Capital Video: More and more French retirees are settling in Morocco
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– The colorful souks full of fabrics and spices are part of the Moroccan postcard.
The bright sun, the picturesque riads, the fragrant mint tea, the majestic landscapes of the Atlas, the pristine beaches and the warm hospitality… The Moroccan postcard has settled into the collective imagination, making this country from the Maghreb a tourist destination privileged. But not only that: for many, Morocco represents the ideal place to enjoy a peaceful retirement. French retirees, in particular, have made their third favorite place to live in the worldas highlighted in the show’s report Seven to Eight broadcast on TF1 on November 24.
In the city of Agadir alone, there are around 4,000 French retirees.three times more than ten years ago» specifies TF1, which took an interest in the daily lives of Nathalie and Yves, 62 and 64 years old. For this couple from Marseille who now lives on 2,800 euros per monthexit France, where life has become too expensive for them. They rent a house in Agadir with a dining room, two bedrooms, a bathroom, a patio and a 100m² garden: “A house like that costs 8,000 dirhams per month, or around 800 euros. In electricity, we must be at 500 dirhams per month so 50 euros and then water is 50 dirhams» testifies Nathalie.
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The attractiveness of Morocco is also fiscal
All French retirees who settle there benefit from a tax exemption set up by the Moroccan state, requiring only the opening of a bank account in the country. “A lady told us thatwith 1,000 euros per monthshe had a rental, she ate and even had enough to fly once a month to see her children. We said to ourselves: “why not?“, explains Nathalie. The choice of the city quickly became obvious: “There is a sweetness of life in Agadir that we do not have in other cities in Morocco», confirms Yves.
With its sun-drenched fruits and vegetables sold at low prices, Agadir welcomes a growing number of French retirees, most of whom come together in associations offering numerous activities or meals in restaurants. But this paradise is not protected from climatic problems. For six years, Morocco has suffered a historic drought and last year recorded heat peaks reaching 50 degrees. Intensive agriculture threatens groundwater there. This could, in the years to come, severely damage the postcard.
