Kingdom of Morocco · residence general · Leads to settlement
Permanent Residence Card (carte de residence, 10-year)
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
For long-term foreign residents of Morocco: the carte de residence is the longer, typically ten-year card you can apply for after years of continuous, regular residence, giving you a far more settled status than the renewable carte de sejour.
- Processing time
- Indicative only - timelines vary by prefecture; confirm current processing on the official DGSN and Service des Etrangers channels.
- Government fees
- Indicative only - government fees and a fiscal stamp apply; confirm current amounts on the official DGSN page.
- Typical duration
- A longer-term residence card, typically valid for ten years and renewable; confirm the current validity and qualifying period on the official page.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- Yes
In short
As of 11 July 2026, the Permanent Residence Card (carte de residence, 10-year) for Kingdom of Morocco is an unsponsored Morocco immigration route. Sources: official Kingdom of Morocco government pages, reviewed 11 July 2026.
Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/morocco/permanent-residence-card#answer
What is the Permanent Residence Card (carte de residence, 10-year) in Kingdom of Morocco?
Permanent Residence Card (carte de residence, 10-year) is an unsponsored Morocco route. Indicative government fees are Indicative only - government fees and a fiscal stamp apply; confirm current amounts on the official DGSN page; indicative processing time is Indicative only - timelines vary by prefecture; confirm current processing on the official DGSN and Service des Etrangers channels; typical duration is A longer-term residence card, typically valid for ten years and renewable; confirm the current validity and qualifying period on the official page. This route can lead to permanent residence.
Verified against Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) on 1 June 2026.
Overview
Once you have lived in Morocco continuously and lawfully for several years, you may be able to move up from the shorter carte de sejour to the carte de residence - the longer card, typically valid for ten years and renewable. It is granted by the DGSN through the Service des Etrangers to foreigners who show regular, uninterrupted residence (commonly around four years) together with stable means, and certain people reach it sooner, such as the foreign spouse of a Moroccan after a qualifying period of marriage, people born in Morocco, or long-settled older residents. Because it confers durable, long-term residence, this route is treated as leading to settlement. Good to know: it is still a residence card, not Moroccan nationality, which is a separate process.
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓Regular, uninterrupted residence in Morocco for the qualifying period (commonly around four years), or a special basis that qualifies sooner.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
- ✓A special qualifying basis where applicable, such as marriage to a Moroccan national for a qualifying period, birth in Morocco, or long settlement as an older resident.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
- ✓Stable means of support and a settled place of residence.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
- ✓A carte de residence application at the Service des Etrangers with the supporting evidence.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
Common blockers
- !Not yet meeting the qualifying period of continuous, regular residence and no special basis to shorten it.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
- !Breaks in lawful residence that interrupt the continuity required.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
- !Assuming the shorter carte de sejour upgrades automatically, which it does not.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
Typical evidence
- ·Evidence of continuous, regular residence in Morocco over the qualifying period.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
- ·Documents for any special basis (marriage certificate, birth in Morocco, or proof of long settlement).Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
- ·A valid passport and your existing residence card.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
- ·Proof of stable means of support and a settled address.Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) ↗
Application pathway
Check the route fit
Confirm you meet the qualifying period of continuous residence, or a special basis that qualifies you sooner, on the official channels.
Build the evidence pack
Assemble proof of your residence history, any special-basis documents, your passport and proof of means.
Submit through the official channel
Apply for the carte de residence at the Service des Etrangers of your prefecture, where the DGSN processes it.
After approval
Hold the longer card, renew it before expiry, and consider whether the separate naturalisation route is right for you over time.
After approval: prepare for your next step
For Permanent Residence Card (carte de residence, 10-year), use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.
- 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
- 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
- 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
- 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
- 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- Official guidanceApplicantUse official Permanent Residence Card (carte de residence, 10-year) route page ↗
Use this official page to confirm requirements and follow the government filing route for Permanent Residence Card (carte de residence, 10-year).
Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN) · verified
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Related routes
Work Residence Card (carte de sejour, salarie)
For foreign nationals taking up a job in Morocco: this is the employment-based residence card (carte de sejour) you hold once a Moroccan employer has secured an ANAPEC-authorised work contract for you, letting you live and work in the country lawfully.
Self-funded Residence Card (retirees and people of independent means)
For retirees and people who can support themselves without working in Morocco: this residence card (carte de sejour) lets you live in the country on the strength of your own income or savings, without needing a local employer.
Family Residence Card (regroupement familial)
For the spouse and children of someone already settled in Morocco: this family-reunion residence card (regroupement familial) lets close family members live in Morocco on the basis of their relationship to a resident or to a Moroccan national.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to live in Morocco before I can get the carte de residence?+
The carte de residence is generally for people who have lived in Morocco regularly and continuously for the qualifying period, commonly around four years, though some people qualify sooner on a special basis. We do not quote a fixed rule - confirm the current qualifying period on the official DGSN page.
Is the carte de residence the same as Moroccan citizenship?+
No. It is a long-term residence card, not nationality. Moroccan citizenship is a separate naturalisation process with its own, longer requirements. Confirm the current rules for both on the official DGSN page.
Does my shorter Moroccan residence card automatically upgrade to the 10-year card once I've lived there long enough?+
No. The shorter carte de sejour does not upgrade automatically; you must apply for the carte de residence at the Service des Etrangers once you meet the qualifying period of continuous, regular residence (or a special basis), and breaks in lawful residence can interrupt the continuity required. Confirm the current rules on the official DGSN page.
What's the difference between Morocco's carte de sejour and carte de residence?+
The carte de sejour is the shorter, renewable residence card you hold day to day, while the carte de residence is the longer card, typically valid for ten years and renewable, that you can move up to after years of continuous, regular residence (commonly around four years), or sooner on a special basis. The longer carte de residence is treated as leading to settlement. Confirm the current qualifying period on the official DGSN page.
Need tailored advice?
We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.
Find a regulated advisor in MoroccoHow we verified this
We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.
Primary source: Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (DGSN)
Last checked: 1 June 2026