ICE in Morocco: What is the purpose of the Common Business Identifier?

When a company is created in Morocco, several administrative identifiers are assigned to the new structure. Among them is the Common Business Identifier (ICE) .

The ICE (Business Identification Number) uniquely identifies a company to various Moroccan government agencies and organizations. However, it does not replace other company identifiers, such as the trade register, tax identification number, or CNSS (National Social Security Fund) registration number. What exactly is the ICE? How is it assigned, and where should it be used? Here's what you need to know.

1. What is ICE in Morocco?

The Common Business Identifier is a unique number intended to ensure uniform identification of the company with the various administrations and organizations.

Its objective is, in particular, to facilitate the identification of businesses, the exchange of information between organizations, and, more generally, administrative procedures. The ICE thus complements the company's other legal, tax, and social identifiers.

2. How many digits are in the ICE?

The ICE comprises 15 positions distributed as follows:

• 9 positions corresponding to the company;
• 4 positions corresponding to its establishments;
• 2 control characters.

This structure makes it possible, in particular, to clearly identify the establishments or branches attached to the same company.

3. What is the difference between ICE, RC, IF and CNSS?

These numbers do not serve the same function.

The ICE constitutes the common identifier allowing the company to be uniformly identified by government agencies.

The RC , or trade register number, corresponds to the company's registration in the trade register when it is subject to it.

The IF , or tax identifier, is used to identify the taxpayer to the tax authorities.

The CNSS number identifies the employer with the National Social Security Fund when they fall under the relevant scheme.

A company can therefore have these different identifiers simultaneously.

4. How to obtain the ICE when creating a company?

For new legal entities, the OMPIC indicates that the ICE (Business Identification Number) is assigned upon application for the negative certificate and appears on it. The business creation procedure has also changed significantly.

The online business creation platform was rolled out nationwide in March 2025. It provides a single interface connecting, among others, the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC), local business registries, the General Directorate of Taxes, the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), and the Official Printing Office. This development centralizes a significant portion of the formalities required to establish a business.