Marrying and Sponsoring a Moroccan Citizen
Listen to this articleMarriage to a Moroccan Citizen
Every country has its own laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Moroccan citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.
If you want to bring your Moroccan spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Moroccan Marriage Basic Requirements
Requirements may vary according to local authorities and are subject to change. Marriage is a legal act governed by the law of Morocco and Canadian citizens are subject to those laws as interpreted by the appropriate Moroccan authorities.
The length of time needed to marry in Morocco varies. A non-Moslem man who wishes to marry a Moslem woman may anticipate one to three months to complete the process, including the time needed to convert to Islam. In general, the process is less complicated for a Moslem man who wishes to marry a non-Moslem woman.
Documents a Canadian Citizen Needs to Marry in Morocco
Note: These are Moroccan Government requirements, thus all documents not in Arabic must be translated into Arabic.
- A completed Affidavit of Nationality and Eligibility to Marry. This certificate must be issued by the Canadian Embassy in Morocco, located in Rabat. Please note that this document is only valid for 1 month.
- To obtain a certificate of non-impediment to marriage issued at the Canadian Embassy in Rabat, Canadian citizens are now required to produce a sworn statement in French before a lawyer, notary or judge in Canada containing the following information:
- Surname;
- Given name;
- Date of birth;
- Place of birth;
- Address (in Canada);
- Marital status of the applicant;
- Canadian passport number or birth certificate number;
A paragraph certifying that the Canadian citizen assumes complete responsibility for his/her future spouse for a prospective stay in Canada.
Information on the future spouse:
- Surname;
- Given name;
- Date of birth;
- Address;
- Identification card number.
If the Canadian citizen is already in Morocco, he or she can complete this procedure before a Moroccan lawyer or notary. Please note that the sworn statement must be in French.
- A valid Canadian passport and notarized copies of the biographic page and the page containing your date of entry to Morocco. Notarized copies of your passport can be obtained at the Canadian Embassy in Rabat for a C$50 fee.
- If divorced, provide original or certified copies of proof of dissolution of any previous marriage(s).
- If former spouse is deceased, provide original or certified copy of his or her death certificate (s).
- Provide an original or certified copy of your birth certificate.
- A statement of criminal record (or lack thereof) issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) (it is mandatory to authenticate this document at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in Ottawa)
Family Members
If your Moroccan spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Moroccan Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Moroccan citizen.
List of Moroccan Consulates in Canada
Calling Morocco from Canada
011 – 212- Area Code – local number
Morocco does not use area codes.
Calling Canada from Morocco
00 – 1 – Area Code – local number
Follow the dialing format shown above while calling Canada from Morocco.
- 0- Exit code for Morocco, and is needed for making any international call from Morocco
- 1 – ISD Code or Country Code of Canada
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta)
587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)
236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)
249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)
438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time Difference
Morocco is on Western European Time (GMT+0). Morocco observes Daylight Saving Time at the same times of year as Europe so the time differences below are off for two weeks per year, once in March once again in October. Saskatchewan does not observe DST so the time difference is an hour greater in the summer.
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours Morocco is Ahead |
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 8 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunvaut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 7 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario, Saskatchewan*) | 6 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 5 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec) | 4 hours |
| Newfoundland | 3.5 hours |
Emergency Information for Canadians in Morocco
Embassy of Canada in Agdal-Rabat13 bis Jaafar As-Sadik Street Postal Address: Telephone: 212 (537) 68 74 00 |
View Larger Map |
Emergency Numbers in Morocco:
| 15 | Fire brigade |
| 19 | Police |
| 177 | Gendarmerie royale |
The Government of Canada’s Travel Alerts for Morocco
Sponsoring a Moroccan to Come to Canada
The sponsorship process is time-consuming and complicated. To learn more about it, click the button below:
Want to know more about marrying in Morocco? Let us know!
