Registering a US marriage in Morocco

[MrsAmera 41]

I'm also interested in how you managed that. We had a civil and religious ceremony. Can't get it registered - been trying for 2 years.

[Majid_Anna 0]

So, what can we do if we want our marriages to be recognized in Morocco - get married again there? Can anyone outline what steps need to be taken? Is it a problem if the USC spouse is not Muslim?

Thanks

venusfire

No, it's not a problem. You have to be married by an Imam, with 2 muslim witnesses...then they give you a "certificate of marriage". That's what you need to register your marriage in Morocco...that much I know. It's the process of doing it from here that is confusing. I have research to do!

Well, in our case, we didn't do any of those things - we were just married by an officiant - no Imam, no Muslim witnesses.... so now what?

venusfire

Go to your nearest mosque and ask about being married there. They take care of the witnesses in our area...so all we need to do is show up

[MoroccanInTexas 24]

I got the family book done in Morocco, but the adding of our daughter was done here in the Moroccan consulate.

[Majid_Anna 0]

I got the family book done in Morocco, but the adding of our daughter was done here in the Moroccan consulate.

What was the actual process through the consulate?

[MoroccanInTexas 24]

the consulate does not give family book. The Moroccan citizen will have to get it from his place of birth in Morocco. The consulate only adds children who are born in the US. That's why I think registering a marriage is absolute, as long as you can have an Islamic marriage certificate(ceremony). Otherwise, if you had a civil marriage, the Moroccan consulate may need to get involved.

Here is what the consulate site say "MARRIAGE:

Are marriage ceremonies performed at the Consulate?

As the Consulate do not have Aduls, Marriage ceremonies cannot be performed at the Consulate but the Consulate can certify marriage certificates from the Mosque and City Hall so they can be valid in Morocco. Please call: 212-758-2625 Ext: 238 for more info."

http://www.moroccanconsulate.com/index.cfm

Hope that helps.

Good luck

Edited September 25, 2009 by MoroccanInTexas

[Majid_Anna 0]

The problem in my case is that we won't be married yet when he comes. How does the moroccan citizen get his family book, and add his new wife, and get it from morocco....when he's actually in the US...lol. This is my dilemma.

The consulate will only accept an islamic marriage, which is fine. But they aren't clear on what to do after that.

Edited September 25, 2009 by Majid_Anna

[star_dragon 0]

I got the family book done in Morocco, but the adding of our daughter was done here in the Moroccan consulate.

Can I ask where in Maroc you got the family book done? (like what court/department) and did were you both present? So essentially the automatically recognized your marriage just by you showing the certificate here? They just gave you the book, and not really a paper saying "we recognize your marriage" Obviously, if you got the family book, they recognize it. Interesting!!

The problem in my case is that we won't be married yet when he comes. How does the moroccan citizen get his family book, and add his new wife, and get it from morocco....when he's actually in the US...lol. This is my dilemma.

The consulate will only accept an islamic marriage, which is fine. But they aren't clear on what to do after that.

If I'm reading correctly, they were married here too and they accepted the certificate from a Mosque in Texas.

[venusfire503 54]

We can get married Islamically even though I'm not Muslim?

venusfire

[Kenza 1]

We can get married Islamically even though I'm not Muslim?

venusfire

If the woman getting married is "of the people of the book" i.e. Christian or Jewish and the man is a Muslim, then yes, you can still have an Islamic marriage.

[MoroccanInTexas 24]

I got the family book done in Morocco, but the adding of our daughter was done here in the Moroccan consulate.

Can I ask where in Maroc you got the family book done? (like what court/department) and did were you both present? So essentially the automatically recognized your marriage just by you showing the certificate here? They just gave you the book, and not really a paper saying "we recognize your marriage" Obviously, if you got the family book, they recognize it. Interesting!!

The problem in my case is that we won't be married yet when he comes. How does the moroccan citizen get his family book, and add his new wife, and get it from morocco....when he's actually in the US...lol. This is my dilemma.

The consulate will only accept an islamic marriage, which is fine. But they aren't clear on what to do after that.

If I'm reading correctly, they were married here too and they accepted the certificate from a Mosque in Texas.

The Moroccan citizen can get the family book from the municipality, or rural county, where he was born. As long as he provide a list of paper work:

The family Book or “Livret d’Etat Civil” has to be issued at the place of birth of the father. If you were born in the USA it will be issued by this Consulate General othrwise, please send the following documents to someone in your place of birth along with a certified power of attorney . You need to send him/her the following documents that should be certified by this Consulate prior to sending them:

* Moroccan or Islamic Marriage certificate.

* Birth certificates of both parents.

* Copy of CIN of both parents if they both moroccans

* 1 Passeport photos of the Father

[venusfire503 54]

We can get married Islamically even though I'm not Muslim?

venusfire

If the woman getting married is "of the people of the book" i.e. Christian or Jewish and the man is a Muslim, then yes, you can still have an Islamic marriage.

Kenza,

Thank you for letting me know that. It sounds like it might be easier to do it next time we visit Morocco, though. If we do it here, I'm not sure how we'd get it registered over there - sounds confusing.

The only thing is, I thought only Muslims can go into mosques. Where are the ceremonies done?

venusfire

[AlHayatZween 2]

I got the family book done in Morocco, but the adding of our daughter was done here in the Moroccan consulate.

Can I ask where in Maroc you got the family book done? (like what court/department) and did were you both present? So essentially the automatically recognized your marriage just by you showing the certificate here? They just gave you the book, and not really a paper saying "we recognize your marriage" Obviously, if you got the family book, they recognize it. Interesting!!

The problem in my case is that we won't be married yet when he comes. How does the moroccan citizen get his family book, and add his new wife, and get it from morocco....when he's actually in the US...lol. This is my dilemma.

The consulate will only accept an islamic marriage, which is fine. But they aren't clear on what to do after that.

If I'm reading correctly, they were married here too and they accepted the certificate from a Mosque in Texas.

Just a word to the wise: the Moroccan consulate changed its rules in February 2009... So if you got your state/islamic marriage certificates in before that, i think they acknowledged your marriage easily. Now, apparently you have to send you documents back to Morocco (or bring them yourself) to have the marriage registered there. MIT, did you have to do this, or did you get it registered before they changed the rules? Or, did you just get lucky?

Totally agree 100% that it is necessary to register you marriage with the Kingdom of Morocco...not only to avoid further complications when/if you decide to have children, but also so you will can share land/property/business rights with your spouse should you either decide to live in Morocco or if your spouse has assets there.

Edited September 28, 2009 by AlHayatZween

[AlHayatZween 2]

I'm also interested in how you managed that. We had a civil and religious ceremony. Can't get it registered - been trying for 2 years.

Us neither, no luck. And we have the little one on the way in a few months!

We are going back to Morocco this summer, inchallah... Maybe we'll have better luck there?

(Saving up bribe $$ )

[MoroccanInTexas 24]

I got the family book done in Morocco, but the adding of our daughter was done here in the Moroccan consulate.

Can I ask where in Maroc you got the family book done? (like what court/department) and did were you both present? So essentially the automatically recognized your marriage just by you showing the certificate here? They just gave you the book, and not really a paper saying "we recognize your marriage" Obviously, if you got the family book, they recognize it. Interesting!!

The problem in my case is that we won't be married yet when he comes. How does the moroccan citizen get his family book, and add his new wife, and get it from morocco....when he's actually in the US...lol. This is my dilemma.

The consulate will only accept an islamic marriage, which is fine. But they aren't clear on what to do after that.

If I'm reading correctly, they were married here too and they accepted the certificate from a Mosque in Texas.

Just a word to the wise: the Moroccan consulate changed its rules in February 2009... So if you got your state/islamic marriage certificates in before that, i think they acknowledged your marriage easily. Now, apparently you have to send you documents back to Morocco (or bring them yourself) to have the marriage registered there. MIT, did you have to do this, or did you get it registered before they changed the rules? Or, did you just get lucky?

Totally agree 100% that it is necessary to register you marriage with the Kingdom of Morocco...not only to avoid further complications when/if you decide to have children, but also so you will can share land/property/business rights with your spouse should you either decide to live in Morocco or if your spouse has assets there.

I did not have to register anything with the consulate or in Morocco. Once there, they tried to play that registration thing with me. I point blank told them, that the new modawana "Law" recognizes marriages performed by a Muslim cleric.

They then tried to make me go to court, to get my marriage certificate validated, and my daughter added to the family book. By the end I got sick of the whole deal and give a power of attorney to my uncle, who only needed the translated Arabic copy of my marriage certificate. our birth certificate...

All I am saying it can be done, but prepare your self for an up hill battle with a bunch of bureaucrats. ANd by the way I did not bother register the marriage, since in the family book it says that my wife is first middle and last name.

Good luck everyone

Edited September 28, 2009 by MoroccanInTexas

[MoroccanInTexas 24]

I got the family book done in Morocco, but the adding of our daughter was done here in the Moroccan consulate.

Can I ask where in Maroc you got the family book done? (like what court/department) and did were you both present? So essentially the automatically recognized your marriage just by you showing the certificate here? They just gave you the book, and not really a paper saying "we recognize your marriage" Obviously, if you got the family book, they recognize it. Interesting!!

The problem in my case is that we won't be married yet when he comes. How does the moroccan citizen get his family book, and add his new wife, and get it from morocco....when he's actually in the US...lol. This is my dilemma.

The consulate will only accept an islamic marriage, which is fine. But they aren't clear on what to do after that.

If I'm reading correctly, they were married here too and they accepted the certificate from a Mosque in Texas.

Just a word to the wise: the Moroccan consulate changed its rules in February 2009... So if you got your state/islamic marriage certificates in before that, i think they acknowledged your marriage easily. Now, apparently you have to send you documents back to Morocco (or bring them yourself) to have the marriage registered there. MIT, did you have to do this, or did you get it registered before they changed the rules? Or, did you just get lucky?

Totally agree 100% that it is necessary to register you marriage with the Kingdom of Morocco...not only to avoid further complications when/if you decide to have children, but also so you will can share land/property/business rights with your spouse should you either decide to live in Morocco or if your spouse has assets there.

I did not have to register anything with the consulate or in Morocco. Once there, they tried to play that registration thing with me. I point blank told them, that the new modawana "Law" recognizes marriages performed by a Muslim cleric.

They then tried to make me go to court, to get my marriage certificate validated, and my daughter added to the family book. By the end I got sick of the whole deal and give a power of attorney to my uncle, who only needed the translated Arabic copy of my marriage certificate, plus our birth certificates...

It can be done, but prepare your self for an up hill battle with a bunch of bureaucrats. My sister mother in law has through hopes to get it done.

By the way I did not bother register the marriage, since in the family book it says that my wife is first middle and last name. and also on the page of my little princess...

Good luck everyone