The “tourist contribution” tax for hotel stays in Monaco made its way through the National Council earlier this week. What will it mean for visitors to the Principality? 

The concept of a “tourist tax” isn’t a new one. Levying a small tax on tourists to help contribute to the overall economy of a host country is a practice used by many nations, including Monaco’s closest neighbours of France, Italy and Switzerland.  

Monaco, however, had resisted imposing these fees on its visitors until a decision made on 4th July by the National Council changed all that with the passing of bill No. 1048.  

How will Monaco’s tourist tax work?  

The new legislation, which will come into effect in 2024, concerns any non-domiciled person over the age of 18 staying in a hotel or hotel residence in Monaco. For now, it will not be applicable to those staying in furnished properties, such as an Airbnb, though the National Council is reserving the right to add in this group in due course if deemed appropriate or necessary.  

As with any law, there are exceptions to the rule. For example, anyone staying for more than 90 consecutive days will be exempt from the tax. Those who are in the Principality for professional events may also be “partially or totally” exempt.  

“It seemed expedient to maintain a certain attractiveness of the establishments of the place within the framework of stays organised for professional group events,” the government declared in a letter addressed to elected officials. 

The financial cost of the tax will be fixed annually by decree “according to the category of accommodation, per person and per night of stay, [and] within the limit of €15,” said Franck Julien, who delivered the context of the bill to the assembly and is Monaco’s president of its Finance and National Economy Commission. 

It should be noted that €15 is the ceiling for the tax and that, in practice, the fee visitors will be expected to pay will likely be “significantly lower”, according to Jean Castellini, Minister of Finance and the Economy.  

As of today, there has been no official protest from local hoteliers, who received word of the plan on 5th June.  

As much as €4 million in potential revenue

The 2018 calculations, the data from the year in which this idea was first floated, estimated that the tax could bring in anywhere from €2.5 to €4 million in revenue. 

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