Hire a Japanese Chef in Morocco: ANAPEC and Contract Approval

Morocco has no general quota on foreign staff, but it does have a labour market test. Before a company can hire a foreigner, the national employment agency ANAPEC has to confirm that no suitable Moroccan candidate was found, and the employment contract then has to be endorsed by the labour ministry. This guide explains both steps, the exemptions that matter for Japanese restaurant groups, and the residence permit.

1. The market

• MAFF counted about 200 Japanese restaurants in Morocco in 2025, about 10 more than in 2023 (MAFF rounds to the nearest ten). Only South Africa has more in Africa in MAFF's table.
• MOFA recorded 450 Japanese nationals in Morocco on 1 October 2025, up 6.6% in a year: 386 long-term stayers and 64 permanent residents.

Two hundred restaurants and fewer than five hundred Japanese residents suggests most Japanese kitchens in Morocco rely largely on Moroccan cooks. That is also what the ANAPEC test expects you to have tried first. Our guide to training local staff in Japanese cuisine covers how to build that team.

2. A note on sources

The websites of ANAPEC and the TAECHIR platform could not be reached when we researched this article in September 2026. The procedure below comes from JETRO's page on Moroccan foreign employment rules, last updated 1 October 2025. Confirm current details with ANAPEC and the ministry before you file.

3. The ANAPEC certificate: proving no local candidate

JETRO explains that Moroccan law does not require companies to employ a fixed share of Moroccans. Instead, since September 2006 a company wishing to hire a foreigner must obtain a certificate from the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC), which acts as a job placement agency. The logic is that a foreigner may be hired only once it is shown that no suitable Moroccan candidate exists for the post. The process, as JETRO describes it:

1. The company submits an application to ANAPEC for the foreign hire.
2. The job is advertised on ANAPEC's job site and in newspapers or on social media.
3. ANAPEC shortlists candidates from the responses and from its own jobseeker database.
4. If no suitable candidate is found, ANAPEC issues the certificate allowing the foreign hire.
5. If one or more candidates are found, ANAPEC gives the company the list and the company interviews them.
6. If the company decides none is suitable, it reports to the ministry, which makes the decision.

For a sushi or kaiseki head chef, the job description is your main tool. Be specific about the skills and experience the post requires (years at a Japanese counter, fish handling, menu development), because that is what the candidates will be measured against. Our sushi chef job description is a useful template.

Who is exempt

JETRO lists foreigners who do not need the foreign worker authorisation, including spouses of Moroccans, people born in Morocco who live there regularly, company managers and shareholders, technical experts on assignments under six months, nationals of Tunisia, Algeria and Senegal, and staff seconded from a head office for a limited period (two to three years). A simplified procedure also applies to specified senior posts and to occupations that are impossible or hard to fill from the Moroccan labour market.

The secondment exemption is the one to note if your Moroccan restaurant belongs to a group headquartered in Japan. Check with the ministry how it applies to your structure.

4. The endorsed employment contract (TAECHIR)

A foreign employee in Morocco needs an employment contract endorsed by the ministry responsible for labour. According to JETRO:

• Applications for endorsement of foreign employment contracts are made through the online platform TAECHIR. Since 1 June 2017, only applications through TAECHIR are accepted.
• Endorsement takes at most 10 days.

For what to put in the contract itself, see our contract checklist. JETRO notes that the legal working week is 44 hours, which matters when you set shift patterns for a dinner service.

5. Residence permit

• A foreigner staying more than three months, or wishing to work in Morocco, must apply for a residence permit within 15 days of entry, at the local police station or gendarmerie.
• The permit is valid for one year. Renewal must be made at least two months before it expires.
• After more than three years of residence, the holder may apply for a ten-year residence card.

A residence permit is needed to open a bank account, so put the 15-day deadline in the chef's arrival plan. See our onboarding guide.

6. Step by step

1. Check whether the chef falls into an exemption, such as a head office secondment.
2. If not, write a precise job description and apply to ANAPEC.
3. Interview any Moroccan candidates ANAPEC puts forward, and keep records.
4. Interview the chef with a practical test. See remote skills tests.
5. With the ANAPEC certificate, submit the contract for endorsement on TAECHIR.
6. After arrival, apply for the residence permit within 15 days.
7. Diary the renewal two months before the permit expires.

General information, not legal or immigration advice. This article relies on JETRO's summary (updated 1 October 2025) because ANAPEC and TAECHIR could not be accessed in September 2026; confirm the current procedure with ANAPEC and the ministry responsible for labour before acting.