Monaco Welcome Office: What It Actually Does

The one-line answer

The Welcome Office is the Monegasque government's front door for people who are moving to Monaco, or thinking about it. It is free, it is an information service rather than a service that does things on your behalf, and it sits inside Invest Monaco — the brand launched by the Prince's Government on 8 June 2026 for what was previously the Attractiveness Department, under the Ministry of State.

Where it is

The office is in the Carré d'Or, not in Fontvieille:

This is the same building as the Tourism and Convention Authority, a short walk up from the Casino gardens. Because the team works by appointment, calling ahead matters more here than turning up.

What it actually does

Three things, and they are worth stating precisely because a lot of relocation content overstates them:

1. It explains the administrative path, in particular the residence permit — what you have to prove, in what order, and which department decides.
2. It connects you to the right body. Rather than handling your file, it points you at the public and private organisations that do: the Sûreté Publique for the permit, the Caisses Sociales for social cover, the Direction de l'Éducation for schooling, the Direction du Développement Économique if a business is involved.
3. It runs the information meetings for future and new residents (see below).

What it does not do

Assume the Welcome Office will not:

• search for or negotiate housing for you
• find you a job or introduce you to employers
• issue, renew or expedite a residence card
• register you as a resident — there is no "registration with the Welcome Office"
• provide translation, interpreting or legal representation
• vet nannies, doctors or contractors on your behalf

None of that is a criticism of the service. It is a small orientation team, and knowing its limits is what stops you from losing a fortnight waiting for help that was never on offer.

The quarterly information meetings

Invest Monaco holds information meetings for future and new residents roughly every quarter, hosted at the Club des Résidents Étrangers de Monaco (CREM), 1 avenue Princesse Grace.

• A presentation of about 45 minutes covering the practical side of life in the Principality: healthcare, transport, schooling, and business questions.
• Afterwards, refreshments and one-to-one questions, with French, English and Italian support available for individual queries.
• Registration is mandatory, by phone on (+377) 98 98 94 94 or by email to aboin@gouv.mc.
• Attendance is reserved for people who are relocating to Monaco or intend to — it is not a general public event.

At the time of writing the next announced session is Tuesday 8 September 2026 at 18:30. Dates are published on gouv.mc, so check before planning a trip around one.

Welcome Office or Monaco Business Office?

The two are routinely confused, including by relocation agencies. They are separate services in separate ministries at separate addresses.

If you are moving to Monaco in order to set up a business, you will end up dealing with both — start with the Welcome Office for the residency side and the Business Office for the company.

What to prepare before you call

You will get more out of a first appointment if you can state:

• your nationality and, for non-EEA nationals, whether you have applied for a long-stay visa for Monaco through your local French consulate
• your accommodation situation in Monaco — a lease or a purchase is a precondition for residency, not a consequence of it
• how you intend to justify your resources: an employment contract, a third party supporting you, or sufficient savings
• your family situation, if children will need school places

Those three requirements — accommodation, resources, good character — are the backbone of the residency file, and the residency requirements guide sets them out in full.

Where to go next

• Residency requirements in Monaco — the permit itself, and the Sûreté Publique's Residents Section
• Your first month in Monaco — the sequence of tasks once you have arrived
• Settling-in guide — utilities, banking, transport and everyday administration
• Monaco's international communities — CREM, the British Association of Monaco, the honorary consuls and the consulates
• Monaco Business Office — if the move involves creating or transferring a company