Living In Morocco

Morocco was not traditionally considered to be a strong employment market for international citizens; rather it was a popular destination on the hippy and backpacker travel trail!  However, recently as the profile of the nation has increased, the interest from investors and tourists has intensified and more expatriates are finding jobs in Morocco in sectors as diverse as property and catering.

Other popular employment sectors for expats are teaching; there are many TEFL vacancies in Morocco for example and general employment postings are available in international schools around the country.  Aid and voluntary organisations also run education, environment and social development programs in Morocco and take on international volunteers and employees - and then of course there is the occasional expatriate who finds a professional position in a field such as banking and finance or medicine for example.

The Moroccan government is making concerted efforts to improve the nation’s education system and to allow for the greater provision of schooling to all students.  Currently the government officially dedicates about a quarter of its annual budget to education in Morocco, but because almost half of the population is of school age, resources are stretched way beyond their limits.

Literacy levels in Morocco are quite poor with 64.1% of the male population aged 15 or over able to read and write and only around 39.4% of females over the age of 15 fully literate.  Naturally enough, in poorer and more rural areas these figures are even higher as families have restricted access to schools and teachers and have limited resources with which to send their children to school.

To visit Morocco for up to three months at a time those who herald from the UK, European mainland, North America or Australasia for example are exempted from having to obtain a visa.  The only requirements are that the individual’s passport is valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Morocco; however for those expats planning on living and working in Morocco visa requirements differ slightly.

Those who are moving to live more permanently in Morocco usually enter on a traveller’s visa and then apply for an extension or a residents permit.  To get a permit to reside in Morocco more permanently it’s necessary to visit immigration authorities at the main police station in the city or district in which the individual is residing.  It will be necessary to provide a valid reason for wishing to remain in Morocco such as having been offered a specific job for example.