The EUR 500,000 deposit or professional income, the housing proof, the Sureté Publique, health cover, the rental deposit and what a newcomer can do in a month: an honest checklist for a very selective residence system.
In brief
As of 6 November 2026, Monaco is the least forgiving place in this series. Commercial sources say the residence card (carte de séjour) requires either professional income or a bank deposit of at least EUR 500,000 in a Monegasque bank, proof of housing and a clean criminal record, and that the Sûreté Publique keeps full discretion. The first card is a one-year temporary card, followed by an ordinary card after 3 years and a privileged card after 10 years. Estimates of the process range from 2 to 12 months. This is not a checklist for a first month of improvising: most of the work happens before you arrive. Everything here comes from agency and relocation sites, not from official pages.
Be honest about the entry test first
Monaco does not publish a simple eligibility table that a newcomer can follow. The sources agree on the shape of the test, and they disagree on the details.
- Money: either an active professional income or a deposit of at least EUR 500,000 in a bank in Monaco. One source says that a deposit of EUR 450,000 would not be accepted and that the State grants no exceptions. The deposit stays the property of the applicant. When it must be in place is reported in two ways: at filing, or built up within 1 to 6 months.
- Housing: owned or rented. One source says the lease must be for at least a year and registered with the Monaco tax services.
- Record: a clean criminal record.
- Discretion: the Direction de la Sûreté Publique decides and does not publish its detailed criteria. Buying property does not guarantee a card.
How a citizen of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan or Ukraine enters Monaco in practice, and how Monegasque banks treat these passports, were not researched in this pass and are not guessed. Ask the Welcome Office, the government's contact point for people planning to move, and a lawyer who files these applications.
If your goal is property rather than residence, start with these: the most expensive, smallest and unusual properties in Monaco and Monaco: first-visit facts. The general checklist for any country is first 30 days after moving abroad.
Before you arrive: the work that cannot wait for the first month
Because the test is financial and discretionary, the order in Monaco is the reverse of most countries:
- Fix the housing first. The housing proof is the document that the whole file hangs on, and rental terms are heavy: the deposit is commonly 3 months' rent, some sources say 3 or 4, rent in advance can be three months or more for a newcomer, and agencies often charge about 10 percent of the first year's rent plus VAT. There is no legal cap on the deposit according to one source, but an excessive deposit can be challenged.
- Open the bank relationship. The EUR 500,000 deposit sits in a Monegasque bank, so the account is part of the application, not a task after it. Annual bank account fees are estimated at EUR 1,000 to 3,000 depending on the bank.
- Arrange the money story. A bank will ask where the funds come from. See the resident bank account guide.
- Get the criminal record certificate and the translations and apostilles the authority asks for. The exact list was not found.
Days 1 to 3: arrival, address and proof of residence
Keep your passport, the entry record and every document of the file in two sets. Obtain the address proof that the authority accepts. Sources list a utility bill, such as the electricity bill, as proof of residence. Confirm that your lease is registered, since one source says a registered copy is required for the card.
Do not treat arrival as the start of residence. The card is the start: before it is issued you are a visitor with a pending file.
Week 1: the Sûreté Publique and the Welcome Office
The Direction de la Sûreté Publique handles residence applications. The Welcome Office is described by a government page as the entry point for anyone planning to move to Monaco, for private or professional reasons. Ask it for the current list of documents, the fees and the processing time. Fee estimates in sources conflict (EUR 200 to 500 in one, EUR 500 to 2,000 in another), so no figure is given here.
Weeks 2 to 4: health cover and settling in
Health. Two things are reported, and they conflict. Registration with the social insurance fund (CCSS) is done in person or online with proof of identity, proof of residence and employment documents. For people who do not work in Monaco, one source says they fall outside the CCSS system and must hold comprehensive private health insurance both to obtain and to renew the card, while another says Monaco covers all its residents. Several sources say proof of health insurance is required for the card application. Confirm with the CCSS which category you are in before you buy a policy; the choice of policy is covered in health insurance after moving abroad.
Utilities and the lease. Open the electricity and other utilities in your name once the lease is registered; the bill becomes your proof of address.
Timeline. One agency says the whole procedure generally takes 2 to 4 months and another says 6 to 12 months. Plan for the longer figure, and keep the lease and the deposit running throughout.
Not researched: schools, driving licences, and personal taxes. Monaco is often described as a low-tax place, but this pass did not verify the tax position of a newcomer, and it is not stated as a fact. For tax residence read tax residency when relocating, and for a driving licence the driving licence guide.
The card ladder: what the first month leads to
- Year 1: temporary card, valid one year, renewable.
- Year 3: ordinary card.
- Year 10: privileged card.
At the ordinary stage the sources say that the deposit, the housing and the record conditions must continue to be met. The money is yours, but it is not free to move while you hold the card.
The seven mistakes
1. Treating Monaco as a country where you arrive and then see what is possible. 2. Signing a one-year lease that is not registered with the tax services. 3. Putting less than the stated deposit and expecting an exception. 4. Buying a private health policy before the CCSS category is known. 5. Underestimating the upfront rent: deposit, advance rent and agency fee together. 6. Assuming that buying property gives a card. 7. Relying on a blog for the document list instead of the authority.
One-page checklist
- Before arrival: lawyer and Welcome Office contact; the deposit and bank relationship; housing and registered lease; criminal record certificate.
- Days 1 to 3: passport copies; proof of address; utilities.
- Week 1: file with the Sûreté Publique; fees and documents confirmed.
- Weeks 2 to 4: CCSS or private health cover; keep lease and deposit in place; track the processing time.
- Later: the 3-year and 10-year steps.
This guide is general information and not legal advice. Entry rules and fees are set by the Principality and change: confirm each step with the Sûreté Publique and the Welcome Office.
FAQ
Is there a fixed amount that guarantees a Monaco residence card? No official table was found. Commercial sources say income or a deposit of at least EUR 500,000, a registered home and a clean record, and that the Sûreté Publique keeps discretion.
Does buying an apartment give me a card? No. Buying property does not guarantee a card according to the sources, and the housing proof can also be a lease.
How long does it take? Agencies give 2 to 4 months and 6 to 12 months. These are estimates from commercial sites; plan for the longer one.
Do I need private health insurance? One source says people who do not work in Monaco fall outside the CCSS and need comprehensive private insurance for the card, while another says all residents are covered. Check your category with the CCSS first.
What does the first card allow? A one-year temporary card, renewable. An ordinary card is reported after 3 years and a privileged card after 10 years.