Agriculture and fisheries services in Morocco: how do you find the right procedure?
When your activity concerns agriculture, agri-food, plant products, food of animal origin or aquaculture, one question quickly arises: which organization should you contact and for which formality? Between health controls, approvals, investor support and agricultural-development schemes, it is easy to confuse the roles of different organizations.
This page brings together four useful entry points for your agriculture and fisheries services in Morocco. There you will find the Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires (ONSSA), the ONSSA sanitary approval or authorisation procedure, the Agence pour le Développement Agricole (ADA) and the Agence Nationale pour le Développement de l’Aquaculture (ANDA). The objective is not to replace the administrations concerned, but to help you understand which official portal you should use.
Before starting, keep one simple principle in mind: always check the procedure corresponding exactly to your activity. An agri-food establishment, aquaculture farm, unit using products of animal origin or agricultural project holder does not necessarily follow the same formalities.
ONSSA: sanitary services and food safety in Morocco
The ONSSA is involved in many areas related to sanitary safety. Its official portal notably presents sections dedicated to animal health, plant health, import and export controls, food-product controls, agricultural inputs, sanitary approvals and authorisations, as well as seed and plant controls.
If your company produces, processes, packages, stores or handles certain foodstuffs, your first step should therefore be to determine whether your activity is subject to a specific sanitary procedure. The ONSSA portal then provides access to regulatory information, forms or digital services available depending on the case.
What needs can you check with ONSSA?
- the sanitary approvals and authorizations of the institutions concerned;
- sanitary control of food products;
- requirements relating to animal products and products of animal origin;
- requirements concerning certain plant products and products of plant origin;
- food-safety controls for fishery and aquaculture products;
- procedures relating to certain agricultural inputs;
- certification or inspection in connection with import and export operations, depending on the nature of the product.
ONSSA approval and health authorization: what you need to prepare
For establishments and businesses in the food or animal-feed sector subject to this obligation, ONSSA specifies that the application for health approval and/or authorization must be submitted to the ONSSA inspection service for the province where the establishment is located. The application is accompanied by a file containing an administrative section and a technical section.
Administrative documents and results related to agriculture and fisheries services
| Need / procedure | Document or result | Main organization | To check before the application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanitary approval for the establishment concerned | Sanitary approval number after issuance | ONSSA | Form, administrative section, technical section and requirements specific to the activity |
| Sanitary authorization for the establishment concerned | Sanitary authorization number after issuance | ONSSA | Establishment category, required form and file |
| Aquaculture farm after creation/operation authorizations | Health authorization, where required by regulations | ONSSA | Project situation, health obligations and regulations applicable to the farm |
| Developing an agricultural project | No single document: support and schemes vary depending on the project | ADA / competent organizations | Type of investment, sector, region and scheme concerned |
| Creation or development of an aquaculture project | Authorizations vary depending on the location and nature of the project | ANDA support + competent authorities | Area, species, environmental impact, use of space and health requirements |
Key point: the exact names of the required documents depend on your activity. For sanitary approval or authorisation, use the form and the file requirements indicated by ONSSA when you submit your application. This helps you avoid preparing your file from an outdated list or from information that does not match your establishment.
How can an ONSSA sanitary approval be requested?
An approval request is more than filling in a form. ONSSA specifies that the file includes an administrative component and a technical component. The level of detail depends on the establishment and activity concerned.
Steps to check before submitting your file
- Identify your activity. Check whether your establishment requires approval, health authorization or another procedure.
- Download the corresponding form. Use the version published on the official ONSSA portal.
- Prepare the administrative file. Provide only the items required for your situation.
- Prepare the technical section. It is used notably to present the establishment’s characteristics and the measures corresponding to applicable health requirements.
- Submit the application to the competent service. For the agri-food establishments concerned, ONSSA indicates the inspection service of the province where the establishment is located.
- Follow any requests for additional documents or inspection stages. Issuance takes place after review of the file and verification that the applicable requirements are met.
What do you receive after validation?
ONSSA states that issuance of the health approval or authorization results in assignment of a sanitary approval or authorization number. This point is important when preparing your professional file: do not confuse the request, the form and the administrative result obtained after validation.
To access the specialized information directly, consult our page ONSSA — Health approval and authorization, then check the latest requirements on the official ONSSA website.
ADA: services and information for your agricultural project
The Agence pour le Développement Agricole (ADA) plays a different role from ONSSA. Its portal should not be presented as a one-stop shop issuing sanitary approval. The agency contributes to implementing the national agricultural development strategy and provides information relating to investments, agricultural value chains, programmes, projects and value-enhancement initiatives.
If you are a farmer, cooperative, entrepreneur or investor, the ADA portal can help you better understand the project ecosystem and identify schemes or opportunities corresponding to your activity.
When should you consult ADA?
The portal is particularly relevant when you are looking to:
- find information about the agricultural development in Morocco ;
- identify investment opportunities or programs;
- understand schemes relating to certain sectors;
- track calls for projects and development initiatives;
- get information about the development and promotion of local products;
- identify useful institutional resources before structuring your project.
The process varies by program. It is therefore best to start from your real need — investment, value chain, promotion, collective project or support — then check the criteria of the corresponding scheme. To continue, consult our page ADA — Agricultural services and information or the official ADA portal.
ANDA: aquaculture services and investor support
Do you want to create or develop an aquaculture farm? TheAgence Nationale pour le Développement de l’Aquaculture (ANDA) is one of the main institutional entry points to know. The agency states that its mission is to implement the national aquaculture-development strategy, plan aquaculture areas and support investors throughout their projects’ life cycle.
This support is valuable because an aquaculture project can involve several dimensions at once: choice of area, intended species, space availability, environmental impact, health safety and authorizations needed for operation.
What can ANDA offer you?
- guidance on the relevance and suitability of your investment;
- information on aquaculture zones and planning;
- support in structuring your project concept;
- an overview of the main texts governing aquaculture activity;
- support for understanding the administrative procedures involved in creating and operating a farm.
What authorizations are needed for an aquaculture farm?
There is no single answer that applies to every project. ANDA notes that the procedures depend in particular on the location and the legal framework of the space used. An environmental impact study may be required in the process, while certain occupation or operating authorisations fall under the competent authorities for the area concerned.
After authorizations for creation and operation, an aquaculture farm is also subject to applicable health-safety rules. ANDA specifies that ONSSA is involved notably in health authorization of aquaculture farms and sanitary control of the sector.
Your file must therefore be considered as a process, not an isolated form. Consult our page ANDA — Aquaculture services then the ANDA official investor area to check the rules corresponding to your project.
Which agriculture and fisheries e-service should you choose for your needs?
| Your need | Service to consult first | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Check the health-safety rules for a product or establishment | ONSSA | The portal centralizes health and regulatory information and several specialized e-services. |
| Request sanitary approval or authorization | ONSSA — Approval and authorization | There you will find the forms, files and information specific to the establishments concerned. |
| Structure a project or look for agricultural-development support schemes | ADA | The agency provides information on agricultural development, investment and various programs. |
| Create or develop an aquaculture project | ANDA | The agency supports investors and provides information on aquaculture planning and the regulatory framework. |
Tips for preparing your agriculture and fisheries procedures in Morocco
A good file rarely starts by printing a form. It starts by checking your situation. Before sending documents, take a few minutes to verify the following points.
Your checklist before any application
- Define your activity precisely: production, processing, livestock farming, import-export, aquaculture, investment or other.
- Identify the competent organization: ONSSA, ADA, ANDA or another administration depending on the formality.
- Use the official forms: avoid old versions found on third-party websites.
- Check the documents requested: they may vary depending on the applicant’s activity and legal form.
- Check the place of submission: some requests remain territorially based even when information is available online.
- Anticipate technical requirements: they can be decisive for a health establishment or an aquaculture project.
- Review the procedure before submission: the arrangements may change.
This method prevents treating every “e-service” as a fully paperless online procedure. Some sites offer a genuine online service; others mainly provide information, a downloadable file, regulatory consultation or help finding the competent contact.
— Services agriculture et pêche au Maroc FAQ
What are the main agriculture and fisheries e-services in Morocco?
On this page, you will find four main access points: ONSSA sanitary services, the ONSSA sanitary approval and authorisation procedure, ADA agricultural services and information, and ANDA aquaculture support. Other procedures may depend on specialised bodies according to your activity.
How can an ONSSA sanitary approval be requested?
First check that your activity is subject to approval. ONSSA then indicates completing the corresponding form and submitting the request to the inspection service of the province where the establishment is located, with an administrative and technical file.
What document is received after an ONSSA sanitary approval or authorization?
According to ONSSA, issuance of a health approval or authorization results in assignment of an approval or authorization number. Conditions for maintenance, suspension or withdrawal are governed by the applicable procedures.
What is l’ADA pour votre projet agricole for?
ADA contributes to implementation of the agricultural-development strategy. Its portal notably allows you to consult information on investments, projects, value chains, programs and development initiatives. The scheme to use depends on the nature of your project.
How does ANDA support an aquaculture project in Morocco?
ANDA states that it supports investors throughout their projects’ life cycle. It can notably guide you on the project concept, aquaculture planning, location areas and main regulatory requirements to examine.
Are all agriculture and fisheries services fully accessible online?
No. A portal may provide information or forms without allowing the entire procedure to be completed online. For each procedure, check whether filing, payment, tracking or issuance are actually available online.
Conclusion: find the right service before preparing your file
A procedure related to agriculture, agri-food or aquaculture becomes much simpler when you start with the right contact. If your need concerns sanitary safety or approval, turn to ONSSA. If you are structuring an investment or looking for information on agricultural development, consult ADA. For an aquaculture project, ANDA is an essential entry point for understanding the ecosystem, planning and administrative process.
The most important thing is not to prepare your file from a generic list. Choose your service, open the corresponding page, then check the requirements on the official portal before making any request.
Explore all Moroccan e-services
Official sources and information verification
The general information in this guide should be considered alongside your situation and the rules in force at the time of the procedure. For final verification, consult directly: