The Growing Presence of Moroccan Citizens in European Mobility Statistics
The movement of Moroccan citizens toward Europe continues to play a crucial role in the international consular flows observed globally. According to data released by the European Commission, Schengen consulates issued 480,354 short-stay visas to Moroccan nationals in 2025, reaffirming Morocco's status as one of the leading countries in terms of visa applications and approvals worldwide.
This notable achievement comes as Moroccan citizens submitted a total of 619,827 Schengen short-stay visa applications over the past year. The European Commission's report places Morocco fifth among the countries with the highest number of applicants, trailing only China, Turkey, India, and Russia. Beyond the sheer volume of visas granted, European statistics reveal a significant proportion of visas issued for repeated travel. Specifically, the European Commission notes that 265,244 of the visas granted to Moroccans were multiple-entry permits, accounting for 55.2% of all approvals. This category serves as a crucial indicator of the ongoing movement of Moroccan citizens into the Schengen Area.
Additionally, the data from the European institution highlights that 114,320 visa applications submitted by Moroccan nationals were unsuccessful, resulting in a refusal rate of 19.2%. This snapshot of Moroccan visa applications occurs within a broader European context characterized by a moderate increase in consular activities. The European Commission reported that consulates of EU member states and countries associated with the Schengen Area received 11.93 million short-stay visa applications in 2025, up from 11.7 million in 2024, marking an increase of 1.8%. This growth has also translated into a rise in the total number of visas issued, with the European Commission confirming that over 10 million visas were granted in 2025, compared to 9.7 million the previous year, reflecting a year-on-year increase of approximately 3%.
Morocco’s Role in European Naturalization Trends
Despite this upward trend, the volumes observed remain below the levels recorded before the pandemic, with nearly 15 million visas issued across the Schengen Area in 2019. The European statistics also indicate a stability in the global refusal rate, which remained at 14.8% in 2025, unchanged from 2024. However, the European institution points out that this average conceals diverse situations depending on the countries where applications are submitted.
The Moroccan presence in European mobility statistics resonates with another set of data recently published by EU institutions. According to the 2026 edition of 'Demography of Europe' released by Eurostat, 97,056 Moroccan nationals acquired the nationality of an EU member state in 2024. The figures from the European Statistical Office place Morocco second among the countries most represented among new European citizens, with Moroccans constituting 8% of the 1,177,232 naturalizations recorded across the EU in 2024, just behind Syrians, who accounted for 110,083, or 9% of the total.
Eurostat also notes that Moroccans surpassed Albanians, who represented 48,042 naturalizations or 4% of the total nationality acquisitions in the EU. The European office emphasizes Morocco's consistent presence among the leading nationalities involved in naturalization processes within the Union. Between 2020 and 2022, as well as from 2023 to 2024, Syrians and Moroccans occupied the top two spots, ahead of Albanians. Furthermore, it is worth noting that between 2016 and 2019, Moroccans were already among the most represented nationalities in the procedures for acquiring European citizenship.
This trend occurs amidst a broader context of accelerating naturalizations within the European Union. Eurostat indicates that the 1,177,232 naturalizations recorded in 2024 represent a 12% increase compared to 2023. When viewed alongside the European Commission's data on Schengen visas, these figures illustrate the significance of human flows connecting Morocco and the European Union. On one hand, 480,354 short-stay visas were granted to Moroccan nationals in 2025, while on the other hand, 97,056 Moroccans obtained citizenship of an EU member state in 2024, according to Eurostat. These two distinct indicators, published by European institutions, highlight the prominent role Moroccan nationals play in the mobility dynamics observed across the European continent.
As reported by fr.le360.ma.
