Monaco
Monaco is a sovereign principality on the Mediterranean shore of the French Riviera, surrounded on land by France and about ten kilometres from the Italian border, and at about two square kilometres the second-smallest country in the world after the Vatican. The Grimaldi family first took its rock in 1297 and reign there still, and with its whole population in one city between the mountains and the sea, Monaco is also the most densely populated country. French is the official language, the euro the currency, and the border with France is open.
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Visa requirements for Monaco
Monaco issues no visas of its own and has no border with France: it applies France's entry rules, and every day spent there counts as a day in the Schengen area. Holders of American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passports need no visa for a visit of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and Irish citizens enter as citizens of the EU. Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Schengen visa, issued by France with Monaco named as the destination. The check happens on entering France or another Schengen country, most often at Nice airport.
Before you travel
No border with France
There are no border controls between France and Monaco, and nobody checks a passport on the way in by road, rail or on foot.
Arrival through Nice
Monaco has no airport: air travellers land at Nice Côte d'Azur in France and pass the Schengen border there before the short journey along the coast.
The 90 days counted together
Days in Monaco count against the same 90 days in any 180-day period as days in France and the rest of the Schengen area.
The Entry/Exit System
Visitors from outside the EU are registered at their first Schengen border with fingerprints and a facial image, in place of a passport stamp; children under 12 give no fingerprints.
Three months on the passport
The passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the planned departure from the Schengen area and have been issued within the past ten years.
A ticket, a bed and the means
A return or onward ticket, accommodation and enough money for the stay may be asked for at the Schengen border.
The Schengen visa from France
Monaco issues no visas: a Schengen visa for a visit is applied for to France, through the French consulate or visa centre for the applicant's place of residence, with Monaco named as the destination.
Visa types
Visit without a visa
For tourism, events and business visits where the passport needs no visa: the same entry as for France.
Schengen visa
For Indian and Nigerian travellers: a short-stay visa issued by France, valid for Monaco and the whole Schengen area.
French long-stay visa
For stays of more than 90 days, work in Monaco among them, by nationals who need a visa for France: issued by a French consulate, since Monaco has no visa authority of its own.
Monaco residence permit
For settling in Monaco: a residence card issued by Monaco's police, the Sûreté Publique, on proof of a home in Monaco and of the means to live there.
Guides
Monaco is visited on foot, a city-state small enough to cross in under an hour, where the old town, the harbour and Monte-Carlo stand at different heights along one steep shore. Most visitors come for a day and an evening from a base on the French Riviera, arriving by train along the coast from Nice or Menton. The year turns on two events in the same streets and harbour: the Grand Prix in late May or early June and the Yacht Show in September.
Monaco travel guide →
The Grand Prix circuit from Sainte-Dévote to La Rascasse, and a day from the Rocher in the morning to Monte-Carlo in the evening.
Money in Monaco →
The euro and Monaco's own coins, cards almost everywhere, cash machines and tipping.
Getting around Monaco →
The coastal railway from Nice, the road and the helicopter, buses and boats in town, and walking with the public lifts.
Cities & planning
Plan your trip
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Embassies & missions
Accredited missions for Monaco
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Monaco?
Not for a visit of up to 90 days in any 180 on a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport, and Irish citizens enter as citizens of the EU. Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Schengen visa, issued by France with Monaco named as the destination. Monaco follows France's entry rules and has no border of its own, so the check happens on entering France or another Schengen country.
Is Monaco in the Schengen area?
Not formally, but in practice it lies inside it. Monaco has an open border with France and applies the Schengen rules through its agreements with France, a Schengen visa is valid for it, and days spent there count towards the same 90 days in any 180.
Do I get a Monaco stamp in my passport?
Not at any border, since there is none between France and Monaco: the Schengen entry is recorded at the first Schengen border, by the Entry/Exit System for visitors from outside the EU. The tourist office by the casino gardens adds a commemorative Monaco stamp to a passport on request, a souvenir rather than an immigration record.
Can I move to Monaco?
Settling in Monaco takes a residence card from Monaco's police, the Sûreté Publique, granted on proof of a home in Monaco and of the means to live there; a national who needs a visa for France also needs a French long-stay visa for a stay of more than 90 days. Residents pay no personal income tax, abolished in 1869, except French nationals, who remain taxed by France under a convention of 1963. Many of the people who work in Monaco live across the border in France or Italy.
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Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.