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Moroccans residing in Italy are still awaiting progress in converting their Moroccan driving licenses. The process has been delayed since 2019 due to Morocco's switch to biometric licenses, which are not covered by the 1991 bilateral agreement, Italian media reported.
On July 18, 2023, Moroccan Houcine Fatih, president of the Atlas Association of Trento, made a public appeal to resolve the issue. However, despite a new agreement signed on March 27 between Moroccan Ambassador Youssef Balla and Italian Minister Matteo Salvini, progress remains stalled. According to the same source, no official communication has been received, and Moroccan citizens' conversion requests continue to be rejected.
It's worth noting that Italian law allows non-EU citizens to drive with their home country's license for one year after obtaining residency. After that, they must convert it or obtain an Italian license, which has left many Moroccans without valid documents and job opportunities.
Individuals like Abdelchafik Saidi, who has lived in Brentonico for three years, are among those affected by this delay. «I bought a car, but I can't use it because I can't convert my 2020 Moroccan license», he says. «I rely on colleagues for rides or sleep at my brother's in Rovereto. Living without a car in the mountains is tough».
In fact, Moroccan citizens have only six years after acquiring residency to convert their licenses. Those who arrived in 2019 with a biometric license have just a few months left before the law requires a technical evaluation to issue an Italian license.
