France Lifts Visa Restrictions for Moroccan Travelers, Restoring Normal Consular Relations

"It’s done, we have taken measures with our Moroccan partners for the normal and complete resumption of consular activities between the two countries," announced Catherine Colonna, French Minister of Foreign Affairs at a press conference. "Our objective is to relaunch human exchanges between Morocco and France and to further promote this deep interweaving of our societies that has always meant that we have had supportive relations."

This announcement comes a few weeks before the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco, scheduled for February 2023. "The human capital that exists between us is an asset, and so these exchanges are and will remain the foundation of our bilateral partnership and our mentor for the future," the French Foreign Minister assured.

In addition to Morocco, France has also lifted the measure for Tunisia and Algeria. France had decided in late September 2021 to reduce visa issuance by 50% for Moroccans and Algerians and by 30% for Tunisians, on the grounds that these three countries refuse to issue consular laissez-passer necessary for the return of their nationals expelled from France. A decision that was also justified by the Covid-19 pandemic. Reacting to this decision, Morocco had denounced an "unjustified" measure.