For workers

Leaving Morocco to work abroad: official channels and protections

The public Moroccan channels for finding work abroad, what agencies can (and cannot) ask of you, what happens to your social security contributions, and how to reach Italy legally.

5 min read

Who this is for

People living in Morocco who are looking for a job abroad, especially in Italy or another European Union country, and the relatives helping them. If you are already in Italy with a residence permit, the page on workers' rights in Italy (in Italian) is more useful.

In short

  • The public channel for jobs abroad is ANAPEC, Morocco's national employment agency.
  • Private agencies must be authorised and may not charge jobseekers.
  • Morocco has ratified ILO Convention No. 181 on private employment agencies.
  • No bilateral social security convention between Italy and Morocco appears to be in force, but the EU-Morocco Agreement guarantees equal treatment.
  • To work in Italy you almost always need a work authorisation (nulla osta) requested by the employer. Morocco is among the countries with reserved quotas in Italy's 2026-2028 entry decree.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change and have exceptions. Always check the official text in the sources below and, for your own case, talk to a trade union, a qualified lawyer or the competent public authority.

The public channel: ANAPEC

ANAPEC (Agence Nationale de Promotion de l'Emploi et des Compétences) is Morocco's public employment agency. It runs a dedicated international placement service: it collects job offers from foreign employers and prepares candidates for departure. In December 2022 the International Labour Organization (ILO) and ANAPEC launched training for more than 100 ANAPEC counsellors who handle placement abroad, based on the ILO fair recruitment principles. [1]

If someone offers you a job "through ANAPEC" but asks for money, or only contacts you from a private social media profile, check in person at an ANAPEC office before doing anything.

Private agencies: authorisation and no fees for you

Morocco's Labour Code (Law No. 65-99) allows private recruitment agencies to act as intermediaries only after authorisation from the government authority responsible for labour. [2]

The same Code forbids private agencies from collecting fees from jobseekers, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part. In practice: the employer pays for recruitment, not you. [2]

International rules on fees

Morocco ratified ILO Convention No. 181 on private employment agencies in 1999. [3] Article 7 of the Convention says agencies shall not charge workers any fees or costs, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part; the competent authority may authorise exceptions only in the interest of the workers concerned, for certain categories of workers or specified types of services, after consulting the most representative employers' and workers' organisations. [4] The ILO fair recruitment principles also say workers should not pay recruitment fees or related costs. [5]

Italy applies the same idea: authorised or accredited agencies may not demand or receive any payment from the worker. [9] Read more on the fair recruitment page.

Social security: what happens to your contributions

Morocco does not appear in the INPS list of non-EU states with a social security convention in force with Italy. [6] This means there is no bilateral agreement to add up Italian and Moroccan contributions for a pension.

There is, however, the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Union and Morocco. Article 65 provides that workers of Moroccan nationality, and family members living with them, receive treatment in social security free from discrimination based on nationality compared with nationals of the EU state where they work. [7] For your own contribution record, ask a patronato (free advice centre) or INPS.

Consular assistance

Once abroad, keep the contact details of the Moroccan consulate covering your area: it is the reference point for documents, civil status and emergencies. For work problems in Italy (pay, hours, holidays, dismissal), the right contacts are trade unions, patronati and the Labour Inspectorate.

Legal routes to work in Italy

For a job as an employee in Italy, the Italian employer usually requests the work authorisation (nulla osta) from the immigration one-stop office (Sportello unico per l'immigrazione); with it you apply for a visa at the Italian embassy or consulate. The steps are explained on the page Working in Italy from outside the EU.

Italy's entry decree for 2026-2028 (DPCM of 2 October 2025) reserves 25,000 entries per year, for non-seasonal employment, to citizens of a list of countries that have migration cooperation agreements with Italy. Morocco is on that list. [8] The same decree also sets separate quotas for domestic and care work: if that is your sector, read the guide Working as a care assistant (in Italian). [8]

Checklist before you leave