Nationality of origin
- A child born to a Moroccan father or a Moroccan mother is Moroccan, since the reform introduced by Law 62-06.
- A child born in Morocco to a Moroccan mother and a stateless father, or a child born in Morocco to unknown parents, is Moroccan.
- Nationality of origin takes effect from birth.
Acquisition of nationality
- By marriage: a foreign woman married to a Moroccan man may apply for nationality after at least five years of habitual and lawful residence in Morocco.
- By naturalisation: conditions as to residence, age of majority, health, good character and knowledge of Arabic, the decision remaining discretionary.
- By operation of law for certain categories specified by the code.
Loss, deprivation and proof
- Loss results in particular from the voluntary acquisition of a foreign nationality with authorisation, or from renunciation.
- Deprivation applies only to those who acquired nationality, in the cases exhaustively listed.
- Proof is provided by a nationality certificate issued by the Ministry of Justice; disputes fall within the jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance.
Key articles
A lawyer's points to watch
- Children born before 2007 to a Moroccan mother benefit from the reform: regularisation remains possible.
- Acquiring a foreign nationality without authorisation does not automatically entail loss of Moroccan nationality.
- A refusal to issue a nationality certificate may be challenged before the Court of First Instance.
The English text on this page, including the quoted articles, is an unofficial translation. Information sheet prepared by Maître Lahfaia Law Firm, Rabat. It does not constitute legal advice. Only the text published in the Official Bulletin of the Kingdom of Morocco is authoritative; the articles cited may have been amended since this sheet was written.