Morocco · Business / Startup
Morocco Self-employed card
First stay: 10 yrs
Carte d'immatriculation with professional-activity mention - self-employed or other authorised activity (Law 02-03 Art. 13)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Self-employed card is a business / startup route for Morocco. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- First stay
- 10 yrs
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
The card is valid for 1 to 10 years and can be renewed for the same period, depending on the reasons you give for staying.
Royaume du Maroc, Bulletin Officiel (text); copy hosted on mfa.go.th
Permanent residenceAfter 4 years of residence
After at least four years of uninterrupted, lawful residence you can apply for the longer-term carte de résidence. The decision takes account of your means of living and your intention to settle in Morocco.
Royaume du Maroc, Bulletin Officiel (text); copy hosted on mfa.go.th
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Documents1
- The applicant proves that the authorisation for the activity has been obtained (Art. 13).
Steps2
- The card then carries the mention of the activity (Art. 13).
- Holders of a long-validity visa of over three months request the card from the General Directorate of National Security to stay longer than three months.
After you arrive1
- A residence card for professional activity is refused if the holder is not authorised to exercise the activity (Art. 19).
What happens at day 183
How Morocco decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 10 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in any period of 365 daysStays in Morocco exceeding 183 days give fiscal domicile; permanent home or centre of economic interests are alternative limbs.
- Foreign-source income
Individuals with fiscal domicile in Morocco are taxed on Moroccan and foreign-source income; the scale is 0% up to MAD 40,000 (≈ $4,120) rising to 37% above MAD 180,000 (≈ $18,500).
All tax rules for Morocco Tax records checked
Full official text
A foreigner who wants to carry on a professional activity that requires authorisation in Morocco receives a carte d'immatriculation bearing that activity once the authorisation is proven. 1
Requirements
- The applicant proves that the authorisation for the activity has been obtained (Art. 13). 1
- The card then carries the mention of the activity (Art. 13). 1
- Holders of a long-validity visa of over three months request the card from the General Directorate of National Security to stay longer than three months. 2
- A residence card for professional activity is refused if the holder is not authorised to exercise the activity (Art. 19). 1
Stay
- Card valid 1 to 10 years, renewable for the same period (Art. 10).
- First stay: 12 to 120 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Limited to the activity named on the card.
Fine print
The law is cited from a copy of its 2003 French text hosted on a Thai government site; the Moroccan Bulletin Officiel and Ministry of Justice sites could not be reached on 12 October 2026, and amendments after 2003 were not checked.
Official sources
- Loi n° 02-03 relative à l'entrée et au séjour des étrangers au Royaume du Maroc (Dahir n° 1-03-196 du 11 novembre 2003), French text of 2003, copy hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand · Royaume du Maroc, Bulletin Officiel (text); copy hosted on mfa.go.th · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2003-11-20
- Types of granted visas · Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Morocco · checked 2026-10-10
Self-employed card and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed card | – | 10 yr, renewable | Limited |
| PR · Business South Africa | Needs an investment of ZAR 5M+ ≈ $302k | – | Yes |
| Innovator Occupation Permit Mauritius | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| Freelancer residence Cabo Verde | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Class C · Prescribed profession Kenya | – | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Self-employed card?
Card valid 1 to 10 years, renewable for the same period (Art.
Can I work on the Self-employed card?
Limited. Limited to the activity named on the card.
Does the Self-employed card lead to permanent residence in Morocco?
Time on the Self-employed card counts toward permanent residence in Morocco, which the rules allow after 4 years of residence.
How are Self-employed card holders taxed in Morocco?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Self-employed card. The standard rules apply: Individuals with fiscal domicile in Morocco are taxed on Moroccan and foreign-source income; the scale is 0% up to MAD 40,000 (≈ $4,120) rising to 37% above MAD 180,000 (≈ $18,500). Persons without fiscal domicile are taxed on Moroccan-source income.
More in Morocco
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Loi n° 02-03 relative à l'entrée et au séjour des étrangers au Royaume du Maroc (Dahir n° 1-03-196 du 11 novembre 2003), French text of 2003, copy hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand · Royaume du Maroc, Bulletin Officiel (text); copy hosted on mfa.go.th · checked 2026-10-12
- Types of granted visas · Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Morocco · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.