Settling in Monaco

What is living in Monaco like? How to register children for school? How does healthcare work? What are the steps to set up a business?

To answer those questions, the Attractiveness Department invites future and new residentsto attend the next information meeting to be held on Thursday 6 July 2023 at 6.30 pm at the Club des Résidents Étrangers de Monaco (CREM).

The purpose of the event is to inform you on all aspects of life in Monaco, from healthcare to transportation, education and even business related questions.

Guests attend a 45-minute presentation in English and refreshments will be served afterwards within the Club.

Whereas general enquiries are answered during the presentation, personal questions are preferably addressed at the end of the event on a one-to-one basis to the Welcome Office staff (French / English / Italian / Spanish).

Registration is mandatory:

• by phone : (+377) 98 98 94 94
• by email  

If you wish to come along with a relative, please inform us in advance.
The event is exclusively reserved for those who would like to become residents or who are currently relocating to Monaco. 

You can also visit the webpage dedicated to these events .

• Online Booklet "Welcome to Monaco"
• Ten reasons to choose Monaco
• Access to Monaco

Fulfilling the requirements

Anyone who is more than 16 years of age and wishes to reside in Monaco for more than three months in a year, must apply for a residence permit issued by the Monégasque authorities, according to the Convention Franco-Monégasque de Voisinage of 18 May 1963 and the  Ordinance no. 3.153 of 19 March 1964 pertaining to conditions for entry and residence of foreign nationals in the Principality

 In all cases, you must:

• Prove that you have accommodation in Monaco that is of sufficient size for the household (Consult the: List of agencies that are members of the Chambre Immobilière Monégasque)
• Guarantee that you have sufficient financial resources:
  • Have an employment contract, or
  • Be supported by a third party, or
  • Have sufficient savings
• Prove that you are of good character (criminal records information or equivalent)

Get more information

Contact the Welcome Office within the Attractiveness Department, the dedicated point of contact for people who want to settle in the Principality in a private capacity.

Contact the Monaco Business Office for any questions about starting a business in the Principality.

Contact the Police Department – Administrative Police Division – Residency, Certifications and Lost-and-Found Section – responsible for Residence Permit applications 

Obtaining a residence permit

Applications for residence permits are dealt with by the Residents Section  of the Police Department. The application process varies depending on the plans and the background of the applicant.

Click here for details of how to apply for a residence permit

Please note that residence permits are not issued to minors under the age of 16. However, a Foreign Young Person’s Travel Document  can be issued to enable them to travel abroad.

In the Principality, all banks and financial companies, fund or portfolio management companies are members of the Association Monégasque des Activités Financières  (AMAF). The AMAF has a full list of local banks and financial management companies and also promotes the financial centre on a website called Monaco For Finance .

Insurance in Monaco relies mainly on the same legal regulations that are applied in France. For private individuals, some insurance contracts are mandatory, such as for a motor vehicle for instance.

The Chambre Monégasque de l'Assurance  (Monegasque Chamber of Insurance) gathers all intermediaries, brokers and agents authorised in the Principality.

Take the following documents to the Société Monégasque de l'Electricité et du Gaz (SMEG) and the Société Monégasque des Eaux (SMEaux):

• ID
• Bank account details (RIB)
• Proof of address (e.g. copy of tenancy agreement, property deed)

Contact SMEG : 10, avenue de Fontvieille - Monaco - Phone: (+377) 92 05 05 00 from Monday to Friday, from 08h to 17h30 - Fax: (+377) 92 05 05 92 - Email: commercial@smeg.mc  

Contact SMEaux:  29, Avenue Princesse Grace - free car park - Phone: (+377) 93 30 83 67 (or 94 48 or 94 49) from Monday to Friday from 08h to 16h without interruption - Fax: (+377) 93 50 35 82  Email: smeaux@monego.mc . The water will be connected within 24 hours of the signature of the contract.

Take the following documents to one of Monaco Telecom’s numerous shops:

• Bank account details (RIB)
• ID
• Proof of address (copy of tenancy agreement, property deed, etc.)
• All information relating to the full address (number of road, name of road, block, floor and note the characters which appear on the sign, that is, the square which is generally located above your entrance door, and on which 5 figures or letters appear)

Contact Monaco Telecom

However, from the age of 3, subject to available places, children can begin nursery school. Schools in Monaco  are equivalent to ‘French schools abroad’. The Monégasque education system has its own specific features, such as the intensive teaching of English from nursery age to the final year of education, an international branch, and a European section open to upper secondary level pupils. Some schools have a ‘French as a foreign language’ section which helps non-French speaking pupils to integrate. There are 9 state schools  in Monaco. Provision is supplemented by private schools  or schools attached to particular organisations.

Health care provision

Medical provision includes a number of health care facilities  whose excellence is recognized throughout the Riviera :

• The Princess Grace Hospital  (CHPG) which offers community-based care and a variety of resources
• The Monaco Institute of Sports Medicine and Surgery  (IM2S)
• The Cardiothoracic Centre
• The Haemodialysis Centre

Health care provision within the town is also well catered for and includes the full range of health professions .

There is also a carers service  allowing the elderly or those who are temporarily or permanently disabled to remain in their homes.

Consult the leaflet: Health: a priority for Monaco

Social Welfare

A comprehensive system is in place in the Principality for salaried workers and the self-employed. To find out more, see Sickness Insurance . 

To find a doctor and make an appointment online: www.monacosante.mc

A private individual who wishes to employ one or more employees for household or domestic work must first become affiliated to the Monaco Social Security Funds   as an "employer of domestic staff."  

The Monaco Social Funds will affiliate private employers on presentation of a Monegasque residence permit or ID card.

The Employment Office  can help employers by suggesting candidates who have the profile and skills sought.  It is however possible to submit a candidate  to the Employment Office without having previously submitted a job offer. In all cases, it is recommended to consult the Employment Office for queries regarding visas.