Monaco

Monaco generally does not levy personal income tax on individuals. Residence remains relevant to international tax reporting and to the tax rules of other countries. French citizens may continue to be taxed in France after moving in. Monaco applies separate criteria for tax residence and permission to live there.

Informational overview of domestic tax-residency and residence rules.

Tax residency

Monaco's rules refer to three grounds, subject to bilateral agreements. Ordinance No. 8.566, as amended by Ordinance No. 8.372, describes them in detail. Ordinance No. 6.208 uses the same grounds in its definition of a Monaco-resident individual for financial-information exchange.

Principal stay: a stay of at least 183 days per year qualifies. A shorter stay also qualifies where the individual spends more time in Monaco than in any other country considered separately. The comparison therefore requires a record of presence outside Monaco. The days in different foreign countries are not added together for this alternative.
Home base (foyer): this means the settled household around which ordinary domestic or family life is organised. The ordinance considers this ground only when the principal place of stay cannot be determined. Having an available apartment is relevant evidence but does not establish the location of the household on its own.
Principal centre of activities: this is where the individual's principal investments are located, their affairs have their headquarters or effective management, or their assets are administered. It operates as an independent ground. A residence card or a Monaco bank account does not, by itself, locate these activities in Monaco.

Day counting

The ordinance provides no general exclusion for study, medical treatment or transit. Keep a detailed travel calendar and supporting records, particularly if the time spent in Monaco is close to that spent elsewhere.

Principal stay: the ordinance says “per year” without expressly defining the period as a calendar year or prescribing how to count partial days. Conservatively, include both the entry day and the departure day in the record of Monaco presence. This is a prudent method in the absence of an express official rule. Where the stay is below 183 days, retain evidence of presence in Monaco and in each country used in the comparison.
Home base (foyer): there is no minimum number of days. This subsidiary ground is considered when the principal place of stay cannot be identified, rather than when a person has fewer than 183 Monaco days.
Principal centre of activities: there is no minimum number of days. Document where the investments, business management or administration of assets described by the ordinance take place.

Tax consequences

The absence of a general Monaco personal income tax does not remove possible tax liability abroad. Under Article 7(1) of the France–Monaco convention of 18 May 1963, French citizens who transfer their domicile or residence to Monaco are generally taxed on income in France as though they lived there. A Monaco residence card or certificate does not itself override that treaty provision.

Migration / residence

Nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA) and associated states may enter Monaco without a visa using a valid identity card or passport. This includes citizens of the European Union (EU), but visa-free entry is not a right to take up residence without formalities.

A foreign national aged 16 or over intending to establish a home in Monaco or stay for more than three months in a year must apply for a carte de séjour. Applicants whose nationality requires a long-stay visa must first obtain the appropriate French type-D visa for Monaco. The application entails evidence of accommodation, financial means and identity, with supporting documents determined by the person's circumstances.

Orientation references

Ordonnance souveraine n° 8.566 du 28 mars 1986 relative au certificat de résidence: consolidated residence criteria and the tax-formalities certificate.
Ordonnance souveraine n° 6.208 du 20 décembre 2016: residence definition used in financial-information exchange.
French tax administration, BOFiP, BOI-INT-CVB-MCO-10: guidance on the convention and its exceptions.
BOFiP, BOI-IR-CDHR-10: the 2026 guidance on the differential high-income contribution.
Ordonnance souveraine n° 3.153 du 19 mars 1964 relative aux conditions d'entrée et de séjour des étrangers dans la Principauté: residence cards and departure requirements.
MonServicePublic, Staying in Monaco: entry documents and visa rules.