Moving to Monaco – the complete guide and address book for 2026

Planning to move to Monaco? This guide puts your first steps in order – visa, Monaco residence card, home, bank, work permit and health cover – and gathers the Monaco emergency numbers, agencies and quarters you need when living in Monaco as a foreigner.

If you are moving to Monaco in 2026, the biggest change is at work. Under Law 1.583 of 2 December 2025, a work contract is only valid once your employer holds the hiring authorisation and you hold a permis de travail (work permit) – and every foreign employee needs one, French and EU citizens included. Hiring has been fully digital since March 2026, with electronic signatures on MonGuichet, and since 12 March 2026 an open-ended contract can be ended by mutual agreement (rupture conventionnelle). Your supplementary pension has moved too: since 1 January 2024 private-sector employees belong to the Caisse Monégasque de Retraite Complémentaire (CMRC), not the French AGIRC-ARRCO. At the border, the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and has applied at all border posts since 10 April 2026, but Monaco residents with a valid carte de séjour (residence card) are exempt.

This guide is for everyone who wants to move to Monaco and build a life here – for a job, a business, studies, family or retirement – and for the cross-border workers who commute in every day. Choose the profile below that fits you best, then read the 15 guides in the series. Living in Monaco as a foreigner means paperwork with a logic of its own: the Principality is a city-state of 208 hectares with no regions, it is not a member of the EU or of the Schengen area, and you enter through France, so we say when a rule is French rather than Monegasque. Use this page as your map: the first table puts the steps in order, from the Direction de la Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents (Police Department – Residency Section) to the doctor, and the Monaco emergency numbers and the address book are worth saving on your phone. Every phone number, fee and opening hour was checked on 24 September 2026; where we could not confirm a detail, we send you to the agency's website.

Comparing countries or new to Europe? Moving to Europe lists every country guide and explains the rules that apply across Europe – Schengen, EES, ETIAS, the EU Blue Card and free movement.

Who are you? Choose your guide

Choose what fits you best and get your own step-by-step path, the rules that apply to you and which guides to read.

EU/EEA or Swiss citizen

Monaco is not in the EU and the association talks were suspended in 2023, so your passport gets you in but not settled: from age 16, anyone staying over three months applies for a carte de séjour (residence card) within eight days of arrival, and since Law 1.583 of 2 December 2025 a work contract is void without a permis de travail (work permit). No visa is needed and the first card costs €80.

Step	What to do
Secure a home before you apply	You need a lease registered with the tax office (register within 3 months; the tenant pays a 1% lease duty), a notarised title deed, or a free-hosting certificate from a close relative, spouse or partner. – Where: Direction des Services Fiscaux
Put the electricity contract in your name	The SMEG contract or latest electricity bill is a required document for the card, so open it first with ID, bank details and a copy of the lease or deed. – Where: SMEG
Apply for the carte de séjour within 8 days	Online or on paper: passport or ID card, birth certificate under 3 months, criminal-record extracts under 3 months from every country you lived in over the last 5 years, the signed sworn statement. – Where: Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents
Prove your means	Employees: a Service de l'Emploi document (promise of employment, hiring request, or work permit plus payslip). Savings: a Monaco bank certificate under one month old; the sufficient sum is set by the bank. – Where: Section des Résidents
Open a bank account on the receipt	Law 1.492 of 2020 gives residents and, since 2023, holders of the application receipt a right to an account; the bank has 15 working days, and a refusal can go to the Direction du Budget et du Trésor. – Where: A bank established in Monaco
Let your employer obtain the work permit	The employer declares the vacancy to the Service de l'Emploi, which sends priority candidates within 4 clear days; since March 2026 you sign the hiring request online and are registered with the CCSS and CAR. – Where: Service de l'Emploi (Direction du Travail)
Collect the card and keep it current	The €80 fee is paid at the enrolment appointment. Renewal €40 a year; after 3 years the ordinary card (€100). Report a change of address or job within 8 days (new card €30). – Where: Section des Résidents
Exchange your driving licence within a year	Under Sovereign Ordinance 11.966 of 18 June 2026, normal residence starts on the 186th day; exchange within one year (€117) or face a driving-skills check. The new card-format licence costs €23. – Where: Service des Titres de Circulation

Rules that apply to you
No work-permit exemption for EU citizens: Law 629 covers every foreign employee, and hiring priority favours Monegasques, their families and Monaco residents, not nationality.
No personal income tax for residents (French nationals excepted), no wealth, property or council tax. VAT follows French rates and the French customs code applies.
Your Monaco card is not needed to travel within the EU; a valid ID card or passport is enough. As an EU citizen you are not registered in the Entry/Exit System.
Not working? Take private health cover; after 5 years of stable residence the couverture médicale subsidiaire (€700 a month, Law 1.562 of 2 July 2024) is a fallback.
Leaving Monaco: hand the card back 8 days before departure and the Sûreté Publique issues an attestation of your stay.

Source: MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier), Legimonaco, Caisses Sociales de Monaco, read 24 September 2026

French citizen

The neighbourhood convention lets you enter and settle freely, but in Monaco you are a foreigner: a carte de séjour (residence card) within eight days of arrival, a permis de travail (work permit) for any private-sector job, and since Law 1.583 of 2 December 2025 no valid contract without one. Above all, Article 7 of the 1963 tax convention keeps you liable to French income tax as if you had never left.

Step	What to do
Find a home and register the lease	Free-sector rents and lease length are set by the landlord under the Civil Code. Register the lease within 3 months (1% lease duty paid by you); the registered lease is your housing proof for the card. – Where: Direction des Services Fiscaux
Apply for the carte de séjour within 8 days	Bring your French carte d'identité (required by Ordinance 3.153), birth certificate under 3 months, criminal-record extract under 3 months, the sworn statement and the electricity contract. First temporary card €80. – Where: Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents
Prove salary, pension or savings	A Service de l'Emploi document for employees, a pension statement, or a Monaco bank certificate under one month old; the government fixes no threshold, the bank decides what is sufficient. – Where: Section des Résidents
Get the work permit through your employer	Every vacancy goes to the Service de l'Emploi first; priority candidates are sent within 4 clear days. A change of employer or trade needs a new permit. Hiring has been fully online since March 2026. – Where: Service de l'Emploi (Direction du Travail)
Settle your French tax position	Article 7: you pay French income tax as if living in France; dual French/other nationals count as French only. How you file is set by the French tax authority: see its guidance. – Where: French tax authority
Ask for a certificat de domicile only if exempt	Issued only to French nationals resident since before 13 October 1957 or without interruption since birth: €12, valid 3 years, renewed after a check that you still live in Monaco. – Where: Direction des Services Fiscaux
Check your pension and unemployment cover	Since 1 January 2024 your Monaco supplementary pension is with the CMRC, not AGIRC-ARRCO (French periods stay there). Unemployment insurance is the French Unédic scheme: employee 2.40%. – Where: Caisses Sociales de Monaco
Exchange your licence, enrol the children	Your French licence must be exchanged within a year of normal residence (€117). School is compulsory from 6 to 16 in a Monaco school; classes follow the French curriculum, Monegasque is taught from CE2. – Where: Service des Titres de Circulation / DENJS

Rules that apply to you
Article 7, 1963 convention: French nationals moving to Monaco pay French income tax as if in France; only residents since before 13 October 1957 or since birth are exempt.
The convention (Article 7, paragraph 3) also keeps French nationals who moved on or after 1 January 1989 within the French wealth tax from 1 January 2002.
You need a Monaco residence card from age 16 like everyone else, with the same categories: temporary €80, ordinary €100 after 3 years, privileged €160 after 10 years.
The work permit applies to you: Law 629 covers every foreign employee. French nationals were 61.6% of Monaco's private-sector employees in 2025, the largest group.
No wealth tax, property tax or council tax in Monaco, VAT at French rates, and a customs union with France under the 1963 convention.

Source: MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier), Legimonaco (1963 conventions), Caisses Sociales de Monaco, IMSEE, read 24 September 2026

From the UK

Since 1 January 2021 UK nationals are third-country nationals in Monaco: no free movement, no special status for relatives, and a visa d'établissement (establishment visa, French type D) before any residence-card file. With a valid carte de séjour (residence card) you are exempt from the EU Entry/Exit System, applied at all border posts since 10 April 2026, and the card doubles as a short-stay Schengen visa.

Step	What to do
Apply for the establishment visa first	At the French consulate nearest your last home (French Embassy in Monaco if you lived in France over a year). The government's Youth Mobility page warns the visa can take up to 4 months. Minor children need it too. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Prepare the visa file	France-Visas lists a CV explaining why you are settling, an apostilled birth certificate, proof of housing, a Monaco bank certificate as financial proof, a criminal record under 3 months and an endorsed job contract. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Line up a Monaco home	A lease registered with the Direction des Services Fiscaux, a title deed or a free-hosting certificate, plus the SMEG electricity contract or latest bill: all required for the card. – Where: Direction des Services Fiscaux / SMEG
Apply for the carte de séjour within 8 days	Passport with visa, birth certificate under 3 months, a Copy of Police Records under 3 months (plus records from other countries lived in over 5 years), the sworn statement. English papers need no translation. €80. – Where: Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents
Prove your means and open an account	Salary via Service de l'Emploi documents, a pension statement, or a Monaco bank certificate under one month old. The application receipt gives you a right to a bank account (Law 1.492); the bank has 15 working days. – Where: Section des Résidents / a Monaco bank
Work permit: your employer applies	For a non-European hire without a French work-authorising permit, the employer contacts the head of the Service de l'Emploi. Priority candidates are sent within 4 clear days; hiring is online since March 2026. – Where: Service de l'Emploi (Direction du Travail)
Aged 18 to 30? Youth Mobility Scheme	Up to 12 months, each job or internship at most 6 months, €2,000 savings, €150 fee, up to 1,000 certificates a year. Apply at the Embassy of Monaco in London; the long-stay visa is still needed beyond 90 days. – Where: Embassy of Monaco in London
Driving licence: ask before the deadline	Exchange is due within a year of normal residence (day 186 onwards, €117). Whether a UK licence is exchangeable is not stated on the pages read: ask early. Late exchange means a driving-skills check. – Where: Service des Titres de Circulation

Rules that apply to you
Relatives and in-laws of a British residence-card holder have no derogation: they go through the establishment-visa procedure too.
Passport plus a valid Monaco card lets you travel in the Schengen area without a C visa and return to Monaco; the card is no ID document and an expired one can block re-entry.
EU Entry/Exit System: started at Schengen external borders on 12 October 2025, at all border posts since 10 April 2026; Monaco residents with a valid card are exempt.
No personal income tax for residents, no wealth or property tax; the exemption only covers people genuinely established here and does not override UK rules.
British residents numbered 3,081 (7.9%) on 31 December 2025 and grew more than any other nationality that year (+163), according to IMSEE.

Source: MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier), France-Visas, Legimonaco, IMSEE, read 24 September 2026

From the US or elsewhere outside the EU

Entry runs through France: before any step in Monaco you need a visa d'établissement (establishment visa, French type D), issued by a French consulate once the Monegasque authorities agree and required for minor children too. On arrival you have eight days to lodge the carte de séjour (residence card) file. Residents with a valid card are exempt from the EU Entry/Exit System in force since 10 April 2026.

Step	What to do
Get the establishment visa from the French consulate	France-Visas asks for a CV explaining your reasons, an apostilled, translated birth certificate, proof of housing, a Monaco bank certificate as financial proof, a criminal record under 3 months and an endorsed contract. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Secure housing and the electricity contract	A lease registered with the tax office within 3 months (1% duty), a title deed, or a free-hosting certificate from a close relative, spouse or partner; then the SMEG contract or latest bill. – Where: Direction des Services Fiscaux / SMEG
Apply for the carte de séjour within 8 days	Passport with visa, birth certificate under 3 months, criminal records from every country lived in over 5 years (FBI Background check for the US), sworn statement. Translate unless in French, English or Italian. €80. – Where: Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents
Prove your means	A Service de l'Emploi work document, a pension statement, or a Monaco bank certificate under one month old stating you can live here; no fixed amount, the bank decides. – Where: Section des Résidents
Open a bank account with the receipt	Law 1.492 gives receipt holders a right to an account; the bank has 15 working days. Bill 1.124, tabled 13 March 2026, would raise that to 45 working days: a bill only, not law. – Where: A bank established in Monaco
Work permit: the employer leads	Vacancies go to the Service de l'Emploi first (priority candidates within 4 clear days). For a non-European hire without a French work-authorising permit, the employer contacts the head of the Service directly. – Where: Service de l'Emploi (Direction du Travail)
Bring belongings and pets under French customs rules	Monaco is in the French customs union. Belongings used 6 months, imported within 12 months of moving, enter duty-free (inventory plus form Cerfa 10070). Pets: microchip, rabies jab, antibody test, health certificate. – Where: French customs (Douane)
Exchange your driving licence within a year	US, Canadian, Australian and Japanese licences are on the exchange list; non-EU licences need a sworn French translation. Apply within a year of the 186th day of residence (€117) under the June 2026 ordinance. – Where: Service des Titres de Circulation

Rules that apply to you
Monaco is in neither the EU nor Schengen: entry rules follow France's. A Schengen visa or one limited to France is valid for Monaco; Monaco visas come from the French authorities.
Your Monaco card plus passport replaces a short-stay Schengen visa for travel and for returning to Monaco; it never replaces the passport.
A temporary contract of over 3 and under 6 months gets a French visa of the same length, extendable once by up to 3 months by the French Ambassador; it gives no right to settle.
No personal income tax for residents (French nationals excepted), but the exemption only covers people genuinely established here and does not override your home country's rules.
Employees join the CCSS via their employer. Not working? Take private insurance; after 5 years of stable residence the couverture médicale subsidiaire (€700 a month) is a fallback.

Source: MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier), France-Visas, Legimonaco, French customs (DGDDI), read 24 September 2026

Working in Monaco, living in France or Italy

Nine in ten of Monaco's private-sector employees commute in from outside: 81.5% live in France and 8.3% in Italy (IMSEE, 2025). You need no carte de séjour, only a permis de travail (work permit) obtained by your employer. Two recent changes: hiring has been fully digital since March 2026, and since 1 June 2024 employees living in Italy may telework too, up to two-thirds of the week.

Step	What to do
Let the employer obtain your work permit	The vacancy goes to the Service de l'Emploi, which sends priority candidates within 4 clear days; neighbouring-commune residents who already worked in Monaco rank fifth. You sign the hiring request online. – Where: Service de l'Emploi (Direction du Travail)
Non-European and living in France? Check your French permit	You normally need a French residence permit authorising work, issued by the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture; otherwise the employer must contact the head of the Service de l'Emploi. – Where: Préfecture des Alpes-Maritimes (French) / Service de l'Emploi
Get your Caisses Sociales number	The employer's hiring request triggers your registration: a provisional certificate, then a matricule (social security number) with a digital card option since 2025. Bring your French residence permit or Italian ID. – Where: Caisses Sociales de Monaco
Meet the hours thresholds for health benefits	CCSS benefits need 120 hours in the month or 200 in the quarter; hours worked just before in France (any nationality) or Italy (Italians, Monegasques) count. If you also work in France, care is paid where you live. – Where: CCSS
Read your payslip	Employee rates at the time of writing: CAR pension 6.85% up to €6,112; unemployment 2.40% (French Unédic, ceiling €16,020); CMRC 7.87% plus 2.15% up to €3,971, split 60/40 with the employer. No CCSS share. – Where: Caisses Sociales de Monaco
Sort out income tax where you live	Monaco taxes no salaries; France taxes its residents, and under the 1963 convention Monaco funds the French tax credit for employees living in France. Living in Italy: see the Italian tax agency's guidance. – Where: Your home tax office
Getting to work	TER trains reach Nice or Ventimiglia in 25 minutes, every 15 minutes at peak; Lignes d'Azur buses 100, 100X, 110 and 112. Work car-park subscription €105 a month; Salines car-park subscribers ride the bus free. – Where: SNCF / CAM / Monaco Parkings
Keep the CCSS informed	Non-resident employees report an address change to the Caisse de Compensation des Services Sociaux, not to the Section des Résidents. – Where: Caisse de Compensation des Services Sociaux

Rules that apply to you
Every foreign employee needs a work permit whatever the contract; changing employer or trade needs a new one, and under Law 1.583 of 2 December 2025 a contract is void without it.
Redundancy reverses the hiring priority: foreigners living outside Monaco and the neighbouring communes (Beausoleil, Cap d'Ail, La Turbie, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin) go first.
Telework only from France, Italy or Monaco and at most two-thirds of weekly hours; starting or stopping it changes the work permit. 7,317 employees teleworked in 2025.
Job lost while living in France: register with France Travail near home; health cover moves to your CPAM, and each paid day counts as 6 hours towards CCSS rights.
Minimum wage from 1 June 2026: €12.31 an hour, €2,080.39 a month for 169 hours, plus the compulsory 5% indemnité exceptionnelle.

Source: Caisses Sociales de Monaco, MonEntreprise and MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier), Legimonaco, IMSEE, read 24 September 2026

Joining a partner or family

Everyone aged 16 or over needs their own carte de séjour (residence card) within eight days of arrival; children under 16 get a free document de circulation pour étranger mineur (travel document for minors) instead. Non-EEA families (British included) need the French establishment visa for every member, children too. Spouses of Monegasques get a five-year card; nationality by marriage takes 20 years from 1 July 2022.

Step	What to do
Non-EEA? A visa for every family member	Apply at the French consulate for each person, minor children included. Relatives and in-laws of a British card holder have no special status and follow the same route. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Prove housing as a hosted family member	A certificat d'hébergement à titre gratuit signed by the host (close relative, spouse or partner) with their lease or deed. It can be refused: the home needs a 25 m² living room and 15 m² per person in bedrooms. – Where: Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents
Prove means through your partner	Without income of your own, an attestation de prise en charge (support letter) from your parent, spouse or partner, plus a document proving that person's resources. – Where: Section des Résidents
Apply for each adult's card with the family papers	Marriage certificate, each child's passport or ID card, custody or adoption papers, proof of schooling for children educated outside Monaco, birth certificate under 3 months, criminal record. €80 per card. – Where: Section des Résidents
Request the children's travel document	Both parents apply by email, not via the online service; at least one must hold a valid Monaco card. Free, valid up to 5 years, ending at the child's 16th birthday or when the parent's card expires. – Where: Section des Résidents
Enrol the children at school	School is compulsory from 6 to 16 in a Monaco school. Out-of-period enrolment accepts the card receipt but is final only with the card; non-French speakers sit a level test. Lessons in French; English from age 3. – Where: Direction de l'Éducation Nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports
Get covered through the working partner	The CCSS covers a non-working spouse living in Monaco or the Alpes-Maritimes with no other cover, and children to 21 (26 if studying in Monaco and the parent lives here). Send the marriage certificate or family book. – Where: Caisses Sociales de Monaco
Claim family allowances if eligible	From 1 October 2025, per child and month: €171.00 (0 to 3), €256.50 (3 to 6), €307.80 (6 to 10), €359.10 (over 10). The working parent needs 75 hours a month; the full amount is paid from 145 hours. – Where: CCSS

Rules that apply to you
A child already living in Monaco must apply for their own residence card no later than eight days after their 16th birthday.
Spouse of a Monegasque: after a year here, a 'conjoint de monégasque' card valid 5 years (€80). A foreign parent of a Monegasque child gets the privileged card after 1 year.
Hiring priority favours family of Monegasques: their spouses and children, partners under a contrat de vie commune, then parents of a Monegasque child, before other residents.
Nationality by marriage (Law 1.155, amended by Law 1.512): a declaration after 20 years (10 if married before 1 July 2022) while still living together; you keep your nationality.
CCSS maternity leave: 18 weeks for a first or second child at 90% of average daily wage; paternity 21 days (28 for multiple births or two children already) since 16 December 2023.

Source: MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier), Legimonaco, Caisses Sociales de Monaco, read 24 September 2026

Student

You follow the ordinary residence route: a carte de séjour (residence card) from age 16 for any stay over three months, applied for within eight days, with proof of student status and of means. Two recent changes: Law 1.569 of 12 December 2024 regulates internships, with a compulsory gratification after two months, and Order 2026-377 of 3 July 2026 reserves State scholarships to foreigners with ten years' residence.

Step	What to do
Non-EEA? Get the French establishment visa first	UK nationals included: the visa d'établissement from the French consulate nearest your last home is mandatory before any residence-card file can be lodged. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Apply for the card with proof of student status	Enrolment certificate, passport or ID, birth certificate under 3 months, criminal-record extract, housing proof (a free-hosting certificate if you live with family) and the electricity bill. €80, renewal €40. – Where: Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents
Prove your means	A support letter from a parent, spouse or partner with proof of that person's resources, or a Monaco bank certificate under one month old; there is no fixed threshold. – Where: Section des Résidents
Sort out health cover before you turn 21	Through a parent insured with the CCSS or CAMTI and studying in Monaco, cover runs to 26 if the parent asks the fund and sends a school certificate each year. Otherwise arrange cover by the month before you turn 21. – Where: Caisses Sociales de Monaco
Know the institutions	The International University of Monaco is private and English-language (degrees recognised by Order 2023-575); also the IFSI nursing school, the Mairie's ESAP art school, and BTS and DCG courses at the two lycées. – Where: Direction de l'Éducation Nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports
Interns: authorisation and gratification	The host applies to the Service de l'Emploi at least 15 days ahead; the internship must be part of your course or you count as an employee. Over 2 months, a monthly gratification of at least 27% of the SMIC is due. – Where: Service de l'Emploi – Cellule Emploi-Jeunes
Working while you study	A work permit is needed for any job. Minimum rates from 1 June 2026: €12.31 an hour from 18, €11.08 at 17 to 18, €9.85 at 16 to 17. Apprentices aged 21 and over start at 53% of the SMIC (€1,102.61 a month). – Where: Service de l'Emploi
Get your foreign diploma compared	Monaco has no legal diploma equivalence; ENIC Monaco issues a free attestation de comparabilité (usually within 1 to 3 months) that has no legal value and cannot be used outside Monaco. – Where: Centre ENIC Monaco (CIEN)

Rules that apply to you
State scholarships (Order 2026-377): foreign students qualify only after 10 years' uninterrupted residence, with a 30% reduction; apply from 1 June to the last Friday of September.
The State-guaranteed student loan is for Monegasque students aged 30 or under only.
Britons aged 18 to 30: the Youth Mobility Scheme allows 12 months and jobs of at most 6 months (€2,000 savings, €150 fee); a French long-stay visa is still needed beyond 90 days.
Getting around: the €10 Pass Scolaire gives pupils unlimited bus travel for a school year; the under-26 monthly pass is €13, annual €89; MonaBike e-bikes from €1 a trip.
No French test for the residence card; school lessons are in French, the university teaches in English, and documents in French, English or Italian need no sworn translation.

Source: MonServicePublic and MonEntreprise (Gouvernement Princier), Journal de Monaco, Caisses Sociales de Monaco, CAM, read 24 September 2026

Retiring or living on your own means

Residents pay no personal income tax (French nationals under the 1963 convention excepted) and no wealth, property or council tax. For the carte de séjour (residence card) you show a suitable home, means (a pension statement or a Monaco bank certificate whose sufficient sum the bank sets) and a clean record. Health cover is your own affair; Law 1.562 of 2 July 2024 added a fallback after five years at €700 a month.

Step	What to do
Non-EEA? Establishment visa from the French consulate	Before any step in Monaco, apply at the French consulate nearest your last home; France-Visas lists financial proof such as a Monaco bank certificate among the documents. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Find a home in the free sector	The only sector open to everyone; the landlord sets rent and length under the Civil Code. Register the lease within 3 months (1% duty). Buying: 4.5% duty if the transparency rules are met, otherwise 7.5%. – Where: Estate agents / Direction des Services Fiscaux
Open the bank account and get the certificate	Law 1.492 gives you a right to an account on the application receipt. Ask for the bank certificate, under one month old, stating you have the means to live in Monaco; the sum judged sufficient depends on the bank. – Where: A bank established in Monaco
Apply for the card within 8 days	Pension statement (justificatif de retraite) or bank certificate, passport, birth certificate under 3 months, criminal records for the last 5 years, electricity contract. €80; renewed only while your means hold. – Where: Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents
Arrange health cover	The card's document list names no insurance, but the CCSS covers only employees and dependants: take private cover. Retirees of the CARTI or a French self-employed scheme join the CAMTI; after 5 years, the €700 cover. – Where: Caisses Sociales de Monaco (CAMTI)
Get a tax-residence certificate if asked	The certificat de résidence à des fins de formalités fiscales costs €600, is valid 1 year and needs over 183 days a year here (or your main centre of activities); request by email or post, collect by appointment. – Where: Section des Résidents
Plan for inheritance duty	It applies to assets located in Monaco whatever your domicile: 0% between spouses and parents and children, 8% between siblings, 10% uncles and nephews, 13% other collaterals, 16% between unrelated persons. – Where: Direction des Services Fiscaux
Licence, bus pass, emergency numbers	Exchange your licence within a year (€117; medical certificate if over 70). Residents over 60 get a free annual bus pass. Police 17, fire brigade 18 or 112, out-of-hours doctor 116 117 (19:00 to 07:00). – Where: Service des Titres de Circulation / CAM

Rules that apply to you
The government fixes no savings threshold: what counts as sufficient depends on the Monaco bank that issues the certificate, which must be under one month old.
The tax exemption covers only people genuinely established in Monaco and does not override your home country's rules; a €600 certificate proves tax residence abroad.
After 3 years you can move to the ordinary card (valid 3 years, €100); after 10 years of effective presence, the privileged card (10 years, €160): the route to staying for good.
Invest Monaco (the Welcome Office) holds free information meetings in English for new residents at the Club des Résidents Étrangers; the last announced was on 8 September 2026.
Housing is the cost to plan for: according to IMSEE, resale flats changed hands at about €57,569 per square metre in 2025. No official statistics cover free-sector rents.

Source: MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier), Legimonaco, Caisses Sociales de Monaco, IMSEE, read 24 September 2026

Starting a business or self-employed

As a foreigner you need an autorisation administrative (prior authorisation) before any craft, trade, industrial or professional activity, from the Direction du Développement Économique (the former Direction de l'Expansion Économique, renamed in 2023). Two recent changes: Law 1.573 of 8 April 2025 modernised company law, and since 12 December 2024 self-employed contributions are paid by direct debit.

Step	What to do
Choose the legal form	Sole trader (nom personnel); SARL with at least 2 partners and €15,000; SURL €8,000 for an individual member; SAM with 2 shareholders, €150,000 and a Monegasque notary; SNC and SCS partnerships with no minimum capital. – Where: Monaco Business Office (Direction du Développement Économique)
File the authorisation request	Form, information note, ID, birth certificate extract, criminal record under 3 months, premises papers. Admissibility notice within 5 working days, decision within 45 days (extendable once); silence means granted. – Where: Direction du Développement Économique
Start your residence-card file on the receipt	The receipt confirming your creation request is admissible lets you open the carte de séjour application; established traders and managers bring an RCI extract under 3 months or a French Kbis. – Where: Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents
Register the business	Trade register (RCI) if commercial, NIS statistical number from IMSEE, declaration of existence with the tax office. SARL capital is deposited in a Monaco bank, and a professional account in Monaco is compulsory. – Where: Direction du Développement Économique / IMSEE / Direction des Services Fiscaux
Join CAMTI-CARTI within one month	For sole traders, SNC partners, SCS general partners and SARL managing partners. CAMTI health: €1,101 a quarter (2025-2026), in advance. CARTI pension: €550.08 to €2,200.32 a quarter. Direct debit, or a €30 fee. – Where: Caisses Sociales de Monaco – Service du Recouvrement des Cotisations
Hiring: open an employer file	Book an appointment to open an employer file, then declare every vacancy. Employer rates at the time of writing: CCSS 13.45% up to €9,800, CAR 8.33% up to €6,112, unemployment 4.00% (French Unédic), 60% of CMRC. – Where: Service de l'Emploi / Caisses Sociales de Monaco
Know your taxes	No income tax. Profits tax (ISB) at 25% only if over 25% of turnover is made outside Monaco. VAT at French rates (20%, 10%, 5.5%, 2.1%). Buying a fonds de commerce: 7.5% duty; a lease right: 1% of the remaining rent. – Where: Direction des Services Fiscaux
Working from home	Only if neither law nor your lease forbids it, you receive no customers, store no goods and employ nobody. A company's registered office at the manager's home is allowed at start-up for 1 year, renewable once. – Where: Direction du Développement Économique

Rules that apply to you
Monegasques only file a declaration; foreigners need an authorisation, personal and not transferable. Medical professions go through the Direction de l'Action Sanitaire.
A foreign company's administrative office may only manage, coordinate or control its own group: no commercial activity, and it needs its own authorisation.
Foreign partners of an SARL, and any foreign manager who is not a partner, each need an authorisation to operate.
Cash: businesses may not accept cash payments of €30,000 or more, and due-diligence checks apply from €10,000 (Law 1.362). Carrying over €10,000 across the border must be declared.
Monaco counted 6,273 self-employed workers and 6,378 private employers at the end of 2025; private-sector jobs reached 69,529 in June 2026, a record for a second quarter.

Source: MonEntreprise and MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier), Legimonaco, Caisses Sociales de Monaco, IMSEE, read 24 September 2026

The 15 guides

Move

1. Part 1Moving to Monaco
2. Part 2Monaco residence card
3. Part 3Registering in Monaco
4. Part 6Getting a Monaco work permit
5. Part 7Monaco tax residency explained

Live

1. Part 4Opening a Monaco bank account
2. Part 5Renting in Monaco
3. Part 8Monaco health insurance and the CCSS
4. Part 10Monaco schools and crèches
5. Part 11Living in Monaco without French
6. Part 12Your Monaco driving licence
7. Part 13Setting up home after moving to Monaco

Settle

1. Part 9Monaco social security 2025–26
2. Part 14Everyday living in Monaco
3. Part 15Staying for good

Monaco in numbers

Official statistics, fetched from the source. Each figure shows where it comes from and which period it covers.

Figure	Latest	Source and period
Population	38,857	IMSEE census · 31 December 2025
Economy (GDP)	€10,279 million	IMSEE · 2024
GDP growth, full year	+8.8%	IMSEE, real growth · 2024
Private-sector jobs	69,529	IMSEE · June 2026
Median monthly pay	€3,475	IMSEE, gross, full-time equivalent, private sector · 2025
Minimum wage	€12.31 an hour	Journal de Monaco, circular 2026-7 · from 1 June 2026
Inflation	+0.8%	INSEE consumer price index as published by IMSEE · December 2025 on December 2024
Central bank rate	2.50%	European Central Bank deposit facility rate · 23 September 2026
Foreign residents	76%	IMSEE census: Monegasques 24.0% of residents · 2025
Nationalities	144	IMSEE census · 2025
Area	2.08 km²	IMSEE · 208 hectares
Density	18,681 per km²	IMSEE census · 2025

Source: IMSEE, the Journal de Monaco and the European Central Bank, read 24 September 2026.

Pros
No income tax for most residents: residents other than French nationals pay no personal income tax, and there is no wealth, property or housing tax (Monaco Government).
High pay: the median gross full-time-equivalent private-sector salary was €3,475 a month in 2025, the mean €5,195 (IMSEE).
Easy access: Nice Côte d’Azur airport is 22 km away, and regional trains reach Nice or Ventimiglia in 25 minutes (Monaco Government).
A first temporary residence card can be issued without any prior period of residence, for €80, valid one year (Monaco Government).
Free public schooling: education is compulsory from 6 to 16 and free in the public sector for any child settled in Monaco (Monaco Government).

Cons
Very expensive housing: the average residential resale in 2025 was €57,569 per square metre, according to IMSEE.
Hiring priority: employers must offer jobs first to Monegasques and the other priority groups in Law 629 before other candidates (Monaco Government).
Limited housing for newcomers: State-owned flats, 19.4% of the stock, go to Monegasques, and protected-sector flats have their own priority rules (Monaco Government).
French nationals do not escape income tax: they remain covered by the 1963 Franco-Monegasque tax convention.
Not in the EU or Schengen: non-EEA nationals, UK citizens included, need a French long-stay visa before applying for residence (Monaco Government).
Density and traffic: 18,681 residents per km² and 103,599 vehicle entries and exits on an average working day in 2025 (IMSEE).

Your first steps in Monaco, in order

EEA and Swiss citizens can skip step 1: a valid identity card or passport is enough to come and settle. Everyone else – including UK citizens, who have been treated as third-country nationals since 1 January 2021 – starts at the top. From step 2 on, the order is the same for every nationality, French citizens included: in Monaco they are foreigners too.

Step	What	Where	Typical time
1	Outside the EEA: get a long-stay establishment visa (type D) for Monaco before you travel – it is issued by the French authorities after consultation with, and agreement of, the Monegasque authorities, and it is also required for your minor children. The France-Visas file includes a CV explaining why you are settling in Monaco, a legalised or apostilled and translated birth certificate, proof of housing, financial proof such as a certificate from a Monaco bank, a criminal record extract under 3 months old and, for employees, a work contract endorsed by the Service de l'Emploi (Employment Office). If you have been established in France for more than a year, you apply for a transfer of residence from within Monaco instead.	The French consulate nearest your last home (France-Visas). Foreigners already in Monaco with housing there may ask the Département de l'Intérieur for permission to complete the visa formalities in Monaco	No processing time is published for the Monaco visa itself; for UK citizens the Government says it can take up to 4 months
2	Find a home first and put the electricity in your name. Newcomers rent in the free sector, where the landlord sets the rent and the lease length under the Civil Code, usually through an estate agent. Register the lease with the Direction des Services Fiscaux (Department of Tax Services): the tenant pays the droit de bail (lease duty) of 1% of the rent and charges for the whole lease period, in full on registration. Then open your SMEG electricity contract in your own name, even if the power is already on, and your SMEaux water contract – bring ID, a bank details slip (RIB) and the lease or title deed. The registered lease and the SMEG contract or bill are required documents for the residence card.	Estate agents; Direction des Services Fiscaux, Le Panorama, 57 rue Grimaldi; La Boutique by SMEG, 11 allée Guillaume Apollinaire; SMEaux, 29 avenue Princesse Grace	Register the lease within 3 months of signing (penalty otherwise). SMEG connects a few working days after your file is approved; SMEaux connects the water within 24 hours of the appointment
3	Apply for your carte de séjour at the Section des Résidents – compulsory from age 16 for a stay of more than 3 months. File online on the first-card e-service (or on paper with form 322-0024) with your passport and visa, a birth certificate under 3 months old, a criminal record extract under 3 months old from every country you lived in during the last 5 years, the signed sworn statement, your housing documents and proof of means: a Service de l'Emploi document if you will work, a pension statement if retired, a bank certificate from a Monaco bank under 1 month old if you live on savings (the bank decides what is sufficient), or a support letter from a parent, spouse or partner. Documents in a language other than French, English or Italian need a sworn translation. The official list does not include health insurance. If the file is admissible you book an interview and bring the originals; after an inquiry a second appointment enrols you and hands over the card. Your first card is the temporary card: valid 1 year, €80, paid when you collect it. Until then you may stay only on the provisional receipt.	Direction de la Sûreté Publique – Section des Résidents, 9 rue Suffren-Reymond; help with the online file at the Maison du numérique, by appointment	Apply within 8 days of arrival – the law's deadline. No processing time is published. Renewal (€40) is due by the card's expiry date; after 3 years' residence you can move to the ordinary card (3 years, €100) and after 10 years to the privileged card (10 years, €160)
4	Open a bank account. Residents and people 'in the process of settling' have a legal right to an account under Law 1.492 of 2020: show the provisional receipt of your residence-card application, a photo ID issued by a public authority, proof of address under 3 months old and a sworn statement that you hold no other personal account in Monaco. If a bank refuses, it must give you a free written refusal certificate. The savings a bank will certify as sufficient for the residence card is the bank's decision, not the Government's.	Any bank established in Monaco. If refused: the Direction du Budget et du Trésor (Budget and Treasury Directorate), which designates a bank	The bank has 15 working days from receiving all documents to open the account or refuse in writing; a designated bank then has 15 working days. A bill tabled on 13 March 2026 (bill 1.124) would raise the first deadline to 45 working days – it is a bill only
5	Your permis de travail – your employer's job, not yours. The employer declares the vacancy to the Service de l'Emploi, which sends any priority candidates: Monegasques, then spouses and children of Monegasques, partners under a contrat de vie commune with a Monegasque, parents of a Monegasque child, residents of Monaco, then residents of Cap d'Ail, La Turbie, Beausoleil and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin who have already worked in Monaco. Only if none is retained may the employer propose you. You then sign the hiring-authorisation request (DAE) electronically on MonGuichet, the employer signs, and the permit is issued after opinions from the Sûreté Publique and the Office de la Médecine du Travail (occupational health office). A change of employer or occupation needs a new permit, and without one your contract is void.	Service de l'Emploi, 17 rue Princesse Florestine, through your employer; a non-European candidate without a French work-authorising residence permit is a special case the employer raises with the head of the Service de l'Emploi	Priority candidates are sent within 4 clear days of the vacancy being filed. No permit processing time is published. Probation, if not set by contract, is 1 month for monthly-paid staff, at most 3 months in total
6	Social insurance follows automatically. Hiring and registration are one procedure: as soon as the DAE is filed, the Caisses Sociales de Monaco (Monaco's social security funds) issue a provisional registration certificate, and once the permit is granted you are registered with the CCSS (health, maternity, family benefits), the CAR (basic pension) and the CMRC (supplementary pension). Your registration number (matricule) and digital immatriculation card appear in your online space and the CSM app; the card's colour – green, pink or 'bulle', set by your household's quotient familial – decides what doctors under agreement may charge you. Dependants without their own cover who live in Monaco or France are covered too. Self-employed? You join the CAMTI (health) and CARTI (pension) yourself.	Caisses Sociales de Monaco, 11 rue Louis Notari – immatriculation desk, ground floor, office 12; self-employed: Service du Recouvrement des Cotisations	Health benefits open once you can show 120 hours of work in the month (or previous 30 days) or 200 hours in the quarter; hours worked in France just before count, and in a first Monaco job the CCSS can cover the first 3 months under its social action. Self-employed: apply within 1 month of starting
7	Not working? Sort out your health cover yourself. The residence-card list does not ask for insurance, and the route for retirees and people living on their means is private insurance. After 5 years of stable residence, residents who have been refused by three insurers can join the Couverture Médicale Subsidiaire under Law 1.562 of 2 July 2024, at €700 per person per month, granted for a year at a time; low-income residents of 5 years can apply for the Aide Médicale de l'État. Retirees of a self-employed scheme join the CAMTI. Students covered through a parent insured with the CCSS keep that cover until 26 while studying in Monaco.	An insurer of your choice; Direction de l'Action et de l'Aide Sociales (Social Welfare Directorate), 5 promenade Honoré II, Hall A, 4th floor	Subsidiary cover only after 5 years' residence; admission lasts at most 1 year, renewable
8	Find a doctor and save the numbers. MonacoSanté, the Government's health portal, has the directory with online booking and lists the duty doctor and the duty pharmacy of the week. The CCSS reimburses 80% of the tariff for doctors' fees and medicines; you normally pay upfront, while hospital stays at the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace are on tiers payant. Out of hours, call 116 117 for a doctor; in an emergency 17 (police) or 18 or 112 (fire brigade).	MonacoSanté; the Caisses Sociales publish the list of health professionals under agreement and their fees	Duty doctors every day 19:00–07:00; the CHPG emergency department is open 24/7
9	Phone, internet and moving day. Subscribe in a Monaco Telecom shop with a RIB, ID, proof of residence and your full address including the 5-character code on the square logo usually above your front door; mobile plans are reserved for people who live in Monaco or can show a stable link to it. French mobiles have roamed on Monaco Telecom's network since 5 March 2024 – dial +33 to call France. For the removal van, book parking spaces from the Mairie; the permit carries a fee and is issued after payment.	Monaco Telecom shops in Fontvieille and Monte-Carlo; Mairie de Monaco – Police Municipale, form 'Demande d'OVP stationnement'	Van parking: apply at least 5 working days before moving day
10	Drive legally. Anyone living in Monaco at least 185 days a year must drive on a Monegasque licence: exchange your foreign licence within 1 year, counted from the 186th day after arrival, for €117 – after that the foreign licence is no longer valid here and you must pass a driving-skills check (€117 per category, after at least 3 hours of lessons). Licences from EU and EEA states, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and many others are on the exchange list; whether a UK licence can be exchanged could not be confirmed – ask the STC. The new card-format licence issued since 4 July 2026 costs €23 and is renewed every 15 years. A car is registered at the STC (€122; €69 fully electric) and renewed every year by 31 December (€53).	Service des Titres de Circulation (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office), 5 promenade Honoré II, Hall B, 6th floor, by appointment; form STC010 or the e-service	If the exchange is accepted you are contacted within 1 month at most for the handover; registration certificate and plates are ready within 72 hours
11	Enrol your children. School is compulsory from 6 to 16 for every child living in Monaco, in a public or private school in the Principality (schooling outside Monaco must be declared to the DENJS every year). Public schooling is free, teaching is in French and follows the French curriculum, English starts at 3, and a child whose mother tongue is not French sits a level test; some schools have a French-as-a-foreign-language section. Nursery school takes resident children from 3 within available places. The receipt of your residence-card application is accepted provisionally; enrolment becomes final when you show the card. Most crèches are municipal, with priority for Monegasque and resident children.	Direction de l'Éducation Nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports (DENJS), online e-service or 5 promenade Honoré II, Hall A, 2nd floor; crèches: the Mairie's Portail Familles	Enrolment for 2026–2027 ran from 5 January to 13 March 2026 (public collège 1 May–19 June, lycée 12 January–19 June); newcomers arriving later use the out-of-period procedure. Sector changes: request before 1 May
12	Keep the Section des Résidents informed and get your certificates. Any change of address, job, family situation or nationality must be reported even while the card is valid (new card €30); the one-stop address-change service informs the car parks, the vehicle office, the Caisses Sociales and the Mairie for you. The certificat de résidence administratif (€5, valid 6 months) has been fully online on MonGuichet since 18 December 2025; the certificate for tax purposes (€600, valid 1 year) requires more than 183 days a year in Monaco, your main centre of activities here or your longest stay of the year here. When you leave, hand the card back and you receive a single attestation of your stay.	Section des Résidents, online on MonGuichet or by email; Direction des Services Numériques for questions on the one-stop service	Changes: within 8 days. Certificates: normally only once you have been settled 6 months. Leaving: return the card 8 days before departure
13	Learn French. French is the official language and all lessons in public and state-contracted schools are in French; there is no language test for the residence card. For adults, the official pages list no State or municipal French course – ask the Welcome Office, which holds free information meetings in English (about 45 minutes) for future and new residents at the Club des Résidents Étrangers de Monaco; the last one announced was on 8 September 2026.	Welcome Office – Invest Monaco, 2a boulevard des Moulins, registration by phone; for children, the school's French-as-a-foreign-language section	Meetings are quarterly; the next date was not published when we checked

Tax and contributions at a glance for 2026

Monaco has levied no personal income tax on its residents since an ordinance of Prince Charles III in 1869, and there is no wealth, property or housing tax either; the only direct tax is the tax on business profits. The exemption covers only people genuinely established in Monaco and does not override your home country's rules – and French nationals are the exception, because Article 7 of the 1963 Franco-Monegasque tax convention keeps them in French income tax. Social contributions are another matter: an employee's payslip carries the Monegasque CAR and CMRC contributions and the French unemployment scheme. The rates below are those in force at the time of writing, from the Caisses Sociales table of 1 October 2025; the October 2026 revision had not been published when we checked.

Item	Rate or amount	Ceiling and rule
Personal income tax	None for Monegasques and residents	Exception: French nationals under Article 7 of the 1963 convention pay French income tax as if they lived in France, unless habitually resident in Monaco since before 13 October 1957 or without interruption since birth; a dual French national counts as French only. Members of the Sovereign House and civil servants resident before 13 October 1962 are also exempt
Wealth, property and housing tax	None	French nationals who moved to Monaco from 1 January 1989 are subject to the French wealth tax as if resident in France. Inheritance duty applies to assets in Monaco whatever your nationality: 0% between parents and children and between spouses, 8% between siblings, 10% uncles and nephews, 13% other relatives, 16% unrelated persons
VAT	Same bases and rates as France: 20% standard, 10% reduced, 5.5% basic necessities, 2.1% some medicines	A French rule applied in Monaco under the customs union
CCSS – health, maternity, invalidity, family benefits (employer only)	13.45% (13.40% where the 0.05% CGCS levy does not apply)	Salary up to €9,800 a month (€117,600 a year); no employee share
CAR – basic pension	Employer 8.33%, employee 6.85% (15.18% in total)	Salary up to €6,112 a month
CMRC – supplementary pension (since 1 January 2024, replacing AGIRC-ARRCO for work in Monaco)	Tranche A: 7.87% rights-generating plus 2.15% non-rights-generating; Tranche B: 21.59% plus 2.70%. The contribution is split 60% employer, 40% employee	Tranche A up to €3,971 a month; Tranche B from there up to 8 times that ceiling; pay above Tranche B is not subject. 1 CMRC point = 1 former AGIRC-ARRCO point; periods worked in France stay with AGIRC-ARRCO
Unemployment insurance (the French Unédic scheme, extended to Monaco)	Employer 4.00% (since 1 May 2025), employee 2.40% – the French rate changes of 1 January 2019 do not apply in Monaco	Salary up to €16,020 a month from 1 January 2026 (four French social-security ceilings)
Minimum wage from 1 June 2026 (follows the French SMIC of the neighbouring region)	€12.31 an hour; €2,080.39 a month for 39 hours a week (169 hours a month)	Plus the compulsory 5% indemnité exceptionnelle, which is free of social contributions – the two are not published as one figure. Youth rates €11.08 (17–18) and €9.85 (16–17) an hour; overtime €15.39 (+25%) and €18.47 (+50%)
Working time and paid leave	39 hours a week; at most 10 hours a day and 48 hours a week	2.5 working days of leave per month of work, up to 30 a year; 12 public holidays in 2026; weekly rest on Sunday
Sick pay (CCSS)	Half the average gross daily wage of the last 12 months, capped at €163.33 a day since 1 October 2025	The first 3 days are unpaid; the doctor's note must reach the CCSS within 48 hours
Family allowances (CCSS) from 1 October 2025	€171.00 (0–3), €256.50 (3–6), €307.80 (6–10) and €359.10 (over 10) per child per month	The head of household must work at least 75 hours a month; full amount from 145 hours; nationality and residence conditions apply under Monaco's social-security conventions
Proof of tax residence	Certificat de domicile (French nationals): €12, valid 3 years. Certificate of residence for tax purposes (other foreigners): €600, valid 1 year	The tax certificate requires a valid residence card and more than 183 days a year in Monaco, or your main centre of activities or longest stay of the year here

The Relocate in Europe salary calculator applies these rates, so you can see what a Monaco offer leaves after contributions – remember to add the 5% allowance on a minimum-wage contract yourself.

Emergency and health numbers

Number	For what
17	Police (Direction de la Sûreté Publique); the switchboard is +377 93 15 30 15. These numbers also work from French mobile phones in Monaco and are routed to the Monegasque services
18	Fire brigade (Sapeurs-Pompiers), which also handles rescue and the transport of sick or injured people – the number the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace tells you to dial in a real medical emergency
112	Fire brigade – the European number, also routed to the Monaco services
116 117	Out-of-hours doctor (médecin de garde), every day 19:00–07:00; MonacoSanté lists the duty doctor, osteopath and pharmacy of the week
+377 97 98 97 69	Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace (CHPG) – adult emergency department, open 24/7 all year
+377 97 98 95 33	CHPG – paediatric emergencies
+377 97 98 99 00	CHPG switchboard, 1 avenue Pasteur
+377 99 99 10 23	IM2S sports medicine institute – trauma emergencies (listed on the Government's emergency page)
+33 4 91 75 25 25	Poison control: the Marseille centre serves Monaco (a French service)

The address book

Every entry names the agency in French with the English name in brackets where an official one exists. All Monaco numbers take the country code +377; from a Monaco line you can dial the 8 digits alone. Where a phone number or counter could not be confirmed on an official page, the cell says so.

Residence and identity

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Direction de la Sûreté Publique – Division de Police Administrative – Section des Résidents (Police Department – Administrative Police Division – Residency Section)	Your carte de séjour: first application, renewal, duplicate (€80), a new card after a change of address, job or family situation (€30), residence certificates, the free travel document for children under 16, and the hosting certificate for visiting family (€5 stamp, issued after 48 hours). A lost card abroad and a switch to digital identity are requested by email	Two sets of official numbers are in circulation: the Government's online directory gives +377 93 15 30 17 and +377 93 15 30 60; the MonServicePublic residence-card pages give +377 93 15 30 15	MonServicePublic (Gouvernement Princier) – residence pages, with the first-card e-service; MonGuichet for renewals and certificates	9 rue Suffren-Reymond, 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00; interviews by appointment once your file is admissible; post: B.P. 555, 98015 Monaco cedex
Direction de la Sûreté Publique (Police Department) – switchboard and police posts	Emergencies on 17; complaints, including about noise; the declaration of a 2nd-category dog; the declaration of cash above €10,000 when entering or leaving; lost property at the Bureau des Objets Trouvés	+377 93 15 30 15; lost property 93 15 30 18	Gouvernement Princier	Police posts at Condamine (Place d'Armes), Fontvieille (9 avenue des Ligures), Monaco-Ville (Place de la Visitation), Monte-Carlo (Place du Casino), Larvotto (35 avenue Princesse Grace) and the railway station
Welcome Office – Invest Monaco (Ministère d'État)	The Government's official welcome service for private newcomers: information on formalities, notably the carte de séjour, introductions to public bodies, and free quarterly information meetings in English (about 45 minutes) at the Club des Résidents Étrangers de Monaco; it publishes the official 'Settling in Monaco' brochure in English	+377 98 98 94 94	Gouvernement Princier – Welcome Office	2a boulevard des Moulins (Office du Tourisme), 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00; meetings by appointment, in French or English
Maison du numérique (digital help centre)	Help with the online procedures: the first residence-card e-service, MonGuichet and MConnect, the official digital identity that works with a 5-digit PIN and can be installed in the MConnect Mobile app	+377 92 26 92 26	Maison du numérique	Jardins d'Apolline, 1 promenade Honoré-II; by appointment only, booked by phone or email
Mairie de Monaco – Service de l'État Civil (the town hall's civil registry)	Births, marriages and deaths in Monaco, including those of foreign residents; civil-status and nationality certificates online. Foreign residents do not register at the Mairie: a change of address goes to the Section des Résidents	Civil registry +377 93 15 28 51 or +377 93 15 29 64; nationality desk +377 93 15 28 10; switchboard +377 93 15 28 63	Mairie de Monaco – online certificate requests	Place de la Mairie, 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 8:30–16:00, Saturday 9:00–12:00 for weddings only
Direction des Services Judiciaires (Judicial Services Directorate) – nationality	Naturalisation files – after 10 years' habitual residence from age 18, at the Sovereign Prince's discretion, and you must give up your previous nationality – and questions on nationality by marriage (20 years of marriage; 10 years if married before 1 July 2022)	+377 98 98 88 11	MonServicePublic – nationality pages	Palais de Justice, 5 rue Colonel Bellando de Castro, 98000 Monaco; 14:00–16:00
Direction des Services Numériques (Digital Services Directorate)	Questions on the one-stop change-of-address service, which informs the public car parks, the vehicle office, the Caisses Sociales, the Mairie and the Journal de Monaco for you (La Poste as a paid service)	+377 98 98 40 26	MonGuichet	See the agency's website
Département des Relations Extérieures et de la Coopération (Department of External Relations and Cooperation)	Youth Mobility Scheme certificates for British nationals aged 18–30 who apply from Monaco: up to 1,000 a year, €150 fee, at least €2,000 in savings, a stay of at most 12 months with each job or internship limited to 6 months	+377 98 98 89 04	MonServicePublic – 'Travailler à Monaco grâce au YMS'	Ministère d'État – a refusal is notified within 4 weeks of receipt; See the agency's website

Money, work and social insurance

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Direction des Services Fiscaux (Department of Tax Services)	Registering your lease (within 3 months; 1% droit de bail paid by the tenant, in 3-year instalments for leases over 3 years), the certificat de domicile for French nationals (€12, valid 3 years), the VAT certificate for a car bought in the EU, registration duties on a property purchase (4.5% for buyers meeting the transparency rules of Law 1.381, otherwise 7.5%), and information on Monegasque and French taxation	+377 98 98 81 21 or +377 98 98 81 22	MonServicePublic – tax pages; the optional e-TVA service for businesses	Le Panorama, 57 rue Grimaldi, 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 9:30–17:00. Since 2 July 2026 the Division des Droits de Régie receives the public at Les Terrasses de Fontvieille, 24/26 rue du Gabian
Direction du Travail – Service de l'Emploi (Department of Employment – Employment Office)	Work permits and hiring authorisations, filed by your employer; job-seeker registration for residents of Monaco and of the four neighbouring communes who have already worked here, with a monthly meeting with an adviser; unemployment benefits, paid by France Travail under the French scheme	+377 98 98 88 14; Direction du Travail +377 98 98 86 59; Cellule Emploi-Jeunes +377 98 98 41 78	MonServicePublic and MonEntreprise (Gouvernement Princier); hiring runs online through MonGuichet	17 rue Princesse Florestine, 98000 Monaco; reception by appointment (online booking). Hiring and permit files: without appointment 8:30–10:00, by appointment 10:30–13:00, at most 5 forms per appointment, payment by cheque or cash only; job-seeker registrations Monday–Friday 8:30–13:00
Inspection du Travail (Labour Inspectorate)	Labour-law questions, health and safety at work, conciliation in individual disputes; it approves a rupture conventionnelle within 15 working days (silence counts as approval) after your 7-day withdrawal period	+377 98 98 87 26	MonServicePublic – Inspection du Travail	17 rue Princesse Florestine; Monday–Thursday 9:30–16:30, Friday 9:30–12:30 (doors close at 12:00)
Office de la Médecine du Travail (occupational health office)	The medical opinion required before a work permit is issued	+377 97 98 46 46	MonServicePublic – Office de la Médecine du Travail	L'Aigue Marine, 10 rue du Gabian; Monday–Friday 8:00–12:00 and 12:45–16:30
Caisses Sociales de Monaco – CCSS, CAR and CMRC (Social Services Compensation Fund, Independent Pensions Fund, Supplementary Pensions Fund)	Your registration number and digital immatriculation card, health reimbursements (80% of the tariff), family allowances, the housing allowance (after 60 months' residence or registration), crèche-cost contributions, maternity and paternity pay, basic and supplementary pensions (full pension at 65, early from 60), and the list of health professionals under agreement with their fees	Switchboard +377 93 15 43 43; technical helpline +377 93 15 44 44; immatriculation +377 93 15 49 70; health reimbursements +377 93 15 44 18; family benefits +377 93 15 43 77; pensions +377 93 15 49 59	Caisses Sociales de Monaco – personal online space by profile, online pension application, CSM mobile app	11 rue Louis Notari, 98000 Monaco; walk-in reception Monday–Friday 8:30–12:00 and 13:30–17:00 (office 11 for employees, office 12 for retirees); pensions at Flor-Offices, 10 rue Princesse Florestine
Caisses Sociales de Monaco – CAMTI and CARTI (Social Security Fund for the Self-Employed; Independent Pension Fund for the Self-Employed)	Compulsory health and pension cover for sole traders, partners of an SNC, general partners of an SCS, managing partners of an SARL and recognised independent artists: apply within 1 month of starting; health contribution €1,101 a quarter for 2025–2026; pension classes from €550.08 to €2,200.32 a quarter; direct debit only since 12 December 2024 (€30 handling fee otherwise)	Service du Recouvrement des Cotisations +377 93 15 43 93	Caisses Sociales de Monaco	11 rue Louis Notari, 98000 Monaco
Direction du Budget et du Trésor (Budget and Treasury Directorate)	The right to a bank account under Law 1.492 of 2020: if a bank refuses you in writing, ask the directorate to designate a bank, which must then open the account within 15 working days and provide the basic services (card, transfers, direct debits, cash withdrawals, two bank cheques a month) at its normal prices	See the agency's website	MonServicePublic – 'Ouvrir un compte bancaire'	See the agency's website
Direction du Développement Économique – Monaco Business Office (Business Development Agency)	Authorisation to run a business or practise a profession (admissibility notified within 5 working days, decision within 45 days, extendable once), company creation, the trade register (RCI), and the admissibility receipt that lets a future founder start the residence-card file. It replaced the Direction de l'Expansion Économique in 2023 under Ordinance 9.827 – some official pages still use the old name	Monaco Business Office +377 98 98 98 98; directorate +377 98 98 98 00; trade register +377 98 98 98 02	MonEntreprise (Gouvernement Princier)	9 rue du Gabian, 2nd floor, 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 9:30–17:00
Direction de l'Action et de l'Aide Sociales (Social Welfare Directorate)	The Aide Médicale de l'État and the flat-rate aid towards a complementary health policy for low-income residents of at least 5 years without cover; referrals for a free annual bus pass	+377 98 98 41 00	MonServicePublic – aides sociales	5 promenade Honoré II, Hall A, 4th floor
IMSEE – Institut Monégasque de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (Monaco Statistics)	Official statistics on population, jobs, pay and property prices, including the yearly 'Monaco en chiffres'; the statistical identification number (NIS) for a new business	+377 98 98 98 88	IMSEE	9 rue du Gabian, 98000 Monaco

Health and safety

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace – CHPG (Princess Grace Hospital Centre)	Monaco's public hospital: emergency department open 24/7, adult and paediatric emergencies, the SMUR mobile emergency unit working with the fire brigade, appointments via the patient portal or MonacoSanté; stays are on tiers payant, with the 20% ticket modérateur and any single-room supplement left to you	Switchboard +377 97 98 99 00; adult emergencies +377 97 98 97 69; paediatric emergencies +377 97 98 95 33	Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace	1 avenue Pasteur, 98012 Monaco Cedex; bus lines 3 and 5, stop Hôpital
MonacoSanté (the Government's health portal)	Finding a doctor and booking online; the duty doctor, osteopath and pharmacy of the week (the duty pharmacy rotates every Friday at 8:30); the full list of 24/7 emergency numbers	Out-of-hours doctors 116 117, every day 19:00–07:00	MonacoSanté; Monaco Santé app	Online only
Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Monaco (fire brigade)	Fire, rescue, home assistance and the transport of sick or injured people	18 or 112; administrative line +377 93 15 66 99	Gouvernement Princier	11 avenue du Port, 98000 Monaco
Centre Cardio-Thoracique de Monaco (heart and chest centre)	Cardiac and thoracic care; stays there are on tiers payant like the CHPG	+377 92 16 80 00	Centre Cardio-Thoracique de Monaco	11 bis avenue d'Ostende
IM2S (sports medicine institute)	Sports injuries and trauma emergencies	+377 99 99 10 00; trauma emergencies +377 99 99 10 23	IM2S	11 avenue d'Ostende
Centre antipoison de Marseille (poison control centre – a French service)	Poison control for Monaco	+33 4 91 75 25 25	See the agency's website	By phone
Direction de l'Action Sanitaire (Health Directorate)	Authorisation to practise a medical or paramedical profession in Monaco	See the agency's website	Gouvernement Princier	See the agency's website
Direction des Prestations Médicales et Familiales de l'État – DPMFE (State medical and family benefits directorate)	Health insurance and family allowances for State and Commune employees, who are not in the CCSS; the service was renamed from SPME on 1 July 2026	See the agency's website	Gouvernement Princier	See the agency's website
Gouvernement Princier – population alert service	Free SMS and email alerts for weather, marine pollution, technological, seismic and health risks; the sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of every month at 12:00 – if you hear the real signal, go indoors, close doors and windows and listen to the radio or TV	Not by phone – sign up online	MonServicePublic – 'Recevoir les messages d'alerte à la population'	Online only

Moving goods, cars and pets

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Service des Titres de Circulation – STC (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office)	Exchanging your foreign driving licence (€117, within 1 year of normal residence; form STC010 or the e-service; non-EU licences need a sworn French translation), the card-format licence issued since 4 July 2026 (€23, renewed every 15 years), the international driving permit (€32), registering a car (€122; €69 fully electric; €617 in the non-resident Z series), the annual renewal by 31 December (€53; free for electric cars, which must still confirm), the technical inspection (€72, from 4 years old, then every 36 months at most), and temporary WW plates when you leave	+377 98 98 80 14	MonServicePublic – vehicle and licence pages, with online appointment booking	5 promenade Honoré II, Hall B, 6th floor, 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 9:30–17:00, by appointment only
Monaco Parkings (public car parks – a government service)	More than 40 public car parks on one tariff (six exceptions): first hour free, then €7.40 for 2 hours, capped at €24 per 24 hours; residential subscription €118.50 a month, work subscription €105, one week €70, bicycle €5; €20 off for electric cars; requests can go on a waiting list. Subscribers to the Salines entry car park ride the buses free	+377 98 98 28 00	Monaco Parkings	Espace Honoré II, entrance A, 3rd floor, 5 promenade Honoré II; weekdays 9:30–17:00
Douane française – Infos Douane Service (French customs information line)	Customs rules are French in Monaco. From an EU country, removal goods need no formality. From outside the EU they are duty-free if you lived there at least 12 months and used the goods for at least 6 months, imported within 12 months of your move (inventory in two copies, form Cerfa 10070, proof of residence abroad and of settling), not to be sold for 12 months; alcohol, tobacco and utility vehicles are excluded; a car gets the certificate 846 A for registration. Pets: microchip, valid rabies vaccination and EU pet passport (Monaco issues an equivalent); from outside the EU also a rabies antibody test and an official health certificate, at most 5 animals, none under 16 weeks – plan at least 3 months ahead	0 800 94 40 40 (free, Monday–Friday 8:30–18:00 except public holidays); from abroad +33 1 72 40 78 50	Douane française	By phone
Mairie de Monaco – Police Municipale (municipal police)	Reserving parking spaces on the street for your removal van: the permit is subject to a fee and issued only after payment	+377 93 15 28 26	Mairie de Monaco – form 'Demande d'OVP stationnement'	Apply at least 5 working days before moving day; See the agency's website
Direction de l'Aviation Civile (Civil Aviation Authority) – Héliport de Monaco	Helicopter shuttles to Nice Côte d'Azur airport, 22 km away: 7 minutes' flight, a departure every 20 minutes on the scheduled service, and check-in in Monaco for most flights from Nice	+377 98 98 87 11	MonServicePublic – Héliport de Monaco	Avenue des Ligures, Fontvieille, behind the Stade Louis-II; Monday–Friday 9:00–12:30 and 13:30–17:00
Direction de la Sûreté Publique – dogs and the Rock access sticker	All dogs must be on a lead on public roads and in the common parts of buildings (Law 1.351). 1st-category attack dogs may not be brought into Monaco; a 2nd-category guard dog must be declared, insured, muzzled and leashed, and may not be owned or walked by anyone under 16. French-plated cars that need regular access to Monaco-Ville get an access sticker (macaron) valid one year	+377 93 15 30 15	MonServicePublic – 'Déclarer la possession de chiens dangereux'; 'Obtenir un macaron d'accès à Monaco-Ville'	See the agency's website

Education and qualifications

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Direction de l'Éducation Nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports – DENJS (Department of Education, Youth and Sport)	School enrolment, online or on paper (nursery and elementary for 2026–2027: 5 January–13 March 2026; public collège 1 May–19 June; public lycée 12 January–19 June; newcomers use the out-of-period procedure), sector derogations before 1 May, declarations of schooling outside Monaco, and State scholarships – foreign students qualify after 10 years' uninterrupted residence under Ministerial Order 2026-377, with a 30% reduction; applications from 1 June to the last Friday of September	+377 98 98 80 05	MonServicePublic – education pages	5 promenade Honoré II, Hall A, 2nd floor, 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 9:30–17:00
Centre d'Information de l'Éducation Nationale – CIEN, with the Centre ENIC Monaco (information centre on studies; diploma comparability)	Monaco has no legal diploma equivalence: the ENIC centre issues a free attestation de comparabilité for a foreign higher-education diploma (courses of at least 6 months or 60 ECTS), which has no legal value and cannot be used outside Monaco; the form exists in English, and documents in other languages than French, English or Italian need a sworn translation. Information on studies and scholarships	+377 98 98 87 63	MonServicePublic – 'Demander une attestation de comparabilité'	18 avenue des Castelans; Monday–Friday 9:30–18:30
Mairie de Monaco – Service Petite Enfance et Familles (early-childhood service)	The municipal crèches – close to 400 places for children from 2 months to 3 years, plus micro-crèches, a family crèche and a summer Mini-Club – with priority for Monegasque and resident children; pre-registration on the Portail Familles	+377 93 15 61 80 (8:00–17:00)	Mairie de Monaco – Portail Familles	3 rue Philibert Florence, 98000 Monaco
Service de l'Emploi – Cellule Emploi-Jeunes (youth employment unit)	Internships (a three-party agreement, prior authorisation of the Service de l'Emploi at least 15 days ahead, and beyond 2 months a monthly gratification of at least 27% of the SMIC), apprenticeships and first jobs; the youth minimum wage is €11.08 an hour at 17–18 and €9.85 at 16–17	+377 98 98 41 78	MonServicePublic – emploi des jeunes	17 rue Princesse Florestine, 98000 Monaco; by appointment Monday–Friday
International University of Monaco – IUM	Private English-language university: bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes in management, finance and luxury goods and services, with degrees recognised by Ministerial Order 2023-575. Other higher education: the CHPG nursing school (IFSI), the Mairie's École Supérieure d'Arts Plastiques, and BTS and DCG courses at Lycée Albert Ier and Lycée Rainier III	See the agency's website	International University of Monaco	See the agency's website

The city

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Mairie de Monaco (the town hall – Monaco's single municipality)	The civil registry, crèches, the municipal police, the Monegasque-language competition for pupils since 1981, the École Supérieure d'Arts Plastiques; its online procedures share the MonGuichet portal with the Government	+377 93 15 28 63	Mairie de Monaco	Place de la Mairie, 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 8:30–16:00
Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco – CAM (city buses)	9 daytime lines, 2 night lines, a solar boat-bus across the port (8:00–20:00) and the on-demand ClicBus; single trip €2 on board or €1.50 by app or contactless card (capped at €5.50 a day and €22 a month), monthly pass €22, annual €199, under-26 €13 a month, free annual pass for residents over 60; school bus pick-up €34 a term and the €10 Pass Scolaire; MonaBike e-bikes from €1 a trip	+377 97 70 22 22; ClicBus bookings +377 92 00 17 99	Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco; Monapass app; online shop for recharging travel cards	22-24 rue du Gabian, Fontvieille; Monday–Friday 8:30–16:30
SMEG – Société Monégasque de l'Electricité et du Gaz (electricity and gas)	Opening your electricity and gas contract, in your own name even if the supply is already on (the contract or bill is your housing proof for the residence card); one-year contracts renewed tacitly, bills every 3 months payable within 15 days, all electricity 100% renewable; SMEG's pages do not state the prices, so ask for the current tariff brochure	Shop and sales +377 92 05 66 44; head office +377 92 05 05 00; 24/7 emergencies and gas smells +377 92 05 05 05	SMEG – online customer space	La Boutique by SMEG, 11 allée Guillaume Apollinaire; Monday–Thursday 9:00–17:00, Friday 10:00–17:00; head office 10 avenue de Fontvieille
SMEaux – Société Monégasque des Eaux (water)	Your water subscription: send the lease or title deed, ID, IBAN and the start date; connection within 24 hours of the appointment; €4.28 per cubic metre incl. VAT from 1 July to 31 December 2026, plus a subscription that depends on the meter size	Subscriptions +377 93 30 94 48 or +377 93 30 94 49; customer office +377 93 30 83 67; 24/7 emergencies +377 93 30 39 36	Société Monégasque des Eaux	29 avenue Princesse Grace; Monday–Friday 8:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, free parking
Monaco Telecom (fibre, mobile, television)	Home fibre from €34.99 a month for 12 months (500 Mb/s) and mobile plans reserved for residents or people with a stable link to Monaco (€9.99 activation); about 80 free cable TV channels on a compatible set; bring ID, a RIB, proof of residence and the flat's logo number. Prepaid rules are not published on its pages	99 66 33 00 (from abroad +377 99 66 33 00), 7 days a week 8:00–22:00	Monaco Telecom	Shops: Fontvieille, 9 rue du Gabian (Monday–Friday 9:00–18:00, Saturday 9:00–17:30) and Monte-Carlo, 27 boulevard des Moulins (Monday–Friday 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–19:00)
SMA – Société Monégasque d'Assainissement (waste collection)	Free household collection; sorting: all packaging and paper in the yellow bin since 2019, glass in the green containers, never in the yellow bin; free bulky-waste collection Monday–Friday by appointment (1 cubic metre per appointment, out before 9:00); special household waste at the Fontvieille drop-off; wheeled bins may not stand on the street outside collection times	Sorting hotline 8000 20 40 (free); bulky waste +377 92 05 75 16	SMA; the YourMonaco app shows all collection points	Special waste: 3 rue du Gabian, Fontvieille; Monday–Friday 9:00–12:00 and 13:15–17:00, Saturday 8:45–12:00
Direction de l'Aménagement Urbain – DAU (Urban Development Directorate)	Badges for the public waste rooms (also from the SMA free number)	+377 98 98 77 22	Gouvernement Princier	See the agency's website
Direction de l'Habitat (Housing Department)	The protected sector (buildings completed before 1 September 1947): registration as a personne protégée – with a residence condition and an income ceiling, so a newly arrived foreigner does not qualify – rental offers published in the Journal de Monaco (apply within 15 days), and the Allocation Différentielle de Loyer for its tenants whatever their nationality. State-owned housing is for Monegasques only	+377 98 98 80 08; protected sector +377 98 98 44 81	MonServicePublic – housing pages	5 promenade Honoré II, Hall B, 4th floor, 98000 Monaco; Monday–Friday 9:30–17:00
Direction de la Prospective, de l'Urbanisme et de la Mobilité (Planning, Urban Development and Mobility Directorate)	Building and works authorisations, including interior changes to an existing home: the file must be signed by an architect registered with Monaco's Ordre des Architectes, and work may start only once the authorisation is issued. Sites may work Monday–Friday 7:30–19:30, with quieter rules in July, August and over Christmas	See the agency's website	MonServicePublic – 'Demander une autorisation de construire'	See the agency's website
Gare de Monaco-Monte-Carlo (the railway station, run by SNCF)	TER trains to Nice or Ventimiglia in 25 minutes, every 15 minutes at peak times – 124 trains a day on weekdays in 2025; a combined TER and Monaco bus season ticket for workers, with the named card issued within 10 days	See the agency's website	SNCF TER	Station open every day 5:00–2:00; ticket counters Monday–Friday 9:05–12:30 and 13:30–16:45, closed at weekends and on public holidays (a 2024 page – check with SNCF)

The city: Monaco's quarters

Monaco is one city and one municipality, so there are no regions to choose between – only quarters. Since Sovereign Ordinance 4.481 of 13 September 2013 the territory is divided into seven quartiers ordonnancés, plus the two reserved sectors of Monaco-Ville and the Ravin Sainte-Dévote under Ordinance 674 of 3 November 1959. The figures are IMSEE's for 2025.

Quarter	What it is
Monte-Carlo	The most populated quarter: 8,318 residents (21.4%) on 43.7 hectares; police post on Place du Casino and a Monaco Telecom shop on boulevard des Moulins; according to IMSEE, resale flats changed hands at about €54,009 per square metre in 2025
La Rousse	7,992 residents (20.6%) on 17.7 hectares – with Monte-Carlo it houses more than four residents in ten; about €51,265 per square metre in 2025 according to IMSEE
La Condamine	5,446 residents (14.0%) on 29.6 hectares; police post on Place d'Armes, whose small car park is one of the six outside the unified parking tariff; about €52,104 per square metre in 2025 according to IMSEE
Jardin Exotique	4,997 residents (12.9%) on 23.5 hectares
Les Moneghetti (with the Ravin Sainte-Dévote)	4,498 residents (11.6%) on 11.5 hectares, plus the 2.3-hectare Ravin Sainte-Dévote reserved sector, which IMSEE counts with it; the least expensive quarter, at about €43,797 per square metre in 2025 according to IMSEE
Fontvieille	4,297 residents (11.1%) on 33.0 hectares; home to the heliport behind the Stade Louis-II, the police post at 9 avenue des Ligures, the CAM agency, a Monaco Telecom shop and the special-waste drop-off on rue du Gabian, and since 2 July 2026 the tax office's Division des Droits de Régie at Les Terrasses de Fontvieille; about €52,518 per square metre in 2025 according to IMSEE
Larvotto	2,287 residents (5.9%) on 27.5 hectares; police post at 35 avenue Princesse Grace; the most expensive quarter, at about €71,167 per square metre in 2025 according to IMSEE
Monaco-Ville (the Rock)	The least populated quarter, with 1,022 residents (2.6%) on 19.6 hectares, and a reserved sector under the 1959 ordinance; police post on Place de la Visitation; cars with French plates need a one-year access sticker (macaron) from the Sûreté Publique for regular access

The Principality had 38,857 residents on 31 December 2025 according to IMSEE's register-based census – 434 more than a year earlier – on 208 hectares, about 2 km², a density of 18,681 inhabitants per km². They hold 144 nationalities: Monegasques are 24.0% of residents, French 21.3%, Italian 19.5% and British 7.9%, and the British community grew most in 2025, by 163 residents. The economy is far larger than the population: private-sector jobs reached 69,529 in June 2026, up 4.2% on a year earlier, and nine in ten private-sector employees commute in from outside Monaco – on an average working day in 2025 the counters recorded 103,599 vehicle entries and exits. TER trains reach Nice or Ventimiglia in 25 minutes, and Nice Côte d'Azur airport is 22 km away: about 25 minutes by motorway or 7 minutes by helicopter.

Embassies in Monaco

Your embassy issues passports, registers births and helps in an emergency. These are the embassies most people moving to Monaco need – 42 countries. Addresses, phone numbers and e-mails were read on each embassy’s official website or the Monaco Government’s official list of the diplomatic and consular corps on 24 September 2026. Most consular services are by appointment only – book before you go.

Good to know

Housing is the hard part. Only the free sector is open to everyone: rent and lease length are set by the landlord under the Civil Code, and no cap on either could be verified; there are no official rent statistics for the free sector, so treat any figure you are quoted as the market's, not the State's. Protected-sector flats in buildings from before September 1947 have 6-year leases, a deposit capped at 3 months' rent and 3 months' notice for the tenant, but they are reserved for registered protected persons with a residence condition, and State-owned flats – 19.4% of the stock – go to Monegasques. If you buy, the registration duty is 4.5% for buyers meeting the transparency rules, otherwise 7.5%, and according to IMSEE, resale flats changed hands at about €57,569 per square metre in 2025. Home insurance is verified as compulsory only for tenants of State-owned flats, and a protected-sector lease may require it; elsewhere it is a matter for your lease.

Money and payments. The euro is the currency and Monaco banks join EU payment systems on the same terms as French banks, but Monaco is not in the EU: it is the only third State inside the EU customs territory. Businesses may not accept cash payments of €30,000 or more, and if you carry more than €10,000 in cash across the border you must declare it to the Sûreté Publique – failing to do so is fined half the sum. Your Monaco bank reports accounts of non-residents to their home tax authorities under the OECD standard, and the certificate that proves your tax residence costs €600 a year.

Everyday rules. Bars and restaurants close at 1 a.m. unless they hold a late-closing authorisation. Law 1.574 of 27 May 2025 extended the smoking and vaping bans to playgrounds and to cars carrying a minor, and disposable vapes have been banned outright since 6 September 2025 – using one costs €75–200. Dogs go on a lead everywhere in public. Night runs from 22:00 to 7:00 for noise, and building sites may work Monday–Friday 7:30–19:30. Selling alcohol or tobacco to under-18s is a criminal offence, and so is begging. The official pages set no general shop opening hours and no dress code in public, and shops may open on Sundays with volunteer staff paid at least double. Bags or suitcases left on the street are treated as suspicious objects.

Getting around. Monaco Parkings' first hour is free and a day never costs more than €24; a residential subscription is €118.50 a month, often after a waiting list. A monthly CAM bus pass costs €22, and 33 mechanised public links with about a hundred lifts, escalators and moving walkways are free around the clock. The e-scooter rules announced on 5 August 2025 keep children under 14 off e-scooters and e-bikes on public roads, require the school road-safety certificate or an AM licence from 14, and make helmets compulsory on e-scooters. Monaco keeps summer time from 29 March to 25 October 2026, and the public holidays include Sainte-Dévote on 27 January and the Fête du Prince on 19 November.

Becoming Monegasque is a long road. Neither residence nor birth in Monaco gives a right to nationality. Naturalisation needs 10 years' habitual residence from age 18, is granted by the Prince at his discretion after an inquiry, and requires you to lose your previous nationality; a foreign spouse of a Monegasque can declare for nationality after 20 years of marriage (10 years if married before 1 July 2022), keeping their original nationality. Law 1.155 was last amended by Law 1.512 in 2021, and no nationality bill has been tabled since.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice. Numbers, prices and opening hours were checked on 24 September 2026 – check with the agency before you visit.