Monaco relocation checklist, domain by domain

Settling in, one domain at a time

Moving to the Principality means dealing with a small number of specific bodies, each responsible for one part of your new life here. This checklist is organised by domain rather than by date — for the calendar view of the same move, see the Monaco relocation timeline.

Residence permit

• If you are not an EEA or Swiss national, obtain a long-stay (type D) visa from the competent French consulate first — Monaco issues no visas of its own and the file cannot be processed without it
• Gather the documents: valid passport, proof of housing in Monaco (signed lease or property deed), criminal record extracts from every country you lived in during the last five years, proof of resources, passport photos, apostilled birth certificate
• File with the Section des Résidents of the Direction de la Sûreté Publique, 9 rue Suffren-Reymond, +377 93 15 30 15
• Attend the compulsory individual interview, with all originals plus copies
• Collect the temporary card (one year, €80) and note its renewal date

Full detail, including the four card types and their fees, is in the carte de séjour guide.

Housing

• Contact several Monegasque estate agencies rather than relying on one
• Prepare a complete tenant file: identity documents, proof of income, bank references
• Budget for what is due at signature: three months' deposit held in escrow, agency fees of roughly one month's rent plus VAT, and the first month
• Have the French-language lease reviewed by a bilingual adviser before signing
• Complete the inventory of fixtures with the landlord or agency

See renting and housing in Monaco.

Banking

• Choose from the banks established in the Principality
• Provide identity documents, proof of a Monegasque address and evidence of the source of your funds
• Allow several weeks: Monegasque banks run thorough due diligence, and it is the source-of-funds file rather than the balance that determines the pace
• If you have no professional activity, the bank attestation supports your residency file — ask what the bank requires before it will issue one

See opening a bank account in Monaco.

Social security and healthcare

• If you are employed, your employer registers you with the Caisse de Compensation des Services Sociaux (CCSS)
• If you are self-employed, register directly with the CCSS
• Collect your Monegasque social insurance card
• If you have no local activity, arrange private cover — affiliation follows employment, so residence alone does not give you access
• Choose a doctor and transfer your medical records

See how healthcare works in Monaco.

Utilities and subscriptions

• Open an electricity and gas contract with SMEG (Société Monégasque de l'Électricité et du Gaz), +377 92 05 05 00
• Open a water contract with SMEaux (Société Monégasque des Eaux), which also runs the UTER wastewater plant
• Activate telephone and internet with Monaco Telecom
• Take out home insurance with an insurer authorised in the Principality
• Set up mail forwarding from your previous address

See setting up utilities.

Vehicle

• Register your vehicle on Monegasque plates through the Direction de la Sûreté Publique
• Bring the certificate of conformity, proof of address and insurance certificate
• Check whether your driving licence needs exchanging for a Monegasque one
• Consider whether you need a car at all: Monaco is 2.02 km² and the CAM bus network, public lifts and escalators cover most of it

See vehicle registration in Monaco.

Schools

• Choose between the Monegasque public schools (free for residents), the private sector and the International School of Monaco
• Apply through the Direction de l'Éducation Nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports for public schools, or directly to private and international schools
• Assemble previous school certificates, vaccination records and proof of address
• Apply early — places in the international sector are limited

See the Monaco school system.

Administrative follow-up

• Report any change of address to the Sûreté Publique — see changing your address
• Update your address with your bank, insurers and subscriptions
• Register with your consulate if your country recommends it
• Diarise the residence card renewal: it must be renewed before expiry, and a late renewal costs €50

Read next

• Monaco relocation timeline: what to do, and when
• Carte de séjour: procedure, documents and fees
• Cost of living in Monaco
• Renting and housing in Monaco