In short
In practice you gather the papers for the marriage contract and hand them to the adouls, who do the rest: they take the file to the family judge, draw up the contract, and the judge approves it. Your job is the papers, and they need to be exact.
The file (for each of you)
Step by step
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Gather the papers
Civil registry, local administration office (arrondissement or caïdat) and a doctor
Each of you gathers the papers on the list above (article 65). This is the step that takes longest. Check that your name and date of birth are spelled the same way on every paper, and keep a copy of everything.
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Go to the adouls
At the adouls' office
In practice the adouls (notary-witnesses for family deeds) fill in the request and take the file to the family judge for you. You can also file it yourself at the court registry, or online on eAdoul.
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The judge stamps the file and authorises the adouls
Family judge in charge of marriages
The judge stamps the file, which the registry keeps under a reference number, and once it is complete authorises two adouls to record the marriage (article 65). No law sets a deadline; ministry circulars only ask for it to be done as soon as possible.
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Two adouls draw up the contract
At the adouls' office
The adouls record the offer and acceptance, the dowry (sadaq) and any conditions, and both of you sign (articles 13 and 67). Ask about their fee before you start.
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The judge approves the contract
Family section
The judge approves (homologates) the contract, which is then final (article 67).
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Handing over the contract
The wife receives the original and the husband a certified copy (article 69). Keep it somewhere safe: you will need it often.
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Civil registration
Court registry, then the civil registrar
Within 15 days of approval, an extract goes to the civil registrar of each spouse's place of birth and is noted in the margin of the birth record (article 68). For anyone born abroad, it goes to the Rabat public prosecutor.
0 to 15 days Source
The official route
Family section or eAdoul
The official route starts at the family section of the court of first instance where the contract is made, or with the online request.
The people who can help
See them all on Hdaya
Do you work in this field? People in your city read this guide.
Add your profileMarriage papers: how to save time
- Start with the papers that take longest, then go to the adoul with a complete file.
- Compare your name, date of birth and ID number on every paper. If your birth record has a mistake, get it corrected first: see civil status in Morocco.
- Ask the adoul whether the court in your city wants anything extra, and how many copies to bring.
Special cases
- Foreign spouse: the judge's authorisation and a certificate of capacity to marry, or its equivalent, are required (article 65). The mixed-marriage circular (no. 49) adds a nationality certificate, criminal record, proof of occupation and income, a passport copy and 4 photos. More in marrying a foreign national.
- Polygamy: only with the court's authorisation, for an exceptional and objective reason, after the current wife is summoned and the new wife is informed and agrees (articles 40 to 46).
- Marriage by proxy: only with the judge's authorisation (article 17).
What does it cost?
No official source publishes adoul fees or court costs, so we give no figures. Ask the adoul for a price before you start.
The Family Code in force is Law 70-03, and a reform is under discussion. Ask the adoul whether anything in the procedure has changed.
If you'd like an adoul in your city to prepare the file with you, you can find one on Hdaya.
Questions people ask
Who keeps the original marriage contract?
The wife. She keeps the original and the husband gets a certified copy (article 69).
How long does the judge's authorisation take?
The law sets no deadline. Justice ministry circulars ask for it to be given as soon as possible once the file is complete.
I got married abroad. What do I need to do?
Moroccans living abroad can marry under local formalities, provided the conditions of article 14 are met (consent, capacity, a guardian where applicable, dowry, two Muslim witnesses), then lodge a copy with the consulate within 3 months (article 15).
Can I get married before 18?
Only by a reasoned decision of the judge, after hearing the parents and obtaining a medical report or social inquiry, and with the legal guardian's consent (articles 19 to 21). The decision cannot be appealed.
Official sources
- مدونة الأسرة (القانون 70.03)، الصيغة المحيّنة 29 يوليوز 2021 — وزارة العدل
- Code de la famille (loi 70-03), version consolidée du 4 février 2016 — ministère de la Justice
- دورية وزير العدل 45 س 2 (5 دجنبر 2006): الإذن بتوثيق عقد الزواج
- دورية وزير العدل 49 س 2 (20 يونيو 2003): الزواج المختلط
- eAdoul — طلب الإذن بتوثيق الزواج عن بعد (وزارة العدل)
Procedures change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will check it again.