In Morocco, an employment contract may be written or oral and can be proved by any means (Article 18 of the Labour Code, Law No. 65-99); but when it is in writing, an employment contract Morocco employers sign is drawn up in two originals bearing the employer’s and the employee’s signatures certified (légalisées) by the competent authority, and the employee keeps one (Article 15). The open-ended contract (CDI) is the rule, the fixed-term contract (CDD) is only allowed in the cases listed in Articles 16 and 17, and a foreign employee’s contract only takes effect on the date of the labour ministry’s visa (Article 516). Up to date as of 5 November 2026.
In brief
- Form: writing recommended; if written, two originals with certified signatures (Article 15).
- Types: CDI, CDD, contract for a specific task (Article 16), temporary agency work (Articles 495 to 506).
- Probation: 3 months, 1.5 months or 15 days depending on category, renewable once (Article 14).
- On hiring: written information under Article 24 and a work card (Article 23).
- Foreign staff: visa, official template, return-costs clause (Articles 516 to 518).
Employment contract Morocco: contract types at a glance
| Contract | When to use it | Key rule | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDI | Any permanent job | Termination needs a valid reason and notice | Art. 16, 34, 35, 43 |
| CDD | Replacement, temporary increase, seasonal work, regulated cases | Closed list of grounds | Art. 16 |
| Start-up CDD | New company, new establishment, new product (outside agriculture) | 1 year max, renewable once, then CDI | Art. 17 |
| Temporary agency work | Replacement, increase, seasonal work, custom | Assignment of 3 months renewable once for an increase; 6 months non-renewable for seasonal work or custom | Art. 496, 500 |
| Foreign employee contract | Any non-Moroccan employee | Prior visa, official template | Art. 516 to 518 |
Part-time work: the Code has no dedicated chapter. A part-time employment contract Morocco remains a CDI or a CDD with working hours below the standard 44 hours a week outside agriculture (Article 184); write those hours into the contract.
Employment contract Morocco: the contract types
The CDI, the default contract
A CDD is only possible “where the employment relationship cannot be of indefinite duration” (Article 16). The employer ends a CDI for a valid reason (Article 35), the employee by a resignation with a certified signature (Article 34), with notice in both cases (Article 43). Notice periods are in our guide to the notice period in Morocco.
The CDD and the task contract
Permitted grounds: replacing an employee whose contract is suspended (not during a strike), a temporary increase, seasonal work, regulated cases (Article 16), and start-ups (Article 17). Lengths and conversion: see our page on the fixed term contract in Morocco.
Probation
For a CDI: three months for managers and similar staff, one and a half months for employees, fifteen days for manual workers, renewable once. For a CDD: one day per week of work up to two weeks if the contract lasts under six months, one month if it lasts over six months (Article 14). After at least one week, ending probation without serious misconduct requires two days’ notice (paid by the day, week or fortnight) or eight days (paid monthly) (Article 13). Details in our guide to the probation period in Morocco.
Temporary agency work (entreprises d’emploi temporaire)
It is limited to replacing an absent employee (not a striker), a temporary increase, seasonal work and work where custom excludes a CDI (Article 496), never to particularly hazardous work (Article 497). The temp’s contract is written: reason, length, pay, probation, CNSS number (Article 501); probation is two to five days depending on length (Article 502).
What an employment contract Morocco must contain
The Labour Code does not list mandatory clauses for an open-ended employment contract Morocco. It does impose three form and information duties:
- Two originals, certified signatures, when the contract is written (Article 15).
- The written information of Article 24, handed over on hiring and at each change: applicable collective agreement, internal rules, working hours, weekly rest, health and safety rules, pay date, time and place, CNSS (national social security fund) registration number, and the insurer covering workplace accidents. Failure is punishable by a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 dirhams (Article 25).
- The work card, issued by the employer and renewed when qualification or pay changes, with the details set by Decree No. 2-04-422 (Article 23).
In practice, an employment contract Morocco specifies the parties, start date, job and category, place of work, hours, salary, probation, collective agreement and, for a CDD, the ground and end date. Pay must respect the legal minimum wage (Article 345). See also our guide to hiring declarations in Morocco for the CNSS registration that follows signature.
The visa on an employment contract Morocco for foreign staff
Hiring a foreign employee requires authorisation from the government authority in charge of labour, granted as a visa stamped on the contract (Article 516). Four rules follow:
- The visa date is the contract’s start date: no start before it.
- Any change to the contract (job, pay, renewal) also needs a visa; the authorisation can be withdrawn at any time (Article 516).
- The contract follows the official template set by Order No. 350-05 of the employment minister (Article 517).
- A return clause: if the visa is refused, the employer pays the employee’s travel back to their home country or country of residence (Article 518).
Employing a foreigner without a visa or with a non-compliant employment contract Morocco is punishable by a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 dirhams (Article 521). In practice, the application is filed online on the ministry’s TAECHIR platform, usually with a certificate from ANAPEC (the national employment agency) confirming that no Moroccan candidate was found; some categories are exempt. Check the list of documents on the platform before filing.
Employment contract Morocco: CDI template ready to copy
This employment contract Morocco template follows the rules above. It is in French, the usual language of Moroccan contracts. Fill in the fields in brackets, adapt it to your collective agreement and have both signatures certified.
CONTRAT DE TRAVAIL À DURÉE INDÉTERMINÉE
Entre [raison sociale], [forme juridique] au capital de [montant] DH, dont le siège est à [adresse], immatriculée au RC de [ville] sous le n° [numéro], affiliée à la CNSS sous le n° [numéro], représentée par [nom, fonction], ci-après « l’Employeur »,
et [M./Mme] [nom, prénom], né(e) le [date] à [lieu], de nationalité [nationalité], titulaire de la CIN n° [numéro], demeurant à [adresse], ci-après « le Salarié »,
Article 1 – Engagement. Le Salarié est engagé pour une durée indéterminée à compter du [date], en qualité de [poste], catégorie [cadre, employé, ouvrier], sous réserve de la période d’essai prévue à l’article 2.
Article 2 – Période d’essai. Période d’essai de [3 mois cadre / 1 mois et demi employé / 15 jours ouvrier], renouvelable une fois par écrit, dans les conditions des articles 13 et 14 du Code du travail.
Article 3 – Fonctions et lieu de travail. Le Salarié exerce les fonctions de [description] à [lieu], sous l’autorité de [fonction].
Article 4 – Durée du travail. [44] heures par semaine, selon l’horaire affiché [ou : temps partiel de X heures par semaine, réparties ainsi : …].
Article 5 – Rémunération. Salaire mensuel brut de [montant] DH, payé le [jour] de chaque mois par [virement], plus [primes, indemnités, avantages]. Les cotisations CNSS, AMO et l’impôt sur le revenu sont retenus selon la loi.
Article 6 – Textes applicables. Loi n° 65-99 relative au Code du travail, [convention collective de …] et règlement intérieur, dont le Salarié reconnaît avoir reçu copie avec les informations prévues à l’article 24.
Article 7 – Confidentialité. Le Salarié respecte la confidentialité des informations de l’Employeur et restitue à son départ les moyens qui lui ont été confiés.
Article 8 – Rupture. Après l’essai, chaque partie peut mettre fin au contrat dans les conditions du Code du travail, en respectant le préavis légal ou conventionnel, sauf faute grave.
Fait à [ville], le [date], en deux exemplaires originaux, dont un remis au Salarié. Signatures légalisées, précédées de la mention « lu et approuvé ».
Do not use this template for a foreign employee: the contract must follow the official template of Article 517. When the contract ends, the employer issues a work certificate within eight days (Article 72); see our page on the employment certificate.
Common mistakes with an employment contract Morocco
- Forgetting to certify signatures (Article 15); the same applies to a resignation (Article 34).
- Signing a CDD for a permanent job, outside the grounds of Article 16: risk of conversion into a CDI.
- Setting a longer probation than the law: Article 14 only allows shorter periods, and one renewal.
- Letting a foreigner start before the visa: the contract only takes effect on the visa date (Article 516).
- Not handing over the Article 24 information or the work card (Article 23).
- Setting notice below the legal minimum: the clause is void, and never under eight days (Article 43).
HR and payroll software for Morocco generates each employment contract Morocco from templates, stores the signed originals, flags the end of probation and CDD end dates, and carries the salary into the first payroll.
See also: resignation letter and retirement age in Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
Must an employment contract Morocco be in writing?
Not for a CDI: it can be proved by any means (Article 18). Writing is still the only safe way to prove probation, a CDD ground or pay, and it is required for agency work (Article 501) and for foreign staff (Article 517).
Do employment contract signatures have to be certified in Morocco?
Yes: a written contract is drawn up in two originals with the employer’s and employee’s signatures certified by the competent authority (Article 15).
What should an employment contract Morocco include?
Parties, start date, job and category, place, hours, salary, probation, applicable texts; for a CDD, the ground and end date. The employer also provides the Article 24 information in writing.
How long is probation in Morocco?
For a CDI: 3 months (managers), 1.5 months (employees), 15 days (manual workers), renewable once (Article 14).
How do I get a visa on an employment contract Morocco for a foreigner?
The employer applies to the labour ministry using the official template (Articles 516 and 517), in practice on the TAECHIR platform. The contract takes effect on the visa date.
Is an employment contract Morocco subject to registration duties?
No: a written contract is exempt (Article 18). The employee must still be declared to the CNSS on hiring.
Can a CDD become a CDI?
Yes: beyond the limits of Article 17, or by court decision if the Article 16 ground is missing.
Where can I read the rules on the employment contract Morocco?
In the consolidated Labour Code published by the Ministry of Justice (Adala).
Key takeaways
- A written employment contract Morocco is signed in two originals with certified signatures.
- The CDI is the rule; CDDs and agency work follow closed lists of grounds.
- A foreign employee’s contract only takes effect on the visa date.
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