The French embassy in Morocco has announced a new, simplified visa application procedure for Moroccan graduates of French higher education institutions.
The initiative, revealed by Sandrine Lelong-Motta, Consul General of France in Rabat, aims to facilitate visa applications for Moroccan holders of a master’s degree, engineering diploma, or higher qualifications such as a doctorate. To be eligible, applicants must register on the France Alumni platform.
While the new system does not guarantee automatic visa approval, it promises a more streamlined and thorough approach.
Graduates will benefit from special appointment opportunities and expedited processing, provided their applications are complete. Successful applicants can receive a Schengen circulation visa, valid for one to five years, allowing them to visit France and other Schengen countries multiple times.
This reform is part of France’s broader effort to strengthen ties with Moroccan professionals and to promote educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
This reform follows significant challenges Moroccan applicants have faced in recent years.
In 2023, Morocco ranked second among African countries with the highest number of Schengen visa rejections, with 136,367 rejections costing applicants approximately MAD 117 million (€10.9 million).
The high rejection rates, primarily from France and Spain, have been a point of contention and frustration for many Moroccans.
Several Moroccan professionals, artists, and even diplomats have expressed their frustration over their visa application rejections.
The high rejection rates came after France halved the number of approved visas for Moroccan citizens in 2021, citing Morocco’s refusal to take back Moroccans who were illegally residing in France.
After nearly three years of controversy over the visa rejections, France announced at the end of 2023 that it would lift the restrictions for Moroccan citizens.
The new visa procedure is designed to address these challenges by providing Moroccan graduates with a more accessible and efficient application process.
Morocco World News
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