It only allows visa-free access to 75 countries but comes at a high price. The Moroccan passport, charged more to the citizen than it costs the administration, represents an important financial manna for the State.
Indeed, the real cost of manufacturing a biometric passport would not exceed half of what the State asks an individual to have. Although there are several gray areas surrounding this price difference, it was not possible to obtain a breakdown of the full cost of the biometric passport by major item of expenditure. The Ministry of the Interior, which manages applications for biometric passports, has never provided any information on this subject. Hence a feeling of permanent blur. According to a source who requested anonymity, “the level of security of biometric passports, the electronic components that are integrated into them, in addition to the equipment necessary for the services responsible for issuing these travel documents explain the increase in their prices. “.
500 dirhams to obtain a travel document, a high cost compared to most African countries
But it is all the same a completely disproportionate tax, given the duration of validity of the Moroccan passport which does not exceed 5 years and which contains only 40 pages. Many countries in Africa produce 10 year passports sometimes with more pages. This is the case of Ghana, which offers a passport at the price of 17 USD, or 180 dirhams, for a validity of 10 years. Same for Kenya, 10 years with 66 pages. The Kingdom of Eswatini issues the 64-page passport at 37 USD, or 380 dirhams.
Meanwhile, in countries like Seychelles, 1st in Africa in terms of passport power to go to 151 countries visa-free or visa on arrival, the cost of a 10-year passport is 50 USD (500 dirhams). In Mauritius, which has the second most powerful passport on the continent, giving access to 146 countries, this travel document costs only 18 USD (190 dirhams). Botswana, 5th African country in the 2019 UNDP Human Development Index, issues passports for only 25 USD (260 dirhams).
Tunisians and South Africans are entitled to a passport allowing them to travel respectively to 81 and 105 countries without a visa, for less than 300 dirhams and with a validity period of 10 years. As for Egyptians, they are entitled to a 7-year passport at 250 dirhams. Namibia, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania and Lesotho, meanwhile, charge less than 160 dirhams for a 10-year passport.
If some justify the high cost of the Moroccan passport by the speed of its delivery, some countries make the express for much less than the 500 dirhams requested from Moroccans. Uganda, for example, produces 10-year express passports within 48 hours for the equivalent of 800 dirhams. In Zambia, the express passport costs 330 dirhams and covers 70 countries. Rwanda, for its part, produces its 10-year passport in 4 days with less than 900 dirhams.
It must be said that Morocco would benefit from reviewing the price of its passport if it fails to explain to the population the merits of such a high price. The passport is not a luxury document. Especially if it is ranked 62nd among the most powerful passports and only allows access to 75 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival. Far behind European countries. European citizens would therefore be those who can most easily travel around the world. Even if the first place is jointly held by Japan and Singapore, with a score of 192 countries accessible without a visa. Europe was well represented with Germany, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain (189), then the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria and Denmark (188). France was in fifth place, alongside Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom with 187 countries accessible without a visa. Other European countries completed the top 10, such as Belgium (186) and Greece (185).
At the bottom of the ranking, we find Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Nationals of these countries can travel to 29, 28 and 26 countries respectively without a visa.
Mehdi Ouassat