Monaco's long-stay visa: the French stamp Americans need first
Monaco doesn't issue visas. France does, through its consulates in the U.S., and without that visa Monaco won't open your residence file. Here's what goes in it, what it costs, and the deadlines that trip people up.
Written for Americans with a Monaco job offer, a business plan, or serious savings they're ready to park at a Monaco bank. Dollar figures use September 2026 exchange rates.
How it works
A French visa with a Monaco address on it
Under the 1963 neighborhood agreement between the two countries, France handles Monaco's visas. You apply at the French consulate closest to your U.S. home, and Monaco won't accept a residence application without the visa in your passport.
Think of it as the key, not the house. The visa gets you in; the one-year residence card you file for right after is what lets you stay.
What the visa costs and how long it lasts
$112
Visa application fee
99 euros; not refunded if refused
3 months
How long the visa lasts
per Monaco law firm CMS
8 days
To file for your residence card
after arrival, per Monaco's 1964 ordinance
$91
Your first residence card
80 euros; valid one year
Type D Long-Stay Visa
Required for all non-EU/EEA nationals (including US citizens) planning to stay in Monaco for more than 3 months. Must be obtained before applying for residency. Processing typically takes 2–3 months. Financial requirements and property arrangements must be maintained for residency renewal.
- Government cost
- $99
- Processing time
- ~60 days
- Timeline
- 2-3 months
- Difficulty
- Easy
About that data card
Our listing says "minimum €500,000–€750,000 deposit in a Monaco bank, depending on source." France-Visas sets no amount. It asks for a certified statement from a Monaco bank showing you can live without working, and job, business and sponsor routes exist too. The deposit figure is bank practice. The listing also says "lease for at least 12 months," but the checklist accepts a registered lease, a deed, or a free-housing certificate, with no minimum term. The fee is 99 euros, about $112, not $99.
Your route
Match the file to where your money comes from
Living on savings or investments
Retired or living off a portfolio? You open an account at a Monaco bank and file its certified statement showing enough to live on without working. No law sets the figure, but advisers report banks usually expect about $568,000 (500,000 euros) on deposit, often more from non-Europeans. It stays your money; it isn't a fee. Onboarding can take a couple of weeks to a couple of months, and FATCA reporting makes some banks cautious with U.S. clients.
A Monaco job
Your employer draws up a foreign-worker contract, and Monaco's Employment Service stamps it before the consulate will issue the visa.
Your own business
File the receipt for your application to set up a company in Monaco, plus a statement of your bank accounts. One of them has to be in Monaco.
Supported by a partner or parent
A letter of support from them, with proof of their finances. A spouse who won't work files the working spouse's statement of support.
What goes in the consulate file
The online form, signed
Every applicant, adults and children, fills in the France-Visas form online, then prints and signs it.
A CV with a money story
Adults explain why they're moving to Monaco and give a detailed, figured account of where their money and property come from.
Proof you can pay your way
The Monaco bank statement, or your stamped job contract, business application or sponsor's letter.
Proof of housing
A registered lease, a property deed, or a free-housing certificate your host requests from Monaco's police.
Criminal records
Under three months old and apostilled. France-Visas asks for 5 years of countries; the visitor checklist says 10. Cover 10.
Birth and marriage records
Apostilled and translated, plus marriage or divorce papers if they apply to you.
Timing
The order that keeps your records from expiring
Your criminal record checks have to be less than three months old when you file, so sequence matters.
1. Line up money and housing
Open the Monaco bank account and sign a lease or buy. Both go in the visa file, and the bank alone can take weeks.
2. Order records, then go to the consulate
Request your U.S. criminal record check and apostilled birth certificate once the appointment is close. Everyone 12 and older attends in person. Bring copies of every used page of every passport you hold and one 3.5 x 4.5 cm color photo.
3. Wait on France and Monaco
The file goes to the French Embassy in Monaco for review, which a Monaco paper puts at about four weeks on its own. One Monaco property publication says booking the U.S. appointment is often the slowest step.
4. Land and file
Apply to Monaco's Residency Section for your first card with a birth certificate less than three months old, and expect an interview. Law firm CMS puts the average at six months or more to get the card.
Two deadlines, one safe plan
Monaco's 1964 residence ordinance gives you eight days after arriving to apply for your card. Law firm CMS says the visa lasts three months and the application must be in before it runs out. The eight-day rule is the stricter one, so book your Residency Section filing for your first week.
Where the visa leads: Monaco's residence cards
Monaco's ordinary residence card: the 3-year step after your first cards
What Americans already living in Monaco pay, file and prove to move from a one-year card to a three-year one, and keep it.
Monaco's privileged residence card: the 10-year card you earn with 10 years of living there
After a decade on one- and three-year cards, Monaco can grant a card that lasts ten years. Here's the fee, the residence check behind it, and what it still means for a U.S. citizen.
Monaco's first residence card: one year at a time, starting at a French consulate
The €80 temporary card is where every American's Monaco move begins. Getting it means a French long-stay visa, a home in Monaco, and a Monaco bank willing to vouch for you.
Working in Monaco: the job offer comes before the residence card
A Monaco employer has to choose you over local priority candidates before any permit or card is possible. Here's the hiring rule, the French visa step, what it costs, and who this route fits.
Before you commit
What the visa doesn't settle
Kids
Children need the visa too, but Monaco doesn't issue residence cards under 16. They get a travel document for foreign minors instead.
Work
The savings route means proving you don't need a job. If you'll work for a Monaco employer, take the stamped-contract route from the start.
Taxes
Monaco doesn't tax residents' income (French citizens aside), but that doesn't cover what you owe the IRS. The foreign earned income exclusion shelters up to $132,900 of 2026 earnings, foreign accounts totaling over $10,000 mean an FBAR, and Monaco's FATCA agreement means your bank reports to the U.S.
Citizenship
Naturalization takes at least ten years of residence after age 18, is at the Prince's discretion, and requires renouncing your previous nationality. For Americans, that means giving up U.S. citizenship.
Who should skip it
Anyone stretching a fixed income, and anyone hoping for a trial year: Monaco has no tourist visa or temporary permit to test life there.
Help with the file and the U.S. side
Legalize That Doc
Document Preparation
Orders, apostilles and legalizes U.S. documents such as birth certificates and background checks, and helps time them so they're still fresh when you file.
Moneycorp
Currency Exchange
An international payments firm that converts dollars to euros and sets up transfers, useful when funding a Monaco account.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Prepares U.S. returns for Americans living abroad, including foreign earned income exclusion claims and FBAR filings.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who works out how you'll get care in your new country and what coverage your plans call for.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Expatsi's global health insurance partner, matching you with an international private policy.
Monaco long-stay visa questions
Can my children move to Monaco with me?
Yes, but each child needs the long-stay visa, and children 12 and older attend the consulate appointment. Monaco doesn't issue residence cards to children under 16; they can get a travel document for foreign minors instead.
How long is the Monaco long-stay visa valid?
Monaco law firm CMS says the settlement visa is valid for three months and your first residence card application must be filed before it expires. Monaco's 1964 residence ordinance is stricter, asking you to apply within eight days of arriving, so plan to file in your first week.
How much does the Monaco long-stay visa cost?
The application fee is 99 euros, about $112 as of September 2026, and it isn't refunded if the visa is refused. Your first Monaco residence card, which you apply for after arriving, costs another 80 euros, about $91.
How long does it take to become a Monaco resident?
Plan on months. A Monaco newspaper reports the French Embassy in Monaco's review alone takes about four weeks, and law firm CMS puts the average at six months or more to hold your first residence card. Bank onboarding can add weeks before you even apply.
How much money do I need in a Monaco bank?
No law sets a number. The visa file needs a certified statement from a Monaco bank showing you can live without working. Advisers report banks usually expect a deposit of about $568,000 (500,000 euros), and often more from non-Europeans. The money stays in your account.
Can Americans become Monaco citizens?
Only after at least ten years of residence from age 18, at the Prince's discretion, and you must renounce your previous nationality. For an American, that means giving up U.S. citizenship, so most treat residence as the goal.
Can I apply for the Monaco long-stay visa from the U.S.?
Yes. Americans apply at the French consulate closest to where they live in the U.S., because Monaco doesn't issue visas itself; France handles them under a 1963 agreement between the two countries. Everyone 12 and older has to attend the appointment in person.
Do I still pay U.S. taxes if I live in Monaco?
Yes. Monaco doesn't tax residents' income, except for French citizens, but that doesn't cancel what you owe the IRS. The foreign earned income exclusion shelters up to $132,900 of 2026 earned income, and you file an FBAR if your foreign accounts total more than $10,000.
Want your Monaco file in the right order?
An Expatsi advisor can help you plan the bank, housing and consulate steps so nothing expires before you file.
Why not you?