Government & politics — Morocco
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Morocco: Kingdom of Morocco
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Kingdom of Morocco
- Country Name
Morocco
- Local - Long
Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah
- Local - Short
Al Maghrib
- Former Name
French Protectorate in Morocco, Spanish Protectorate in Morocco, Ifni, Spanish Sahara, Western Sahara
- Etymology- history of name
the English name "Morocco" derives from, respectively, the Spanish and Portuguese names "Marruecos" and "Marrocos," which stem from "Marrakesh" the Latin name for the former capital of ancient Morocco; the Arabic name "Al Maghrib" translates as "The West"
- Independence
2 March 1956 (from France)
- National Holiday
Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)
Political system
- Government Type
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Constitution
- history: several previous; latest drafted 17 June 2011, approved by referendum 1 July 2011; note - sources disagree on whether the 2011 referendum was for a new consti
- tution or for reforms to the previous constitution amendments: proposed by the king, by the prime minister, or by members in either chamber of Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by both chambers and approval in a referendum; the king can opt to submit self-initiated proposals directly to a referendum
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of civil law based on French civil law and Islamic (sharia) law; judicial review of legislative acts by Constitutional Court
- Executive Branch:
- Prime Minister Aziz AKHANNOUCH (since 7 October 2021) cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the prime minister in consultation with Parliament and appointed by the monarch; the monarch chooses the ministers of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Islamic Affairs,
- and National Defense Administration elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from the majority party following legislative elections
- Legislative Branch:
Description
bicameral Parliament consists of: House of Councillors or Majlis al-Mustacharine (120 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor unions; members serve 6-year terms) House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms);
Note
60 seats reserved for women and 30 seats for those under age 40 in regional multi-seat constituencies, with the seats divided proportionally among the 12 regions by population size of the region
Elections
House of Councillors - last held on 5 October 2021 (next to be held by 31 October 2027) House of Representatives - last held on 8 September 2021 (next to be held by 30 September 2026)
Election Results
- House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA
- seats by party - RNI 27, PAM 19, PI 17, MP 12, USFP 8, UGIM 6, CDT 3, PJD 3, UC 2, UMT 2, Amal 1, FDT 1, MDS 1, PRD 1, independent 1
- composition as of October 2021) men 105, women 15, percent of women 12.5% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party NA
- seats by party - RNI 102, PAM 87, PI 81, USFP 34, MP 28, PPS 22, UC 18, PJD 13, MDS 5, other 5
- composition as of July 2022 - men 305, women 90, percent of women 24.1%;
Note
overall percent of women in Parliament 21.4%
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections); Constitutional Cour
- t (consists of 12 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of Judicial Power, a 20-member body presided over by the monarch, which includes the Supreme Court president, the prosecutor general, representatives of the appeals and first instance courts (among them 1 woman magistrate), the president of the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH), and 5 "notable persons" appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court members - 6 designated by the monarch and 6 elected by Parliament; court president appointed by the monarch from among the court members;
- members serve 9-year nonrenewable terms subordinate courts: courts of appeal; High Court of Justice; administrative and commercial courts; regional and Sadad courts (for religious, civil and administrative, and penal adjudication); first instance courts
- Regions or States:
12 regions; Beni Mellal-Khenifra, Casablanca-Settat, Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab, Draa-Tafilalet, Fes-Meknes, Guelmim-Oued Noun, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Safi, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, Souss-Massa, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima note: effective 10 December 2020, the US Government recognizes the sovereignty of Morocco over all of the territory of former Western Sahara
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Action Party or PA [Mohammed EL IDRISSI]
- Amal (hope)
- Party [Mohamed BANI]
- An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj or Democratic Way [Mustapha BRAHMA]
- Authenticity and Modernity Party or PAM [Abdellatif OUAHBI]
- Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohamed JOUDAR]
- Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Abdessamad ARCHANE]
- Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Mustapha BENALI]
- Environment and Sustainable Development Party or PEDD [Karim HRITANE]
- Federation of the Democratic Left or FGD [Abdesalam EL AZIZ]
- Green Left Party or PGV [Mohamed FARES]
- Istiqlal (Independence)
- Party or PI [Nizar BARAKA]
- Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Isaac CHARIA]
- Moroccan Union for Democracy or UMD [Jamal MANDRI]
- National Democratic Party [Moussa SAADI]
- National Rally of Independents or RNI [Aziz AKHANNOUCH]
- Neo-Democrats Party [Mohamed DARIF]
- Party of Development Reform or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOHEN]
- Party of Justice and Development or PJD [Abdelilah BENKIRANE]
- Party of Liberty and Social Justice or PLJS [Miloud MOUSSAOUI]
- Party of Progress and Socialism or PPS [Nabil BENABDELLAH]
- Popular Movement or MP [Mohammed OUZZINE]
- Renaissance and Virtue Party or PRV [Mohamed KHALIDI]
- Renaissance Party [Said EL GHENNIOUI]
- Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHEHABAR]
- Shoura (consultation) and Istiqlal Party [Ahmed BELGHAZI]
- Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Driss LACHGAR]
- Unified Socialist Party or GSU [Nabila MOUNIB]
- Unity and Democracy Party [Ahmed FITRI]
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Morocco; if the father is unknown or stateless,
- yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Rabat
- Capital - geographic coordinate
34 01 N, 6 49 W
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight Savings Time
+1 hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in September
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AIIB, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Puneet TALWAR (since 4 October 2023) embassy: Km 5.7 Avenue Mohammed VI, Souissi, Rabat 10170 mailing address: 9400 Rabat Place, Washington DC 20521-9400
telephone
[212] 0537-637-200
FAX
[212] 0537-637-201
Email address and website
consulate(s) general
Casablanca
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Youssef AMRANI (since 27 February 2024)
chancery
3508 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 462-7979
FAX
[1] (202) 265-0161
Email address and website
- washingtonembmorocco@maec.gov.ma
consulate(s) general
New York