Students with U.S. passports will receive an entry stamp upon arrival to Morocco that grants them a stay of up to 90 days in the country without a visa. For students attending summer programs at AALIM, this duration of stay will be sufficient and students need not take any further action after arriving in Morocco. 

Students studying with AALIM for longer than three months have a few options for maintaining legal status in Morocco. The simplest one that most of our students opt for is leaving Morocco for a brief time every three months. When students re-enter Morocco from abroad, they will receive a new entry stamp in their passport and start the 90-day clock again. There are two Spanish exclaves in northern Morocco — Ceuta and Melilla — that are easily accessible for a weekend trip by bus and/or train from Meknes. Crossing the border at either Ceuta or Melilla constitutes an entry to the Schengen zone and will allow students to re-enter Morocco with a fresh 90-day stamp. Students may also travel to other nearby destinations by air or ferry to renew their visas — see the Travel tab for more trip ideas!

Students may also apply for a Certificat d’Immatriculation, a long-term residence permit, at the Bureau des Etrangers of the Prefecture de Police in Meknes, located near AALIM in the Hamriya neighborhood. AALIM will provide a letter of invitation and confirmation of enrollment to facilitate the visa process, but the student is responsible for providing any other documentation required, paying associated fees, and acquiring the permit. Please be advised that this process may take several months, during which students pursuing a permit may need to leave Morocco and re-enter in order to maintain legal status, as described above.