary; it is presented in almost any country. Moreover, your children should also have foreign passports. Please note that children must also enter Morocco on a separate document. The production of such passports in Russia may take three to four months, so it is better to take care of this in advance. Filling out the migration card is quite simple. A sample of how to do this can be downloaded on the Internet, but even at the airport, examples of the correct design of such forms hang on the walls or lie on the tables. The card must be filled out in Latin block letters, legibly.
Additional documents
Of course, if only the father or mother is leaving with the children, then you need to have a notarized permission to take your child out of Russia. In addition, experienced tourists are advised to take some additional documents with them, which were required when visas were issued to Morocco for Russians. These are, for example, return tickets, invitations from friends or relatives, hotel reservations or travel vouchers, bank statements, medical insurance. Most travelers at the border usually do not ask for any of this, but the country's legislation gives the right to customs officers to require these documents. And if such a case comes, it is better that you have them. Three months is usually enough to get acquainted with all the sights of the country or visit. But if you suddenly need a longer stay, this can be arranged. But this must be done in advance. This is at least fifteen days before the end of your visa-free stay in the country. Otherwise, you might get in trouble.
What is required to visit the country for other purposes
Do Russians need visas to Morocco if they want to find a job, do business or study in this country? Yes, sure. Russians will also need a long-term visa to participate in various conferences, colloquia or meetings. Each type of trip in these cases requires different documents. All of them must be in Arabic or French (otherwise you provide a notarized translation). To apply for any full-fledged visa, you will need the following documents:
- a questionnaire for a certain type of entry permit, filled in according to the rules;
- valid international passport and its copy;
- Russian passport with the address of your place of residence;
- four recent standard photographs measuring 3 by 4 centimeters;
- medical insurance;
- a document confirming the fact of payment of the visa fee.
Workers, entrepreneurs and students: what is needed?
If you are applying for a student visa, you will need an invitation from the institution where you are going to study. When opening an entry permit for work at the embassy, they will require a certificate from the place of your previous employment. In addition, you will need to present an invitation letter from a Moroccan employer. If you are going to do business, then you will need letters and confirmations from foreign partners. Invitations are also needed from scientific communities or civil organizations whose conferences or seminars you are attending.
Residence permit and departure for permanent residence
Keep in mind that any visa - student, work or business - is also valid for no more than ninety days. Therefore, in order to stay in Morocco for more than three months, you must register with the internal affairs authorities and apply for a residence permit. It is issued for a period of one year, then renewed for five, and then for ten years. For its registration, you will need to present six photos, photocopies of the international passport, a copy of birth and marriage certificates, a certificate of residence, from a Moroccan bank and a document on income. Residence permit is confirmed by the so-called national card, which allows you to live in the country on almost equal terms with its citizens. The cost of a visa to Morocco for Russians starts from one and a half to two thousand rubles. But each type of entry permit has its own price, which should be specified at the embassy. Payment is made in rubles, but at the exchange rate. To apply for permanent residence in Morocco, you must apply for the citizenship of this country. This requires holding a national card for at least five years. Citizenship is also issued after two years of legal marriage with a resident of Morocco.
How to get there
If you want to get to this country, it is preferable to do it by air. Flights "Moscow-Morocco" arrive in Casablanca - one of the largest and most fashionable airports in the country. The cost of the flight is about 270 USD one way. They get to Casablanca in six hours. There are also planes landing in Rabat. Direct flights "Moscow-Morocco" depart from Sheremetyevo. They fly to both Rabat and Casablanca. They are mainly carried out by the carrier Royal Air Maroc. The most convenient connecting flights are with Scandinavian Airlines. And the most budget flights are with Portugal. They fly to Marrakesh from Moscow for $145 (one way).
for 2017
This country is a combination of African and Arabian exotics and European class service. Therefore, many companies offer extensive travel programs for it. Such trips, as tourists themselves admit, destroy their stereotypes about Arab countries. After all, Morocco is not only beach resorts. These are impressive cities with a rich history and amazing sights. By agreeing to an excursion package, you will see the real Morocco. Tours for 2017 are not too expensive - 500-700 dollars for a week or ten days. You will be offered to visit the snow-white beaches of Agadir, the museums of ancient civilizations of Rabat, to see the unique Spanish flavor of Essaouira, the luxury of Casablanca, the authenticity of Marrakesh. An independent tourist trip to Morocco is also quite possible. This country is politically stable, safe, sellers and traders are unobtrusive. You can move around different regions using public transport, which is well developed here. These are air-conditioned buses and minibuses. But know that if you are invited to visit or in a cafe, it is better not to refuse, otherwise the locals will be offended. In no case should food be touched with the left hand, only with the right.
Map of Morocco. The capital is Rabat.
The Kingdom of Morocco provides a visa-free regime for citizens of Russia. This regime applies only to trips of a tourist nature. To study, work or live in the country, a visa is required.
Morocco attracts Russian tourists not only with endless beaches and diving, but also with a visa-free regime. For more than a decade, traveling to Morocco has not required a visa. However, this regime applies only to tourist and sightseeing trips; to visit the country for another purpose, an entry permit is still required.
Visa-free regime
In order not to spoil your holiday from the very beginning, the traveler should carefully read the rules for crossing the Moroccan border. It is important to know that you can import any photo and video equipment only after declaring it in advance. It must be in specialized cases and sealed with a seal. These rules also apply to sports and hunting equipment.
Since a visa for Russians in 2016 is not required, customs officers need to present only a passport for foreign trips and a completed migration form. There is only one requirement for travel: a passport must be valid for more than six months from the date of return from the Kingdom.
Sometimes customs officers may require additional paperwork:
- Booking a hotel or rental accommodation;
- Return tickets;
- Proof of funds for travel.
Also, many tourists are advised to take out a health insurance policy, as medical care in the country is very expensive.
Under a visa-free regime, you can stay in the Kingdom for three months. However, there is a little trick to bypass the regime and stay longer. After 90 days, you can leave the country Tunisia. In a day, you can return from Tunisia without a visa to Morocco and continue your vacation for another three months.
Transit
The Kingdom of Morocco is included in the list of visa-free countries for Russian citizens. If the traveler has only a residence permit of the Russian Federation, then he will have to obtain the appropriate stamp.
The main thing to consider is that there are no direct flights to the Kingdom. In order to come to rest, it is necessary to develop in advance the route along which the traveler will arrive, and obtain the necessary permits in the transfer countries. Basically, all routes pass through the EU countries, and a Schengen transit permit is required for transit.
Vacation with children
Do I need additional documentation to travel with a child in Morocco? When traveling with children, it is important to consider a few facts:
- If a child has his own passport for foreign trips, a separate migration form is filled out for him.
- If the child is under 14 years old and has not received a passport for travel abroad, then one of the parents enters it into his migration form.
- If a minor is traveling with one parent or a third person, he must have a notarized exit permit with him.
There are no more special rules for children crossing the border. To travel for a longer period with minors in Morocco, a visa to Morocco for a child is issued in the same way as for adults.
Application documents
For a longer tourist trip, work or study, obtaining a certificate is still necessary. To do this, the following documents must be submitted to the embassy:
- Four full-face photographs;
- Full photocopy of the passport for foreign trips;
- Future address of residence;
- Medical insurance policy.
Depending on the purpose of visiting the Kingdom, the employees of the representative office may request additional paperwork.
Working stamp
Do I need a visa to work? A work stamp for a trip to the country must be issued separately. To apply for a certificate, the applicant must attach an official letter from the future employer and a certificate from the previous place of employment confirming the qualifications to the main documentation. It is also necessary to take into account that the validity of the passport exceeds the period of activity of the visa stamp.
The Moroccan authorities monitor foreign workers very closely, as the country has a high unemployment rate.
student stamp
Do I need a visa to Morocco for Russians undergoing training? The seal will be needed only if a citizen undergoes long-term training, which will take more than three months. Various courses and master classes can be attended without additional paperwork.
Morocco is included in the list of visa-free countries for citizens of the Russian Federation. We will find out in which cases a permit is required, and in which cases a visa to Morocco is not needed for Russians in 2020, what documents are required to open a visa.
Holders of Russian citizenship who visit the Kingdom for tourism purposes do not need a visa to Morocco. The necessary conditions:
Sample migration card
- The presence of a foreign passport, the validity of which expires no earlier than in 6 months.
- Filling out the migration card. It is mandatory for all those crossing the border. Fill out the paper offer during the flight. A certificate is filled out for each entrant, including a child who has reached passport age. Children take their passport with them. The migration card is filled out with a pen with black or blue ink. Information is entered in Latin letters, printed type. Download also in Russian. It is not recommended to fill out the migration card on your own.
- Passage of customs control.
Border guards may ask you to show return tickets and papers that confirm financial solvency, cash and confirmation of hotel reservations.
Passport stamp
Arriving in the Kingdom, at the border control points they put a stamp on arrival, assign a personal number, which is marked in the passport. When leaving the state, a mark is put in the foreign passport.
You do not need to pay a consular fee. Medical insurance is not required but is recommended for tourists who visit the Kingdom.
For Russians who plan to stay in Morocco longer than 3 months in 2020, a temporary residence permit is required.
Customs clearance
To pass customs control, follow the rules:
- It is allowed to import no more than 1 bottle of strong alcohol and 1 bottle of wine per adult citizen.
- They take no more than 10 packs of cigars with them to the Kingdom. Each pack contains 20 pieces. Instead, they are allowed to take 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars.
- Perfumes are taken in an amount not exceeding 5 g.
It is forbidden to import:
- Drugs.
- Ammunition and all kinds of weapons.
- Things that do not comply with the norms of Islam.
- Photo, video, printed products that contain pornographic elements.
Mandatory declarations are subject to:
- Sport equipment.
- Equipment for hunting.
- Professional photographic equipment.
Import and export of foreign currency is not prohibited. It cannot be paid in the territory of the state. Settlement transactions are made in the national currency: dirhams. Dirhams are not allowed to be taken out of the country.
If a foreign citizen has stayed in Morocco for less than 48 hours, then he, when exchanging Moroccan money, receives the same amount for them as he gave when buying. If he stayed in the country for more than 48 hours, he will receive only half.
Transit through Morocco
A transit visa to Morocco is not required for Russians. These are used to visit several countries at once. Most often, Morocco is visited along with a visit to Tunisia, where residents of Russia also do not need a visa.
Traveling to Morocco with kids
Parents are wondering if their children need a visa to Morocco. The answer to this question is negative.
To fly to the Kingdom for tourism purposes, a child needs the same papers as an adult. If the child flies with one of the parents, then permission from the second is required, which is certified by a notary.
If one of the parents is not alive or he is deprived of parental rights, then when passing the border post, a death certificate or a certificate of deprivation of parental rights, respectively, is presented.
In what cases is a visa issued?
The visa-free regime for Russians does not make it possible to stay in Morocco for a long time. For a long stay, study or work, a long-term visa is opened.
A long-term visa is opened if it is necessary to participate in meetings, conferences, and make business trips. However, business activities are prohibited.
Moroccan Long Stay Visa Sample
Visa package
A visa to Morocco is issued both independently and through travel companies. In both cases, a package of papers is submitted to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Moscow.
The Embassy issues a permit for a period that does not exceed 3 months.
Visa Application
To obtain a permit, prepare:
- Questionnaire. .
- 4 photos. Photos, size 3.5 × 4.5, provide relevant: no older than six months.
- Passport and copies of the first 3 pages in a single copy.
- Copies of air tickets, which indicate the exact dates of entry and exit from the country.
- A copy of the document that confirms that the Russian Federation is a permanent place of residence.
- Medical insurance.
- Help from the place of work.
- Photograph of the person concerned.
For a work visa, an invitation from an employer from Morocco is attached. For a business visa - a letter from partners from Morocco and a letter from an employer from the Russian Federation, which confirms the representative rights of the applicant.
To obtain a student visa, an invitation from a university in the Kingdom of Morocco is required.
The cost of a single permit is 2095 rubles.
Papers that are prepared at the embassy, except for a passport, are issued in Arabic or French. Translation of papers is also accepted if it is certified by a notary.
