Guidance

Morocco: Knowledge Base profile

Published 12 September 2025

About: Morocco

This document contains useful information about Morocco which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 8 September 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Morocco: names

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about names in Morocco.

Names in Morocco consist of:

• personal name
• “ibn” or “bin” for men (meaning “son of”)
• a family name

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Morocco.  Changes to the customer’s name are done by a court issued deed poll:

• forenames can be changed if the court agrees to the customer’s forename change
• surnames can only be changed at the Ministry of the Interior, which can take a minimum of 6 months

Women cannot change their name after marriage; they retain their birth name.

A change of name on a Morocco passport can be done at a Morocco embassy, after the court in Morocco have issued the deed poll.

Morocco: nationality

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about nationality in Morocco.

Dual nationality is allowed in Morocco.

Morocco: legitimacy

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about legitimacy in Morocco.

Legitimacy

Morocco recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

• legitimate if:
  • the parents were married at the time of birth
  • the parents marry after the birth and the father makes a declaration of parentage
• illegitimate if the parents never marry

Morocco: adoption

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about adoption in Morocco.

Adoption is not legal in Morocco.

Morocco: surrogacy

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about surrogacy in Morocco.

Surrogacy is illegal in Morocco.

Morocco: gender recognition

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about gender recognition in Morocco.

Transgender citizens are not protected under law in Morocco. They cannot legally be recognised in their chosen gender on their identity documents.

Morocco: civil partnerships and marriage

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff civil partnerships and marriage in Morocco.

Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are not legally recognised in Morocco.

Morocco recognises:

• Islamic marriage
• civil marriage
• polygamous marriage

Polygamy is allowed for Islamic marriages only. Morocco nationals can give someone power of attorney to complete a polygamous marriage on their behalf, and it is the judge’s decision if this is acceptable.

Morocco: documents

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about documents in Morocco.

Birth certificates

Births in Morocco must be registered within one month. Late registrations are allowed and can be done through the family court.

There is no central register for births in Morocco, copies of birth registrations can be obtained from the original registration office.

Registry offices in Morocco may use different formats of birth certificate.

The long version of the birth certificate known as the ‘copie intégrale d’un acte de naissance’ is acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes.

If an error is identified on a birth certificate, the registry office will re-issue the birth certificate with the correct details.

Birth certificates are issued to married parents. If the mother is unmarried, she will receive a birth letter from the hospital confirming she gave birth to the child.

Hospital birth notifications show both parents’ names.

Marriage certificates

Marriages in Morocco are completed before a Judge and an Adoul (notary) who sign the marriage documents.

Notaries (Adouls) record the marriage in a marriage register during the ceremony. They then prepare a marriage certificate which the married couple collect from them after the ceremony.

Death certificates

Deaths in Morocco must be registered in the region where the person died within 40 days of the death. Late registrations are decided upon by the court.

Identity documents

A national identity card is mandatory for Morocco nationals. A residency card or permit (Carte de Sejour) is mandatory for foreign nationals. These are issued regionally.

The issuing authority laminate Identity cards and driving licences.