Morocco’s First Unity Day Holiday Falls on 31 October 2026
MOROCCO · PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Key Facts
- —What happened New Unity Day holiday first falls on Saturday, 31 October 2026.
- —The reason It marks the UN Security Council’s 31 October 2025 Western Sahara vote.
- —Next holidays Green March Day Friday, 6 November; Independence Day Wednesday, 18 November.
- —What closes Government offices, banks, tax offices and courts close on all three days.
- —For US visitors No visa under 90 days; State Department advisory Level 2.
- —Still open No official Unity Day programme yet; UN mission’s mandate ends 31 October.
A new national holiday lands on a Saturday this year, but November brings a long weekend and a midweek closure.
Morocco Unity Day, a new national holiday, falls for the first time on Saturday, 31 October 2026. It marks a UN Security Council vote on Western Sahara a year earlier, a cause the government ranks above all others.
For US visitors, the bigger dates come next: Green March Day on Friday, 6 November, and Independence Day on Wednesday, 18 November. Government offices close on all three days, which matters for anyone with residency, banking or legal errands.
What Morocco Unity Day Marks
On 31 October 2025, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2797 on Western Sahara, a disputed territory south of Morocco. The text said genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty “could constitute a most feasible solution” to the dispute.
The Polisario Front, a movement backed by Algeria, wants independence for the territory. The resolution also thanked the United States for its readiness to host negotiations.
King Mohammed VI declared 31 October a national holiday in a Royal Cabinet statement on 4 November 2025, Wafir.ma reported. Morocco’s Government Council approved the two implementing decrees on Thursday, 15 January 2026, Yabiladi reported.
Mustapha Baitas, the government spokesman at the time, called it “a historic milestone linked to the Kingdom’s foremost national cause”. Morocco’s official portal, maroc.ma, now lists Aid Al Wahda, or Unity Day, among the national holidays.
What Closes on the Holidays
One decree adds Unity Day to the paid-holiday list for private and farm workers. The other adds it for public administrations, public institutions and concession-run public services, Yabiladi reported.
Banks, tax offices and courts close on these days, according to Wafir.ma, a Moroccan consumer finance site. Schools and the civil service observe them whatever the weekday.
The holiday decrees govern paid time off; they do not order hotels, restaurants or markets to close. Opening hours at museums and monuments can change, so check before you go.
Because 31 October 2026 is a Saturday, most offices would be closed anyway. The first Morocco Unity Day therefore adds no weekday closure, Wafir.ma notes.
Two More Holidays in November
Green March Day on Friday, 6 November, recalls the 1975 march by Moroccan civilians into Western Sahara. It gives most workers a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday.
Independence Day on Wednesday, 18 November, celebrates the end of the French protectorate in 1956. Expect offices and banks to shut that Wednesday and reopen on Thursday.
After that, the next fixed holiday is New Year’s Day, followed by two more in January 2027. They are the anniversary of the Independence Manifesto on 11 January and the Amazigh New Year on 14 January.
Getting Around on Holiday Weekends
Trains run by ONCF, the state railway, link Casablanca with Rabat, Tangier, Fez and Marrakech. Book seats early for the 6 November weekend, when many Moroccans have three days off.
Royal Air Maroc, the national airline, lists flights to Casablanca from New York and Washington on its US website. Holiday weekends are a good reason to book domestic onward travel before you land.
Entry Rules and Safety for US Visitors
US citizens do not need a visa for stays under 90 days, the State Department says. Passports need at least six months’ validity on entry and one blank page for the stamp.
Overstaying 90 days without an extension means appearing before a judge before departure. No vaccinations are required for entry.
Visitors must declare cash above 100,000 dirhams (about US$10,000), and taking dirhams out of the country is prohibited. Conversions use 9.96 dirhams to US$1, the open.er-api.com rate of 7 October 2026.
The State Department rates Morocco Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, because of terrorism, in an advisory issued on 4 September 2026. Consular help for US citizens is at the Consulate General in Casablanca, not the embassy in Rabat.
What It Means for You
Handle bank, residency or legal paperwork by Thursday, 5 November, and avoid planning any for Wednesday, 18 November. Unity Day itself costs no working day this year.
Reserve trains and popular riads, the traditional courtyard guesthouses, early for the 6 November weekend. Anyone with an appointment at the Casablanca consulate should confirm it does not fall on a Moroccan holiday.
Residents should expect banks to be shut on 6 and 18 November, so plan transfers and cash needs a day ahead.
What Is Not Known
No official programme of Morocco Unity Day events had been published by 7 October. It is also unclear whether museums and monuments will change their hours on any of the three days.
The UN mission in Western Sahara, known as MINURSO, has a mandate that runs only until 31 October 2026. Whether the Security Council renews it, and on what terms, is not yet known.
What Comes Next
The Security Council must decide on MINURSO before its mandate expires on Unity Day itself. Green March Day follows six days later, and Independence Day twelve days after that.
A UN decision would not change the holiday dates, which are fixed in Morocco’s official calendar. Nor would it change the entry rules for US visitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Unity Day in Morocco?
It is a new national holiday on 31 October, called Aid Al Wahda in Arabic. It marks the UN Security Council’s 2025 vote on Western Sahara and is observed for the first time in 2026.
Are banks open on Moroccan public holidays?
Banks, tax offices and courts close on national holidays, according to Wafir.ma. Plan bank visits around 31 October, 6 November and 18 November.
Do US citizens need a visa for Morocco?
No visa is needed for stays under 90 days, according to the State Department. Passports need at least six months’ validity on entry.
Sources: Kingdom of Morocco official portal, national holidays; UN Security Council Resolution 2797 (2025); Yabiladi (Government Council decrees); Wafir.ma (Unity Day guide); US State Department, Morocco travel advisory; US State Department, Morocco country information; Royal Air Maroc (US site); open.er-api.com exchange rates (all accessed 7 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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