After the first week of employment, a notice period is required to terminate the employment contract. If the employee is paid by the day/week/fortnight, only 2 days' notice is required. If the employee is paid monthly, then 8 days' notice is required. When the employee is dismissed after the probationary period's expiry without serious misconduct, the notice period must be at least 8 days.
Termination without notice or before the term of expiry leads to compensation from the responsible party.
Employees are entitled to a daily break of up to 2 hours per day, not exceeding 8 hours per week, during their notice period to search for another job.
A foreign employee must apply for a Moroccan residence title at the local police prefecture (DGSN) or Royal Gendarmerie office where they live after entering the country. Filing must take place before their entry visa expires or—if visa-exempt—within 90 days of entry. The employee must submit the official residence application form plus supporting documents for a work stay, notably an approved employment contract, and if their nationality requires a visa, the entry visa should be marked “for work.” After filing the application, the authorities give a temporary receipt (récépissé) that legalizes the stay while the application is processed and can be renewed every 3 months until a decision is rendered. The validity of the residence permit depends on the reason for stay and the documents provided.
Before applying for a work-residence permit, foreign hires must generally have their employment contract approved by the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (Agence Nationale de Promotion de l'Emploi et des Compétences, ANAPEC). ANAPEC verifies that no qualified Moroccan candidate is available for the position. Exemptions apply to certain categories (e.g. senior management of foreign-invested companies, intra-corporate transfers, certain trade-agreement nationals). The contract must then be visa-stamped by the Department of Employment before the residence permit application.
In Morocco, the Labor Code guarantees employees a leave of 1.5 days for each month of service after 6 months of continuous employment with the same employer, unless more favorable terms are outlined in the contract. After five years of service, the number of days of paid leave increases by 1.5 days for each full employment period of five continuous or non-continuous years, up to a total of 30 days. Minor employees under the age of 18 years are entitled to 2 days of annual leave per month. Annual leave can be divided into parts or carried over two years by agreement between the employee and the employer.
Annual leave is paid at employees' rate of usual remuneration at least the day before the leave starts.
If the employment contract is terminated before the employee could enjoy their annual leave, they are eligible to receive compensation for the remaining leave regardless of the reasons that led to the termination of the employment contract.
The Labor Code of Morocco stipulates that the regular hours of work must not exceed 10 hours per day. When employees are needed during periods of unusual activity or intermittent work, the workday can temporarily be extended to 12 hours. There are 44 hours in a workweek (typically 2,288 hours per year) for non-agricultural activities. For agricultural activities, the regular number of hours worked annually is 2,496.
If work is stopped collectively or partly due to an accident or force majeure, daily working hours may be extended to make up for the lost work hours. However, before doing so, employees and trade union representatives (if applicable) must be consulted. It is prohibited to work for more than 30 days in a year to make up for lost hours. Extensions cannot exceed 1 hour per day.
The Labor Code of Morocco grants pregnant employees 14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. The leave is expected to begin 7 weeks before the delivery date, and the remaining 7 weeks are used after birth. Maternity leave can be extended to 8 weeks before and 14 weeks after delivery if medically necessary (a medical certificate must be presented). Employees must notify their employers at least 15 days before ending their maternity leave.
The CNSS pays the maternity benefit at 100% of the employee's average daily wage during the 6 months preceding the expected delivery date, subject to a ceiling of MAD 6,000 (Moroccan Dirhams) per month. The benefit is paid for the full 14 weeks of statutory maternity leave. To qualify, the employee must have made at least 54 days of CNSS contributions during the 10 months preceding the expected delivery date.
Employers have the right to suspend the employment contract during maternity leave, but are prohibited from terminating an employee's employment contract while she is on maternity leave.
Morocco's Labor Code sets the minimum wage for different categories of employees. It is intended to provide limited-income employees with purchasing power to contribute to economic and social development as well as the growth of their employers' businesses.
Effective January 1, 2026, the legal minimum wage in Morocco in both agricultural and non-agricultural activities has increased to:
Wages for domestic workers cannot be less than 60% of the minimum wage for private-sector employees.
Salary must be paid at least once a month, or twice a month in case of employees paid by the hour or day. Any sales commissions must be paid every quarter.
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