There are no particular formalities for visiting the Principality for up to three months other than complying with the requirements for entry into France. Thus, there is no need to obtain residency status, even if there are very frequent visits to Monaco if there is a bone fide departure from the Principality before three months has passed. Re-entry after a bone fide departure starts a new three month period. However, persons who do not hold residency status can not enjoy all the benefits of Monaco. For example, only a resident can register an automobile in Monaco.

Anyone over 16 wishing to remain in Monaco for more than three months at a time or reside there must hold a residence card (carte de sejour). See Sovereign Decree no. 3153 of March 19, 1964.

Conditions for obtaining a carte de sejour

Persons requiring a carte de sejour must apply for one, and its issuance is discretionary with the relevant authorities of France and Monaco. The requirements for obtaining a carte de sejour differ depending on whether the applicant is French or not and, if French, whether the person has a French carte de sejour.

Prospective Non-French residents must first obtain a long duration visa or a visa for residence in the Principality of Monaco from the nearest French Consulate before coming to Monaco. The applicant must file the forms required for residency in France plus one additional copy that is forwarded to Monaco. In addition to the official French residency application form, the primary documents (which must be in French or accompanied by a suitable French translation) required are:

1. proof of civil status (i.e., single, married, divorced, widowed, number of children, if any, names of parents, and so on),
2. a medical certificate showing good health,
3. a casier judiciaire, or a declaration that the applicant has never been convicted of a serious crime and is not currently charged with committing one, and
4. provide documentation the proposed living accommodations in the Principality of Monaco (contract for the purchase of an apartment, lease, certificate of accommodation) (Normally, it is not necessary to have the accommodations at the time of the application, but the accommodations must be secured before the carte de sejour will issue.);
5. a draft work contract signed and stamped by the Employment Department of the Principality of Monaco, or an application for authorization to set up business, or, if applicable, a bank certificate proving sufficient means of subsistence to eliminate the need to work in Monaco. (If this latter method is used, the residence permit will not allow employment.)

The use of a bank letter is a very common means for persons of retirement age or of sufficient means that they no longer wish to work. Most banks in Monaco will provide such a letter to their better customers. The requirements for the letter vary considerably from bank to bank. Some require relatively modest balances while others require balances well in excess of Frs. 1,000,000. Often the bank in Monaco will depend on a guarantee or other support from another bank outside of Monaco, if the customer is not willing to commit that much an account in Monaco. Click here to see a list of the principal banks in Monaco and their addresses.

The residency process can take four to six months or more. Normally, the file is reviewed first by the French authorities who submit it to the Monaco authorities to see if they have any preliminary concerns. If not, the French authorities review the file, and, if they decide to act favorably, the Monaco authorities then review the file more thoroughly. During this phase, the prospective resident will normally be interviewed at least once by an Inspector from the Surete Publique. If the review is favorable, there is a final interview at the time the carte de sejour is issued.

Prospective French residents who hold a French visitors card or who have obtained a long duration visa or a resident's visa for the Principality of Monaco must apply for a residence card from the Department of Public Security:

The applicant must:

1. provide proof of civil status, and if applicable, that of his or her spouse and children (birth certificate, livret de famille);
2. provide documentation the proposed living accommodations in the Principality of Monaco (purchase agreement, lease, certificate of accommodation) (As in the case of the non-French applicant, the accommodations need only be in hand at the time the carte de sejour issues, not before.);
3. demonstrate sufficient income for subsistence (salary, work contract, bank certificate) according to the then current standards set forth in the applicable regulations; and
4. prove that he/she has never been convicted of a serious crime and is not currently charged with one (casier judiciaire or equivalent).

Upon submission of an application for a Monegasque carte de sejour, French applicants receive a receipt from the Director of Public Security, enabling them to register with the French Consulate:

For additional reference material, see "Entry and Residence in the Principality of Monaco", The Principality of Monaco, A Business Guide, Principality of Monaco, Department of Economic Expansion, 1996.