Discovering 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 Monday 30 September 2024 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).
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.
Becoming a resident
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
An identity card or valid passport is sufficient. No visa is required.
Before making any application to the Principality, you must apply for a long-term visa for Monaco, issued by the French authorities. Please note that minors also require a visa.
Contact the French Consulate in your country of residence. The procedures to follow are different depending on your nationality and the country you live in.
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 Section responsible for Residence Permit applications
Obtaining a residence permit
Applications for residence permits are dealt with by the Residency Section. 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.
Opening a bank account in Monaco
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 .
Getting insurance in Monaco
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.
Getting electricity, gas and water connected
Take the following documents to the Société Monégasque de l'Electricité et du Gaz (SMEG) and the Société Monégasque des Eaux (SMEaux):
- ID document
- 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 08 am to 05.30 pm - Fax: (+377) 92 05 05 92 - Email: commercial@smeg.mc
Contact SMEaux: 29, Avenue Princesse Grace - free car park - Phone: (+377) 93 30 94 48 / (+377) 93 30 94 49 from Monday to Friday from 08 am to 4 pm 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.
Subscribing to Monaco Telecom
Take the following documents to one of Monaco Telecom’s numerous shops:
- Bank account details (RIB)
- ID document
- 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)
Exchanging your driving licence and getting around
You have a maximum of one year following your arrival in Monaco to exchange your foreign driving licence for a Monaco permit.
Please note that it is mandatory to exchange your licence. If this is not done within the one year limit, you will need to sit a driving test.
Anyone who holds a Residence Permit may register their vehicle in Monaco .
Monaco Parkings has over 40 car parks and many parking solutions on offer in town. See the various season passes .
Plan your journey around town on foot with the Monaco Malin map (the map is available from the Tourist Office, Monaco train station, Monaco Bus Company, City Hall, Public Car Parks, and the Department of Forward Studies, Urban Planning and Mobility). Click here to download the map.
Monaco has a network of self-service electric bikes that can be used with Monapass.
A large public transport network operates throughout Monaco and there are a number of season ticket options available to help improve traffic. See the Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco .
A taxi service operates in the city 24 hours a day, every day.
Shuttle buses run a direct route via the motorway between Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur and Monaco – See the website www.niceairportxpress.com
Check traffic in real time via Your Monaco.
Arranging schooling, childcare and other activities
In Monaco, education is mandatory between the ages of 6 and 16.
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.
- Nursery School (Maternelle)
- Primary school (Primaire)
- Secondary school (Collège)
- High school (Lycée)
Finding out about health care
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
Hiring domestic staff
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.
Meet the international community
Monaco asserts its presence and influence on the international stage through its diplomatic and consular network.
For the full list of embassies and consulates, see the Monaco Worldwide page .
The Principality's international network of associations, which is comprised of several dozen associations, enables all foreign nationals to find fellow citizens, thanks in particular to the presence of foreign communities - see Foreign communities in the Principality of Monaco
In 2003, the Association of Honorary Consuls of Monaco (ACHM) was established to bring together members of the consular corps. The association also provides a structure for welcoming foreign nationals, making available the tools they need to integrate into Monegasque society and their community of origin.
CREM (Foreign Residents' Club of Monaco) opened its doors on 1 June 2010, with the support of S.A.S Prince Albert II, the generosity of Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, as well as many benefactor members.
CREM is an integration vector in the Monegasque life for all residents and companies based in Monaco.
The Club welcomes all residents, newly installed or already well established, foreign or Monegasque, wishing to participate in the social, economic, cultural and sports activities in the Principality.
Administrative contact
2a, boulevard des moulins
Tourism Office
98000 MONACO
Opening hours :
From 9 am to 5 pm from monday to friday
Phone :
Administrative contact
2a, boulevard des moulins
Tourism Office
98000 MONACO
Opening hours :
From 9 am to 5 pm from monday to friday
Phone :