If you run a successful digital agency in Casablanca or a consulting firm in Rabat, you likely hit the same glass ceiling as everyone else.
You have the talent. You have the quality. You might even have European clients. But you are constantly fighting two invisible enemies: Currency Controls and Trust.
Every time you try to pay a foreign SaaS tool, you worry about your dotation e-commerce. Every time you pitch a CAC40 company in Paris, they love your portfolio but hesitate to sign a contract governed by Moroccan law or wire funds to a non-SEPA bank account.
For many Moroccan founders, the solution seems to be "moving to France." But the typical advice you find online is either for students or for people trying to "buy" papers.
This guide is different. It is for established business owners who want to use the Talent Passport – Business Creator (the "30k route") to build a strategic dual structure: a French HQ for sales and credibility, supported by Moroccan operations for margin and speed.
Let’s be precise. We are not talking about the "French Tech Visa" (which requires an innovative startup project and an incubator). We are talking about the Passeport Talent : Créateur d’entreprise.
For a service business (marketing, dev shop, consulting, BPO), this is the most logical path.
To qualify, you are not asking for a favor; you are presenting a business case. You must verify three things:
Crucial Distinction: Unlike the "Commerçant" card of the past, the Talent Passport gives you a 4-year renewable residency immediately, and it extends to your spouse and children. It is designed for stability.
The biggest mistake Moroccan founders make is thinking they must close their Moroccan company to open a French one. Do not do this.
The smartest model for an agency is the Front Office / Back Office structure.
You create a French company (SAS). You are the President.
Your existing Moroccan company remains fully active.
You arbitrage the cost of labor. You sell at French market rates (e.g., €600/day for a senior dev) but your production costs remain in Dirhams. You effectively build a Euro-generating machine that feeds your Moroccan entity while keeping a legitimate profit margin in France to satisfy the visa requirements.
Just because you can do this doesn't mean you should. We often advise founders to wait. Here is why.
If you have €30,000 in savings but your current business is making zero revenue, this route is dangerous. The French administration (DRIEETS) will review your business plan. If they see a "shell company" with no active client pipeline, they will reject the "real and serious" nature of the project.
If you are actually a freelancer working for one French client who wants you to move, do not use this route. If 100% of your revenue comes from a single source, the French authorities (URSSAF) can reclassify you as a disguised employee (salarié déguisé). This puts your visa and your client at massive risk.
This is the Moroccan reality check. You cannot simply walk to the airport with €30,000 in cash. That is illegal. You must transfer the capital through official banking channels via the Office des Changes. If your money is "informal" or you cannot prove its origin, you cannot set up the company legally.
This is where amateur advice fails. How do you get the €30,000 (approx. 330,000 MAD) to France?
If your Moroccan company is profitable and has paid its taxes, you can use the investment allowance (dotation investissement).
If you invest personally, you are limited by the regulations on personal foreign investment. While procedures have simplified, "exfiltrating" cash via "dotation touristique" to fund a company share capital is strictly forbidden and will block your company creation in France (the French bank will ask for proof of transfer legitimacy).
Our Advice: Always try to structure this as a corporate investment from your Moroccan SARL to the new French SAS if possible. It is cleaner, has higher limits, and justifies the "Dual Structure" narrative.
Why go through this trouble? Because a French SIRET number (company ID) acts as a trust key.
When you pitch a European mid-market company as "Agency XYZ Maroc," you are often categorized as "offshore outsourcing"—which implies "cheap."
When you pitch as "Agency XYZ France" (with a Paris address and SIRET), you are a local partner.
| Green Flags (Go) | Red Flags (Stop) |
|---|---|
| ✅ You generate >150k MAD/month in Morocco | ❌ You have <50k MAD savings total |
| ✅ You already have 1-2 EU clients | ❌ You have 0 clients, just an "idea" |
| ✅ You can justify the origin of €30k | ❌ You plan to use "informal" money |
| ✅ You offer high-margin services (IT, Consulting) | ❌ Low-margin trade (buying/selling goods) |
| ✅ You hold a Master's degree | ❌ No degree + <5 years experience |
The "30k Route" is not an immigration hack. It is a massive upgrade to your business infrastructure. It turns your Moroccan agency from a "foreign vendor" into a "multinational SME."
It allows you to secure your family's future with a 4-year residency while earning Euros that stay in a stable currency. But it requires respecting the rules on both sides of the Mediterranean: the Office des Changes in Rabat and the DRIEETS in Paris.
If you have the revenue and the ambition, do not let administrative fear stop you. But do not start until you have a plan that satisfies both the banker and the consul.
Ready to check if your agency qualifies?
We have built a specific eligibility calculator for Moroccan founders that checks your revenue, capital, and "Office des Changes" compatibility.
Yes, but you will likely also contribute to the French social security system if you pay yourself a salary in France. Many founders maintain their status in Morocco as a non-salaried manager to keep their local rights active, while building new rights in France. Note that there is a social security convention between France and Morocco that prevents total loss of contribution periods.
You must go through your Moroccan bank. If investing as a company, you invoke the Investissement à l'étranger allowance (up to 200M MAD). You will need to provide the French company's draft statutes and a certificate of reservation of the company name. The bank validates the transfer directly with the Office des Changes system.
No. France and Morocco have a tax treaty to prevent double taxation. Your French company pays Corporate Tax (IS) in France on its profit. Your Moroccan company pays IS in Morocco. If you send dividends from France to Morocco, there is a withholding tax, but it generates a tax credit in Morocco. You need a chartered accountant (Expert-Comptable) who understands cross-border conventions.
For the visa, you need a domiciliation (legal address) at minimum. However, the authorities prefer to see a real workspace (coworking contract) rather than just a mailbox, as it proves the "reality" of the business. You do not need a strict "3-6-9" commercial lease immediately; a flexible coworking contract is standard and accepted.
Yes. The "Talent Passport – Business Creator" allows for the "Famille accompagnante" procedure. Your spouse and minor children get visas at the same time or shortly after you, and your spouse receives a residence permit allowing them to work in France immediately.
Do you know a founder in Casa or Rabat who is still struggling to invoice EU clients?
Tag them or share this guide. The bridge is open, you just need the right blueprint.