The ministerial decree of 19 April 2019 establishing a new
template for foreign employment contracts allows foreign employees
to be treated in the same way as Moroccan employees.
Foreigners wishing to work in Morocco must comply with certain
procedures and complete formalities leading to the issuance of a
work permit which takes the form of a visa affixed to the
foreigners' employment contract by the Moroccan Ministry of
Labor and Professional Integration.
Moroccan judges have long considered that the duration of the
employment contract with a foreign employee should be linked to the
duration of the visa issued by the Ministry. Yet, such visas have
always been fixed-term, thus a foreigners' employment contract
was considered by Moroccan courts as a fixed-term contract as well.
In that respect, the legal nature of an expat's employment
contract has consequences regarding the entitlement of foreigners
to severance pay in the event of wrongful termination of
