Every Moroccan company (SARL, SA, SNC) must mandatorily have a registered office in Morocco for registration in the Trade Register. For MRE creating a business from abroad, registering the head office is often the first practical constraint. Three legal solutions exist: commercial domiciliation with an approved company, address at a relative's with lease, or renting commercial premises.
Costs & fees
| Approved domiciliation company | 500-2000 MAD/month | |
| Real office rental | 3000-15000 MAD/month | |
| Availability contract at relative's | 500-1500 MAD | Notary/lawyer fees |
| Legal journal publication | 150-500 MAD | |
| Change of office fees | 2000-5000 MAD | Lawyer or accounting firm |
Timeline
Understanding the domiciliation obligation
According to law 15-95 on the Moroccan Commercial Code, every company must indicate a registered office in its articles of association. This must be a real physical address in Morocco (not just a PO box). The Regional Investment Center (CRI) verifies the address validity during company creation.
💡 Tip — The online CRI portal (cri.ma) allows creating your company online with integrated address verification since 2022.
⚠️ Warning — Using another company's address without written agreement constitutes illegal domiciliation subject to fines.
Approved domiciliation companies
Companies approved by the Ministry of Commerce offer turnkey domiciliation services: legal address, mail reception, sometimes phone reception and meeting room. Major cities: Casablanca (Business Center Casa, Regus, WeWork), Rabat, Marrakech, Tangier. Rates range from 500 to 2000 MAD per month.
💡 Tip — Verify the domiciliation company is approved by the Ministry of Commerce. Ask for their approval number before signing.
Domiciliation at a relative's: legal conditions
It is legally possible to register your company at a relative's address in Morocco, provided you establish a lease or signed and legalized availability certificate. The maximum duration is 2 years under article 20 of the SARL law.
💡 Tip — Have the availability contract drafted by a Moroccan notary or lawyer. Cost: 500 to 1500 MAD.
⚠️ Warning — Domiciliation at a relative's is limited to 2 years for SARLs. Failure to renew may invalidate registration.
Rates and comparison of options
Approved domiciliation company: 500-2000 MAD/month (6000-24000 MAD/year). Real office rental: 3000-15000 MAD/month depending on city and size. Domiciliation at relative's: symbolic cost but legal constraints. Approved domiciliation remains the most flexible for MRE without permanent physical presence in Morocco.
💡 Tip — Casablanca Finance City (CFC) offers special domiciliation packages for internationally-oriented companies, with tax benefits.
Change of registered office via OMPIC
To change the registered office address of an existing company, the process goes through OMPIC via the monentreprise.ma portal. Steps: modification of articles of association, filing at the commercial court registry, publication in a legal announcements journal (150-500 MAD), RC update. Deadline: 10 to 20 days.
💡 Tip — The monentreprise.ma portal allows tracking RC modification progress online.
⚠️ Warning — An undeclared change of registered office within 30 days can lead to fines.
In depth
Business domiciliation in Morocco is a rapidly growing market since 2015. Casablanca concentrates about 60% of approved domiciliation companies. For MRE investing in Morocco from abroad without permanent physical presence, domiciliation in a premium coworking space (Casablanca Finance City, Technopark) offers a double advantage: recognized legal address and access to a business ecosystem facilitating local connections.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕Registering the company at a fictitious or unverifiable address
- ✕Not renewing domiciliation at a relative's after 2 years
- ✕Choosing a non-approved domiciliation company, making the address invalid with the DGI and commercial court
🔗 Official links and resources
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