Moroccan nationals in France: residence permits and the 1987 agreement

Are you Moroccan and working, studying or looking for a job in France? Moroccan nationals benefit from a bilateral agreement of 1987 that changes a few important rules, mainly for employees. The rest follows the general rules. A lawyer checks your file in 20 minutes on Avocat20min.fr.

A short, targeted agreement for Moroccan nationals

The Franco-Moroccan agreement on residence and employment dates from 9 October 1987. It has only ten articles and focuses mainly on salaried work.

Its article 9 sets the key rule. French law applies to every point the agreement does not address. As a result, the CESEDA, the French immigration code, governs most permits held by Moroccan nationals.

The same article contains an equal treatment clause. If France grants longer permits to other foreign nationals, Moroccans benefit too, outside the European regime.

Agreement or CESEDA: the split

The table below sums up which text decides.

Situation	Applicable text	Key point
Salaried job of one year or more	Agreement, article 3	One-year "employee" permit, approved contract
Ten-year card for an employee	Agreement, article 3	Possible after three years of continuous stay
Family of an employee	Agreement, articles 5 to 7	Access to work without the labour market test
Student, trainee, visitor	CESEDA	General conditions
Talent, entrepreneur, job search	CESEDA	General conditions
Private and family life	CESEDA	General conditions

The procedure, moreover, remains that of the CESEDA. The Conseil d'État confirmed this on 5 April 2023 for the long-stay visa requirement.

The "employee" permit under article 3

Article 3 covers Moroccan nationals who want a salaried job of at least one year. After the medical check, they present a contract approved by the authorities. They then receive a one-year "employee" permit, which is renewable.

The approval of the contract now corresponds to the work authorisation, filed by the employer on ANEF. The Labour Code therefore governs that application. The administration may thus apply the labour market test, unless the job is a shortage occupation.

Watch out for short contracts. A contract of less than one year falls outside article 3. It then leads to the CESEDA "temporary worker" card.

After the first year, the multi-year card of the general rules remains in principle available, since the agreement contains no contrary rule. Practice, however, varies between prefectures.

Resident card for Moroccan nationals: three years instead of five

The agreement offers employees a real shortcut. After three years of continuous stay in France, they may obtain a ten-year permit. The prefect decides based on their working conditions and their means.

The general rules, by contrast, require five years of stay, level B1 French and a civic exam. Our article on the ten-year resident card details that regime.

A few precautions apply:

• The shortcut covers employees under article 3. Other permit holders go through the general rules.
• Continuity of stay matters: long absences may break it.
• The prefect keeps some discretion: low income or unstable work may justify a refusal.

Some prefectures apply the five-year period by default. In that case, cite article 3 in your application.

Status change for Moroccan nationals: from student to employee

A Moroccan student's status change combines both texts. The "student" permit falls under the CESEDA, and the "employee" permit falls under the agreement. Your employer first files the work authorisation on ANEF.

You also benefit from the general rules for graduates. With a master's obtained during the year, a job linked to your course and a salary of at least 1.5 times the minimum wage, the labour market test does not apply. That threshold is €2,800.53 gross a month since 1 June 2026.

Without a contract at the end of your studies, the CESEDA "job search or business creation" card remains open to you. Our article on the job search permit sets out its conditions. For the steps of the file, see our guide to the student to employee status change.

File your application between four and two months before your permit ends. A first "employee" card costs €350 since 1 May 2026, as our article on residence permit fees explains.

Talent, entrepreneur, family: the general rules

The agreement says nothing about qualified profiles or business founders. Moroccan nationals may therefore apply for the "talent" card or the "entrepreneur" card on the CESEDA conditions.

For families, the agreement mainly protects access to work. The spouse and minor children of an employee, who came through family reunification, may work without the labour market test. The other family rules follow the general regime.

Family reunification itself therefore falls under the CESEDA. You must have lived in France for at least 18 months on a valid permit. You also need stable resources, at least equal to the minimum wage for a family of two or three. Finally, your home must suit a comparable family in the same region.

Likewise, the spouse of a French national obtains a "private and family life" card on the general conditions. After three years of marriage, they may aim for the resident card.

Regularisation: what the courts have decided

The Conseil d'État held on 31 January 2014 that a Moroccan national cannot rely on exceptional leave to remain for an "employee" permit. The agreement already governs that permit. The prefect nevertheless keeps a discretionary power to regularise, assessing your personal and professional situation.

Exceptional leave on family or humanitarian grounds, by contrast, remains open. Our article on exceptional leave to remain sets out the criteria.

Finally, an opinion of the Conseil d'État of 13 November 2025 clarifies another point. The prefect may refuse the "employee" card to a Moroccan national convicted of document fraud, under the CESEDA.

When to consult a lawyer

A lawyer checks whether the agreement offers you a faster route, especially for the ten-year card. They also check the length of your contract and the level of your salary. If you are refused, our article on residence permit refusal sets out the remedies.

An immigration lawyer answers within 20 minutes. The general rules also appear on the service-public status change page.