If you are from Morocco and would like to travel to Europe, you might have a tough time figuring out what documents you need to submit with your Schengen Visa application.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the Schengen Visa application process – especially because lots of websites give misinformation and bad advice that can even cost you your Visa.
We often receive questions via email such as: “How can I apply for a Schengen Visa from Morocco?”, “Where do I apply for a Schengen Visa from Morocco?” or “How long does it take to get a Schengen Visa from Morocco?”.
These are all good questions.
If you’re based in Morocco (whether you’re a citizen or legal resident of the country) and want to know how to apply for a Schengen Visa, we’ve got you covered.
Read on for more information about how to get a Schengen Visa from Morocco, including the application requirements and some useful tips and tricks to increase your chances of Visa approval.
Table of contents:
- Applying for a Schengen Visa from Morocco: FAQs
- Schengen Visa for Citizens of Morocco: Application Process & Requirements
1. Applying for a Schengen Visa from Morocco: FAQs
Before getting down to the nitty-gritty of the Schengen Visa application process from Morocco, let’s clear up some questions we often receive from people who contact us.
1. Who can apply for a Schengen Visa from Morocco?
If you are from Morocco, you can apply for a Schengen Visa if you are:
- A Moroccan citizen
- A foreign citizen legally residing in Morocco
If you are a foreign citizen who has the right to legally reside in Morocco, please note that the nationals of some countries are privileged with entering the Schengen Visa-free zone.
For example, if you are a Mexican citizen residing in Morocco, you don’t need to apply for a Schengen Visa (because Mexican citizens don’t need a Visa to enter Europe).
But if you are an Indian citizen residing in Morocco, you must apply for a Schengen Visa to travel to Europe (because Indians can’t enter the Schengen Area without a Visa).
For more information on who needs and doesn’t need a Schengen Visa to travel to Europe, please visit this page.
2. When should you apply for a Schengen Visa from Morocco?
According to the Schengen Visa Code, you must file your application not less than 15 working days and not more than six months before your departure date.
As a general rule, we recommend you submit your application at least three weeks prior to your departure date.
If you apply to a country that deals with a large number of applications (e.g., France, Spain, Italy, etc.) we recommend you apply earlier (e.g., 5-6 weeks in advance) to make sure your application will be processed on time.
3. Where should you apply for a Schengen Visa from Morocco?
You must apply for a Schengen Visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country of your main destination.
Your main destination is the Schengen country where you will be spending most days.
For example, if you plan on travelling to Greece and Germany and spend more days in Germany, you need to apply at the Embassy of Germany in Morocco.
Here are a few examples:
- If you are applying for a French Schengen Visa from Morocco, you can submit your application to:
- If you are applying for a German Schengen Visa from Morocco, you can submit your application to:
- If you are applying for a Spanish Schengen Visa from Morocco, you can submit your application to:
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- BLS International Visa Application Centre (The Embassy of Spain in Morocco has outsourced the Visa application process to a third-party service provider)
4. How long does it take to get a Schengen Visa in Morocco?
Typically, it takes 15 working days to process a Schengen Visa application.
However, in specific cases or during peak seasons, Embassies and Consulates can take more than 15 days to process an application.
5. How much does a Schengen Visa cost in Morocco?
The standard Schengen Visa fee is €80. That should be around 863 Moroccan dirhams (MAD). Note, however, that the Schengen Visa fee in Moroccan dirhams (MAD) is as per the current exchange rate.
Some applicants including children are exempt from paying Visa application fees or eligible for reduced rates (read more here).
2. Schengen Visa for Citizens of Morocco: Application Process & Requirements
If you want to apply for a Schengen Visa from Morocco, follow the steps below in the given order:
1. Determine your travel destinations(s). Remember that you can request a Visa for any of the following countries that form part of the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
2. Based on your travel destination, find out where you need to submit your application. Please note that for some Schengen countries, you can apply through the Embassy or Consular Office. While for other Schengen countries, you can only apply through third-party companies (such as TLScontact, BLS International, VFS Global, etc.).
3. Determine what type of Schengen Visa you need to apply for. This depends on your travel purpose. For example, a type C Schengen Visa (that is actually a short-stay Visa that allows you to spend up to 90 days over a 180-day period in Europe) can be issued for a multitude of purposes, such as tourism, business, study, family visit, etc.
4. Make a Schengen Visa appointment. It is important that you schedule your Visa appointment well in advance (before collecting the required documents). This is because Schengen Embassies typically have few appointment slots available – especially the Embassies with a high volume of requests.
5. Gather all the required documents based on your travel purpose. Click here to access the full list of required documents.
6. File your application on the day of your appointment. When filing your application, you will also need to attend a short Schengen Visa interview about your upcoming trip and pay the Schengen Visa fee. If you haven’t applied for a Schengen Visa before (or within the past 5 years) you will also be required to submit your biometric data.
Once you have submitted your Schengen Visa application, you need to wait for it to be processed.
If your application gets approved, you will have to return to the Embassy and get your Visa in the form of a sticker affixed to your passport.
However, if the Embassy rejects your application, remember that you have the right to appeal the Schengen Visa refusal. You can learn more about how to write an appeal letter for Schengen Visa refusal here.
Conclusion: Getting a Schengen Visa from Morocco can be a frustrating process if you don’t know the exact steps to take.
Luckily, the Visas Association team is here to help you out.
We have successfully developed the proprietary Schengen Embassy Requirements Report (SERR) that analyses your situation and provides you with a personalised list of required documents that is unique to you.
A personalised SERR report normally costs $97, but we have dropped the price to only $7 because we want to help as many travellers as possible get their Visas and enjoy a unique trip to Europe.
We know how frustrating it can be that some countries have Visa-free access to Europe, while others need to go through a time-consuming application process that does not even guarantee approval.
The personalised SERR report was specifically created to help you skip your research and ensure you have the best possible chance to get your Visa approved.
Contact us if you have any queries concerning your Schengen Visa application from Morocco and we’d be happy to help you.
