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Where to register a company in Morocco in 2026?

A commercial company is registered in the Commercial Register (Registre du Commerce, RC) kept by the commercial court registry (greffe du tribunal de commerce) with jurisdiction over the place where its registered office (siège social) is located (Law No. 15-95 enacting the Commercial Code [Code de commerce]; Law No. 53-95 establishing the commercial courts), within 3 months of its incorporation. It is the registry, and the registry alone, that assigns the RC number. You do not need to travel: Law No. 88-17 on the electronic creation of businesses allows the formalities to be completed remotely and, with Charikaty, the file is prepared, signed electronically (Law No. 43-20) and submitted online to the competent registry, then the RC extract and the identifiers are delivered to you.

Charikaty Legal TeamExperts in Moroccan company law · Published on · Updated on

The essentials in 6 points

In short
  • Registration authority: the commercial court registry of the registered office (Law 15-95; Law 53-95); the central commercial register (registre central du commerce) is kept by OMPIC (Law 13-99)

  • Prerequisite: the OMPIC negative certificate (certificat négatif) (232.76 MAD online, valid for 90 days)

  • Registered office evidenced by a commercial lease (bail commercial) (Law 49-16), a business domiciliation contract (contrat de domiciliation) (Law 89-17) or a title deed

  • Online: electronic company formation (Law 88-17) with an advanced electronic signature (Law 43-20); with Charikaty, no travel required

  • At the end: RC extract, tax identification number, ICE and business tax (DGI), CNSS affiliation

  • Public fees: about 1,200 MAD at the registry, legal publications on top

Legal notice:

the information provided in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute personalized legal advice. We recommend that you consult a qualified legal expert before making any decision. Charikaty provides experts to support you: contact us for free advice.

01

Which body registers a company in Morocco?

The Commercial Register is governed by Articles 27 to 78 of the Commercial Code (Law 15-95). The local register is kept by the territorially competent commercial court registry (Law 53-95) or, where there is no commercial court within the jurisdiction, by the registry of the court of first instance (tribunal de première instance). It is this registry that receives the registration application (déclaration d'immatriculation) and supporting documents (articles of association, negative certificate, proof of registered office), assigns the RC number and issues the Commercial Register extract (model J).

Every commercial company must be registered within 3 months of its incorporation (Art. 75 of the Commercial Code); it only acquires legal personality from the date of its registration. How the register itself works (subsequent filings such as amendments to the articles of association and financial statements [états de synthèse], central commercial register kept by OMPIC) is explained in our guide to the Commercial Register in Morocco.

02

How do I know which registry is competent for my company?

Territorial jurisdiction follows the company's registered office, which must be evidenced by one of the following documents:

  • A commercial lease governed by Law No. 49-16
  • A business domiciliation contract compliant with Law No. 89-17 (written contract with a domiciliation provider registered in the RC, generally 100 to 500 MAD excl. VAT per month)
  • A title deed in the name of the company or of a partner (shareholder) (land registration, Law 14-07)

A company domiciled in Casablanca therefore falls under the commercial court registry of Casablanca, and a company domiciled in Rabat under that of Rabat. It is thus the address chosen for the registered office, under a domiciliation contract or a commercial lease, that determines the competent registry. The Regional Investment Center (Centre Régional d'Investissement, CRI), the regional one-stop shop for investors, is not a mandatory step to register a company: the file is filed with the registry, and this filing can be done online.

03

Can you register your company online?

Yes: Law No. 88-17 on the electronic creation of businesses allows all formation formalities to be completed remotely, including the filing with the competent registry (see setting up a company 100% online in Morocco). The articles of association and deeds are signed by means of an advanced electronic signature within the meaning of Law No. 43-20, issued by a trust service provider approved by the DGSSI (recommended level for company deeds).

With Charikaty, you complete the whole process online: OMPIC negative certificate, drafting and electronic signature of the articles of association, filing of the registration file with the Commercial Register, obtaining the IF, the ICE and the business tax, then CNSS affiliation. Official documents are still issued by the competent authorities (OMPIC, registry, DGI, CNSS); Charikaty prepares, files and follows up the file, then delivers your documents to you. The role of each of these administrations is presented in our guide to the administrations involved in registering a business.

04

What documents, fees and timeframes should you plan for at the registry?

Documents: the registry receives the OMPIC negative certificate (Law 13-99, valid for 90 days), the signed articles of association, the identity documents of the partners and the director, the proof of registered office, the registration application to the RC and, depending on the case, the capital deposit certificate (attestation de blocage du capital) (SA, or SARL whose capital exceeds 100,000 MAD: Art. 51 of Law 5-96 as amended by Law 21-19) and the contributions auditor's (commissaire aux apports) report (thresholds of Art. 53 of Law 5-96; always mandatory in an SA). The full list, by company form and by partner profile, is set out in our guide to the documents needed to register a company in Morocco; with Charikaty, you send these documents online and we take care of the rest.

Public fees (order of magnitude): negative certificate 232.76 MAD online; registry filing and registration fees of about 1,200 MAD; publication in a legal announcements newspaper (journal d'annonces légales) and in the Official Bulletin (Bulletin officiel) from a few hundred to 1,500 MAD.

Timeframes: the negative certificate is obtained in 24 to 48 hours online and registration takes, in practice, 3 to 10 working days after filing a complete file, depending on the registry, with the legal publications following registration. Each step is detailed in our guide to the time needed to register a company in Morocco.

05

In what order does registration take place?

Registration follows this order: negative certificate from OMPIC, drafting and signing of the articles of association in line with the company form, deposit of the capital in a blocked account when required by law, assembly of the file, then filing with the commercial court registry of the registered office (with Charikaty, online). Next come the delivery of the RC extract, the IF, the ICE and the business tax (DGI) and the CNSS affiliation, then the publication of the incorporation in a legal announcements newspaper and in the Official Bulletin.

06

Where do auto-entrepreneurs, branches and non-residents register?

Auto-entrepreneur (Law 114-13)

The auto-entrepreneur (self-employed status) is not registered in the Commercial Register but in the national auto-entrepreneur register (registre national de l'auto-entrepreneur, RNAE), kept by Poste Maroc, with online registration. Turnover ceilings: 500,000 MAD (trade, industry, crafts) and 200,000 MAD (services).

Branch of a foreign company

The branch is registered in the Commercial Register of the registry of the place where the branch is located; it has no legal personality separate from the parent company.

Regulated activities

Registration takes place at the same registry, but certain activities additionally require an approval or prior authorization issued by the competent sector authority: Bank Al-Maghrib for credit institutions (Law 103-12), ACAPS for insurance, ANRT for telecommunications, the supervising ministries for transport, healthcare, education or private security (see the special permits and authorizations required to operate in Morocco).

Non-residents and MRE

A non-resident registers their company with the registry of the registered office in Morocco, like any other founder (see setting up a business in Morocco as a non-resident), and can do everything remotely: with Charikaty, the documents are sent and signed electronically (Law 88-17, Law 43-20). Otherwise, they can grant a power of attorney legalized by the Moroccan consulate to an agent. Know-your-customer obligations (Law 43-05 as amended by Law 12-18) apply, as do the foreign exchange regulations of the Office des Changes (foreign exchange authority) (IGOC): duly declared foreign currency contributions benefit from the guarantee of transfer of income and sale proceeds.

07

How does Charikaty register your company online?

Charikaty is a private Moroccan legal-tech platform specializing in company formation and compliance. To register your company, you need a properly evidenced registered office, which determines the competent registry, and a complete file. With Charikaty, you do everything online. We identify the competent commercial court registry based on your registered office, assemble the file to the standard required by the registry, have it signed electronically, file it online and follow its processing until your Commercial Register extract, your tax identifiers and your CNSS affiliation are delivered. No travel is necessary, whether in Morocco or from abroad.

With Charikaty, setting up a SARL in Morocco costs from 4,550 MAD including VAT, official fees included, and is done entirely online. More than 250 companies have already been set up with Charikaty.

Online SARL formation service
08 · FAQ

FAQ: Where to register your company in Morocco?

Which registry is competent to register my company?

The competent registry is that of the commercial court with jurisdiction over the registered office, evidenced by a commercial lease (Law 49-16), a business domiciliation contract (Law 89-17) or a title deed. A company domiciled in Casablanca therefore falls under the commercial court registry of Casablanca.

Which body issues the RC number?

The RC number is issued by the commercial court registry with jurisdiction over the registered office (Law 15-95, Law 53-95). Entries are then centralized in the central commercial register kept by OMPIC.

Can a company be registered online, without travelling?

Yes, Law 88-17 authorizes electronic company formation with an advanced electronic signature (Law 43-20), and the filing with the registry can be done remotely. With Charikaty, the file is prepared, signed and submitted online, then the RC extract and the identifiers are delivered to you.

How much does registration in the Commercial Register cost?

Registration in the Commercial Register costs about 1,200 MAD in registry fees, plus the negative certificate (232.76 MAD) and legal publications (a few hundred to 1,500 MAD).

Is an auto-entrepreneur registered in the RC?

No, the auto-entrepreneur is not registered in the Commercial Register: they are entered in the national auto-entrepreneur register (Law 114-13), kept by Poste Maroc.

Does a non-resident need to travel to register their company?

No, a non-resident does not need to travel: they can sign electronically and file remotely with Charikaty, or grant a legalized power of attorney to an agent.

Legal Sources

18 texts · 3 official sources · review Oct 2027
Next review: Oct 2027
  • Law No. 88-17 on the electronic creation of businesses

  • Law No. 43-20 on trust services for electronic transactions

  • Law No. 13-99 establishing OMPIC

  • Law No. 15-95 enacting the Commercial Code (Art. 27 to 78, in particular Art. 74 and 75)

  • Law No. 53-95 establishing the commercial courts

  • Law No. 5-96 on the SARL, as amended by Laws 24-10 and 21-19

  • Law No. 17-95 on public limited companies (sociétés anonymes), as amended by Law No. 19-20

  • Law No. 19-20 (Dahir No. 1-21-75 of July 2021): amends and supplements Law No. 5-96 to govern the SAS, replacing the former Law No. 17-95 regime

  • Law No. 89-17 on the domiciliation of companies

  • Law No. 49-16 on leases of premises for commercial, industrial or craft use

  • Law No. 14-07 on land registration

  • Law No. 103-12 on credit institutions and similar bodies

  • Law No. 43-05 on combating money laundering, as amended by Law No. 12-18

  • Law No. 9-88 on the accounting obligations of traders

  • Law No. 114-13 on the auto-entrepreneur status

  • Dahir No. 1-72-184 of 27 July 1972 on the social security scheme

  • General Tax Code (Code Général des Impôts, CGI 2026), in particular Art. 211

  • General Foreign Exchange Operations Instruction (Instruction Générale des Opérations de Change, IGOC): Office des Changes

Create Your Company with Charikaty

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