The Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) updated its country advice for Morocco on 27 January 2026, raising the prominence of warnings about “partially violent demonstrations” in major cities and confirming Security Level 2 nationwide, with Level 4 (regional travel warning) for Western Sahara. Travellers are urged to avoid crowds, expect traffic disruptions and monitor local media. The notice follows consecutive weekends of unrest linked to subsidy reforms in Rabat and Casablanca. (bmeia.gv.at)
Although the underlying security level remains unchanged, the explicit reference to protests triggers duty-of-care obligations for employers sending staff to the kingdom. Under Austria’s ArbeitnehmerInnenschutzgesetz, companies must perform a fresh risk assessment when official guidance tightens, even incrementally. Corporate travel insurers such as Axa Partners have already flagged higher premiums for trips involving Casablanca between February and March.
For those addressing these new requirements, VisaHQ can help simplify the administrative load: the Vienna-based portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) offers up-to-date visa information for Morocco, real-time travel alerts and a streamlined document-processing service that can save valuable time for businesses dispatching employees at short notice.
![Austrian Foreign Ministry issues fresh security alert for Morocco after violent protests]()
Austrian nationals planning business travel should register on the ministry’s Auslandsservice app and carry copies of their passport photo page in case of temporary police checkpoints. Women travellers are advised to dress conservatively, and all visitors should refrain from photographing security forces – an offence that has led to detentions.
Flights from Vienna to Casablanca on Ryanair and Air Arabia continue to operate normally, but airlines can deny boarding to passengers without confirmed accommodation addresses, a practice adopted during previous protest waves. Travel managers should build flexible hotel contracts that allow date changes without penalty.
The ministry’s next country-risk review is scheduled for early February; if demonstrations persist, Morocco could be moved to Security Level 3, which would trigger a formal recommendation to defer non-essential travel.
Although the underlying security level remains unchanged, the explicit reference to protests triggers duty-of-care obligations for employers sending staff to the kingdom. Under Austria’s ArbeitnehmerInnenschutzgesetz, companies must perform a fresh risk assessment when official guidance tightens, even incrementally. Corporate travel insurers such as Axa Partners have already flagged higher premiums for trips involving Casablanca between February and March.
For those addressing these new requirements, VisaHQ can help simplify the administrative load: the Vienna-based portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) offers up-to-date visa information for Morocco, real-time travel alerts and a streamlined document-processing service that can save valuable time for businesses dispatching employees at short notice.
Austrian nationals planning business travel should register on the ministry’s Auslandsservice app and carry copies of their passport photo page in case of temporary police checkpoints. Women travellers are advised to dress conservatively, and all visitors should refrain from photographing security forces – an offence that has led to detentions.
Flights from Vienna to Casablanca on Ryanair and Air Arabia continue to operate normally, but airlines can deny boarding to passengers without confirmed accommodation addresses, a practice adopted during previous protest waves. Travel managers should build flexible hotel contracts that allow date changes without penalty.
The ministry’s next country-risk review is scheduled for early February; if demonstrations persist, Morocco could be moved to Security Level 3, which would trigger a formal recommendation to defer non-essential travel.
