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Eligibility criteria for CFC status

The CFC status is designed for companies seeking to establish themselves within Casablanca Finance City. This status offers strategic, fiscal, and operational advantages, enabling companies to maximize their opportunities across the African continent and beyond.

1. Fit into one of the following company categories:

Financial companies

  • Credit institutions
  • Insurance and reinsurance companies and insurance and reinsurance brokerage firms
  • Other financial institutions:
    • Collective or individual management of financial instrument portfolios
    • Trading for one's own account or for the account of third parties in financial instruments
    • Investment in all its forms
    • Services related to crowdfunding platforms
    • Financial investment advice
  • Investment companies and collective investment schemes
  • Other investment service providers with at least one of the following services:
    • Private wealth management
    • Credit rating
  • Holding companies: any legal entity whose main activity is the holding and management of equity stakes in companies
  • Mutual investment funds

Non-financial companies

Auxilary services providers

Companies who practice one or more of the following activities:

  • Audit and consulting services for legal, fiscal, strategy or human resources.
  • All other professional service activities.
Technical and administrative service providers

Technical service carried out in the context of industrial and commercial activities. Technical service providers can also:

  • Provide services on behalf of third parties.
  • Invoice goods and services on behalf of said entities or to third parties.
Administrative Services Providers

Companies that practice at least one of the following activities:

  • The supervision and coordination of the activities carried out by the entities of the group to which the service provider belongs, on national territory or in one or more foreign countries.
  • The direction and management of these entities.
  • The provision of services on behalf of these entities.
Criterion relating to technical service providers and administrative service providers

Technical service providers and administrative service providers must provide at least three of the following services to at least three entities of the same group or with which they are associated by virtue of commercial, technical or capital relations:

  • The supervision and coordination of the activities carried out by the entities of the group to which the service provider belongs on the national territory or in one or foreign countries.
  • The direction and management of these entities.
  • The provision of services on behalf of these entities.
  • The provision of services on behalf of third parties.
  • Invoicing of goods and services on behalf of these entities or to third parties.
  • Any other administration, management or coordination service relating to regional and international headquarters.
Trading companies

It is any legal entity whose main objective is the purchase and sale of goods for the account of third parties and which carries out at least one of the following activities:

  • The purchase of materials or products for resale.
  • Trade-related services, including networking, logistics, storage, transit and trade advice.

2. Provide an added value to the development of CFC

3. Headquarters must be located at CFC

4. Be managed and operated from CFC

5. At least one manager must reside in Morocco

6. Allocate a minimum of operating expenses in line with the activity of the company

7. At least one senior executive must have qualifying international experience:

  • Minimum of 3 years for service providers (for providers of technical and administrative services and auxiliary service providers, as well as for trading companies)
  • Minimum of 1 year for all other activities

8. Contribute to the development of the technical and technological expertise and to the development of the Casablanca Finance City, especially concerning the exchanges and financing the development in Africa

CFC Status advantages

Safe landing for investors

CFC provides investors and companies with an efficient onestop shop that streamlines the setup process, while giving them a deep understanding of the African market to help them navigate its complexities. On another note, CFC supported the creation of The Casablanca International Mediation and Arbitration Centre (CIMAC), an independent not-for-profit institution established in 2016 to meet the demands of the international business community for a neutral, impartial, efficient and reliable dispute resolution institution in Africa, and beyond.

Doing business at best cost

CFC offers its vibrant community of 226 member companies an attractive framework that includes facilitation of people flow, tax incentives, no capital controls …

Effortless business connections

CFC also plays a pivotal role in fostering B2B matchmaking and strategic relationships among its members, including some of the world's most influential Fortune 500 companies. Moreover, CFC facilitates connections with key African decision makers, thanks to partnerships with investment promotion agencies in Africa, providing onthe-ground introductions to Africa's main economies.

How to obtain the CFC status

 

Step 1

Write a letter of intent

To have its eligibility examined, a company wishing to obtain the CFC status shall contact the business development team within CFCA, and then send a letter of intent stating its will to become a CFC member and describing in detail its project.

Download template 

The companies not yet established having requested the CFC Status shall benefit from an accelerated procedure for the creation of their legal entity at the Casablanca Regional Investment Center (within a 48 hours deadline after completion of creation file). Consequently, in order to benefit from this accelerated procedure, the companies shall necessarily contact the assistance team within CFCA guichetunique@cfca.ma

 

Step 2

Complete the Business Plan

Download template 

 

Step 3

Fill out the application form

Download template 

 

Step 4

Sign the code of ethics

Download template 

 

Step 5

Pay the application fee 

To get an estimated rate card for your company, please reach out to your key contact at CFC.

File review and notification 

  • The file review by CFCA
  • Notifying the company it was granted the CFC status

Once the CFC status granted, the company must submit to CFCA on an annual basis:

  • An annual reporting
  • The payment of the CFC status annual fees. To get an estimated rate card for your company, please reach out to your key contact at CFCA.

 

Download all documents at once?

Download all documents 

Your application file is ready?

Your application file is now complete and ready for submission. Kindly send all the required documents to the following email address at your earliest convenience:

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