EU, Morocco open negotiations to ease granting of short-stay visa to Moroccans

Washington- European Commission calls for negotiations with Morocco to reach agreement on new procedures for issuing visas.

The European Commission has requested the opening of negotiations between the European Union and Morocco for an agreement on easing the procedures for issuing short-stay visas. This request is part of the mobility partnership signed last June between the two parties.

Meanwhile, during the kick off of negotiations, “the easing of [visa] measures proposed are generalized to all applicants, while others will benefit only certain categories of people, including students, researchers and businessmen and women.”

The European Commission states that “the range of flexibility offered requires that certain categories of applicants provide documented evidence to support their visa application, the possibility of issuing multiple-entry and long term visas with the exemption or reduction of the costs of processing visa for specific categories. “

Judging by the figures from the European Commission, Morocco occupies the seventh place in the world as regards the number of Schengen visas issued (322,094 visas issued in 2012).