Moving to Monaco from Switzerland: A Practical Guide
You live in Switzerland and Monaco is on your mind, for the tax position, the way of life or the proximity to southern Europe. About 1,200 Swiss nationals already live there: 1,208 in 2024 according to IMSEE, or 3.1% of residents, a community that has been stable since 2016. Here is the practical path, in order, and what to confirm before you commit.
No visa, but a residence card
Like citizens of the European Union, Swiss nationals do not need a visa to settle in Monaco. They file their application directly with the Residents Section, and a residence card becomes mandatory as soon as a stay exceeds three months a year.
The file rests on three elements: accommodation suited to the size of the household, proof of sufficient means with a Monaco bank (a deposit of €500,000 is frequently cited, though it is not an official threshold) and a clean criminal record. Residency also assumes real presence in the Principality. Our article on the requirements for living in Monaco details each document.
What changes on tax
In Switzerland, income tax is levied by the Confederation and by the canton. In Monaco, a non-French resident pays none. Wealth tax, absent at federal level, is levied by the cantons, in the order of 0.1% to 1% of net wealth a year depending on the canton and the level of assets. Monaco levies none.
Inheritance compares differently. In Switzerland the tax is cantonal, and most cantons exempt the spouse and direct descendants, though not all. In Monaco the rate is 0% in the direct line, on assets located in Monaco only, and 8% to 16% beyond. For heirs in the direct line, the gap is therefore limited: the real difference lies in income tax and wealth tax. Swiss voters also rejected, in November 2025 with 78% against, an initiative for a 50% federal tax on very large inheritances, so it remains cantonal. Our guide to Monaco taxation details the Monegasque framework.
What stays Swiss
Leaving Switzerland does not end every Swiss tax obligation. Property located in Switzerland remains taxable there, as can some Swiss-source income, and the transfer of tax residence must be genuine: cantonal authorities can examine it. A Swiss tax adviser should confirm your situation before you commit.
A move that is prepared in order
Confirm your tax position with a Swiss adviser: tax residence, property and income remaining in Switzerland.
Set the overall budget: price of the property, around 6.25% in acquisition costs for a resale property, agency fees.
Choose the neighbourhood and the purchase structure, personal name or Monaco SCI.
Make the offer, with a deposit of about 10% held in escrow by the notary, then sign the deed.
File the residency application with proof of accommodation and proof of means.
Organise your departure from Switzerland, formalities and change of tax residence, in step with your settling date.
Buying in Monaco
No nationality condition and no prior residency requirement applies to buying. To place your budget, the average resale price is €57,569 per square metre in 2025 according to IMSEE, and the median price €4.0 million, meaning half of resales closed below that. Differences between neighbourhoods are large: Fontvieille, calm and popular with families, the Carré d'Or at the centre of social life, Larvotto close to the beach and the International School of Monaco.
Proximity and daily life
Monaco is linked to Switzerland by regular flights to Nice, about thirty minutes from the Principality by road. Families find French-language schooling on site, public or private, along with the International School of Monaco for an English-language track.
How we help
We coordinate notaries, lawyers and tax advisers so that purchase and relocation follow in the right order, with access to properties that are never advertised. Considering settling in Monaco from Switzerland? Let's talk in confidence about your project.
Sources: IMSEE, Monaco in Figures 2025 (Population) and Real Estate Observatory 2025. This article does not constitute tax, legal or investment advice.
