Morocco Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Moroccan Business

TL;DR. Moroccan companies are registered with OMPIC (Office Marocain de la Propriete Industrielle et Commerciale) at ompic.ma, which serves as the central commercial registry authority. Basic searches are available in French and Arabic; English is partial. Certified extracts cost MAD 30 to MAD 200 (approximately USD 2.90 to USD 19.30). Morocco was removed from the FATF grey list in February 2023 and is continuing to implement AML reforms. The ICE number is Morocco’s primary company identifier.

What is the official Morocco business registry?

The Office Marocain de la Propriete Industrielle et Commerciale (OMPIC) at ompic.ma is the statutory authority administering Morocco’s commercial registry (Registre du Commerce). OMPIC operates under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Green and Digital Economy and is responsible for company registration, trademark and patent registration, and the maintenance of the central commercial database.

The legal basis for company registration is Morocco’s Company Code (Code des Societes, promulgated under Law No. 17-95 on joint stock companies and Law No. 5-96 on other commercial forms), alongside the Commercial Code (Code de Commerce). OMPIC digitized the commercial registry system progressively from the mid-2000s, with full online access to registration searches and document orders operational by the early 2020s.

Morocco maintains a network of Tribunal de Commerce (Commercial Courts) and Centres Regionaux d’Investissement (CRI) that serve as regional nodes for company registration. Physical registration and filings occur at the relevant CRI or commercial court registry, which then feeds into OMPIC’s central database. The online OMPIC portal aggregates records across all regional registries.

The registry covers societes anonymes (SA, equivalent to public limited companies), societes a responsabilite limitee (SARL, equivalent to private limited companies), societes en commandite, societes en nom collectif, auto-entrepreneurs, branches of foreign companies, and holding companies. Morocco’s auto-entrepreneur framework (self-employed individuals and micro-businesses), introduced in 2015 and expanded in subsequent years, also registers through OMPIC.

Morocco’s commercial registry is integrated with the Tax Directorate (Direction Generale des Impots, DGI) at tax.gov.ma, which issues the ICE (Identifiant Commun de l’Entreprise) number, Morocco’s unified company identifier that links company registration and tax records.

What can you search?

The OMPIC online portal at societes.ompic.ma supports searches on:

• Company name (French or Arabic)
• ICE number (the primary unified identifier)
• RC number (Registre du Commerce number, the legacy registry identifier)
• CNSS number (social security registration number)

Search results return the company’s ICE number, RC number, incorporation date, legal form, registered address, current status (active, dissolved, struck off, in liquidation, etc.), and the registered capital amount.

Authenticated OMPIC account holders can access additional details including shareholder listings, director appointments, and certified document orders. A free public search returns basic company existence and status confirmation.

Data at OMPIC is updated on a filing-event basis. Director changes, capital amendments, and status changes are filed with the relevant commercial court registry and propagated to the central OMPIC database. Annual filings (financial statements, etc.) are not uniformly digitized for all companies; smaller entities may have incomplete digital records.

How much does it cost?

Prices are based on OMPIC published fee schedules as of May 2026. The MAD/USD conversion used is approximately 0.097 (based on prevailing exchange rates in May 2026). Fees are denominated in MAD and payable via CMI (the Moroccan interbank payment network), credit card, or bank transfer.

Do you need a local account or ID?

An OMPIC account is required to order certified documents. Account registration accepts an email address. Foreign buyers can register with a passport; no Moroccan national ID (Carte Nationale d’Identite, CIN) is required for basic account registration on the OMPIC platform.

Some advanced document orders and certified extracts may require a local legal representative or the direct engagement of a Moroccan notary (Adoul or notaire) or barrister for authentication purposes beyond the OMPIC digital certificate. Payment via CMI may require a Moroccan bank account; international credit card payment is available for most OMPIC online services.

Is the website in English?

Partial. The OMPIC portal operates primarily in French and Arabic. French is the language of Moroccan commercial law, and most registry entries, company documents, and certified extracts are in French (with some Arabic-language parallel documents). The OMPIC website has limited English-language navigation, and English is not available for registry search interfaces.

For foreign compliance buyers accustomed to English, the French-language documents are typically interpretable by compliance teams or with straightforward translation. Certified translation of OMPIC extracts into English is available through Moroccan sworn translators (traducteurs agrees) at additional cost.

What’s the turnaround time?

Basic company searches on the OMPIC portal are instant.

Certified document orders typically take 3 to 7 business days from OMPIC. Orders can be placed online and collected digitally (PDF with electronic seal) or in physical form at a regional OMPIC office or CRI. Physical certified documents may be required for legal proceedings or apostille authentication.

For documents requiring apostille (for use in Hague Convention countries), an additional step through the Moroccan Ministry of Justice adds further processing time. Morocco is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.

Is there an API?

No public API is available from OMPIC for company data queries. The online portal is web-based without an open data interface. Automated bulk access to registry records is not permitted under OMPIC’s terms of use.

Commercial data suppliers with Morocco coverage (see Local data suppliers section) provide API access to Moroccan company data for platform integration.

What you legally cannot do

Morocco’s Law No. 09-08 on the Protection of Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data (amended by Law No. 31-13) governs personal data processing. Director names, shareholder details, and addresses extracted from OMPIC records constitute personal data under this law. Processing for AML and KYC compliance constitutes a legitimate use case, but redistribution of personal data from registry records for commercial resale requires registration with the Commission Nationale de controle de la protection des Donnees a caractere Personnel (CNDP) at cndp.ma.

Morocco’s AML/CFT framework is administered by the Unite de Traitement du Renseignement Financier (UTRF) at utrf.gov.ma. Financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses must conduct customer due diligence under Dahir No. 1-21-174 implementing Law No. 43-20 on combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

Automated scraping of the OMPIC portal is prohibited under its terms of use. Certified document redistribution without OMPIC authorization is not permitted.

For cross-border due diligence on Moroccan counterparties, the Global Business Due Diligence Guide covers Morocco’s compliance positioning within the Africa and MENA context.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• Use the ICE number as the primary identifier. The ICE (Identifiant Commun de l’Entreprise) is Morocco’s unified company identifier, introduced to harmonize tax (DGI) and commercial registry (OMPIC) records. It is a 15-digit numeric code. The legacy RC number (Registre du Commerce number, format varies by region) is still used in older documents, but the ICE is now the preferred compliance anchor. Always verify the ICE against the OMPIC and DGI records.
• Distinguish SARL from SA. A SARL (Societe a Responsabilite Limitee) is a private limited company with restrictions on share transfer; it is the most common form for Moroccan SMEs and family businesses. An SA (Societe Anonyme) is a public limited company typically used for larger businesses or those seeking capital markets access. The legal disclosure requirements and governance structures differ considerably.
• Auto-entrepreneur status requires separate verification. Morocco’s auto-entrepreneur registry covers micro-businesses and self-employed persons. An auto-entrepreneur is an individual, not a separate legal entity. If a counterparty identifies as an auto-entrepreneur, verify the registration at auto-entrepreneur.ma and note that the individual behind the registration is the legal counterparty, not a company.
• FATF removal in February 2023. Morocco was removed from the FATF grey list in February 2023 following reforms to its AML/CFT framework. This removal is material for correspondent banking relationships; transactions with Moroccan financial institutions are generally no longer subject to EDD requirements on FATF grey-list grounds alone. However, sector-specific risk factors still apply.
• French-language documents. All official commercial registry documents in Morocco are in French (and sometimes Arabic). For compliance file documentation, plan for French-language document management or certified translation.
• AfCFTA and EU Association Agreement. Morocco has an EU-Morocco Association Agreement that shapes its regulatory environment toward European standards, and is a signatory of the AfCFTA. Cross-border due diligence involving Morocco frequently arises in EU-Africa trade and investment corridors. Morocco’s proximity to Europe makes it a material transit and investment jurisdiction.

Alternatives if you cannot access OMPIC directly

• Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates has some Morocco coverage but lags official OMPIC data. Use as a quick name-check only; not for compliance-grade verification.
• societes.ompic.ma: OMPIC’s dedicated company search portal (a subdomain of the main OMPIC site) provides the primary search interface. This is more reliable than general web searches for company status.
• CRI (Centres Regionaux d’Investissement): Regional investment centers in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Fes, and other major cities can assist with document retrieval and act as a local interface for foreign buyers.
• Commercial data suppliers (see section below): aggregate OMPIC data with commercial credit information.

Local data suppliers

• Dun & Bradstreet Morocco (dnb.com). Global data provider with Morocco coverage. Offers company reports and credit risk scoring for Moroccan entities.
• Inforisk (inforisk.ma). Moroccan-based business information provider covering commercial registry data, financial information, and credit risk scoring for Moroccan companies. Provides reports combining OMPIC registry data with financial health indicators.
• HCP (Haut Commissariat au Plan) (hcp.ma). Morocco’s national statistics office publishes economic data on Moroccan companies by sector and size, useful for industry benchmarking alongside company-specific verification.

Use OMPIC for the authoritative company registration record. Use a commercial data supplier when you need financial risk scoring, payment behavior, or director-linked analysis on top of the registry extract.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Morocco OMPIC registry directly?

Yes. OMPIC’s company search portal is accessible internationally. Account registration accepts foreign email addresses without requiring a Moroccan national ID. The primary constraint for foreign buyers is that the portal operates in French and Arabic, with no English interface. Payment via international credit card is available for most online document orders, though some services route through CMI, which requires a Moroccan bank account.

What is the ICE number in Morocco?

The ICE (Identifiant Commun de l’Entreprise) is Morocco’s 15-digit unified company identifier, introduced to align the commercial registry (OMPIC) and tax authority (DGI) records under a single reference. It replaced the dual-system of having separate RC numbers (from the commercial court) and tax numbers. The ICE is now the primary anchor for company verification in Morocco and appears on official company documents, tax declarations, and commercial contracts.

What entity types are registered with OMPIC?

OMPIC registers societes anonymes (SA), societes a responsabilite limitee (SARL), societes en commandite par actions (SCA), societes en commandite simple, societes en nom collectif (SNC), branches of foreign companies, groupements d’interet economique (GIE), and auto-entrepreneurs. Associations and non-profit bodies register separately with the Ministry of the Interior. Cooperatives have a separate registration framework.

Does Morocco have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?

Morocco has introduced beneficial ownership disclosure requirements as part of its post-grey-list AML reforms. Law No. 43-20 on combating money laundering requires companies to identify and declare beneficial owners (defined as natural persons holding directly or indirectly more than 25% of capital or voting rights, or exercising effective control). Companies must file beneficial ownership declarations with OMPIC. As of May 2026, the UBO register is not publicly searchable but is accessible to competent authorities and reporting institutions under AML/CFT obligations. This aligns with FATF Recommendation 24.

How current is the data in OMPIC?

OMPIC data is event-driven, updated when companies file changes with the relevant commercial court registry. Director changes, capital amendments, and dissolution filings are reflected upon processing, typically within days to weeks of the triggering event. Annual financial statement filings are not uniformly digitized for all company sizes. For small and medium Moroccan companies, digital records may be incomplete compared to larger corporates. Cross-reference with a commercial data supplier for time-sensitive verification.

Is Morocco on the FATF grey list?

No. Morocco was removed from the FATF Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring (grey) list in February 2023, following the implementation of its AML/CFT action plan, including reforms to beneficial ownership transparency, financial intelligence, and AML supervision. As of May 2026, Morocco is not on the grey list. Standard due diligence applies for Moroccan counterparties, though compliance teams should continue to follow their institution’s standard KYC procedures. Current status can be verified at fatf-gafi.org.

What is the difference between OMPIC and the Tribunaux de Commerce?

OMPIC (Office Marocain de la Propriete Industrielle et Commerciale) operates the central commercial registry database and provides online access to company records. The physical registration of companies occurs at the Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce (Commercial Court Registry) in the relevant jurisdiction. OMPIC aggregates these records centrally and provides the national search and document order interface. Both are authoritative; OMPIC is the practical access point for online searches and most document orders, while the Greffe is the physical registration office for company filings and local certified document collection.

Last verified: May 2026. Source: OMPIC Morocco (ompic.ma), Unite de Traitement du Renseignement Financier (utrf.gov.ma), FATF (fatf-gafi.org). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.