Recruitment for the Palace Guards is via a competitive examination, which is comprised of tests of general knowledge, physical aptitude and medical and psychological examinations, as well as recruitment interviews.
Understanding the process
Becoming a Palace Guard
The Palace Guards of the Prince of Monaco are a military unit, comprised of eight officers and senior non-commissioned officers, 20 non-commissioned officers, 14 brigadiers, and 84 First and Second class Palace Guards (the equivalent of a Private).
The Palace Guards are housed in barracks.
Their roles are:
- To ensure the security of the Sovereign Family
- To ensure the security of the Palace and its dependencies
- To provide ceremonial services
- To enforce laws and help maintain public order
Recruitment for the Palace Guards is via a competitive examination, which is comprised of tests of general knowledge, physical aptitude and medical and psychological examinations, as well as recruitment interviews. Only First and Second Class soldiers are recruited to the Palace Guards.
Recruitment conditions
To apply, applicants must meet the following conditions:
- Be of French nationality
- Be aged from 19 to 27 years of age inclusive
- Be single (marriage is permitted at the end of the one-year probationary period)
- Measure between 1.80m and 2.00m exactly in height (exceptionally, depending on the skills required, an exception may be made)
- Be in excellent health and have good visual acuity
- Be able to swim
- Have no visible tattoos
- Hold a driving licence (B)
- Have taken part in the Defence and Citizenship Day or have completed military preparations
- Meet the SIGYCOP criteria as listed below (to be confirmed by a military doctor):
- S: upper extremities 2
- I: lower extremities 2
- G: general health 2
- Y: eyes and vision 3
- C: colour vision 3
- O: ears and hearing 2
- P: mental health 1
First of all, you must contact the recruitment staff, by telephone on: 06 07 93 25 22 or by email to carabinstruction@gouv.mc.
A list of the documents to be provided will be communicated to you directly by the recruitment staff.
The complete file must be handed in or sent by post between 1 and 30 June of each year.
Corps des Carabiniers du Prince
Bureau Recrutement Instruction
5 bd de Belgique 98000 MONACO
Only complete application files will be considered.
You will be notified by post of the admissibility of your application.
If your application is accepted, you will be invited to take the selection tests.
Before taking the selection tests, you will be required to take a stress test on a cycle ergometer, with the results interpreted by a cardiologist.
The eligibility tests take place over two days, during which time candidates are tested on general knowledge and physical fitness.
General knowledge tests (middle school diploma level)
- Dictation
- General culture test
- Written expression
- Oral expression on a topical subject
- Mathematics test (a non-programmable calculator is allowed)
Physical fitness tests
- Aquatic Ability: 100 metres followed by 10 metres underwater
- Cardiorespiratory endurance: Running for 12 minutes
- General muscular ability: sequence of three muscle activity sessions with no rest period, followed by a core strength exercise
Specific tests for candidates who are musicians
- Piece of your choice
- Obligatory piece
- Sight reading test
- Interview
See the
.The ranking in these tests will determine which applicants will take the admission tests.
The admission tests take place over five days, during which time candidates undergo medical and psychological tests, interviews and a behavioural test.
- Medical examinations
- Blood test
- Urinalysis
- Functional respiratory exploration
- X-ray of the lungs
- Ophthalmological examination
- Audiometric examination
- Psychological questionnaire and interview with a psychologist
- Recruitment interviews
- Behavioural test on tatami mats
See the
.Subject to the places available, the jury will make a final ranking in order of merit. New Palace Guards are enlisted after approval by H.S.H. The Sovereign Prince.
Enlistment takes place on 1 February of each year (date provided on an advisory basis only).
At the time of enlistment, the young Palace Guards sign an initial five-year contract, which is only validated after a training period of four months and a confirmatory period, during which aptitude and motivation are verified. This confirmation usually takes place after one year, but may be extended by one or even two probationary years.
With successive five-year engagements, Palace Guards may continue their career until the age of 50 or even 58, provided that they continue to meet all the aptitude conditions.
Merit-based promotion enables a certain number of Palace Guards to move up through the ranks.