Looking for a salaried job in the Principality of Monaco is significantly harder than in any other country in Europe. Talent, skills and degrees are not enough to be employed in Monaco, since no foreigner may occupy a private salaried position without Government authorisation.
The Government of Monaco monitors all salaried job positions since having employment in Monaco also could consititute a green light towards the residency permit.
One of the biggest mistake that people commit is the false belief that a Monaco-based job will make you rich instantly. It is a sad fact that in many segments the salaries are not always competitive to the European average. This can be easily observed by the employees’ strike at many places such as Hotel de Paris, Hotel Columbus or Carrefour in the previous years.
However, in many sectors Monaco is highly competitive and it allows you to achieve your highest ambitions. Therefore, applying for a Monaco-based job could be one of the most important topics for a foreign resident.
In many cases, it can happen that you, your wife or husband is looking for a job in the Principality to support the family household. However, in Monaco, no foreigner may occupy a private salaried position without government authorisation!
Having a fixed job in Monaco also constitute a green light towards the residency permit, therefore, all the salaried job positions are monitored by the Government of Monaco. No one can start to work unless he/she possesses a work permit.
The work permit is not granted automatically and there are serious employment priority preferences for every open job position, which are meant to protect the local labor force.
The following order of priority is observed:
- People having Monégasque nationality
- Foreigners married to a Monégasque woman and not legally separated and foreigners born to a Monégasque parent
- Foreigners living in Monaco who have already held a job there
- Foreigners domiciled in one of the neighbouring towns (Cap d’Ail, La Turbie, Beausoleil or Roquebrune-Cap-Martin) and having previously worked in Monaco
The employer who wishes to engage or re-engage an employee of foreign nationality must obtain permission in writing before the applicant starts to work. This permission may be refused if there are people in the same profession or specialisation, who have priority registered with the Employment Office on the lists of those seeking work. Therefore, finding a job in the Principality of Monaco is not only about your personal skills and education, but about your luck us well. If there are other people waiting for similar job possibilities who enjoy the priority protection, then you might never receive a work permit in Monaco.
Registering with the Employment Office
- If you are looking for a job in Monaco you should go directly to the Employment Office in person, taking with you:
- Your ID card (or Monégasque residence card)
- Proof of address, if you live in France
- An up-to-date CV
Obviously, the Monaco-based companies also know this, since by regulation in order to allow their application, employers are required to declare any job vacancy to the Employment Office. It is also a very important thing that the Employment Office sends candidates to the employers within four days of the job post.
The process is very protective of those who are already on the priority list.
In case none of the sent candidates are acceptable to the employer, after five days of the job post, the employer has the possibility to search for new candidates and to make suggestions towards the Employment Office. However, it is almost impossible to provide new candidates if the new ones maintain the same skills as the ones provided by the Employment Office.
The employer needs to create a written explanation why it prefers the selected candidate, but the Employment Office has the power to refuse the employer’s choice. In some cases, even if the employer would be open to offer you a job position its hands are tied.
Any new employee or candidate must hold one of the following:
- If he lives in the Principality, a valid Monégasque residence card
- If he lives in France, a French identity card or a valid residence document
- If he lives neither in Monaco nor in France, the applicant must conform to the rules concerning the entry and residence of foreigners
In every case, the employer must establish a work contract for a foreign worker. This contract, after approval by the Employment Office, will make it possible to obtain the residence permit required for settlement in the Principality of Monaco. The formalities for the issue of a work permit are only launched after the issue of a Monégasque residence permit.
From information supplied by the employer, the candidate will receive a pre-printed request for engagement and issue of a work permit which he/she is required to complete and return as quickly as possible to the Employment Office.
Permission to engage someone is only issued if the person concerned passes a free medical examination carried out by the Employment Medical Service.
The biggest chance to find a job position in Monaco is in the hospitality, real-estate and the financial sectors. Monaco’s largest employer is the Monte Carlo SBM which runs the famous Monte-Carlo Casino, many of the luxury hotels and some of the most exclusive restaurants. Even if some of the businesses are producing debts, the income of the Casino provides a great stability for the employees.
Right after the Monte Carlo SBM, the real-estate market is the second largest employer in the Principality competing with the employers from the financial sectors such as banks, wealth managers, family offices and financial advisors.
It is also very important to consider before you apply for any type of job that Monaco has approximately five thousand enterprises, however over forty percent of them are run by registered independent workers.
