Monaco citizenship is one of the most difficult statuses to obtain in Europe. The mere fact of being born in the Principality, long-term residence, property ownership or major investments does not automatically confer a right to a Monaco passport. The main routes are citizenship by descent, in certain cases by birth, by marriage to a Monaco citizen, naturalization by decision of the Sovereign Prince, restoration of citizenship and certain cases of adoption. The main rules are set out in Law No. 1.155 of 18 December 1992 on nationality and subsequent amendments.

For standard naturalization, a foreign national may apply to the Prince after at least 10 years of habitual residence in Monaco after reaching the age of 18, but meeting this period does not create a right to citizenship: the decision remains discretionary. In certain cases, the Prince may exempt a candidate from the residence-period requirement. Naturalization generally requires renunciation of the previous citizenship, whereas fundamentally different rules apply when citizenship is acquired through marriage: current legislation provides for retention of the original citizenship if the statutory conditions are met.

Important: Monaco citizenship should be distinguished from a residence permit. A foreign national may live lawfully in the Principality for decades, but residence itself does not turn citizenship into an automatic entitlement. The official government expressly points to the almost complete absence of routes to citizenship based solely on place of birth or residence.

What Laws Govern Monaco Citizenship

The constitutional basis is established by Article 18 of the Constitution of Monaco: the law determines the methods of acquiring nationality and the conditions under which nationality obtained by naturalization may be revoked. The Constitution also limits the grounds for loss of nationality in other cases.

The principal specific act is Loi n° 1.155 du 18 décembre 1992 relative à la nationalité – Law No. 1.155 of 18 December 1992 on nationality. It governs citizenship by descent, acquisition by declaration, naturalization, restoration, loss and procedural matters.

Sovereign Ordinance No. 10.822 of 22 February 1993 is also important for the practical procedure. It establishes the rules for filing declarations and a list of certain documents, particularly for acquiring citizenship through marriage.

The rules on citizenship through marriage were substantially amended by Law No. 1.512 of 3 December 2021. The amendments entered into force on 1 July 2022 and established the current 20-year waiting period, while preserving a 10-year period for persons who married a Monaco citizen before that date.

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Ways to Obtain Monaco Citizenship

Citizenship by Descent

Monaco primarily follows the principle of jus sanguinis – citizenship by blood – rather than a broad jus soli principle. Under Article 1 of Law No. 1.155, citizenship may be transmitted by a Monegasque father and, in situations provided by law, by a Monegasque mother. The specific outcome depends, among other things, on how the parent acquired citizenship and on the family history along the Monegasque line.

Under the current version of the law, a Monaco citizen includes, in particular, a child:

• born to a Monegasque father, subject to the exceptions provided by law;
• born to a mother who herself was born Monegasque and retained citizenship at the time of the child’s birth;
• born to a Monegasque mother where there is a Monegasque ancestor in the same line;
• born to a mother who acquired citizenship in certain ways provided by law;
• in certain cases, a child following adoption.

Therefore, in citizenship by descent cases, it is necessary to examine not only the parent’s passport but also the basis on which the parent themselves became a Monaco citizen.

Citizenship by Birth in Monaco

A common misconception is that a child of foreign nationals receives a Monaco passport simply because the child was born in the Principality. This is not the case. The official Monaco Government portal expressly states that neither birth nor residence in the country, by itself, creates a right to Monegasque citizenship.

An explicit exception applies to a child born in Monaco to unknown parents. In that case, citizenship arises on the basis of birth in the territory of the Principality itself.

Accordingly, a family of foreign residents should not assume that the birth of a child in Monaco automatically gives the child or the parents a path to a passport.

Monaco Citizenship through Marriage

Since 1 July 2022, the foreign spouse of a Monaco citizen may acquire citizenship by declaration after 20 years from the date of marriage. For persons who married a Monaco citizen before 1 July 2022, a transitional rule reduces the period to 10 years.

The passage of time alone is not sufficient. At the time of application, the statutory conditions must be met, including:

• the marital life together must not have ceased; an exception may apply in the event of widowhood if the applicant has not remarried;
• the Monegasque spouse must retain Monaco citizenship;
• the Monegasque spouse must not themselves have acquired citizenship through a previous marriage;
• the voluntary acquisition of Monaco citizenship must not automatically deprive the applicant of their original citizenship under the law of their country or an international agreement.

This last rule is particularly important: the citizenship-through-marriage regime differs from ordinary naturalization with respect to dual citizenship.

Naturalization after Residence

Article 5 of Law No. 1.155 allows a foreign national who has habitually resided in Monaco for at least 10 years after reaching the age of 18 to apply to the Sovereign Prince for naturalization.

However, ten years is primarily the threshold for being able to apply, not a promise of a positive decision. The Monaco Government expressly emphasizes that naturalization is at the discretion of the Sovereign Prince. The official description of the procedure refers to family ties with the Monegasque community, integration into the economic, social or cultural life of the Principality, and an overall assessment of whether the applicant merits the grant of citizenship.

Therefore, the formula “10 years of residence = automatic passport” is incorrect for Monaco.

By the completion of the ordinary naturalization procedure, the applicant must also satisfy requirements concerning their previous citizenship and military obligations in the country of origin. The law provides a special mechanism for situations where the law of the country of origin does not permit renunciation before a new citizenship is acquired: in that case, proof of the loss of the previous citizenship may be provided after publication of the ordinance within the period established by law.

Exceptional Naturalization

The law provides an important exception to the ten-year residence requirement. Article 6 allows a foreign national whom the Prince considers worthy of this privilege to be naturalized without the mandatory residence period. The official government page also confirms the Sovereign Prince’s power to grant an exemption from the standard residence-duration requirement.

This is not an investment program and not a fixed-fee route to a passport. Neither the legislation nor the official list of ways to acquire citizenship contains a program under which the purchase of real estate, a deposit, a donation or an investment of a specified amount, by itself, gives an applicant a right to citizenship. Exceptional naturalization remains a sovereign and discretionary decision. This conclusion follows directly from the official list of citizenship-acquisition routes and Articles 5-6 of Law No. 1.155.

Restoration and Adoption

A person who previously lost Monaco citizenship may apply for restoration of citizenship by Sovereign Ordinance. In addition, full adoption may have consequences similar to descent from a biological parent, while in a simple adoption an underage foreign national may, in circumstances provided by law, acquire citizenship by declaration.

Already living in Monaco and approaching the required period for naturalization? Leave a request for an individual case assessment to check your residence period, dual-citizenship issues, documents and potential risks in advance before approaching the competent authorities.

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Procedure, Documents, Timelines and Costs

The procedure differs fundamentally depending on the legal basis. Citizenship by descent is primarily connected with proving the family line, citizenship through marriage is acquired by declaration, while naturalization involves consideration of a petition and a sovereign decision by the Prince.

How Naturalization Works

In simplified form, the process can be presented as follows:

1. Determine the legal basis for acquiring citizenship and check whether naturalization applies. Confirm 10 years of habitual residence in Monaco after reaching the age of 18.
2. Check whether an exemption from the standard residence period is available. If no exemption applies, confirm compliance with the required residence period. If the standard conditions are not met, consider the possibility of exceptional naturalization.
3. Submit a petition for citizenship and undergo review by the Direction des Services Judiciaires. Await consultations with the competent state authorities.
4. Receive the decision of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. If the decision is favorable, satisfy the requirements relating to previous citizenship and military obligations.
5. Undergo consultation with the French authorities, after which a Sovereign Ordinance granting citizenship is issued. The ordinance is then published in the Journal de Monaco. If the decision is unfavorable, citizenship is not granted.

The official portal states that the case is examined by the Direction des Services Judiciaires, after which the information is submitted to the Sovereign Prince. The procedure includes seeking the opinion of other state authorities, including the Ministre d’État. For applications receiving a favorable decision from the Prince, the French authorities are also consulted before the naturalization is published.

The final grant of citizenship is formalized by Sovereign Ordinance. Such acts are published in the official Journal de Monaco. For example, in 2026, Sovereign Ordinance No. 11.926 of 21 May 2026, No. 12.052 of 23 July and No. 12.102 of 3 September 2026 were published. The published acts confirm the personal nature of naturalization decisions.

Documents for Naturalization

Unlike the citizenship declaration through marriage, the public Monaco Government page does not publish a universal exhaustive checklist of documents that is identical for every naturalization petition. The composition of the case file depends on the applicant’s circumstances and the review conducted by the Direction des Services Judiciaires.

Based directly on the requirements of Law No. 1.155 and the officially described criteria, an applicant should be prepared to document at least:

• identity and current citizenship;
• civil status and family circumstances;
• the required period of habitual residence in Monaco;
• good character and the absence of circumstances preventing a favorable assessment;
• social, family, professional and other ties with the Principality;
• status in relation to military obligations in the country of origin;
• the possibility and subsequently the fact of losing the previous citizenship where this is required for naturalization.

This is an indicative rather than a closed official list. Before filing, it is reasonable to request the current requirements directly from the competent authority, because the form of evidence depends on the country of origin, family situation and legal basis of the application.

Documents for Citizenship through Marriage

For the acquisition of citizenship by declaration through marriage, the list is considerably more specific. Sovereign Ordinance No. 10.822 provides, among other things, for:

• a birth certificate;
• a marriage certificate/record;
• a criminal-record certificate or equivalent document from the country of citizenship and the country of residence; where there are multiple citizenships, documents from the relevant states;
• a document from the competent foreign authority or an opinion on the applicable foreign law confirming the consequences of acquiring Monaco citizenship for the citizenship already held;
• a sworn statement that the applicant will not renounce their original citizenship;
• a joint statement with the spouse confirming the continuation of married life together;
• documents confirming the continuation of life together;
• where the applicable exception for a widower or widow is invoked, the spouse’s death certificate.

The declaration must be accompanied by all required documents; an incomplete file prevents its acceptance.

How Long It Takes to Obtain Citizenship

For naturalization, it is important to distinguish between the period before the right to apply arises and the administrative processing period.

The first period is defined by law: as a rule, at least 10 years of habitual residence after reaching the age of 18 is required. However, the official portal does not establish a single guaranteed period within which the Prince must decide on a naturalization application.

The ordinances published in 2026 show that months may pass between individual stages of the final procedure. For example, Ordinance No. 12.102 of September 2026 states that the Conseil de la Couronne had been heard as early as 21 October 2025. This illustrates the duration of a specific case but should not be treated as an official average processing time for all applicants.

For citizenship by declaration, the law establishes more specific procedural intervals. If the application meets the requirements, the declaration is registered in the manner prescribed by law; the prosecutor may challenge its validity within one month after transcription, and the Sovereign Prince may, within six months from the transcription or the relevant court decision, object to the acquisition of citizenship. If transcription is refused, the applicant may apply to the Tribunal de première instance within 12 months from notification.

How Much Monaco Citizenship Costs

Sovereign Ordinance No. 403 establishes the following administrative fees:

The Prince may grant a full or partial exemption from these fees.

€1,700 is the administrative fee for the act of naturalization, not the “price of a passport.” Additional costs may arise for obtaining foreign civil-status records, criminal-record certificates, legalization or apostille, translations, certificates concerning the content of foreign law and professional legal assistance. The government does not publish a single official “total cost of citizenship.” Citizenship declarations are executed on stamped paper in accordance with Ordinance No. 10.822.

Does Monaco Allow Dual Citizenship?

The answer depends on the method by which citizenship is acquired. The statement “Monaco completely prohibits dual citizenship” oversimplifies the current law.

In ordinary naturalization, the law requires the candidate to have lost their previous citizenship by the end of the procedure. If the law of the country of origin does not allow renunciation before another citizenship is acquired, Law No. 1.155 provides a special mechanism: after publication of the ordinance, the applicant must confirm the loss of the previous citizenship within the prescribed period; failure to comply may affect the acquisition of Monegasque citizenship itself.

For citizenship through marriage, the situation is the opposite. The law requires that acquisition of Monaco citizenship must not automatically result in loss of the original citizenship, and the implementing rules provide for a declaration by the applicant that they will not renounce it. Therefore, acquisition through marriage may result in the lawful retention of multiple citizenships if this is permitted by the law of the relevant foreign state.

For an existing Monaco citizen, another important rule applies: Article 8 of Law No. 1.155 links loss of Monegasque citizenship, among other things, to voluntary naturalization in a foreign state or voluntary acquisition of foreign citizenship upon application. Accordingly, multiple citizenship must be analyzed not in the abstract, but with regard to how each citizenship was acquired.

Monaco Citizenship and EU Citizenship Are Not the Same

Monaco is a sovereign state that is not a member of the European Union. Owing to its special relationship with France, the Principality lies within the external perimeter of the Schengen Area and forms part of the EU customs territory, but this does not make Monaco citizens citizens of the European Union.

A citizen of an EU Member State has, under EU law, the right to move and reside freely in other countries of the Union. Subject to the applicable conditions, EU citizens may live, work, be self-employed or study in another EU country; after five years of continuous lawful residence, a right of permanent residence arises.

A Monaco passport does not, by itself, create these EU-wide rights. Monaco’s position within the Schengen spatial perimeter through its relationship with France facilitates the practical context of travel, but Schengen and the right to work or reside permanently in EU states are different legal categories.

Taxes after Obtaining Citizenship

Obtaining a passport and tax residence are also separate matters.

Monaco’s official tax administration states that Monaco citizens and residents of the Principality are generally not subject to personal income tax in Monaco; a separate regime applies to French citizens under the 1963 Franco-Monegasque agreement. At the same time, the government expressly warns that the absence of Monaco income tax concerns persons and activities actually connected with the territory of the Principality and does not override the tax rules of other states.

Accordingly, obtaining Monaco citizenship does not mean that a person automatically ceases to be a taxpayer in another country. The tax result depends on the place of actual residence, applicable domestic law, tax residence, sources of income and international agreements.

Monaco also does not levy a classic annual wealth tax on individuals, although other taxes and charges exist in the Principality. In particular, inheritance and gifts of property located in Monaco are subject to local rules regardless of the citizenship or residence of the parties, subject to international agreements.

For inherited property located in Monaco, the officially published rates are 0% for the direct line of “parents – children” and for spouses, 8% between brothers and sisters, 10% between uncles/aunts and nephews/nieces, 13% for other collateral relatives and 16% between unrelated persons.

How Many People Obtain Monaco Citizenship

According to the official Monegasque Demography Observatory 2025, published by Monaco Statistics/IMSEE in 2026, there were nearly 9,950 Monaco citizens as of 31 December 2025, about 94% of whom lived in the Principality.

In 2025, citizenship was acquired as follows:

Source: Monegasque Demography Observatory 2025, Monaco Statistics/IMSEE.

Within the current Monegasque population, IMSEE attributes approximately 67.4% of citizenship to filiation, 19% to acquisition through marriage and 13.3% to Sovereign Ordinance of Naturalisation.

At the same time, the figure of “21 naturalizations” is not an application approval rate. In the official publications reviewed as of 26 October 2026, no open aggregated indicator was found for the number of naturalization applications filed and the number of refusals over the same period. Therefore, a reliable approval percentage cannot be calculated. Any “approval rate” calculated without the number of applications would be incorrect.

Why Monaco Citizenship May Be Refused

For naturalization, the key feature is that even formal compliance with the ten-year residence requirement does not give the applicant a subjective right to citizenship. Officially, naturalization falls within the discretionary powers of the Sovereign Prince. The assessment takes into account ties with the Monegasque community, integration into economic, social and cultural life, and an overall evaluation of the candidate.

Therefore, risks in naturalization include:

• an insufficient period of habitual residence where no exemption applies;
• problems proving actual residence;
• unfavorable results of the good-character review or personal-circumstances assessment;
• lack of convincing integration and stable ties with Monaco;
• inability to satisfy requirements concerning the previous citizenship;
• unresolved military-obligation issues in the country of origin;
• submission of incomplete, inconsistent or inaccurate information.

The latter points must be assessed individually: the official law does not publish a “table of automatic grounds for refusal” for all naturalization cases, and the final decision is sovereign. [

For citizenship through marriage, more formalized obstacles include failure to satisfy the required marriage period, termination of married life together, loss of Monaco citizenship by the spouse, a statutory obstacle in the spouse’s history of acquiring citizenship, and non-compliance with the requirements concerning the applicant’s original citizenship. An incomplete document package also prevents the declaration procedure from proceeding normally.

Even after transcription of the declaration, the law retains control mechanisms: the prosecutor may challenge its validity, and within the prescribed six-month period the Prince may object to the acquisition of citizenship through Sovereign Ordinance after the statutory procedure.

The law also separately provides for the possibility of revoking citizenship acquired by naturalization in limited situations. In particular, Article 10 contains grounds relating to conviction for an offense against the internal or external security of the state, as well as a special revocation mechanism within five years after naturalization, subject to the prescribed procedure.

Comparison with Other European Statuses: Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein and EU Citizenship

European microstates differ significantly in naturalization periods, their approach to dual citizenship and the legal status of their citizens in Europe.

For San Marino, the official government portal in 2026 indicates a general period of 20 years of continuous registered and actual residence, reduced to 10 years for certain categories, including spouses/civil partners of San Marino citizens. Law No. 27 of 25 February 2026 abolished the obligation to renounce other citizenships upon naturalization and at the same time introduced requirements for knowledge of the Italian language and passing a test on the history and institutions of the republic.

In Liechtenstein, the official legislative overview as of March 2026 indicates 30 years of habitual residence for the long-term residence naturalization procedure, with years from birth to age 20 counted under special rules and the last five years required to satisfy a continuous-residence condition. A separate procedure applies to spouses of Liechtenstein citizens. General requirements also include good character, economic self-sufficiency, knowledge of German and the fundamentals of the state system.

Unlike Monaco and San Marino, Liechtenstein participates in the internal market through the European Economic Area (EEA). Monaco has close agreements with the EU and, through France, is included in the EU customs territory and the external Schengen perimeter, but Monaco citizenship is not EU citizenship.

Finally, “EU citizenship” is not a separate passport for which an independent application is filed. It arises by virtue of a person holding the citizenship of an EU Member State and gives, among other things, the right to move and reside freely within the Union in accordance with EU law.

Considering a Monaco passport compared with EU citizenship or citizenship of other European states? Leave a request for a consultation to compare the options in light of your goals – residence, work, family relocation, international mobility and long-term status.

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Practical Checklist before Applying for Monaco Citizenship

Before developing a strategy for obtaining Monaco citizenship, the following issues should be checked in sequence.

1. Legal basis. Determine whether a right exists through descent, adoption or marriage. If none of these grounds applies, the main available option is naturalization or the rare exemption from the residence-period requirement by decision of the Prince.
2. Parents’ citizenship history. In a descent case, it is important to check not only whether the parent holds a Monegasque passport, but also the way in which they acquired citizenship. Article 1 of Law No. 1.155 contains distinctions depending on the origin of the parent’s status.
3. Residence periods. For standard naturalization, calculate specifically the period of habitual residence in Monaco after reaching the age of 18. Ten years gives the opportunity to apply but does not guarantee a positive result.
4. Length of marriage. For the marriage route, determine the date of the wedding: marriages concluded before 1 July 2022 are subject to a special 10-year transitional period, while later marriages are subject to 20 years.
5. Dual citizenship. Before filing, check not only Monaco law but also the law of every state of which the applicant is a citizen. This is especially important because the requirements differ radically between naturalization and the marriage route.
6. Documents from abroad. Determine in advance which civil-status certificates, criminal-record certificates and proof of foreign citizenship will be required, as well as the rules for their legalization, apostille and translation. For the marriage route, the main categories of documents are expressly set out in Ordinance No. 10.822.
7. For naturalization, prepare evidence of a stable connection with the Principality: family, professional, economic, social or cultural. These are precisely the factors that the official portal lists among the criteria normally taken into account.
8. Previous citizenship and military obligations. Do not take irreversible steps to renounce citizenship until you understand the sequence required by the law of Monaco and the country of origin. For some states, renunciation is legally possible only after there is a guarantee of new citizenship, and Monegasque law takes such situations into account.
9. Analyze tax residence separately from citizenship. A Monaco passport by itself does not cancel tax obligations that may arise in other states.

Planning to obtain Monaco citizenship or want to understand whether naturalization, citizenship by descent or citizenship through marriage is suitable for you? Leave a request for a consultation. A specialist will analyze your residence history, family ties, current citizenship and documents and help determine the legally available route to status.

Frequently asked questions

We’ve compiled answers to the most common questions about the Monaco citizenship. If you haven’t found the information you’re looking for, contact us for a free consultation.

How many years do you need to live in Monaco to obtain citizenship?

For standard naturalization, the law allows a foreign national to apply after at least 10 years of habitual residence in the Principality after reaching the age of 18. The Prince may exempt the candidate from this requirement. However, 10 years of residence does not create an automatic right to a passport: the naturalization decision remains discretionary.

Can Monaco citizenship be obtained by investment?

There is no official citizenship-by-investment program. The purchase of real estate, opening a business, making a bank deposit or investing may be relevant to other matters, such as residence or an economic connection with the Principality, but citizenship legislation does not establish a fixed amount of investment after which a right to a passport arises. Exceptional naturalization under Article 6 is a sovereign privilege, not an investment program.

Can you buy real estate and obtain a Monaco passport?

Ownership of real estate by itself is not an independent basis for acquiring citizenship. The official list of routes includes descent, marriage, naturalization, restoration and adoption, but not the purchase of property.

Does a Monaco residence permit give a right to citizenship?

A residence permit and citizenship are different statuses. Long-term habitual residence may allow the 10-year threshold for submitting a naturalization petition to be met, but even after that the grant of citizenship is not guaranteed.

Will a child obtain citizenship if born in Monaco?

As a rule, no. Monaco makes very limited use of citizenship based on place of birth. The explicit exception is a child born in the Principality to unknown parents. In most other cases, descent is decisive.

How long do you need to be married to a Monaco citizen?

Under the rules in force since 1 July 2022, generally 20 years from the date of marriage. For foreign nationals who married a Monaco citizen before 1 July 2022, a 10-year period applies. In addition to the duration of the marriage, the additional statutory requirements must be met.

Does Monaco citizenship give the right to live and work in any EU country?

No. Monaco is not an EU Member State, so Monegasque citizenship does not automatically provide the same set of free-movement and residence rights enjoyed by EU citizens. Monaco’s special relationship with France, Schengen and the EU customs territory should not be confused with EU citizenship.

Is there a language exam for Monaco naturalization?

In the official Monaco Government description of naturalization published for 2026, no standardized general language examination is specified, comparable to the test expressly provided for, for example, in the current San Marino naturalization procedure. However, integration into Monaco’s social, economic and cultural life is among the factors taken into account in the assessment.

How much does a Monaco passport cost?

An administrative fee of €1,700 is established for the act of naturalization, and €170 for the act of restoration of citizenship. This is not the full cost of the case: expenses for documents, legalization, translations and professional assistance are calculated separately.