Importing Livestock into Morocco in 2026: Authorisations, Veterinary Controls and Importer Liability

Why livestock import regulation is back at the centre of Moroccan debate

Importing cattle, sheep, goats or horses into Morocco is not an ordinary purchase of merchandise. Animals can carry contagious diseases, suffer during transport and lose their commercial value within hours if a border inspection goes wrong. For that reason, a livestock shipment is governed simultaneously by veterinary health law, customs law, animal welfare requirements, foreign-trade rules and international contract law.

The public controversy surrounding statements and decisions attributed to Fouzi Lekjaa on livestock imports has brought the subject back into the news. That political debate may affect quotas, public support mechanisms or temporary tariff measures. It does not, however, replace the law. Whatever position one takes, the same basic principle remains: no political announcement, press release or supplier assurance exempts an importer from ONSSA and customs requirements.

In practice, even experienced operators can be stopped because one identification number does not match, the exporting establishment has lost its approval, or the health certificate uses an obsolete model. A truck may have crossed Spain and reached Tanger Med, yet remain immobilised because the veterinary certificate describes 59 cattle while the physical inspection reveals 60. With live animals, a documentary defect rapidly becomes a welfare, financial and legal crisis.

I have seen a version of this scenario more than once. In one anonymised 2022 file involving cattle arriving through Tanger Med, the commercial documents were apparently complete, but the importer had not secured written confirmation of the applicable Moroccan sanitary protocol before loading. The animals remained under official control while additional documentation was sought. Transport, feeding, veterinary and holding expenses accumulated daily. The lesson was severe: ONSSA clearance must be treated as a condition precedent to shipment, not as paperwork to be regularised at the port.

This article explains the conditions for importing livestock into Morocco in 2026. It also corrects several references that are frequently repeated online but are legally inaccurate.

The legal foundations of livestock imports into Morocco

The central text: Law No. 24-89 on veterinary sanitary control at importation

The principal legislation is Law No. 24-89 laying down veterinary sanitary police measures applicable to the importation of animals, animal products, products of animal origin, animal reproduction material and freshwater and marine products. It was promulgated by Dahir No. 1-89-230 of 22 Rabii I 1414, corresponding to 10 September 1993.

Its implementing framework includes Decree No. 2-89-597 of 25 Rabii II 1414, corresponding to 12 October 1993. These texts establish the legal architecture for veterinary inspection, documentary requirements, health conditions, official decisions at the border and measures that may be taken when a consignment presents a sanitary risk.

In substance, Law No. 24-89 makes the entry of animals subject to official veterinary sanitary control and permits the administration to refuse entry, order isolation, require treatment or testing, direct re-export, or order slaughter or destruction where the legal and sanitary conditions are not met.

The exact applicable conditions do not come from the statute alone. They are completed by decrees, ministerial orders, species-specific health certificate models, bilateral protocols and temporary ONSSA measures adopted in response to outbreaks. This is why reading only one law is never enough.

The historical veterinary police legislation

Morocco also has older legislation protecting livestock against contagious diseases, including Dahir Law No. 1-75-292 of 5 Shawwal 1397, corresponding to 19 September 1977, laying down measures intended to protect domestic animals against contagious diseases. It provides the domestic veterinary-police background for declarations of disease, movement restrictions, isolation, vaccination, slaughter and disinfection.

These powers matter after importation as well. If imported animals show suspicious symptoms on a farm near Meknes, Sidi Kacem or Berrechid, the matter is no longer merely contractual. The provincial veterinary services may impose official measures on the holding and on animals that have been in contact with the imported group.

ONSSA was created by Law No. 25-08, not Law No. 25-11

A recurring error deserves correction. The National Office for Food Safety, known as ONSSA, was created by Law No. 25-08, promulgated by Dahir No. 1-09-20 of 22 Safar 1430, corresponding to 18 February 2009. It was not created by Law No. 25-11.

Article 2 of Law No. 25-08 defines ONSSA's broad responsibilities in food and animal health safety, including the application of state policy relating to the sanitary protection of animal and plant heritage and the control of food products. Those powers explain ONSSA's central position in live-animal imports, border veterinary inspections and traceability.

Why Law No. 49-99 should not be used as a general livestock code

Another common online mistake is to describe Law No. 49-99 as the general law on the sanitary protection of all livestock. Its scope is more specific: it concerns the sanitary protection of poultry farms and the control of the production and marketing of poultry products. It may be relevant to imported poultry or the poultry sector, but it is not the main legal basis for importing cattle and sheep.

For bovine, ovine, caprine and equine imports, practitioners should begin with Law No. 24-89, its implementing rules, the applicable health protocol and the current instructions of ONSSA. Citing the wrong statute in a letter to the administration rarely helps an operator's credibility.

The Customs and Excise Code

Customs treatment is governed by the Customs and Excise Code enacted by Dahir Law No. 1-77-339 of 25 Shawwal 1397, corresponding to 9 October 1977, as repeatedly amended, notably by annual Finance Acts.

Article 23 of the Customs and Excise Code is central to the concept of prohibited or restricted goods. Animals that may be imported only upon presentation of a sanitary authorisation are treated as restricted goods for customs purposes. A customs declaration cannot cure the absence of the veterinary document required by the competent authority.

The legislative hierarchy is straightforward: a dahir promulgates the law; implementing decrees specify its operation; ministerial orders establish technical conditions; and ONSSA notices, protocols or service instructions organise implementation. A circular cannot lawfully contradict a statute or decree, but it may determine how officials process a consignment in practice.

Operators should consult the consolidated texts on the General Secretariat of the Government portal, the current tariff on the ADII website, and sanitary information published by ONSSA. Some amending orders attract little publicity, so an old PDF kept by a supplier is not sufficient legal verification.

ONSSA authorisation before ordering or shipping animals

What ONSSA actually controls

ONSSA assesses whether the species, country, zone, establishment and intended use of the animals satisfy Moroccan health requirements. Its officials may examine the exporting country's disease status, surveillance system and veterinary guarantees. They also verify whether Morocco has approved the relevant certificate model or agreed a bilateral protocol.

The intended use matters. Breeding cattle, fattening cattle, animals for immediate slaughter and high-value equines do not necessarily follow identical sanitary or customs treatment. The file must therefore describe the transaction accurately rather than use the vague expression livestock.

The prior import authorisation file

The safest rule is simple: obtain written confirmation of admissibility and any required prior sanitary authorisation before making an unconditional purchase or loading the animals. Depending on the species and current administrative system, the process may involve an ONSSA request, an import undertaking processed through the foreign-trade platform, a sanitary protocol and advance notification to the border inspection service.

A serious application file will generally identify:

• the Moroccan importer, including its legal name, address, company registration and tax identifiers;
• the species, breed, sex, age, number and intended use of the animals;
• the exporting country, region and holding or assembly centre;
• the official approval number of the exporting establishment where applicable;
• the proposed port, airport or land entry point;
• the transport itinerary and expected arrival date;
• the destination farm, slaughterhouse, quarantine facility or equestrian establishment;
• the health certificate model and testing, vaccination or isolation programme;
• proof of any reservation at an approved isolation or quarantine facility.

There is no prudent basis for promising a universal statutory processing time of 15 working days. Some routine files may be handled within that period, but complex approval requests can take three to six weeks or longer, particularly where ONSSA must consult the exporting authority or assess an establishment. An operator should obtain a dated receipt and retain the complete version submitted.

A practical example illustrates the risk. An anonymised breeder from the Meknes region negotiated a shipment of sheep from Spain and relied on the seller's statement that Spanish animals were accepted in Morocco. The relevant question, however, was not simply whether Spain was approved. The precise establishment and sanitary protocol also mattered. When the file was reviewed before the planned crossing near Bab Sebta, the establishment's status could not be confirmed for that operation. The shipment had to be cancelled before entry, leaving a dispute over the deposit. Fortunately, the animals had not yet crossed; otherwise, the losses would have been far greater.

The official veterinary certificate: the decisive document

Who must issue it?

The veterinary health certificate for importing animals into Morocco must be issued or endorsed by the competent official veterinary authority of the exporting country. A certificate signed only by the supplier's private veterinarian will normally be insufficient unless that veterinarian is officially authorised and the document is validated in the form required by the exporting administration and Morocco.

The importer must use the model accepted for the particular species, origin and purpose. A European Union certificate used for intra-EU movement is not automatically valid for export to Morocco. Equally, a certificate accepted last year may have been replaced after a change in disease status.

Required information

Although the precise declarations vary, the certificate will normally cover:

• individual or batch identification, including ear-tag or microchip numbers;
• species, breed, sex, age and number of animals;
• holding, assembly centre and country or zone of origin;
• the absence of clinical signs of specified diseases at examination;
• results and dates of required tests, such as those relating to bovine tuberculosis or brucellosis;
• vaccination status where vaccination is required or permitted;
• pre-export isolation conditions;
• transport cleaning, disinfection and animal-welfare declarations;
• the official veterinarian's name, capacity, signature, stamp and date.

Diseases of concern may include foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, bluetongue, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, peste des petits ruminants, lumpy skin disease and other diseases listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health. The former OIE terminology of Lists A and B has been replaced by a single WOAH-listed disease framework. Contracts still referring mechanically to “OIE List A and B diseases” should be modernised.

Translation and legalisation

French or Arabic is generally the safest language for use before Moroccan authorities, although an agreed bilingual official model may be accepted. If the original is in another language, the importer should confirm whether a sworn translation is required. Consular legalisation or an apostille should not be assumed automatically: the formalities depend on the issuing country, applicable conventions and the Moroccan authority's current instructions.

Allowing an extra five to ten working days for translation, authentication or replacement of a defective certificate is commercially sensible. But attention: the certificate may have a limited validity linked to examination and departure. Completing it too early can be as damaging as completing it too late.

Transit and temporary imports

Animals entering temporarily for an equestrian competition, breeding event, exhibition or veterinary treatment may benefit from temporary customs admission, but that does not eliminate sanitary control. The operator must document re-export, identification and the place where the animals will stay. Horses arriving by air at Casablanca Mohammed V or Rabat-Salé require close coordination between the airline, handling agent, customs broker and official veterinary service.

Which countries may export live animals to Morocco?

There is no reliable permanent answer such as “all EU countries are authorised”. Eligibility is assessed by species, product, health status, region, establishment and intended use. France or Spain may be eligible for one category while a particular zone is suspended because of bluetongue, epizootic haemorrhagic disease or another outbreak.

Morocco may recognise an exporting country's official controls and agree a health certificate, then suspend imports when sanitary conditions deteriorate. The measure can arise between contract signature and loading. For projects involving sheep or goats from Sudan, Ethiopia or another African country, political discussion or a memorandum of understanding does not itself establish present legal eligibility. Written confirmation from ONSSA is essential.

The list of eligible countries and establishments is not always available publicly in real time in a single consolidated database. An informed operator will request written confirmation from ONSSA's competent control directorate and ask the exporting veterinary authority to confirm that the establishment is approved for Morocco.

The purchase agreement should contain a sanitary-status condition precedent. It should permit termination and refund of the deposit if Morocco suspends the country, zone or establishment before loading. It should also state who bears testing, holding and return costs if status changes during transit.

A useful clause should make shipment conditional on the continued validity, up to border release, of all Moroccan import authorisations and official veterinary approvals. It should not merely require the seller to “use best efforts”.

Veterinary controls at the Moroccan border

Choosing the authorised point of entry

Tanger Med is the principal maritime gateway for many livestock consignments arriving from Europe. Other entry points may handle live animals only when they possess the required veterinary facilities and are authorised for the species and operation concerned. Bab Sebta, Beni Ansar near Melilla, Casablanca Mohammed V Airport and Rabat-Salé Airport may be relevant in particular cases, but their availability must be confirmed before shipment.

The authorised point stated in the file should not be changed casually. Rerouting a vessel or truck may place the animals at a point that lacks an approved inspection or holding facility. Written amendment or confirmation should be obtained first.

The three stages of inspection

The border veterinary process generally combines three controls. First comes the documentary check: authorisation, original certificate, transport papers, origin and supporting laboratory results. Second is the identity check, comparing ear tags, microchips, seals, quantities and descriptions with the documents. Third is the physical veterinary examination, during which the official veterinarian assesses the animals' condition and signs of disease.

If doubt remains, samples or additional tests may be ordered. This can add at least 48 to 72 hours, sometimes much longer depending on the test and laboratory. Inspection, sampling, unloading, feeding and holding costs are normally borne commercially by the importer, without prejudice to a later claim against a defaulting seller or carrier.

Common causes of detention or rejection include missing original certificates, incorrect tag numbers, an unapproved establishment, expired test results, broken seals, signs of contagious disease, overcrowding and a discrepancy between the declared and actual number of animals.

Refusal, re-export, slaughter or destruction

Depending on the sanitary risk and legal defect, the administration may order additional isolation, re-export, slaughter or destruction. Re-export is not always physically or legally possible: the carrier must agree, the exporting state must accept the animals back, and welfare requirements must remain satisfied.

A rejection decision is an administrative act and may, in principle, be challenged before the territorially competent administrative court. An emergency application may also be considered where the conditions of Moroccan administrative procedure are met. Yet litigation moves more slowly than a distressed animal. Preventive documentary work is usually more effective than relying on a court order after arrival.

Practitioners sometimes repeat the story of a 2019 Tanger Administrative Court case supposedly closed after emergency slaughter. No publicly accessible reported judgment matching all those details can be responsibly cited. Similar operational disputes do occur, but an anecdote is not jurisprudence. A claimant should preserve the written decision, veterinary reports, photographs, laboratory findings, invoices and proof of any request for a second examination.

Where the decision later proves unlawful, an action for annulment may be combined or followed, depending on the procedural position, by a compensation claim against the responsible public entity. Causation and proof of loss remain demanding. Businesses facing such a dispute may consult administrative-law lawyers in Rabat or customs lawyers in Tanger.

Quarantine and isolation: no universal 21-day rule

Many summaries state that Morocco imposes exactly 21 days of quarantine for all cattle and sheep and 30 days for all horses. That statement is too categorical. The applicable period comes from the species-specific sanitary protocol, the country-of-origin conditions, the import authorisation and the official veterinarian's decision. Twenty-one or thirty days may indeed appear in a particular protocol, but they are not safe universal figures for every shipment.

Pre-export isolation may be required at an approved holding under official supervision. Morocco may still impose observation, testing or isolation after arrival. A bilateral protocol can allocate much of the quarantine process to the exporting country, but the border authority retains its inspection powers.

Approved facilities have limited capacity. The importer should obtain a written reservation before loading and clarify whether the price includes feed, bedding, unloading, disinfection, laboratory tests, veterinary attendance and carcass disposal. Figures of 50 to 120 dirhams per animal per day are sometimes quoted commercially, but they are not a national statutory tariff and should not be presented as such. Actual cost varies greatly by species, facility, feed and services.

Risk of mortality must be allocated contractually. Standard cargo insurance may exclude live animals, disease, delay, heat stress or mortality during quarantine. A specialised policy should identify the insured journey, attachment and termination of cover, deductible, veterinary evidence and exclusions.

Customs duties and import taxation

Tariff classification

Live animals fall under Chapter 01 of the Moroccan customs tariff. The principal Harmonized System headings include 0101 for live horses, asses, mules and hinnies; 0102 for live bovine animals; 0103 for live swine; and 0104 for live sheep and goats.

Classification does not stop at four digits. Pure-bred breeding animals may have a different tariff subheading and documentary burden from animals intended for fattening or slaughter. Breed documentation and pedigree evidence must support any preferential classification.

Rates must be checked for the precise 2026 operation

It is unsafe to publish a single customs-duty rate or state that import VAT is invariably 14%. Rates may change under the Finance Act, temporary government measures, tariff quotas, suspension schemes, preferential origin arrangements or special programmes responding to drought and domestic meat prices.

The taxable basis may include the customs value and other amounts determined under the Customs and Excise Code. Preferential treatment under the Morocco-EU Association Agreement or the Agadir Agreement depends on the tariff line, origin rules and valid proof of origin. Export from an EU port is not itself proof of EU preferential origin.

Before signing, the importer or its customs broker should obtain the current tariff treatment from ADII. For a high-value or repeated operation, a written classification or advance-ruling request should be considered. Businesses disputing classification or valuation may seek assistance from Moroccan customs-litigation lawyers.

Temporary admission and exemptions

Temporary admission may be appropriate for competition horses or animals entering for a limited event and scheduled for re-export. The regime normally requires customs security, strict identification and compliance with the re-export deadline. It does not exempt the animals from veterinary certification or border control.

Any exemption for breeding stock must be verified against the exact tariff line and current legal instrument. A seller's invoice describing animals as “breeders” does not bind Moroccan customs.

Customs clearance step by step

A normal file may include the ONSSA authorisation or sanitary admissibility document, the original official veterinary certificate, commercial invoice, animal identification list, transport document, certificate of origin, insurance document, import undertaking and proof of any preferential origin claimed. Feed, bedding or plant material travelling with the animals may trigger separate plant-health restrictions. Strictly speaking, phytosanitary rules concern plants and plant products, not the animals themselves.

1. Before dispatch: confirm sanitary eligibility, reserve inspection and holding capacity, validate the certificate model and pre-notify the arrival.
2. Customs preparation: the broker prepares the detailed declaration through ADII's BADR system and verifies tariff classification, valuation and origin.
3. Arrival: transport documents and original veterinary papers are presented without delay.
4. ONSSA inspection: documentary, identity and physical checks are completed, with sampling where required.
5. Customs liquidation: applicable duties and taxes are assessed, guarantees lodged where necessary and release formalities completed.
6. Transfer under control: animals move to the authorised quarantine station, slaughterhouse, farm or other stated destination.

In an uncomplicated case, operational clearance may take 24 to 72 hours. A physical inspection, laboratory analysis, missing original or customs dispute can extend it to five to seven days or more. These are practical estimates, not guaranteed legal deadlines.

An importer established in Morocco may, in principle, handle certain formalities directly if legally entitled and properly registered. In reality, a licensed customs broker, or transitaire agréé en douane, is highly advisable. Live-animal files require simultaneous coordination with ADII, ONSSA, the carrier, port operator and destination facility.

Post-import identification, traceability and health monitoring

Release from the border does not end the importer's responsibilities. Imported animals must be integrated into the national identification and traceability arrangements administered by ONSSA. Existing foreign tags must remain traceable, and Moroccan identification may be required in accordance with the species-specific system and official instructions.

The often-repeated “15-day rule” should be verified against the applicable identification programme rather than treated as universal. The importer should immediately contact the provincial ONSSA veterinary service and the authorised veterinarian responsible for the destination holding. Delaying until the fifteenth day creates unnecessary risk if tags, records or supporting documents are defective.

The holding register should show origin, arrival date, foreign and Moroccan identifiers, health documents, vaccinations, treatments, deaths, movements and destination. Follow-up visits or testing at 30 or 90 days may be imposed by the protocol or veterinary authority, but they are not automatically identical for every species and origin.

Fraud involving identity, origin or health certificates can lead to seizure, veterinary measures, customs penalties and criminal proceedings, particularly where forged official documents or false declarations are used. Depending on the facts, the Customs and Excise Code, the Penal Code and veterinary legislation may all apply. Administrative approval may also be suspended or withdrawn.

Contractual protection: where many importers fail

A Moroccan import authorisation protects the public-health process; it does not allocate losses between buyer and seller. That allocation belongs in the international sale agreement. Generic purchase orders and informal WhatsApp assurances are not adequate for a high-risk livestock shipment.

The contract should define the animals precisely and address:

• individual identification, breed, age, weight and reproductive status;
• the health tests, certificate model and issuing authority;
• the continued approval of the country, zone and establishment;
• the Incoterm used and the exact delivery point;
• who bears detention, testing, quarantine, return and slaughter costs;
• transfer of title and transfer of risk, which are not necessarily simultaneous;
• mortality tolerances and veterinary evidence;
• refund of deposits if authorisation is refused before shipment;
• applicable law, court jurisdiction or arbitration;
• the language and hierarchy of contractual documents.

Incoterms allocate specified costs and risks, but they do not replace detailed health clauses. Under CIF, for example, the seller's insurance obligation may provide only limited cargo cover and may not adequately insure live-animal mortality. Under DAP, the seller may carry transport risk farther, yet the Moroccan importer may remain the person legally responsible before local authorities.

For substantial transactions, a Moroccan lawyer familiar with agro-food regulation and international sales should review the contract before payment. Relevant assistance may be found through agro-food lawyers in Morocco, international-contract lawyers or business lawyers in Casablanca.

A ten-point pre-import checklist

1. Identify the species, tariff category and commercial purpose accurately.
2. Ask ONSSA to confirm the country's, zone's and establishment's current eligibility.
3. Obtain the required prior sanitary and foreign-trade authorisations before unconditional purchase.
4. Validate the current official veterinary certificate model with both authorities.
5. Insert conditions precedent and suspension clauses into the sale contract.
6. Reserve transport, border inspection and quarantine or isolation capacity.
7. Appoint a customs broker experienced with live animals and the intended entry point.
8. Calculate duties, taxes, port costs, tests, feed, quarantine and contingency expenses.
9. Purchase insurance expressly covering live animals, transit delay and agreed quarantine risks.
10. Arrange destination registration, identification and veterinary follow-up before arrival.

The classic trap is reliance on verbal assurances: “We exported the same cattle last year,” “the country is authorised,” or “the certificate can be corrected at the port.” None of those statements is a substitute for current written approval. The most successful operators are not necessarily those who negotiate the lowest purchase price; they are those who prevent the animals from becoming immobilised at the border.

Conclusion: strict rules, but manageable with preparation

Morocco's livestock import regime is demanding because several legal layers operate at once. The central framework is coherent, but it is dispersed among Law No. 24-89, its implementing rules, ONSSA protocols, the Customs and Excise Code, tariff measures and species-specific technical requirements.

The political debate over livestock imports may continue. Legally, however, the essentials remain stable: verify sanitary eligibility, obtain approval before shipment, use the correct official certificate, prepare for border inspection, secure customs treatment and maintain traceability after release. The rules apply to private operators and publicly supported programmes alike.

Before committing funds, operators should verify the current position with ONSSA, ADII and the General Secretariat of the Government. Where the shipment is valuable or the origin is newly approved, professional legal and customs support costs far less than a rejected consignment.