Two main components
In Monaco, acquisition costs rest on two elements: registration duties, which go to the State, and notary fees, which pay the public officer responsible for drafting and authenticating the deed. The applicable rate depends directly on the buyer's profile and the nature of the property.
Purchase in a personal name or through a Monaco-registered SCI
This is the most common case. For a resale property bought by an individual or by a civil real estate company (SCI) registered in Monaco, registration duties amount to 4.75% of the sale price. Notary fees add roughly 1.5%. In total, expect around 6.25% of the property price for this type of purchase.
Purchase off-plan or in a new development
New developments and off-plan sales (VEFA), such as certain units at Mareterra or Bay House, benefit from a lighter regime. Registration duties drop to 1%, bringing the total with notary fees to around 2.5% of the purchase price. VAT at 20% applies to this type of property, but it is almost always included in the price quoted by the developer, so it is not an additional cost on your side.
Purchase through a foreign company
Buying through an offshore or non-transparent foreign structure carries a heavier fiscal burden. Registration duties rise well above the rate applied to an individual or a Monaco-registered SCI, with figures typically cited between 7.5% and 10% depending on the exact nature of the company and the transaction. This difference in treatment is designed to encourage transparent acquisition structures. If this route matches your situation, a precise check with a Monaco notary is essential before making an offer, since rates evolve and depend on details specific to each file.
Agency fees
On top of these costs come the real estate agency's fees, generally around 3% for the buyer, plus 20% VAT. At LBMC Properties, this amount is always communicated before you view a property, so you can think in terms of overall budget from the outset.
What often gets left out of the first estimate
Two points are easy to overlook early on:
Using a local lawyer, to secure certain wealth-structuring arrangements or to verify that a property carries no liens, comes at a variable cost depending on the complexity of the file. Notary fees are not fixed either: they decrease proportionally as the property price rises, a mechanism worth keeping in mind on the very high-value properties common in Monaco.
A worked example
For a resale apartment sold at €3,000,000 to an individual buyer:
Registration duties (4.75%): €142,500
Notary fees (approximately 1.5%): €45,000
Agency fees on the buyer's side (3% + VAT): approximately €108,000
The total budget to plan for beyond the property price comes to roughly €295,000, just under 10% of the purchase price. This figure remains an estimate: only the notary handling the file can produce a final calculation, based on the rates in force at the time of signing.
Our role alongside you
Every acquisition in Monaco has its own particulars: buyer profile, intended legal structure, type of property. Our team works with you from the first conversation to clarify the real budget of your project, well before the first viewing. Would you like a precise breakdown of the costs tied to a property you have in mind? Get in touch with our team.
