Every Moroccan employee is entitled to paid annual leave once they have 6 months of continuous service with the same employer, 1.5 working days per month worked, i.e. 18 working days per year under Labour Code article 231. The Code then grants a 1.5-day uplift for each 5-year block of seniority, capped at 30 days total. Leave is counted in working days (Monday to Saturday, excluding Sunday and public holidays). If you leave the company before taking accrued leave, the cash equivalent is owed. Below: the full scale, scheduling rules, and what to do if your employer denies leave.
Base entitlement
1.5 working days per month of actual work, i.e. 18 working days per year (Labour Code article 231).
Seniority uplift
The Code grants a 1.5-day uplift for each 5-year block of seniority, up to 30 days total.
| Seniority | Annual entitlement |
|---|---|
| < 5 years | 18 days |
| 5-10 years | 19.5 days |
| 10-15 years | 21 days |
| 15-20 years | 22.5 days |
| 20-25 years | 24 days |
| ≥ 25 years (capped) | 30 days |
Working days vs business days
Leave is counted in working days, Monday to Saturday, excluding Sunday and statutory public holidays. If your employer runs a 5-day week, the usual conversion is 1.5 working days = 1.25 business days, or an equivalent set in the collective agreement or internal rules.
Scheduling and splitting
- The employer sets the dates after consulting the employee or staff representatives.
- Leave can be split, but a period of at least 12 continuous working days must be granted (often between 1 May and 31 October).
- Public holidays falling during leave are not counted.
Leave pay
- During leave, the employee receives pay equivalent to what they would have earned working.
- If the contract ends before all accrued leave has been taken, a cash equivalent is owed, based on usual pay.
Watch-outs
- Un-taken leave can be carried over to the following year by agreement, but not indefinitely. After a reasonable period, cash equivalent may be owed.
- Some employers grant 21 days or more under collective agreements, this is legal as long as it is more favourable.
- If leave rights are denied, raise the matter quickly with the labour inspectorate or the social court.
Related tool
Enter your hire date into the paid-leave calculator and see your accrued balance instantly, with the seniority uplift.
Looking for an employer with stronger leave?
Many collective agreements grant 21 days or more, common in tech, finance, and multinationals. Browse jobs in Morocco on Bayt.com and ask the explicit leave question at offer time. Multinationals headquartered in Casablanca tend to offer the most generous packages.
Further reading
- Labour Code glossary entry, articles 231 and following
- Guide: Severance pay calculation, accrued leave is paid out at termination
- Guide: Understanding your Moroccan payslip, leave-pay line items decoded
- Guide: CDI and CDD rules, how leave accrues differently across contract types
- Guide: First job checklist, when your first leave starts accruing
- Blog: Remote work in Morocco, leave is location-neutral