🇲🇨Monaco Visa for American Citizens2026 Requirements, Fees & Documents

Monaco Residence Permit (Carte de Séjour) - Long Stay

Any person aged 16 or over wishing to stay in Monaco for more than 3 months must obtain a Monaco residence permit. Non-EEA nationals must first obtain a French long-stay Type D visa before applying. Covers all long-stay purposes including work, study, and family.

• First residence permit fee is €80.
• Non-EEA nationals must first obtain a French long-stay (Type D) Schengen visa or transfer from French residency of over one year.
• The permit requires proof of sufficient funds (amount at discretion of Monaco bank providing reference), accommodation in Monaco, and police background check (criminal records extract less than 3 months old from last country of residence within the past 5 years).
• After 10 years of ordinary residence from age 18, holders may apply for Monegasque naturalisation.
• A valid Monaco residence permit allows non-Schengen nationals to travel within the Schengen Area without a short-stay visa.
• No fixed minimum deposit amount is stated on official pages - the widely cited €500,000 figure appears only in third-party sources.
• A personal interview is mandatory once the application file is complete.

Monaco Work Authorisation (Work Permit)

Required for any foreign national taking up salaried employment in Monaco. The employer applies to the Monaco Employment Service (Direction du Travail) for authorisation to hire; the employee also needs a residence permit (and, if non-EEA, a French long-stay Type D visa first).

• All employment in Monaco requires a work permit regardless of nationality.
• The employer submits the hiring/renewal authorisation application to the Employment Service (Service de l'Emploi / Direction du Travail) with a €5 stamp duty; appointments are booked via MonGuichet.mc.
• Recruitment follows a statutory priority order (Monegasque nationals first, then residents) under Act No. 629.
• Non-EEA workers must hold a valid residence permit authorising employment, obtained after a French long-stay Type D visa.
• This is a distinct authorisation from the residence permit itself.

Residence Permit – Spouse of a Monegasque National

Residence permit for a foreign national married to a Monegasque citizen. (Family members joining a non-Monegasque foreign resident instead apply under the general residence permit.)

• Distinct residence-permit category issued to the foreign spouse of a Monegasque national (minimum 1 year of residence).
• Valid 5 years; first-issue fee €80, renewal €40.
• Non-EEA spouses must first obtain a French long-stay Type D visa via the French consulate before applying.
• Family members joining a non-Monegasque foreign resident apply under the general 'temporary' or 'ordinary' residence permit rather than this specific category.

Residence Permit for Retired / Financially Self-Sufficient Persons

Residence permit for foreign nationals who do not intend to work in Monaco and support themselves through a pension or sufficient savings.

• The official first-permit application explicitly defines a non-working applicant category: retirees provide proof of pension, and self-funded applicants provide a reference letter (less than 1 month old) from a Monaco banking establishment confirming sufficient funds to live in Monaco.
• Issued as a 'temporary' residence permit valid 1 year (renewable), first-issue fee €80.
• Non-EEA applicants must first obtain a French long-stay Type D visa.
• Monaco publishes no fixed minimum deposit; the widely cited €500,000 figure appears only in third-party sources.
• This self-sufficiency route is Monaco's de facto residence-by-means path - there is no citizenship- or investment-by-investment visa program.

Residence Permit - Student

Residence permit route for foreign nationals coming to Monaco to study (e.g. at the private International University of Monaco). Study is one of the recognised applicant categories for the Monaco first residence permit; there is no standalone Monaco student visa.

• Study is an official applicant category for the Monaco first (temporary) residence permit - applicants must submit proof of student status.
• Issued as a temporary permit valid 1 year (renewable), first-issue fee €80.
• Non-EEA students must first obtain a French long-stay (Type D) visa for Monaco via the French Consulate before applying; EEA and Swiss nationals need no visa.
• Applicants must be at least 16 years old.

Ordinary Resident Permit (Carte de Séjour Ordinaire)

Second-tier Monaco residence permit for foreign residents who have completed at least 3 years of continuous residence in the Principality, extending the right to reside for a longer period than the initial temporary permit.

• Available after 3 years of residence in Monaco.
• Valid 3 years.
• First-issue fee €100, renewal €50.
• This is a progression tier of the same carte de séjour, not a separately-chosen visa.
• Ten years of ordinary residence from age 18 is the precondition for eligibility to apply for Monegasque naturalisation.
• Non-EEA holders retain Schengen travel rights via the Monegasque permit.

Privileged Resident Permit (Carte de Séjour Privilégié)

Highest-tier, longest-validity Monaco residence permit for foreign nationals who have genuinely resided in the Principality for at least 10 years (reducible to 1 year in special cases at the government's discretion). Nearest equivalent to permanent residence in Monaco.

• Requires at least 10 years of genuine residence in Monaco (reducible to 1 year in special cases).
• Valid 10 years - the longest Monegasque residence permit and the nearest thing to permanent residence; Monaco issues no separate settlement/permanent-residence permit.
• First-issue fee €160, renewal €80.
• Non-EEA holders retain Schengen travel rights via the permit.