Working and livening in morocco

good luck its a nice place for living and having fun

Hi StephenBrown,

welcome to Expat.com!

Maybe you could tell us more about you and what type of job you are looking for?

Thank you,
Best of luck
Christine

Hallo Stephen

If you are thinking of moving to Agadir it would certainly help if you spoke moroccan arabic or french.  There is a heck of a lot of bureaucracy to get through to live here permanently but it certainly has it's advantages.

I work online for a variety of different employers so I don't have problems of work permits etc but I know that would not suit anybody. 

Let me know if you have any specific questions

Hazel

Can you tell me what I need to do to get things started and what I have to do
Thank you hazel

Hi Stephen... I have a bit of a back problem today which means i can't sit and type but I will get back to you asap.

Do you mean about living in morocco or working?

Hazel

Thanks;

  I do not plan to work in Morocco. My Wife is Moroccan as I have said.
She naturally speaks Arabic,French and English as she was a language Teacher for 16 years there.
We married in Mohammedia , Morocco in 2011.

I understand the Moroccan Buraucracy. We had to payoff every
Public Official in Rabat , Casa, and Mohammedia. Cops, Judges. Oduls, and their Cousins. We paid nearly $2,000. under-the-table to get our papers and then some.
I plan to retire in early 2014. I have seen Casa and Rabat, no thanks.
I saw photos of Agadir on Google Earth and thought , thats the place i want to be.

We hope to find a small Villa of Farmhouse just outside of town.
Not interested in a Vacation  Rental Flat or Apartment, Villa.
Those rent for 6'000dh and up. No way.

I want to get some Idea of rental place for me and my wife and what are some of the Requirements as far as being a Permanente Resident there.

Thanks for any Help and Advice
{ [email protected] }

Sorry; I am not Stephen Brown, I am Stephen Hanger with the Moroccan Wife.

Thanks

lordjim103,
Agadir is a lovely small City, but you do need to remember that it was completely constructed in the early 1960s to be a tourist attraction. There is very little of the real old Moroccan culture that has infiltrated that concept. What that means, is everything there is (and always has been) about financially exploiting the foreigners who come there. By design it is a great vacation spot, and there is a significant international community that has made residency there, but living there can change the attraction of a tourist town significantly. Moroccan people there will forever look at you like you are just a tourist because you are not working there. Everything will cost you more than it would for a Moroccan, and since it is a small city it will not take long for this to become true for your wife as well.

Since this is a Vacation city, There are not as many kids living there year round as you may think. During the height of the tourist season many of the workers do bring there families with them, but when the season slows and it is time for school those families with kids often pack up and go home too. Those who remain are usually from families too poor to leave. There are not as many international kids living there year round either. Most people who bring their kids to live here do so  because they are working here. International people with families (teachers included) usually work and live in (or near) the larger cities.

Even as an experienced teacher your Moroccan Wife may have a hard time finding work in the Agadir area. If your wife is desiring to continue to work once you retire, you may want to look for a place a little distance away from Agadir. I actually suggest you wait until you know where she can find work before you settle in one place. Even if you do choose to find a place in Agadir, you may need to also have a place elsewhere so she can work and just go to Agadir when school is out.

May God bless you both

Hi you can get a residency permit to stay for long periods. Not sure about permanent.
As your wife is Moroccan. You should be able to obtain citizenship.

Thanks for your Reply;
    My wife knows little to nothing about these things. Do you have any ideas about what will be involved in the steps to getting a Long Term Residency Permit ? I would like to hear more about it please.

Thanks ; Stephen

hi this is for uk nationals.

but substitute the UK docs with US ones.

http://ukinmorocco.fco.gov.uk/en/help-f … dence-card

this will explain further,
but as they say...

'in morocco anything is possible, you can wake up in the morning and find an electricity pole in the middle of the road..'

Thank you so much for your help;
It looks like all the Under handed payments will be starting all over again.
" Come back Tomorrow' $$$$$$
Come Back next week, $$$$$$
The Official is not in his Office ; $$$$$$
You need another Stamp ;$$$$$$
You need a Translated Certified Copy $$$$$
Your Papers are not Correctly Done $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
hhhhhhhh

Thanks
Stephen

Hi it's best to have a person who can help you out a d is Moroccan.

If your doing the residence in agadir, there is a guy just a minute walk from the police station.
Brahmin benyahia. It's worth paying for his services.
He is a sworn translator for the court etc and he knows the steps to take plus he knows the officials having dealt with many.

I don't think it's a difficult process, while I was getting my police interview for my marriage.

On the shelfs were 100s of these residence permits for foreigners from 2012.
Separated into names and districts.

But you are correct about the corruption and lack of equality or justice.

I thought my marriage was slow at taking two weeks to complete. (Could have been done within the week. Had I not forgotten a document in uk and also getting my docs translated after collecting all docs. Rather then giving them in advance but it seems the normal time is in excess of 3 months.

3 Months ????????
It took us a Month just to get Married in Morocco. Some friend said that she could get it all done in 2 weeks as a few of her family worked on the Police Dept.
It Took 14 months to get My Wife's Visa to the USA. I heard that was usual. Still I did go to my local Senators Office in my city 4 times to get a response from the USCIS.( US Citizen and Immigration Service )
now under ( The Office of Home Land Security )
A Note about Our Home Land Security;
When I last went to the Air Port to leave for Morocco in 2011, The Ticket Attendant Told a 76 year old Retired Black School Teacher whos last name was Washington that she had been placed on the Air Line WATCH LIST by HLS..hhhhhhhh
The Ticket Attendant then said; Last Week A 5 year old Girl was put on the Airline Security WATCH LIST..hhhhhhhhhhhh
Does that make us all feel safer now  or what? hhhhhhhhhhh

I couldn't sleep all the night before my flight, worried that a 5 year old girl might take over the plain and demand Candy from us all.
Thank you Homeland Security. hhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Wow,14 months is a long time to process a VISA. This seems excessively long. I am starting the process for my husband and I hope it doesn't take that long. I will continue to reside in Morocco until he can come home with me, but I am hoping it only takes 6 months like it did for my cousin's husband from Algeria.

Anyway, you cannot become a citizen of Morocco unless you or your parents are from Morocco. You can become a resident pretty easily since you are married to a Moroccan. But if you don't want to go through the hassle of residency, you can stay on the 3 month Tourist plan pretty easily. Most people just take a cheap little day trip to Spain or some other European place and the exit and re entry stamp is enough to give you another 3 months. Since you are American it doesn't require any Visa to got to most of Europe and I always got cheep flights to Spain for $30 (oneway). You can take the ferry over too for about the same cash. I did it for  over a year before I became a resident. I have spoken to people who have been living here for years on the 3 month Tourist Plan. 

As for whether or not local people will try to clean you out, of course they will if you don't object to what they are attempting. You have to negotiate for everything here even rent....it is normal here. The price your wife told you is pretty accurate for a villa if it is outside of tourist areas. Inside it is going to double or triple. But, even if you look in the small communities, if they know that an American is involved, the price will go up.

I suggest you and your wife go look at the places you want to consider renting separately (she can take a friend or relative with her so she isn't alone. Just don't let the owner know that the 2 of you know each other until after the deal is made. Do it over a couple of viewings, but in the end have your wife make the deal in her name. Until you are a resident, there is some question as to if you can enter into a long term contract by yourself, but she can with no problem.   

Good luck in your house hunting.

Hey....Just a suggestion....unless you really want the whole world to know your "real" personal data, don't post it on the topics in the open forum....send that kind of info in a private message.

May God bless your family

I thought it was 3 months per year without a residency permit?

Not 3 months per visit??

Thank you so much Nebraska Girl for your input. I am sure that you know what your talking about. I will follow your advice.

I am sure Nebraska Girl is right. I remember hearing what she has said from someone before. It is 3 months per visit.

I had a quick google and another forum said the authorities are aware of the go out for a day and come back scam.

i do not think it is a scam. i think in is perfectly legal

Yas87,
It is perfectly legal to go and come back if you hold the right kind of passport. In some countries they don't allow it, but Spain and Morocco DOES allow bounce back tourism. That is why so many people choose to do this in those places. It benefits both countries greatly to allow people to who hold a preferential travel status (free VISA) class A passport (blue book) or a class B passport (red book) to do this. It doesn't work for the all class C passports(green book), they mostly need a specific destination VISA  to travel, but it does for some Class C countries to which Morocco has a specific agreement. It is really all about money, and people who have these kinds of preferential travel status passports and do this, often do spend quite a little money along the way.

If you do the 3 month tourist plan, you are not legal to work in Morocco. YOU MUST HAVE RESIDENCY TO WORK IN MOROCCO. If you do try to work with a tourist VISA and they catch you they will arrest you, and the Moroccan legal system is a huge nightmare(you will be lucky if all they do is toss you out.... usually it is much worse).  All you can do on the 3 month tourist plan is live here and spend money. So if it is a scam, it is one of the Moroccan government doing to boost the tourism capital gains. Therefore if wealthy Europeans, Americans (not just USA), Asians....want to spend there cash & savings bouncing in and out of Morocco, Morocco is happy to welcome them.

For the retired, it is a good deal. It is cheaper to live here than back home.

Not scam but rather trick then.

To stay longer then 3 months by going out for a day at the end of each term

Thank you again Nabraska Girl for your insightful help. I hope to visit you when and if we finally decide to settle there.

hello    before  sorry for  my  english

so if   you   want  stay  in morocc  more  then  3  month  you  can  ^
1.     go  to  study   some  course  (  estetic   or   somthing  not  serios)
2.   creat     company   SARL    very  easy    (5  days )

3. If  you  married   with  morocon    it  easy  too
- paper   from   work (moroccan)
- from  bank
-  akt  married
-  and     some  paper   frome   rabat  (you  are not  criminal person)

and  with  this  paper  you  must  to  go  in  polis  prefectur     before  2   week    when   will   finesh  yours   3  month))

Thank you so much  but i do  not plan to work in Morocco. i plan to retire.
Thank you for your intrust and help.

Hello,
How are you doing?
Im in Agadir city,and i work here.
Please drop me a line and keep in touch
Best regards
Thanks
Email:[email protected]

Thanks; I do not think that I shall relocate to Agadir after all.
I have come to believe from talking with people on the Expat Forum that Agadir is too Commercialized with European Tourist , nude beach people , Tourist renting their high priced vacation Villas and Flats.
I am sure that I will look for a Little Villa or Farm House maybe 10 or 20 Miles up or down the Coast from Agadir.
Thank you  and never-the less would enjoy hearing from you anytime.

Stephen

   hello   again.   You   have  to  show  in  police   some  paper  where    writing   you  have   money  for  life.     Or   paper  from   work  your    wife

im looking for a job here in morocco

Not much chance to find work there i think , very tough foreign labor laws too.