Casablanca is one of the gentlest expat moves a French family can make: three hours from Paris by plane, life in the sun, French spoken everywhere, and a choice of French schools unmatched anywhere in the world. Morocco's economic capital is home to one of the largest French communities on the planet.
Currency
Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Languages
Arabic (French everywhere)
Time vs Paris
-1h in summer, none in winter
Emergencies
19 (police), 15 (fire and ambulance), 141 (SAMU)
FIAFE network
The Accueil for French-speaking families
In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.
Casa Accueil
Since 1992
Since 1992, Casa Accueil has welcomed French-speaking families to Casablanca: neighbourhood "marraines", monthly breakfasts, guided city tours, a Kids Club and Baby Club for the children, and a Club Pro to relaunch your career.
Where to meet them
Every Monday from 2pm to 4pm (outside French school holidays), at the Churchill Club, 1 rue de la Méditerranée, Aïn Diab.
Kids Club (ages 3 to 11) and Baby Club (ages 0 to 3)
Neighbourhood life: marraines and reps from Aïn Diab to Dar Bouazza
Club Pro, workshops, sports and family nature outings
Other support networks
Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.
UFE
UFE Casablanca
The Casablanca chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger, based in the gardens of the French Consulate general: welcome, mutual aid and conviviality.
The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.
CCI France International
CFCIM, Chambre française de commerce et d'industrie du Maroc
The largest French chamber abroad, very active in Casablanca with over 4,000 member companies: a dense professional network, job offers, regular events and support to settle in and work in Morocco.
To follow local life in French: news, what's on, good addresses and, often, a directory of French-speaking professionals.
lepetitjournal.com Maroc (édition de Casablanca)
MediaIn French
The Moroccan edition of the online daily for French expatriates, written from Casablanca: news, community, events, and practical guides (housing in Casablanca, the school system in Morocco, working in Morocco) as well as the Trophées des Français du Maroc.
Expat directory of useful addresses and French-speaking professionals in Morocco (health, education, services), including home-visit doctors and the French consulate general in Casablanca.
Independent news and investigative outlet, founded in 2015 and based in Casablanca: Moroccan politics, economy, society and culture, with part of its content reserved for subscribers.
Morocco's leading French-language weekly, based in Casablanca, with its rolling news site: society, politics, culture, and many stories on Casablanca life, from schools to transport.
General and business news site based in Casablanca: daily news, investigations, property, education and health, with close coverage of Casablanca's big projects (tram, busway, zoo, parks); premium content by subscription.
French-language general news site created in 2013 and based in Casablanca: Morocco (society, health, environment), economy, culture and a Youth section, useful for following the city's news day to day.
The official guide of Casablanca's city brand, published by Casablanca Events & Animation, in French, English and Arabic: monthly events, a city guide (culture, attractions, going out, shopping) and a Living section for settling in the city.
'For children' section: indoor and outdoor leisure parks, aquarium, petting farm, sports clubs and riding centres in Casablanca and its region, with addresses.
Before you even land in Casablanca, Facebook groups are the best shortcut: ask your questions, find a flat, a nanny, a second-hand stroller, and often your first friends.
Very active Private In French
Français Au Maroc
60,500 members · ≈ 597 posts/week
Coucou tout le monde
ce groupe est pour tout les gens respectueux,en même temps pour pouvoir publier en toute liberté (dans le respect) et gratuitement.
The entire expat community in Casablanca, Morocco is welcome to join this forum. This is a place to post activities, share information about Casablanca, sell items, search for house staff and make new friends. Publucity will be deleted and the person will be banned.
Toute la communauté expat de Casablanca est bienvenue sur ce forum. C'est un lieu pour poster des activités, échanger des informations sur Casablanca, vendre des effets, rechercher du personnel de maison et se faire des nouveaux amis.
Welcome to the Morocco Expats group.
Expats moving to Morocco will be greeted by a colourful land characterised by scenic beauty, bustling market places...
Bienvenus à tous à Casablanca. Ce groupe est un espace d’échange entre les nouveaux arrivants dans notre ville, les résidents étrangers et les natifs qui veulent les aider à compléter cette vie en communauté ouverte et non refermée sur elle-même. Les annonces d’offres immobilières sont filtrées.
Veuillez lire les règles svp .
Welcome English speaking expats and locals!
We are online expat community and social networking group!
Connect and chat with other people to find new...
Ce groupe est un espace d'échange et de partage pour tous les Français qui vivent, travaillent, voyagent ou s'intéressent au Maroc.
Que vous soyez nouvellement arrivés, expatriés de longue date, ou simplement de passage, ce groupe est fait pour vous. Ici, vous pourrez :
**Obtenir des informations pratiques : Conseils pour s'installer, trouver un logement, des bons plans, des informations sur la vie quotidienne, etc.
**Poser des questions : Besoin d'aide pour une démarche administrative, une question sur la culture marocaine, etc.
**Partager vos expériences : Racontez votre installation, vos découvertes, vos coups de cœur, etc.
**Rencontrer d'autres Français : Élargissez votre réseau, trouvez des amis, participez à des événements, etc.
**Découvrir la culture marocaine : Échangez sur les traditions, la gastronomie, les événements culturels, etc.
Le groupe est ouvert à tous les Français, quels que soient leur âge, leur situation professionnelle ou leur lieu de résidence au Maroc.
c est un groupe ouvert à toutes les mamans qui habitent casablanca pour discuter de leurs soucis ...leurs astuces...leurs enfants... bref tout ce qui...
Pour tous les expatriés sur Casablanca.
Un coin pour échanger, discuter, se donner des astuces pour découvrir cette jolie ville, des adresses à voir, des...
Compiled from Facebook's public search, links checked in July 2026. Group sizes change all the time.
AEFE network
Accredited French schools
Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.
Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr
Tutoring and private lessons
To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.
Axiom Academic
Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.
Morocco is the largest AEFE network in the world, and Casablanca is its capital: 19 accredited schools, from the legendary Lycée Lyautey to the big campuses of Bouskoura and Casa Anfa. Here the question is not finding a French school, but choosing yours.
Good to know
The public network (direct AEFE management) groups the Lycée Lyautey, the Anatole-France collège and five primary schools (Renan, Claude-Bernard, Bizet, Molière, Théophile-Gautier).
Louis-Massignon (OSUI), in Bouskoura Ville Verte, is the largest school: over 4,300 pupils from nursery to final year.
The big partner groups (Al Jabr, La Résidence, Léon L'Africain, Maupassant, EFI) offer full campuses, often bilingual or trilingual.
Demand is high everywhere: apply as soon as the move is confirmed, partner schools often run admission tests.
French-speaking community
With over 20,000 French citizens registered at the consulate, Casablanca is home to one of the largest French communities in the world. You cross paths at the school gates, at the Institut français and on the Corniche, from the Anfa apartments to the Dar Bouazza villas.
Good to know
Casa Accueil (FIAFE network) has animated the community since 1992, with marraines and reps in eight neighbourhoods.
Racine, Gauthier, Bourgogne and the Anfa golden triangle concentrate families in town; Bouskoura and Dar Bouazza attract those dreaming of a villa with a garden.
UFE Casablanca, based in the consulate gardens, and Français du monde complete the support network.
Paris is three hours away by plane, with many daily directs: grandparents love it.
A place has closed, something has changed?
The arrival reflex
The apps to download when you land
Drop your bags, download these and you're set: the apps everyone in Casablanca uses to get around, get things delivered and organise daily life.
Getting around
Casatramway
The official Casablanca tram app: route map for both lines, timetables and ticket purchase, the backbone of getting around town without a car.
A ride-hailing app well established in Casablanca, often locals' first choice; simple booking and cash payment available, handy when you have just arrived.
One of the most used ride-hailing apps in Casablanca, known for low fares and frequent promotions; handy to compare against Heetch or Yango before you book.
The delivery heavyweight in Casablanca: restaurants, groceries, pharmacy and small errands brought to your door, the app everyone keeps on their phone.
What mums ask when they arrive in Casablanca, in short, sourced answers.
How do we get a place in a French school in Casablanca?
Casablanca has around twenty accredited schools, from the Lycée Lyautey to the big campuses of Bouskoura and Casa Anfa, among the 45 in the Enseignement français au Maroc network. Enrolment is entirely online on the EFM portal, during a campaign from January to March (5 January to 11 March for the 2026 intake); late applications remain possible subject to vacancies. Apply as soon as the move is confirmed, partner schools often run admission tests. Fees are on /en/cities/casablanca/school-fees/.
Source ↗Do French schools charge fees, and can we get a grant?
Yes, every French school in Morocco charges fees, with textbooks and supplies on top. Consular school grants are reserved for French children on the consular register, subject to income and assets tests: a campaign from January to March on the Scolaide platform, then a second consular board in autumn for newcomers (in Casablanca, first applications until early September). The line-by-line detail is on /en/cities/casablanca/school-fees/.
Source ↗Does the whole family need a residence card?
Yes, as soon as the stay exceeds three months: every family member, children included, registers with the Moroccan police, and children receive their own document, required to leave the country. In Casablanca, the file is lodged at the police prefecture on boulevard Zerktouni; the receipt comes within about a month, the card around three months, renewable yearly until the ten-year permit. Note that unmarried partnerships are not recognised. Everything is detailed on /en/cities/casablanca/settling-in/.
In order: collect the residence card forms with your passports and build one file per person, register the family on the French consular register online (free, five years), get a SIM card identified in your name, open a dirham account as soon as you have the receipt, put the Lydec and internet contracts in the tenant's name, then finalise school enrolments. Casa Accueil publishes the list of documents, and our Settling in page covers each step: /en/cities/casablanca/settling-in/.
Source ↗Do we need health insurance for the children?
Employed in Morocco, your employer registers you with the CNSS compulsory health insurance (AMO), which covers your children up to 21 and reimburses 70 % of a reference tariff often below real private prices. Since clinics require payment before discharge and the consulate never covers care, most families add employer cover, a top-up plan or the Caisse des Français de l'étranger. Our Health page explains the system: /en/cities/casablanca/health/.
Source ↗How do I find a French-speaking paediatrician?
Easily: you see the paediatrician directly, with no gatekeeper GP, and French is the working language of medicine in Casablanca. The consulate general publishes a list of French-speaking practitioners (updated March 2026) with paediatricians, GPs, dentists, an orthodontist, gynaecologists and a psychiatrist, which we reproduce on our Health page: /en/cities/casablanca/health/. Word of mouth from Casa Accueil and school parents completes the list.
Source ↗Which number do I call if my child is ill at night?
15 for the fire-and-ambulance service, 19 (or 112 from a mobile) for the police, 141 for the SAMU. In Casablanca, the consulate lists the Casablanca SAMU (+212 5 22 98 98 98) and SOS Médecin (+212 6 88 81 71 87), a doctor who comes to your home. For a paediatric emergency, the CHU's Abderrahim-Harouchi children's hospital and Cheikh Khalifa hospital (SAMU on 2477) take children 24 hours a day. Addresses are on /en/cities/casablanca/health/.
Source ↗Which neighbourhood should we settle in with children?
Families follow the schools: Racine, Gauthier and Bourgogne for the Lycée Lyautey and Léon-l'Africain, Californie and Oasis for Al Jabr and Maupassant, Bouskoura Ville Verte for Louis-Massignon, Anfa and Aïn Diab for the sea, Dar Bouazza for a villa and surfing. In town you gain the tram and shops on foot; on the outskirts, a garden, a pool and car journeys. Our Settling in page reviews the neighbourhoods: /en/cities/casablanca/settling-in/.
Not to get by: French is everywhere in Casablanca, in shops, doctors' surgeries, administrations and the French schools. Your children will hear Darija (Moroccan Arabic) in the street and with the nanny, and Arabic is part of the curriculum in Morocco's French schools, to varying degrees depending on the school and nationality. The Institut français also offers classes for partners who want to make progress.
Source ↗Nanny, nursery: how do you get a little one looked after?
Employing domestic staff (nanny, housekeeper, driver) is common and costs a reasonable sum, but Law 19-12, in force since 2018, sets a framework: contract, maximum days and hours, rest. Nurseries are private and fee-paying, take babies from 6 months, and French-speaking nurseries exist from age 2; French schools take children into the first nursery year, sometimes without a canteen. Casa Accueil and parents' groups are the best source for finding a trusted nanny.
Less than France on almost everything: affordable doctors, tram and bus for a few dirhams, cheap markets, domestic staff, sports often cheaper than in Europe. Two items weigh: French schools, all fee-paying, and upmarket housing in the sought-after districts, with prices that can surprise (to buy, the square metre was nonetheless still markedly cheaper than in France in 2023). Imported goods, alcohol and cars cost more. The line-by-line budget is on /en/cities/casablanca/settling-in/.
Source ↗Where can I meet other French-speaking mums?
At Casa Accueil first: a drop-in on Monday afternoons at the Churchill Club in Aïn Diab, monthly breakfasts, a Baby Club from birth, neighbourhood 'marraines' from Aïn Diab to Dar Bouazza. Then at the school gates, at the Institut français library on Wednesdays and Saturdays, at the Notre-Dame de Lourdes parish, and in the Facebook groups (Réseau des expatriés à Casablanca). Our ideas for outings to meet up are on /en/cities/casablanca/family-outings/.
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