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Destination guide · Western Europe

Moving to Monaco from the U.S.

The French settlement visa you need first, the one residence card and what “sufficient resources” means when no official figure exists, why no Monaco income tax still leaves you with full U.S. tax, what homes cost on the official 2025 figures, the purchase duties, the lease rules, and what health cover, pay and paperwork involve, with every figure taken from an official source and dated.

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Rules and figures checked: October 2026Official sources: 100
CurrencyEuro (€)Under a 1999 EU decision; €1 = $1.1367 (ECB, Sep 24, 2026)12
EU / SchengenNo / NoA third country to the EU, inside its customs territory; you arrive through France34
Visa-free stay90 daysIn any 180 days in the Schengen area; staying more than 3 months a year needs a residence card56
Residence card€80The first card, valid one year, after a French settlement visa; no investor or nomad route6
Income taxNoneFor residents other than French nationals; with no U.S. treaty, U.S. tax still applies in full78
Citizenship10 yearsOf residence after age 18, at the Prince’s discretion, giving up U.S. citizenship9
What changed, 2023 to 2026

What Has Changed in Monaco Since 2023

The residence and nationality rules did not change between 2022 and October 8, 2026. What changed is the money around them: purchase duties, the official house-price series, the international listings that affect banks, a health safety net opened in 2025 and the minimum wage. The changes, newest first.

  • October 5, 2026: the National Council passed, unanimously, Bill No. 1.124 strengthening the right to a bank account: banks would have 30 days to examine an application, and if a bank did not answer within that time, applicants could turn to the Treasury without a formal refusal letter10. The bill as filed in March 2026 had proposed 45 working days11. As of October 8, 2026 it was not yet promulgated, so not in force10.
  • October 1, 2026: new social-security ceilings and rates, such as a pension (CAR) ceiling of €6,276 a month12.
  • June 19, 2026: the FATF found, on a preliminary basis, that Monaco had largely completed the action plan set when it was put on the FATF’s list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring (the “gray list”) in June 2024. An on-site visit, date not yet set, comes first; as of October 8, 2026 Monaco had not been announced as removed13.
  • June 1, 2026: the minimum wage rose to €12.31 an hour, from €12.02 set for January 1, 2026; Monaco adds a 5% allowance on top1415.
  • April 10, 2026: the EU’s Entry/Exit System became fully operational at Schengen borders, which you cross when you fly into France16.
  • February 2026: the statistics institute rebuilt its house-price series, so its 2025 prices per m² cannot be compared with earlier reports; the official rent figure for pre-1947 homes rose to €66.52 per m² a month1718.
  • August 5, 2025: the EU added Monaco to its list of high-risk third countries for money laundering (a Commission regulation of June 10, 2025, in force August 5, 2025), so EU banks must apply enhanced checks to Monaco-linked clients; Monaco was still listed on October 8, 20261920.
  • January 1, 2025: Law No. 1.562 opened subsidiary public health cover, at €700 a person a month, to foreign residents of five years or more whom three insurers have refused2122.
  • July 2, 2024: Law No. 1.560 regulated property dealers who buy to resell23.
  • October 1, 2023: under Law No. 1.548, homes bought by individuals pay a 4.75% registration duty, and entities that do not disclose their owners pay 10%2425.
On this page
  1. Who Monaco suits
  2. The residence card and its conditions
  3. Step by step, in the right order
  4. Cost of living
  5. Health coverage
  6. Taxes without a treaty
  7. Renting and buying
  8. Where to live
  9. Registration, banks, driving, pets
  10. Entry rules through France
  11. A 12-month timeline
  12. Questions
  13. Sources
Is Monaco for you?

Who Monaco Suits, and Who It Frustrates

Monaco suits Americans with substantial means who can rent or buy where homes averaged €57,569 per m² in 2025, satisfy a Monaco bank that they can live there, and want the euro, a short trip to France and a state that levies no income tax on residents who are not French. It also suits people with a job or a business in Monaco. It frustrates anyone moving to cut their U.S. tax bill, since U.S. citizens are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live; anyone looking for a published investment or income figure to aim at; people who need a U.S. tax treaty or a Social Security agreement; and anyone hoping to become Monegasque while keeping a U.S. passport.

In its favor

  • No personal income tax for residents other than French nationals, and no wealth tax and no annual property or housing tax7.
  • One route, no investment figure in law. The residence card asks for housing, sufficient resources and a clean record; a first card costs €806.
  • Easy travel in Europe. For Americans, the card works as a Schengen short-stay visa: with your passport you can enter, leave and move within the Schengen area626.
  • The euro, under a 1999 EU decision, and a customs union with France17.
  • A legal right to a bank account since 2020, for residents, and for people settling once they have filed for their card and hold the receipt27.
  • A free annual bus pass for residents over 6028.

Against it

  • No U.S. tax treaty, no totalization agreement and no FATCA agreement, as of October 8, 2026; Monaco has no income tax to credit against U.S. tax, by our reading8293031.
  • No published savings figure. The amount that counts as sufficient depends on the Monaco bank that certifies it6.
  • Homes averaged €57,569 per m² in 2025 (about $65,439), on the statistics institute’s new method17.
  • A French visa first. No residence-card application can be filed without a French long-stay settlement visa6.
  • Public health cover follows work. A newcomer who does not work in Monaco relies on private insurance, by our reading3222.
  • Still on the FATF gray list and the EU high-risk list as of October 8, 2026, which brings extra checks from EU banks1319.
Residence

One Residence Card, Three Conditions

Monaco has one residence permit, the carte de séjour (residence card, formerly called the carte de résident). Anyone aged 16 or over who wants to stay in Monaco more than three months a year, or to settle there, must apply for it6. There is no investor or “golden” visa, no digital nomad visa, no retiree visa and no EU Blue Card: we found none in the law or on the Government’s pages, and buying a home counts only as housing64. What differs from person to person is how you show your resources: savings, a pension, a salary, a business, or support from a relative6.

Every applicant must show three things6:

  • Housing in Monaco of a size suited to the people living in it, as an owner, a shareholder of a company that owns it, a tenant, or someone housed by a close relative, spouse or partner6.
  • Sufficient financial resources: a salary, professional income, sufficient savings, or support from a parent, spouse or partner6.
  • Good character: a criminal record extract less than three months old from every country you lived in during the last five years; for the United States, the Government names an FBI background check6.

There is no official savings figure. For people living on savings, the Government says the amount judged sufficient “depends on the Monaco bank” that issues the certificate; you file a bank certificate from a Monaco bank, less than one month old, stating that you have the means to live in Monaco, “to be arranged with the bank”6. Figures quoted in the press and by advisers are not official, and we do not repeat them. Ask the bank you plan to use what it requires before you sign a lease.

How Americans meet the resources condition for the residence card, from the Government’s first-application page. Checked October 8, 2026.
Your situationMade forProof of resourcesWhat you get
Living on savings or investmentsPeople of independent means who will not work in Monaco6A Monaco bank’s certificate, under one month old; the amount is set by the bank, with no official figure6A temporary card for one year, €806
RetiredPeople with a pension6Proof of retirement6The same card; there is no separate retiree visa6
Employee in MonacoPeople hired by a Monaco employer33A certificate from the Employment Service: a job offer, the hiring application or your work permit, and your last payslip6The same card, with a work permit33
Founder or self-employedPeople setting up a company or working in their own name3435The receipt confirming the company application is admissible, which starts the card application6The same card; the business itself needs a prior authorization3435
Family memberA spouse, partner or close relative of a resident6Signed certificates of housing and support from the relative; no minimum income is published6A card of your own; there is no separate family-reunification permit6
StudentPeople enrolled in studies6Proof of student status6The same card; there is no separate student permit6

Law: Sovereign Order No. 3.153 of March 19, 1964, in its consolidated version in force on October 8, 2026; it was last amended in 2021, and we found no amendment from 2022 to 20264. Whether a remote worker employed by a U.S. company can meet the resources condition we could not confirm on an official source; ask the Residents’ Office before you plan on it.

Step one for Americans: a French settlement visa

Because you are not a national of the European Economic Area, you must first obtain a French long-stay “visa d’établissement” (type D) for Monaco from the French consulate nearest your last home; the visa is required before you can file for a residence card, and it concerns minor children too636. Exceptionally, a foreigner already in Monaco with housing there can ask the Interior Department for permission to apply through the French Embassy in Monaco6. If you have lived in France for more than a year, you ask the French Embassy in Monaco for a transfer of residence instead6. The Consulate General of Monaco in New York confirms that the long-term visa is “available from French consular offices in the United States”37.

What we could not check. The French visa’s fee, processing time, document list (including any health-insurance rule) and appointment provider are set by France, and we could not confirm them on an official source. Check them with the French consulate for your area before you book anything. Monaco publishes no official processing time for the residence card either.

Applying for the card

  • Where. Online, through the Government’s online service, or on paper at the Residents’ Office (Section des Résidents) of the Public Safety Department, 9 rue Suffren-Reymond6.
  • When. The law says a foreigner who settles must apply within eight days of arrival; the Government’s page speaks of anyone staying more than three months a year. The two answer different questions, so file promptly once you arrive on your visa46.
  • Housing proof. The electricity contract or last bill, plus the notarized title deed, or the lease registered with the tax office, or a certificate of free accommodation6.
  • Other documents. Your passport with the settlement visa, a birth certificate under three months old, the criminal record extracts, a sworn statement, marriage or divorce papers, and passports for children under 16. Documents not in French, English or Italian need a translation, a sworn one for proof of resources6.
  • The process. If your file is admissible you book an individual interview and bring the originals; an inquiry follows; if the file is accepted, a second appointment is set to take your details and hand over the card, and you pay the fee then6.
  • Children under 16 get no card; they can get a travel document for foreign minors6.

We found no health-insurance condition among the published conditions for the card, as we read the Government’s page6; the French visa may have its own rule, which we could not check.

The four card categories

Residence card categories and fees, from Sovereign Order No. 3.153 and the Government’s pages. Checked October 8, 2026.
CategoryWhenValid forFirst cardRenewal
TemporaryNo prior residence needed: the first card1 year€80 (about $91)€40
OrdinaryAfter 3 years of residence3 years€100 (about $114)€50
PrivilegedAfter 10 years of effective residence, following an administrative inquiry10 years€160 (about $182)€80
Spouse of a MonegasqueMarried to a Monegasque and resident for at least 1 year5 years€80 (about $91)€40

Sources: the residence-card pages and Sovereign Order No. 3.153, articles 5 to 8384. The privileged card’s ten years can be reduced to one in special cases, such as a parent of a Monegasque child. Other fees: late renewal €50, a duplicate €80, a change of details €303839.

  • Renewing. Renew by the expiry date at the latest, on the same conditions as the first card; the law asks for the ordinary card to be renewed in the month before it expires394. You file your last electricity bill and rent receipt, and proof of means such as a Monaco bank certificate39.
  • Losing it. A temporary card can be withdrawn at any time if you stop meeting the conditions or the authorities judge it necessary, and it cannot run longer than the visa and documents you entered with4.
  • Time in Monaco. We found no minimum number of days a year in the card rules; the privileged card asks for effective residence, checked by an administrative inquiry438. A tax-residence certificate uses a separate test; see Taxes40.
  • Leaving. Hand your card back eight days before you leave Monaco438.

Working in Monaco

Monaco gives priority to certain workers. An employer must declare every vacancy to the Employment Service (Service de l’Emploi), which sends priority candidates within four days: Monegasques, then spouses and children of Monegasques, partners in a civil union with a Monegasque, parents of a Monegasque child, Monaco residents, and residents of the neighboring French communes who have already worked in Monaco. Only if none is suitable may the employer propose its own candidate33.

  • Non-European candidates. For a candidate from outside Europe who does not hold a French permit to work from the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture, the employer contacts the head of the Employment Service directly33.
  • The hiring application carries a €5 stamp duty; once it is approved, the employee gets a work permit and is registered with the health fund (CCSS) and the pension fund (CAR)33.
  • No salary threshold. We found no EU Blue Card, no permit for highly skilled workers and no salary floor beyond the minimum wage; see Cost of living3314.

Starting a business

Foreigners need a prior authorization to work in their own name, and the legal processing time is 45 days from the notice that the application is admissible34. A limited liability company (SARL) needs a minimum capital of €15,000 (about $17,051), with the same 45 days35. The receipt confirming that your company application is admissible lets you start the residence-card application6. Business profits are taxed at 25% where more than 25% of turnover is made outside Monaco, and companies also pay it on patent and copyright income; see Taxes41.

Investing: no golden visa, and no citizenship by investment

No law or Government page offers residence for a set investment. Buying a home in Monaco meets the housing condition, nothing more6. There is no citizenship by investment: naturalization normally takes ten years of residence and is at the Prince’s discretion9.

Family and study

A spouse, partner or close relative can meet the conditions by being housed by and financially supported by the resident, with signed certificates; family members from outside the EEA also need the settlement visa, and no minimum income is published6. Students file proof of student status in the same application6.

Long-term residence and citizenship

  • The privileged card is the nearest thing to permanent residence: after ten years of effective residence, valid ten years and renewable, issued only after an inquiry into whether your residence is effective4.
  • No EU rights. Monaco is a third country to the EU3, so by our reading years there do not count toward EU long-term residence in France or any EU state, and the card gives no right to live or work in France.
  • Naturalization can be requested after ten years of habitual residence after age 18; it is at the Prince’s discretion, and the Prince can waive the residence period942. The French authorities are consulted on every application the Prince views favorably42.
  • No language or civics test appears in the law or the Government’s guide, as we read them942.
  • Through marriage to a Monegasque: 20 years of marriage since July 1, 2022, or ten for marriages before that date42.
  • No reform since 2022. The nationality law in force on October 8, 2026 was last amended by Law No. 1.512 of 2021, in force July 1, 20229.

Your U.S. passport. Naturalization requires proof that it will make you lose your previous nationality and free you for good from military obligations abroad; where the old nationality can only be lost after the new one is acquired, you must prove the loss within six months of the naturalization order, or it is void9. For an American, by our reading, that means formally renouncing U.S. citizenship. Speak to a Monaco lawyer and a U.S. tax adviser before you start.

General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. The Residents’ Office decides each card after an interview and an inquiry, the French consulate decides the visa, and a Monaco bank decides what counts as sufficient savings; check the official source for your situation and, if your case is not simple, speak to a licensed Monaco lawyer.

Step by step

The Order of Operations, Step by Step

For an American who will live on savings or a pension, the sequence is: line up a bank and a home, register the lease, get the French settlement visa, arrive, then file for the card promptly643.

  1. Settle how you will show resources: savings, a pension, a job offer, a business, or support from a relative6.
  2. Talk to a Monaco bank about the certificate of means: the amount it requires is its own decision, and the certificate must be under one month old when you file6.
  3. Find a home, rented or bought, of a size suited to your household6. Register the lease with the tax office within three months and pay the 1% lease duty43.
  4. Order your FBI background check and any other criminal record extracts for the last five years; each must be under three months old when you file, so time them6.
  5. Order a birth certificate under three months old, and sworn translations of anything not in French, English or Italian6.
  6. Apply for the French type-D settlement visa for Monaco at the French consulate nearest your last home, for every family member, minor children included636.
  7. Arrive through France on the visa4.
  8. File for the residence card online or at the Residents’ Office promptly after you arrive64.
  9. Go to the interview with your original documents, then wait for the inquiry6.
  10. Collect the card at the second appointment and pay €806.
  11. Open any other bank account you need, using the right to an account if a bank refuses you, and exchange your U.S. driver’s license within its deadline2744.
  12. Renew by the expiry date, one year after the first card39.
Cost of living

What Things Cost, From Official Figures

Monaco uses the euro as its official currency under a 1999 EU decision1. Prices are in euros. Dollar figures on this page use the European Central Bank’s reference rate of September 24, 2026: €1 = $1.1367, the rate used across our euro-country pages2. Your costs are in euros, so their dollar value moves with the rate.

Monaco publishes no consumer price index of its own: its statistics institute lists France’s indices among those used in Monaco45. On INSEE’s provisional estimate of September 30, 2026, the latest on October 8, 2026, prices were 3.0% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, after 2.4% in August46.

Prices and pay in Monaco: the latest official figures. Checked October 8, 2026.
MeasureFigure
Consumer prices, September 2026, on a year earlier (France’s index, which Monaco uses)+3.0% (INSEE’s provisional estimate of September 30, 2026, the latest on October 8, 2026; August: +2.4%)46
Mean gross monthly salary, private sector, full-time equivalent, 2025€5,195 (about $5,905; +5.4% on 2024)45
Median gross monthly salary, private sector, 2025€3,475 (about $3,950; +4.1%)45
Minimum wage from January 1, 2026€12.02 an hour, €2,031.38 a month for 169 hours15
Minimum wage from June 1, 2026€12.31 an hour, €2,080.39 a month for 169 hours (about $2,365)14
The same, with the 5% Monaco allowance, by our arithmetic€2,184.41 a month (about $2,483), about €12.93 an hour14

Sources: INSEE46; the statistics institute’s Monaco in Figures 2026, for gross monthly salaries in full-time equivalent in the private sector45; the minimum-wage circulars in the Official Gazette1514. Monaco follows France’s minimum wage, and minimum pay must be raised by an exceptional 5% allowance, on which no social contributions are due14.

Minimum pay calculator

Minimum Monthly Pay With the Monaco Allowance

Enter the hours worked in a month. The calculator applies the minimum wage of €12.31 an hour from June 1, 202614, adds the 5% Monaco allowance14, rounds each step to the cent and converts to dollars at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)2. A 39-hour week is 169 hours a month in the circular.

By our arithmetic, before social contributions. The minimum wage follows France’s and is reset by circular; the June 2026 rate was the latest we found on October 8, 2026. Check the Official Gazette for a newer circular.

Rents: one official figure, for older buildings only

There is no official rent figure for modern buildings, the post-1947 open market where most foreigners rent, and no official rent by district. The only official figure per m² covers apartments built before 1947 and let outside the regulated regimes: €66.52 per m² a month (about $75.61) on leases registered in 2025, up from €61.06 for 2024, a rise of 8.9% by our arithmetic1847. Modern buildings in Monte-Carlo, Larvotto or Fontvieille may rent for more or less. Use the figure only as a reference for older apartments, and budget from current listings. At the official figure, a month’s rent comes to:

Monthly rent at the official 2025 average for pre-1947 apartments on the open market, by our arithmetic. Not a guide to modern buildings. Checked October 8, 2026.
Apartment sizeAt €66.52 per m² (pre-1947 only)
50 m² (538 sq ft)€3,326 (about $3,781)
75 m² (807 sq ft)€4,989 (about $5,671)
100 m² (1,076 sq ft)€6,652 (about $7,561)

Source: Ministerial Order No. 2026-6718. Square-foot conversions are our arithmetic. A lease also costs a 1% registration duty; see Renting and Buying43.

Electricity

SMEG, Monaco’s electricity and gas company, publishes its Tarif GO, 100% green electricity for homes up to 36 kVA, from August 1, 2026, with the 20% VAT in the price48:

SMEG Tarif GO electricity prices from August 1, 2026, including VAT. Checked October 8, 2026.
ItemPrice
Energy, base option€0.2006 per kWh (about $0.23)
Energy, peak hours (peak/off-peak option)€0.2197 per kWh (about $0.25)
Energy, off-peak hours€0.1603 per kWh (about $0.18)
Fixed charge, base option, 6 kVA€13.86 a month (about $15.75)
Fixed charge, base option, 12 kVA€23.15 a month (about $26.31)
Fixed charge, base option, 36 kVA€60.29 a month (about $68.53)

Source: SMEG’s Tarif GO page and the tariff sheet it links to48. We found no Government tariff order, so we cannot say whether these prices are regulated.

Getting around by bus

The bus company’s fare pages carry no date, so check them before you budget. A single trip costs €2 on board, or €1.50 by app or contactless bank card, and contactless fares are capped at €5.50 a day49, €15 a week and €22 a calendar month50. A monthly pass costs €22 and an annual pass €199, or €18 a month by direct debit for at least a year; under-26s pay €13 a month or €89 a year50, and pupils at school in Monaco, up to the final year of high school, can have a school pass for €10 a school year28. Residents over 60 get the annual pass free28. The regional Carte Azur, for the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco, costs €52 a month or €450 a year50.

Build your own full budget, line by line and in both currencies, in the Relocation Planner workbook.

Health coverage

Cover Through Work, Private Policies, and the Medicare Question

Public health insurance in Monaco follows work: employees are covered by the CCSS, the self-employed by the CAMTI fund, and State and municipal staff by the State’s own service32. We found no general scheme for a resident who does not work in Monaco, so by our reading a newcomer living on savings or a pension relies on private insurance, or cover from abroad, until the safety nets below open after five years322251. Health insurance is not among the published conditions for the residence card6.

Employees and the CCSS

  • When cover starts. Once registered, after 120 hours of work in the month, or 200 in the quarter52.
  • What it pays. Generally 80% of the reference tariff; the other 20%, the patient’s share, is called the ticket modérateur53.
  • Family. A spouse who does not work is covered if living in Monaco or the Alpes-Maritimes; children are covered to age 21, or 26 if studying in Monaco54.

After five years: subsidiary cover and State aid

Since January 1, 2025, a foreign resident of at least five years, of stable and regular residence, can get subsidiary medical cover, basic public cover, if all three conditions hold: you belong to no health fund, you cannot get State medical aid, and three insurers have refused you2122. It costs €700 a person a month (about $796), you pay up to 20% of costs yourself, and it is granted for a year at a time, renewable22. State medical aid, and flat-rate aid toward top-up insurance, are open to residents of five years or more on low incomes5155.

Plan on private cover. If you will not work in Monaco, budget for a private policy from the day you arrive, and check what it costs at your age; the subsidiary cover is a last resort for long-term residents whom insurers refuse, not a route in22.

Emergencies and doctors

Dial 17 for the police and 18 or 112 for the fire and rescue service; the emergency department of the Princess Grace Hospital Center is on +377 97 98 97 695657. For the on-call doctor and pharmacy, the Government’s emergency page points to its health portal, MonacoSanté57. Monaco had 123 doctors in private practice in 2025, and the hospital’s emergency department had 42,636 visits; we found no published waiting-time figures45.

Medicare does not follow you

Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, and Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought abroad58. Most Medigap plans include foreign travel emergency coverage, but it pays 80% after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 in a lifetime, and only for emergencies that start in the first 60 days of a trip59. That is travel coverage, not residence coverage.

Whether to keep paying the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026) is a real decision: if you drop Part B and re-enroll later, the premium rises by 10% for each full 12-month period you could have been enrolled but were not, usually for life60. Decide with your whole plan in view.

Taxes for Americans

No Monaco Income Tax, and Full U.S. Tax

Monaco levies no personal income tax on Monegasques and residents, with one exception: French nationals covered by the 1963 Franco-Monegasque convention. The rule goes back to an 1869 order of Prince Charles III7. There is no wealth tax, no property tax and no housing tax7. The Government adds that the absence of income tax applies only to people genuinely established in Monaco and “does not affect the rules laid down by other States”7. For Americans that is the key point: the United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live31.

As of October 8, 2026, there is no U.S.–Monaco income tax treaty: Monaco is not on the IRS’s A-to-Z list of U.S. income tax treaties8. There is no totalization (Social Security) agreement: Monaco is not on the Social Security Administration’s list29. And there is no FATCA intergovernmental agreement: Monaco is not on the U.S. Treasury’s list30. Monaco’s one tax agreement with the United States is on exchanging tax information, signed in Washington on September 8, 2009 and in effect for Monaco from March 11, 20106162.

Dual U.S.–French nationals. Anyone with French and another nationality, other than Monegasque, who lives in or moves to Monaco is treated for tax purposes as having French nationality only63. By our reading, a U.S.–French dual national falls under the French exception and stays taxable in France. Take advice before you move.

What Americans owe, and to whom

  • To Monaco: no income tax on wages, pensions, Social Security, 401(k) or IRA payouts, dividends or gains, for a resident who is not French7.
  • To the United States: tax on your worldwide income. With no treaty, there are no treaty articles on pensions or Social Security to read; pensions and annuities are taxed under the normal U.S. rules, fully unless you have after-tax basis648, and Social Security is taxable when your modified adjusted gross income plus half your benefits passes the base amount65.
  • No foreign tax to credit. The foreign tax credit relieves foreign income tax you pay66; with no Monaco income tax, by our reading there is nothing to credit, so the credit does not reduce your U.S. tax on Monaco-resident income.
  • The foreign earned income exclusion can still shelter up to $132,900 of earned income for 2026, if you meet its conditions; it does not cover pensions, Social Security or investment income6768.

Your U.S. benefits can follow you: the Social Security Administration says that a U.S. citizen “may continue to receive payments while outside the U.S.”, as long as you are entitled to payments and are in a country where it can send them69. Settle the details with a cross-border tax adviser before you move.

A tax-residence certificate

Some foreign tax authorities ask for proof that you live in Monaco. A residence card holder can get a certificate of residence for tax purposes by spending more than 183 days a year in Monaco, or having the main center of activities there, or spending the longest stay of the year there; someone settled for less than six months needs a waiver. It costs €600 (about $682) and is valid for a year40.

Inheritance and gift duties

Monaco charges inheritance duties on assets located in Monaco, whatever the nationality or residence of the person who died, at rates set by relationship70:

Monaco inheritance duties by relationship. Checked October 8, 2026.
RelationshipRate
Between parents and children, or spouses0%70
Between brothers and sisters8%70
Between uncles or aunts and nephews or nieces10%70
Between other relatives13%70
Between people who are not related16%70

Source: the Government’s inheritance-duty page70. The tax overview says these duties apply to inheritances and gifts of assets in Monaco7, and gifts follow the same scale under the registration-duty law, except that gifts between partners in a cohabitation agreement pay 4%25. U.S. estate and gift tax still applies to U.S. citizens: for 2026, a basic exclusion of $15,000,000, and an annual gift exclusion of $19,000, or $194,000 for gifts to a spouse who is not a U.S. citizen67. We found no U.S.–Monaco estate tax treaty.

VAT and business tax

VAT is charged on the same basis and at the same rates as in France: 20% standard, 10% reduced and 5.5% on essentials71. A business pays a 25% tax on profits if it makes more than 25% of its turnover outside Monaco, and companies also pay it on patent and copyright income41. Buying a home costs a registration duty; see Renting and Buying.

Social contributions, and no totalization agreement

Employees in Monaco pay into the pension fund (CAR), the supplementary pension fund (CMRC) and unemployment insurance (UNEDIC). From October 1, 202612:

Monaco social contributions from October 1, 2026: monthly ceilings and rates, from the Caisses Sociales’ letter to employers.
FundPay it applies to, a monthEmployeeEmployer
CAR, basic pensionUp to €6,2766.85%7.45%, plus a variable 0.94%12
CMRC, supplementary pension, Tranche AUp to €4,0674.008%6.012%12
CMRC, Tranche BFrom €4,067 to 8 times that, €32,5369.716%14.574%12
UNEDIC, unemployment insuranceUp to €16,0202.40%4.00%12
CCSS, health and familyUp to €10,00013.40%, or 13.45% for employers in the CGCS, paid by the employer1232

The €32,536 is our arithmetic from the letter’s “8 times the Tranche A ceiling”. The UNEDIC ceiling is reset every January 1; the €16,020 shown applies in 202612. The 5% Monaco allowance on minimum pay carries no social contributions14.

Contributions estimate

Estimate an Employee’s Monthly Contributions

Enter your gross monthly pay in euros. The estimate applies the employee rates from October 1, 2026 within each ceiling: CAR 6.85% up to €6,276, CMRC 4.008% up to €4,067 and 9.716% from there to €32,536, and UNEDIC 2.40% up to €16,02012. Each amount is rounded to the cent; dollars use the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)2.

A simplification, by our arithmetic. It treats the amount you enter as the pay contributions are charged on; it leaves out the CCSS contribution, which the employer pays, the employer’s shares, any U.S. Social Security or self-employment tax, and U.S. income tax. Ceilings change (the UNEDIC ceiling every January 1); check the Caisses Sociales’ latest letter. It is not tax advice.

Examples: an employee’s monthly contributions from October 1, 2026, by our arithmetic from the Caisses Sociales’ letter.
Gross pay a monthCARCMRCUNEDICTotalShare of pay
€2,080.39 (the minimum wage, 169 hours)€142.51€83.38€49.93€275.82 (about $313.52)13.3%
€3,475 (the 2025 private-sector median)€238.04€139.28€83.40€460.72 (about $523.70)13.3%
€5,195 (the 2025 private-sector mean)€355.86€272.61€124.68€753.15 (about $856.11)14.5%
€8,000€429.91€545.14€192.00€1,167.05 (about $1,326.59)14.6%
€12,000€429.91€933.78€288.00€1,651.69 (about $1,877.48)13.8%

Because there is no totalization agreement29, no agreement decides which country’s system covers your work. By our reading, an American working in Monaco for a U.S. employer may owe contributions to both systems, and we found no official statement that the U.S.–France agreement covers work in Monaco. Ask an adviser before you start.

What you still file in the United States

U.S. filings for citizens living abroad, tax year 2026. Sources: IRS and FinCEN, checked October 8, 2026.
WhatThe rule
Form 1040Due April 15; citizens living abroad get an automatic extension to June 15 (interest still runs from April 15)31.
Foreign Earned Income ExclusionUp to $132,900 of earned income for 2026. It does not cover pensions, Social Security or investment income7268.
Foreign Tax CreditClaimed on Form 1116 for foreign income tax paid; no credit on income you excluded66. With no Monaco income tax, by our reading it has little use while you live there.
FBARRequired when your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year73.
Form 8938 (FATCA)For taxpayers living abroad: over $200,000 at year end or $300,000 at any time (single); $400,000 and $600,000 (joint)74.

For U.S. tax preparation and planning, our sister brand eTaxNexus works with Americans abroad.

Questions to take to your tax adviser
  • With no Monaco income tax and no treaty, what will my U.S. tax be on my pensions, Social Security, 401(k), IRA and investment income?
  • Does the foreign earned income exclusion help me, given what I will earn?
  • If I hold French nationality too, am I taxable in France as a Monaco resident?
  • If I work in Monaco for a U.S. employer, will I owe Social Security in both countries?
  • How do U.S. estate and gift tax and Monaco’s duties apply to assets I hold in Monaco?
  • Will my Monaco bank report my accounts to the IRS, and what do I file for them?
Renting and buying

The Open Market, Lease Rules, and Buying

Renting on the open market

Foreigners rent in the open sector (secteur libre), mostly buildings from after September 1, 1947. There, the apartments “can be let freely, whatever the tenant’s nationality”, and the lease length and the rent are set by the landlord alone75. Older regulated apartments and State-owned apartments are reserved for Monegasques, protected persons, or people who have lived in Monaco five years and worked there more than six months, or worked there five years, and the State has a right of first refusal when regulated buildings are sold75. The Civil Code sets the rest76:

  • End of term. A written lease ends automatically at the end of its term, with no notice needed; if you stay on and the landlord lets you, a new lease arises under the Civil Code’s rules for unwritten leases76.
  • Notice. Where notice applies, it is three months for leases of a year or more, one month for shorter ones and 15 days for monthly lets76.
  • Deposit. We found no legal cap on the deposit; agree it in writing7675.
  • Registration. The lease must be registered with the tax office within three months of signing, or a penalty applies, and you need the registered lease for your residence card436.
  • Lease duty. The tenant pays 1% of the rent and charges for the whole term of the lease; for a lease of more than three years, payment can be split into three-year periods4325. The Government’s general registration-duty page describes the 1% as charged on a year’s rent plus charges77, but the law charges it on the rent for all the years of the lease25.

A bill filed on July 3, 2026 would require every rented main home to be “decent”; as of October 8, 2026 it is not law78. We found no official page on letting a private home short term and could not confirm what rules apply; check with the Government’s housing department and your building’s co-ownership rules before you plan on it.

Buying: no nationality limit, and a duty that depends on the buyer

  • No limit for foreigners. We found no rule on the official pages that limits foreigners buying homes, as we read them; the State’s right of first refusal applies to regulated pre-1947 buildings75.
  • Registration duty: 4.75% of the price when the buyer is an individual, or a Monaco civil company whose partners are only individuals known to the tax office25.
  • 7.5% is the general rate on transfers of real estate25.
  • 10% when the buyer is an entity whose beneficial owners are not disclosed to the tax office through an approved agent25. These rates apply to deeds registered from October 1, 202324.
  • Transcription: a fixed €1025; the transcription duty is 1% instead when the sale is subject to VAT77. A mortgage registration costs 0.65%77.
  • No yearly property tax. Monaco has no property tax and no housing tax7.
  • Buying to resell as a business needs a declaration or authorization; a company doing it must be at least 75% owned by Monegasques or effective Monaco residents23.
  • Other costs. We found no official schedule of notary fees, and could not confirm the VAT on new homes sold by developers; ask your notary for a written list before you sign.

Two official sources disagree on the rates. The Government’s registration-duty page, updated July 28, 2026, still gives 4.5% for buyers who meet the law’s transparency criteria and 7.5% otherwise77, and its tax overview gives usual rates between 0.5% and 7.5%7. The consolidated law shows 4.75% for individuals and 10% for undisclosed owners, as amended by Law No. 1.548 of 2023, for deeds registered from October 1, 20232524. The law is the binding text, and its rates were set in 2023, after the 2011 rates the Government’s page repeats, so we follow it: the consolidated law lists 4.75% under article 12, 7.5% under article 13 bis and 10% under article 1625. Ask your notary to confirm the rate before you sign.

Purchase duty calculator

What the Registration Duty Comes To When You Buy

Enter the price in euros and choose the buyer. The calculator applies the registration duty of 4.75%, 7.5% or 10% under the law2524, adds the fixed €10 transcription duty25, and rounds to the cent. Dollars use the ECB rate of September 24, 20262.

By our arithmetic and our reading of the consolidated law. The individual rate also covers a Monaco civil company whose partners are only individuals known to the tax office. The duty is charged on the price or value the law sets, which may differ from what you enter; where a sale is subject to VAT, the transcription duty is 1% rather than €10, which the calculator leaves out, along with notary fees and any mortgage registration.

Examples: registration duty by buyer, before the €10 transcription duty, by our arithmetic from Law No. 580 as amended in 2023.
PriceIndividual, 4.75%General rate, 7.5%Undisclosed owners, 10%
€1,000,000 (about $1,136,700)€47,500 (about $53,993)€75,000€100,000
€2,500,000 (about $2,841,750)€118,750 (about $134,983)€187,500€250,000
€4,000,000 (about $4,546,800)€190,000 (about $215,973)€300,000€400,000
€7,600,000 (about $8,638,920)€361,000 (about $410,349)€570,000€760,000
€10,000,000 (about $11,367,000)€475,000 (about $539,933)€750,000€1,000,000

What property costs

In February 2026 the statistics institute rebuilt its price series: it now estimates prices per m² with a statistical model across all sales and resales, and says the new figures cannot be compared with its earlier reports. On the new method, homes sold for an estimated average of €57,569 per m² in 2025 (about $65,439), against €58,402 for 2024, and in Larvotto the average passed €70,000 per m²; homes in recent buildings averaged €65,60217. There were 493 sales worth €5.9 billion: new homes sold for €40.8 million on average, resales for €7.6 million, and more than half of resales for €4.0 million or more17. Villas, and Monaco-Ville, where sales were too few, are left out of the averages17.

Estimated price per m² of homes by district, 2025, with the statistics institute’s change on 2024, the figure for buildings completed since 2020, and a 100 m² (1,076 sq ft) home at the district average by our arithmetic. Checked October 8, 2026.
District2025, per m²Change on 2024Recent buildings, per m²100 m² at the average
Larvotto€71,167 (about $80,896)+2.2%€71,241€7,116,700 (about $8,089,553)
Monte-Carlo€54,009 (about $61,392)+4.8%€60,526€5,400,900 (about $6,139,203)
Fontvieille€52,518 (about $59,697)+4.5%€54,907€5,251,800 (about $5,969,721)
La Condamine€52,104 (about $59,227)−0.7%€59,523€5,210,400 (about $5,922,662)
La Rousse€51,265 (about $58,273)+3.2%€54,209€5,126,500 (about $5,827,293)
Jardin Exotique€45,168 (about $51,342)−3.7%€47,800€4,516,800 (about $5,134,247)
Les Moneghetti€43,797 (about $49,784)+3.3%€50,198€4,379,700 (about $4,978,405)
Monaco-VilleNot published: too few sales
All of Monaco€57,569 (about $65,439)−1.4%€65,602€5,756,900 (about $6,543,868)

Source: the statistics institute’s Real Estate Observatory 2025, tables 16 and 1717. These are estimates across all property ages, not asking prices or rents.

Price estimate

Estimate a Price From the Official District Averages

Choose a district and enter a size in m². The calculator multiplies the statistics institute’s 2025 average for that district17 by the size and adds the 4.75% registration duty an individual pays, with the €10 transcription duty25. Dollars use the ECB rate of September 24, 20262.

A rough guide by our arithmetic. The averages are model estimates across all property ages and sizes; a given home can sell well above or below them. Monaco-Ville has no published average. One square meter is about 10.76 sq ft.

Our position on property. We take no developer or property commissions. We may receive a referral fee from some professional partners. It never changes what you pay, and we tell you when it applies.

Where to live

Monaco’s Districts, Compared on Official Numbers

Monaco had 38,857 residents on December 31, 2025, 434 more than a year earlier (+1.1%); since 2023 the census is published every year from registers79. 485 Americans lived there in 2025, 1.2% of residents, up from 448 a year earlier and 366 in 201679. There were 22,577 homes, 18,197 of them private and 4,380 owned by the State79. The statistics institute’s population by district is an estimate, built from each district’s 2016 household size and its 2025 housing count79. We compare the districts below on population and 2025 prices17. Our groupings are starting points for a scouting trip, not verdicts.

Monte-Carlo and Larvotto

Monte-Carlo is the most populous district, with an estimated 8,318 residents, and homes averaged €54,009 per m² in 2025, up 4.8%7917. Larvotto, with 2,287, is the most expensive: €71,167 per m², the only district above €70,0007917.

Consider: Monte-Carlo · Larvotto

La Condamine and Monaco-Ville

La Condamine has an estimated 5,446 residents, and its homes averaged €52,104 per m² in 2025, 0.7% less than in 20247917. Monaco-Ville is the smallest district, with 1,022; it has too few sales for a published price7917.

Consider: La Condamine · Monaco-Ville

Fontvieille and La Rousse

La Rousse is the second most populous district, with an estimated 7,992 residents, at €51,265 per m², up 3.2%; Fontvieille has 4,297, at €52,518, up 4.5%7917.

Consider: Fontvieille · La Rousse

Les Moneghetti and Jardin Exotique

The two least expensive districts on the 2025 figures: Les Moneghetti at €43,797 per m², up 3.3%, with an estimated 4,498 residents, and Jardin Exotique at €45,168, down 3.7%, with 4,9977917. Monaco’s one weather station is in Jardin Exotique80.

Consider: Les Moneghetti · Jardin Exotique

Residents by district (estimate, December 31, 2025) and the estimated price per m² of homes in 2025, with the statistics institute’s change on 2024. Checked October 8, 2026.
DistrictResidentsPrice per m², 2025Change on 2024
Monte-Carlo8,318€54,009+4.8%
La Rousse7,992€51,265+3.2%
La Condamine5,446€52,104−0.7%
Jardin Exotique4,997€45,168−3.7%
Les Moneghetti4,498€43,797+3.3%
Fontvieille4,297€52,518+4.5%
Larvotto2,287€71,167+2.2%
Monaco-Ville1,022Not published–
All of Monaco38,857€57,569−1.4%

Sources: the statistics institute’s census 202579 and Real Estate Observatory 202517.

Climate: Monaco’s one official station, at Jardin Exotique, which serves the whole country. Checked October 8, 2026.
MeasureFigure
Normal mean temperature, 1991–202016.8°C (62°F)80
Mean temperature, 202518.1°C (65°F), 1.3°C (2.3°F) above the normal80
Hottest reading of summer 202535.7°C (96°F), on August 16, 202580
Rainfall, 2025644.1 mm (25.4 in), 150.4 mm (5.9 in) below the normal; a normal of about 794.5 mm (31.3 in), by our arithmetic80
Days with at least 1 mm of rain, 202567, four more than normal: a normal of about 63, by our arithmetic80

Source: the statistics institute’s Focus Météo 2025, from the Environment Department’s station80. The monthly normals are published only as a chart, so we give no monthly table. Fahrenheit and inch conversions are our arithmetic. Compare Monaco with other destinations.

Practical matters

Paperwork: Registration, Banks, Driving, Pets and Schools

Registration

We found no separate registration with the municipality for new residents on the official pages we read: by our reading, your residence is recorded through the residence card issued by the Public Safety Department6. On moving day, the Municipality reserves street parking for a removal van if you book at least five working days ahead, for a fee81. If you move within Monaco, or change your job or activity, the law gives you eight days to report the new address or activity to the Public Safety Department4; a card issued after a change of address costs €30 as of October 202638. When you leave Monaco, hand the card back eight days before you go4.

A bank account

You will need a Monaco bank twice: for the certificate of means that the card asks for, and for daily life6. Since Law No. 1.492 of 2020, people living in Monaco, and people in the process of settling who hold the receipt for their application, have a right to a bank account. A bank has 15 working days from a complete file to open it or refuse; after a refusal, the Treasury designates a bank that must provide basic services. Banks can still refuse on anti-money-laundering grounds27. The right starts only once you hold the receipt for your card application274, so it cannot help you get the bank certificate you file with that application: the bank that certifies your means decides for itself, by our reading6.

  • A stronger right was passed on October 5, 2026, but was not in force on October 8, 2026. On October 5, 2026 the National Council passed Bill No. 1.124: banks would get 30 days to examine an application; if a bank did not answer within that time, you could go to the Treasury without a formal refusal letter; and a fast-track appeal to the president of the court of first instance would be created. As of October 8, 2026 it had not been promulgated10. The bill as filed in March 2026 had proposed 45 working days11.
  • Gray list and EU high-risk list. Monaco was put on the FATF’s gray list in June 2024 and was still on it on October 8, 2026; in June 2026 the FATF found, on a preliminary basis, that it had largely completed its action plan, with an on-site visit to come, date not set13. The EU listed Monaco as a high-risk third country in 2025, so EU banks must apply enhanced checks to Monaco-linked clients, and it was still listed on October 8, 20261920. Expect detailed questions on the source of your money, here and at your U.S. or EU bank.

Driving

The United States is on Monaco’s list of countries whose licenses can be exchanged, as one country rather than state by state82.

  • Deadline. Apply within one year of acquiring normal residence, which starts on the 186th day after you arrive8244.
  • After the deadline your U.S. license is no longer valid in Monaco; you do not retake the full test, but you need a driving-skills check through a Monaco driving school, after at least three hours of lessons44.
  • Documents. A certificate from the issuing state, less than three months old, that your license is neither suspended nor canceled; sworn French translations of it and of your license; a color photo; and a copy of your residence card. If you are over 70, a medical certificate from a doctor approved in Monaco44.
  • Fee. €117 in 202683.

Pets

Monaco is on the EU’s list of territories whose pet rules have the same content and effect as the EU’s (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, Annex I, applied since April 22, 2026)84, so by our reading pets move between Monaco and France much as within the EU, and a pet from the United States enters through the EU under its rules for non-EU countries; the United States is on the EU’s list of countries whose pets need no rabies antibody test8485. Attack dogs (“first category”) are banned in Monaco, and “second-category” dogs must be declared to the Public Safety Department, muzzled and insured8687.

Shipping your household

Monaco and France form a customs union, the French customs code applies in Monaco, and Monaco is part of the EU customs territory788. Under the EU’s customs reliefs, personal property of someone moving from outside the EU can come in free of duty if89:

  • you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months in a row89;
  • you owned and used the goods for at least six months89;
  • you bring them in within 12 months of settling, and do not sell or lend them for 12 months89.

We did not check the French customs form and procedure for arrivals in Monaco; ask your mover.

Schools

School is compulsory from 6 to 16 for every child living in Monaco, in a public or private school there (Law No. 1.334 of 2007), unless you inform the Director of Education that your child will be schooled outside Monaco or at home. State school places depend on your home district, and enrollment in elementary schools for 2026–27 ran from January 5 to March 13, 2026; expect the next window early in 2027. The private schools include schools under contract with the State and independent ones such as the International School of Monaco and the British School of Monaco90. We could not confirm state-school fees.

Your U.S. services from Monaco

  • There is no U.S. consular office in Monaco. It is in the district of the U.S. Consulate General in Marseille, which also conducts U.S. relations with Monaco91. The consular agency in Nice closed on September 1, 2015, so older references to it are out of date92.
  • The Consulate General is at Place Varian Fry, 13006 Marseille; for an emergency involving a U.S. citizen, call +33 1 43 12 22 2293.
  • In Monaco, dial 17 for the police and 18 or 112 for the fire and rescue service; the Princess Grace Hospital Center’s emergency department is on +377 97 98 97 695657.
Entry rules

Outside the EU and Schengen, Reached Through France

Monaco is not in the EU and not a member of the Schengen area943. The Government describes it as the only third country inside the EU customs territory, a “gateway” to the Schengen area and a member of the euro area3. Its law ties entry to France: every foreigner who enters, stays more than three months or settles must carry the visas and authorizations that allow access, stay or settlement in France, in particular in the Alpes-Maritimes department4. You reach Monaco through France, and so through the Schengen area: as a U.S. citizen you may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa595.

  • Staying longer needs a card. Anyone aged 16 or over staying in Monaco more than three months a year needs a residence card, and Americans need the French settlement visa first6.
  • The card as a travel document. For holders from outside the EEA, the card, with a valid passport, lets you enter, leave and move within the Schengen area without a short-stay visa; it is not an identity document626. By our reading it gives no right to live or work in France or elsewhere in the EU.
  • Days in Monaco and the Schengen count. How days spent in Monaco count toward the Schengen limit of 90 days in 180 we could not confirm in an official source. Check with the Residents’ Office of the Public Safety Department before you plan a long stay around it.

Since April 10, 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System has been fully operational at Schengen borders and has replaced passport stamping1696. When you fly into France you are registered as a short-stay visitor; holders of a residence permit or long-stay visa from a country that operates the system are not registered96. While you hold the French long-stay settlement visa you are not registered: the EES regulation does not apply to holders of long-stay visas97; Monaco is not in Schengen94, so whether a Monaco residence card alone exempts you we could not confirm, and you should expect to be recorded each time you cross the Schengen area’s external border, for example when you fly into France from the United States.

As of October 8, 2026, ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is not yet in operation; the EU says it will announce the start date several months ahead. When it starts it will cost €209899. The regulation exempts holders of residence permits covered by the Schengen Borders Code and of national long-stay visas100; Monaco is not in Schengen, so by our reading a Monaco card alone may not exempt you once ETIAS starts. Ask the Residents’ Office before you travel. The Schengen, EES and ETIAS section of our FAQ explains the 90/180 count.

Monaco’s ties with the EU do not change this, as of October 8, 2026. It uses the euro1 and is inside the EU customs territory88. The EU and Monaco began talks on an association agreement in 2015 and suspended them in 20233.

Timeline

A Realistic Twelve Months

Built from the rules above, for someone living on savings or a pension. Neither France nor Monaco publishes a processing time we could confirm6, and the documents expire quickly, so the plan starts early and keeps the time-limited papers for last.

Months 12–8 before

Decide and test

Talk to Monaco banks about the certificate of means and their own figure6. Book a U.S. cross-border tax adviser: Monaco levies no income tax on residents who are not French, but the United States taxes your worldwide income731. Look at prices: homes averaged €57,569 per m² in 202517.

Months 7–4 before

Housing and insurance

Choose a home on the open market and sign a lease or buy; register the lease within three months7543. Arrange private health insurance if you will not work in Monaco, by our reading of the schemes32. Start pet preparations under the EU rules8485.

Months 3–1 before

Visa and documents

Order the FBI background check and the birth certificate so they are under three months old when you file6. Apply for the French settlement visa at the consulate nearest your home6. List your household goods for the customs relief89.

Month 0

Arrive and file

Fly into France on the visa and travel on to Monaco4. Get the bank certificate (under one month old) and file for the residence card promptly6.

Months 1–6 after

Card, bank and car

Attend the interview and collect the card, paying €806. Open any other account you need; the right to an account applies once you hold your application receipt27. Put the license exchange on the calendar: your normal residence starts on the 186th day after arrival, and you have a year from then44.

By month 12 after

Renew and file

Renew the card by its expiry date with your latest electricity bill, rent receipt and proof of means39. Put the U.S. return (June 15 for Americans abroad) and the FBAR on the calendar3173. If you need proof of Monaco tax residence, the certificate costs €60040.

Questions

What Americans Ask Us About Monaco

Do I need a visa to move to Monaco?

Yes. As an American you first need a French long-stay settlement visa (type D) for Monaco, from the French consulate nearest your last home; no residence-card application can be filed without it6. Then you apply in Monaco for the residence card, which anyone aged 16 or over staying more than three months a year needs6.

How much money do I need to live in Monaco?

There is no official figure. For people living on savings, the Government says the amount judged sufficient depends on the Monaco bank that issues the certificate, which must be under one month old6. Figures quoted in the press and by advisers are not official. Housing is the other big cost: homes averaged €57,569 per m² in 202517.

Is there a golden visa or investor route?

No. Monaco has one residence card, granted on housing, sufficient resources and good character; buying a home counts only as housing6. There is no citizenship by investment: naturalization normally takes ten years of residence after age 18 and is at the Prince’s discretion9.

Can I work remotely from Monaco for a U.S. employer?

There is no digital nomad visa. Whether remote work for a U.S. company can count toward the resources condition we could not confirm on an official source; ask the Residents’ Office6. A job with a Monaco employer goes through the Employment Service and its priority rules33.

Do Americans pay income tax in Monaco?

Monaco levies no personal income tax on its residents, except French nationals, and a U.S.–French dual national is treated as French only763. The United States still taxes your worldwide income, and with no Monaco tax there is nothing to credit against it, by our reading3166.

Is there a tax treaty or a Social Security agreement between the U.S. and Monaco?

No, as of October 8, 2026. Monaco is not on the IRS list of U.S. income tax treaties or the SSA’s list of totalization agreements, and it has no FATCA intergovernmental agreement; its one tax agreement with the U.S. is a 2009 agreement on exchanging tax information8293061.

What does it cost to buy a home in Monaco?

The statistics institute put the 2025 average at €57,569 per m², and more than €70,000 in Larvotto17. A buyer who is an individual pays a 4.75% registration duty; the general rate is 7.5%, and entities that do not disclose their owners pay 10%2524. There is no annual property tax7.

What does rent cost?

There is no official rent figure for modern buildings, where most foreigners rent. The only official figure covers pre-1947 apartments let on the open market: €66.52 per m² a month on leases registered in 202518. On the open market, rent and lease length are set freely by the landlord75.

Can I join Monaco’s public health insurance?

Through work, yes: employees are covered by the CCSS3252. A newcomer who does not work in Monaco relies on private insurance, by our reading. After five years, a resident whom three insurers have refused can buy subsidiary public cover at €700 a person a month2221.

How long can I stay in Monaco without a residence card?

Anyone staying more than three months a year needs a card6. You arrive through France, where the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180-day period applies to Americans5. How days in Monaco count toward that limit we could not confirm; check with the Residents’ Office.

Can I keep my U.S. citizenship if I naturalize?

No. Naturalization requires that you lose your previous nationality, with proof within six months where the loss follows the new nationality9. It normally takes ten years of residence after age 18 and is at the Prince’s discretion942.

Is Monaco in the EU or Schengen?

Neither. Monaco is a third country to the EU, the only one inside the EU customs territory; the Government calls it a gateway to the Schengen area, and it uses the euro3. Talks on an EU association agreement were suspended in 20233.

Can I open a bank account in Monaco?

Since 2020, residents and people settling who hold their application receipt have a right to an account; a bank has 15 working days to open it or refuse27. A bill passed on October 5, 2026 would strengthen that right but was not in force on October 8, 202610. As of October 8, 2026, Monaco was on the FATF gray list and the EU high-risk list, so expect extra checks; the Government’s news page and EUR-Lex show any change131920.

Sources

Every Figure on This Page, and Where It Comes From

We use official sources only: Monaco’s laws, sovereign and ministerial orders as published on LégiMonaco, the Government’s official law database, and the Official Gazette; the Government of Monaco’s service portals and news; its statistics institute (IMSEE); the Caisses Sociales; the Municipality; the bus and electricity companies’ own fare and tariff pages; France’s statistics office, INSEE, for the consumer price index Monaco uses; the Consulate General of Monaco in New York, for the U.S. visa step only; the EU and the European Central Bank; and U.S. federal agencies and the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France. French titles are given in English. Each source was read on the date shown; where a page carries its own date, or none, the title says so. Where official texts disagree, we say what each one says and which we follow. If you spot something that has changed, email [email protected].

  1. Council Decision 1999/96/EC on the position of the Community on the monetary relations with the Principality of Monaco: the use of the euro. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  2. Euro foreign exchange reference rates (USD, September 24, 2026). European Central Bank. Official page. Checked .
  3. Maintaining relations with the European Union. Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), gouv.mc. Official page. Checked .
  4. Sovereign Order No. 3.153 of March 19, 1964 on the entry and residence of foreigners, consolidated version in force on October 8, 2026 (last amended in 2021). LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  5. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806: visa exemption for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period (Annex II: United States). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  6. Applying for a residence card (carte de séjour): conditions, the settlement visa, documents and fees (page updated September 25, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  7. Monaco’s tax system: general information (page updated August 27, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  8. United States income tax treaties, A to Z. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  9. Law No. 1.155 of December 18, 1992 on nationality, consolidated version in force on October 8, 2026 (last amended by Law No. 1.512 of 2021). LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  10. Company law and the right to a bank account: two bills passed unanimously by the National Council (October 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), gouv.mc. Official page. Checked .
  11. Bill No. 1.124 amending the 2020 law on the right to a bank account (filed March 13, 2026). LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  12. Information letter to employers, October 2026: contribution ceilings and rates from October 1, 2026 (PDF). Caisses Sociales de Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  13. The FATF plenary concludes, on a preliminary basis, that Monaco has largely completed its action plan (June 19, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), gouv.mc. Official page. Checked .
  14. Circular No. 2026-7 of May 26, 2026 on the minimum wage (SMIC) from June 1, 2026, with the 5% Monaco allowance. Journal de Monaco, the Official Gazette of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  15. Circular No. 2025-12 of December 19, 2025 on the minimum wage (SMIC) from January 1, 2026. Journal de Monaco, the Official Gazette of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  16. Entry/Exit System (EES). European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
  17. Real estate observatory 2025 (Observatoire de l’immobilier, February 2026), PDF. IMSEE, the Monaco Statistics Institute (Institut Monégasque de la Statistique et des Études Économiques). Official page. Checked .
  18. Ministerial Order No. 2026-67 of February 17, 2026: the average rent per m² of pre-1947 homes, from leases registered in 2025. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  19. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1184 of June 10, 2025 amending the list of high-risk third countries (Monaco added). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  20. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 identifying high-risk third countries: the act and its amendments. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  21. Law No. 1.562 of July 2, 2024 creating subsidiary medical cover, in force January 1, 2025. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  22. Applying for subsidiary medical cover (page updated December 23, 2024). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  23. Law No. 1.560 of July 2, 2024 on property dealers (marchands de biens). LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  24. Law No. 1.548 of July 6, 2023: new registration duty rates, for deeds registered from October 1, 2023. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  25. Law No. 580 of July 29, 1953 on registration duties, consolidated: the 4.75%, 7.50% and 10% rates and the fixed duty of €10. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  26. The residence card and travel (page updated March 18, 2024). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  27. Law No. 1.492 of July 8, 2020 creating a right to a bank account. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  28. Special fares, including the school pass and the free annual pass for residents over 60 (undated page). CAM, the Monaco bus company. Official page. Checked .
  29. Status of totalization agreements. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked .
  30. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act: the list of intergovernmental agreements (Monaco not listed). U.S. Department of the Treasury. Official page. Checked .
  31. U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  32. Monaco’s health insurance funds: the general scheme (page updated July 7, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  33. Recruiting staff: the Employment Service, priority candidates and the hiring application (page updated March 16, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonEntreprise. Official page. Checked .
  34. Setting up a business in your own name: the prior authorization (page updated December 5, 2025). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonEntreprise. Official page. Checked .
  35. Setting up an SARL, a limited liability company (page updated July 30, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonEntreprise. Official page. Checked .
  36. I am moving to Monaco: steps for newcomers. Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  37. Opening a business in Monaco: the long-term visa from French consular offices in the United States. Consulate General of Monaco in New York. Official page. Checked .
  38. The residence card: the four categories, their length and fees (page updated October 28, 2024). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  39. Renewing your residence card (page updated September 30, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  40. Residence certificate for tax purposes (page updated December 23, 2024). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  41. The tax on business profits (page updated August 3, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonEntreprise. Official page. Checked .
  42. Acquiring Monegasque nationality (page updated April 30, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  43. Paying the lease duty (page updated July 30, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  44. Exchanging a foreign driving license (page updated March 3, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  45. Monaco in figures 2026 (Monaco en chiffres), PDF. IMSEE, the Monaco Statistics Institute (Institut Monégasque de la Statistique et des Études Économiques). Official page. Checked .
  46. Consumer prices, September 2026, provisional estimate (Informations rapides No. 242, September 30, 2026). INSEE, the French national statistics office (used for the index Monaco applies). Official page. Checked .
  47. Ministerial Order No. 2025-64 of January 30, 2025: the average rent per m² of pre-1947 homes, from leases registered in 2024. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  48. Tarif GO electricity tariff from August 1, 2026, and the tariff sheet it links to. SMEG, the Monaco electricity and gas company. Official page. Checked .
  49. Occasional travel: tickets and contactless caps (undated page). CAM, the Monaco bus company. Official page. Checked .
  50. Regular travel: passes (undated page). CAM, the Monaco bus company. Official page. Checked .
  51. Applying for State medical aid (page updated July 4, 2024). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  52. Medical costs: basic conditions. Caisses Sociales de Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  53. Medical costs: care by doctors, midwives and laboratories. Caisses Sociales de Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  54. Medical costs: who is covered. Caisses Sociales de Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  55. Applying for help toward complementary health insurance (page updated July 11, 2024). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  56. Help for victims of violence: the emergency numbers (page updated November 11, 2025). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  57. Emergency numbers (page updated July 11, 2025). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  58. Travel outside the U.S. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
  59. Medicare coverage outside the United States (Product 11037, April 2026). Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
  60. Avoid late enrollment penalties. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
  61. Sovereign Order No. 2.692 of March 23, 2010 giving effect to the Monaco–United States agreement on the exchange of information on tax matters, signed September 8, 2009. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  62. The bilateral tax agreements signed by Monaco. Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), gouv.mc. Official page. Checked .
  63. Tax domicile certificate: French nationals and dual nationals (page updated July 30, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  64. Topic no. 410, Pensions and annuities. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  65. Topic no. 423, Social Security and equivalent railroad retirement benefits. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  66. Foreign tax credit. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  67. IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (IR-2025-103, October 9, 2025). Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  68. Foreign earned income exclusion: what is foreign earned income. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  69. Your payments while you are outside the United States (Publication No. 05-10137, April 2026, PDF). Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked .
  70. Inheritance duties (page updated July 30, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  71. Value added tax (VAT) (page updated August 27, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonEntreprise. Official page. Checked .
  72. Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  73. Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). FinCEN, U.S. Treasury. Official page. Checked .
  74. Do I need to file Form 8938? Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
  75. The different housing sectors (page updated February 13, 2025). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  76. Civil Code, consolidated, articles 1576 to 1579: the end of a lease and notice. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  77. Registration duties (page updated July 28, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  78. Bill No. 1.128 on decent rented housing (filed July 3, 2026). LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  79. Population census 2025 (May 2026), PDF. IMSEE, the Monaco Statistics Institute (Institut Monégasque de la Statistique et des Études Économiques). Official page. Checked .
  80. Focus Météo 2025, the weather in 2025 (No. 166, February 2026), PDF. IMSEE, the Monaco Statistics Institute (Institut Monégasque de la Statistique et des Études Économiques). Official page. Checked .
  81. Reserving parking space for a move. Mairie de Monaco (the Municipality). Official page. Checked .
  82. Ministerial Order No. 2019-638 of July 31, 2019 on the exchange of foreign driving licenses, consolidated: the list of countries. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  83. Fees of the Traffic and Transport Service, 2026. Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  84. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 on non-commercial movements of pets, applying from April 22, 2026: Annex I (territories with equivalent rules, including Monaco) and Annex II (including the United States). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  85. Listing of territories and non-EU countries for the movement of dogs, cats and ferrets (Delegated Regulation 2026/131 and Implementing Regulation 2026/636). European Commission, DG SANTE. Official page. Checked .
  86. Law No. 1.351 of October 28, 2008 on dangerous dogs. LégiMonaco, the official legal database of the Government of Monaco. Official page. Checked .
  87. Declaring a dangerous dog. Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  88. Regulation (EU) No 952/2013, the Union Customs Code, article 4: the customs territory, including Monaco. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  89. Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 on customs reliefs: personal property of people moving their residence. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  90. Enrolling your child in elementary school (page updated March 5, 2026). Government of Monaco (Gouvernement Princier), MonServicePublic. Official page. Checked .
  91. U.S. Consulate General Marseille: the consular district, including Monaco. U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France. Official page. Checked .
  92. Closure of the Consular Agency in Nice (from September 1, 2015). U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France. Official page. Checked .
  93. Contact: U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France, including the Consulate General in Marseille (address and 24-hour emergency line). U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France. Official page. Checked .
  94. EU countries: membership, euro area and Schengen dates. European Union. Official page. Checked .
  95. Entry and exit requirements for non-EU nationals (90 days in any 180-day period). Your Europe, European Union. Official page. Checked .
  96. Entry/Exit System fully operational from 10 April 2026: who is exempt. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
  97. Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 establishing the Entry/Exit System, article 2(3): who is outside its scope. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  98. ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
  99. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1411: ETIAS fee of €20. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
  100. Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 establishing ETIAS. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .

General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Rules and costs change; check the official sources above and speak to a qualified professional before you act. Next scheduled review: April 2027.

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