Procedures, forms, and ONSSA administrative requirements

Editorial note: Regulatory requirements can change. Confirm the current official texts and ONSSA instructions before filing or making a compliance decision.

Pending the full publication of all implementing texts for Law No. 53-18, the ONSSA governs the MFSC sector through two major operational guidelines (référentiels). The first guideline, titled "Procedure Code for Plant Protection Products for Agricultural Use" (reference CP 01/DCPV/10/H), devotes Article 16 to applications for certificates for agricultural inputs. This article establishes the required forms and technical documents for marketing authorization certificates. The second guideline, the "Import Control Procedure Code" (reference CP 08/DCPV/15/B), governs border inspections. It details the stages of documentary, identity, physical, and analytical controls to ensure imported MFSC comply with standards and declarations in force.

Competent authority and filing window

• Authority: ONSSA, Inputs and Laboratories Directorate, Chemical Inputs Division- single window.
• Single Window Address: Avenue Hassan II, Rabat (former blood transfusion center)
• Telephone: +212 5 37 67 66 31
• Submission Hours: Dossiers are received Monday through Friday during working day, from morning until 1:00 p.m.
• Filing procedures: Applications for AMM certificates and any supplementary information must be filed in person at the single window by the declarant; postal submission is not accepted.

Code CP 01/DCPV/10: application for a certificate for a MFSC (16th case)

Principle

This application is reserved for legal entities domiciled in Morocco and is filed for the following product categories: products intended for plant nutrition; products intended to correct micronutrient deficiencies in crops: products intended for soil amendment; enriched peat.

After reviewing the dossier, ONSSA will issue an attestation certifying that the product is not subject to Morocco's plant protection product legislation in force.

Constituent documents of the dossier

Please see with MCARE team and experts to help you constitute the required documents.

Additional requirements depending on the product nature

For products containing organic matter, the declarant must specify the origin of this matter on the technical data sheet:

Plant origin: specify the plant species concerned and the transformation process, particularly the applied temperature;

Amino acids: specify their origin (plant or animal);

Animal origin: provide a copy of the manufacturing establishment's approval from the country of origin, the validated health certificate model approved by the authorities of both countries, and a signed label specimen bearing the mention "fertilizer for crops."

For products containing microorganisms, the applicants must specify the scientific name and the taxonomic group of each microorganism (family, genus, species, strain, serotype, pathovar, and any other relevant denomination).

Products exempted from the procedure

Certain products, due to their simple composition, are exempted from this certificate procedure:

Deadlines and procedural follow-through

• The dossier must be complete upon filing. Any incomplete application will be rejected.
• If ONSSA requests additional information, the applicant has three months from the date the letter is signed to provide it; otherwise, the application is canceled.

ONSSA supplementary notices to importers (GU 1068 and GU 781)

In addition to Procedure Code CP 01/DCPV/10, ONSSA has published two official notices that specify and tighten the practical procedures for processing MFSC certificate applications.

Notice GU 1068/ONSSA/DIL/DIC/SHIC of 17 June 2020 — Mandatory documents subject to automatic rejection

• Any application for a certificate not including one of the following documents is automatically rejected: the original technical data sheet; the detailed composition sheet balanced to 100%; the certificate of analysis from an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory with a copy of the accreditation certificate; the certified true copy of the certificate from the authority of the country of origin (no other certificate is accepted).
• The same automatic rejection decision applies to any application presenting discrepancies or contradictions in the product information.
• A certificate for an agricultural input not subject to Law No. 42-95 can under no circumstances be issued for a product containing a component with the properties of a Plant Protection Product (PPP).

Notice No. GU 781/ONSSA/DIL/DIC/SHIC of 4 May 2022 — Procedures for the filing and supplementation of dossiers

• Applications must meet the requirements of Procedure Code CP 01/DCPV/10 and Notice GU 1068, both of which are available at e-service.onssa.gov.ma.
• Applications must be filed at the Single Window in dual format: documentary (hard copy) and electronic.
• ONSSA may request supplementary documents, which must be provided all at once in both formats.

Control of import of fertilizers and growing media (procedure code CP 08/DCPV/15/b)

Imported MFSCs are subject to mandatory conformity controls to verify their compliance with the importer's declarations and current standards. This process is detailed in Procedure Code CP 08/DCPV/15/B and consists of three distinct technical phases after the application is filed: documentary control (DC), identity and physical control (IPC), and analytical control (AC).

• Filing the Application (Step 1): After registering the customs declaration (DUM), the importer files a complete dossier at the Single Window. The dossier must include the invoice, transport documents, the ONSSA certificate (unless exempt), a specimen of the label, an undertaking for the storage premises, and an analysis report from an accredited laboratory (ILAC), if necessary. An acknowledgment of receipt will then be issued.
• Documentary Control (Step 2): The administration verifies the documents' validity. If there is noncompliance, the operator has eight working days to correct the situation.
• Identity and Physical Control (Step 3): The inspector verifies the condition of the goods, their packaging, and their labelling. Note: Any mention of "pesticide" properties on a fertilizer constitutes noncompliance.
• Analytical Control (Step 4): If necessary, samples are taken to verify the product's actual composition in an accredited laboratory. Removal may sometimes be authorized before the results are available, provided that the goods are stored under seal.

VAT exemption procedure (law of finance 2026)

La The Law of Finance No. 50-25 for 2026 established a total VAT exemption for fertilizers that comply with Law No. 53-18. The dematerialized procedure is as follows: Article 16 quinquies of Law No. 50-25 (Articles 92-I-3° and 123-13° of the CGI); Decree No. 2-25-1041 (Article 16 quinquies).

In order to receive a VAT exemption for the importation of MFSC as defined by Law No. 53-18 relating to MFSC, which was promulgated by Dahir No. 1-21-68 on July 14, 2021 (3 Hija 1442) and is provided for in Article 123-13° of the General Tax Code, the importer must provide the following:

• An electronic exemption application filed with the tax administration according to a model established by the administration itself;
• A proforma invoice from the supplier indicating the price of the materials or products excluding tax;
• A descriptive statement of the imported materials and products;
• An undertaking that the materials and products in question are intended exclusively for agricultural use.

After examining the application, the tax administration electronically issues a "VAT exemption import certificate" to the interested party and transmits it to the Customs and Indirect Tax Administration.

Summary table of identified procedures