A fresh wave of complaints has erupted in Morocco after French visa-processing partner TLS Contact showed zero available appointments for much of July, despite the consulates in Rabat and Casablanca adding what they call a record 5,000 extra slots. Speaking to the economic daily Médias 24, France’s Consul-General Olivier Ramadour insisted that the problem is not technical failure but unprecedented summer demand that exceeds even pre-pandemic peaks. Figures released by the consulate show that, since 1 January 2026, staff have already examined 205,000 applications—10 % more than in the same period of 2025—and are now handling an average of 850 appointments a day. The surge is driven by three groups arriving simultaneously: Moroccan students finalising enrolment for the academic year, seasonal workers heading to French agriculture and tourism hotspots, and short-stay tourists taking advantage of favourable exchange rates. For business-travel managers, the bottleneck means last-minute trips to France may be impossible until mid-September. Ramadour stressed that long-term fix will come only with full digitalisation of Schengen visa issuance—a project requiring EU-wide coordination and unlikely before 2028. In the meantime, the consulate is working with TLS Contact to tighten anti-bot safeguards after reports that intermediaries resell free appointments for 800 dirhams (≈€75). Companies in France that rely on Moroccan talent or suppliers should advise partners to start the visa process at least eight weeks in advance and to monitor the platform several times a day; additional appointment batches are released without notice when staffing allows. French firms may also consider remote-work arrangements under France’s clarified VLS-TS “visitor + telework” rules for roles that do not require physical presence. Observers note that Spain and Italy face similar backlogs, suggesting a regional capacity crunch. The French Foreign Ministry is reportedly evaluating short-term mobile visa offices in Agadir and Tangier, but no timeline has been set.
Source: Médias 24
