Household Staffing in Monaco

Ben W

Hello podcast listeners, welcome to today’s Morgan & Mallet luxury staffing podcast. We’re talking with co-founder Laurine Mallet about household staffing in Monaco. We’ll cover recent trends, employment regulations, licensing steps, and more. Laurine, how are you doing today?

Laurine

Very good, thank you Ben.

Ben W

For listeners who haven’t heard you before, could you tell us about yourself and why you started the Morgan & Mallet agency?

Laurine

I worked as a nanny in London for years, and Morgan Richez also worked for private individuals. We both love the luxury service industry and wanted to create our own agency with French added value – something elegant, close to candidates and clients, with a high level of discretion.

Ben W

What makes Monaco’s domestic job market stand out from other European hubs?

Laurine

Monaco operates as a world unto itself. The concentration of ultra high net worth individuals in such a tiny geography creates exceptional demand for qualified and elite household staff. The standards are extraordinarily high.

Ben W

This extreme concentration of wealth is because of Monaco’s tax laws – no tax on foreign income and other advantages for the ultra rich?

Laurine

Yes, there are many tax advantages. But what’s also important is Monaco’s geography – there’s a port, and you can easily reach Italy, France, and Switzerland. It’s in the middle of many beautiful European countries.

Ben W

How strict are Monaco’s employment and residency regulations for private staff?

Laurine

It’s very strict. Staff must hold appropriate work authorization, and for non-European nationals, this can be a complex process. Residency and work permits are managed by the Monégasque government and not automatically granted. Employers must ensure full compliance with local employment code, including registered contracts and social contributions.

Ben W

Would you say it’s quite complex for clients to get started hiring in Monaco?

Laurine

It can be, yes, definitely. It can be quite complex.

Ben W

Which professional profiles are most in demand among Monaco’s families in 2026?

Laurine

House manager, personal assistant, and estate manager are the most requested roles.

Ben W

What’s the timeframe involved in hiring for these positions?

Laurine

Three to four weeks maximum for house manager or personal assistant. We have our database with many candidates, our own website and tools, plus we work as a team with recruiters and talent acquisition specialists. This helps us finalize recruitment quite quickly and effectively.

Ben W

Is having languages and cultural adaptability quite important in Monaco?

Laurine

Clients can expect candidates speaking English because it’s much more international. It’s rare to have clients who were born in Monaco – the majority are international.

Ben W

So they’ll demand language skills – French, English, and maybe another language?

Laurine

French is obviously the first one, English is quite common, and the third language would be Italian.

Ben W

Are salaries higher in Monaco compared with neighboring regions?

Laurine

Yes, compared to the demand and demanding requests. We can place yacht-to-villa staff capable of working seamlessly across both environments – people who work in Monaco during summer on a yacht and afterwards in a villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The staff is mobile and flexible. Such profiles expect high salaries. Also, if you place bilingual or trilingual candidates, language skills are valuable, so you need competitive salaries.

Ben W

Is it easy to find a candidate who has both yacht and household skills, or is it quite a challenge?

Laurine

It’s a challenge, but it exists definitely. We’ve placed people who work both on yachts and in villas, but it’s not common. For these specialist profiles, recruitment might take four to five weeks instead of our usual three to four weeks. We multiply our efforts and use additional tools to find these candidates.

Ben W

How does confidentiality work in such a small, close-knit community? Does everybody know everybody who works in Monaco?

Laurine

Monaco’s community is so small that everyone knows everyone, which makes discretion absolutely essential.

Ben W

When hiring, would you expect a requirement to be having experience in the Monégasque market as a candidate?

Laurine

It’s a plus, but not mandatory. Most important is that we select candidates with a minimum of three years experience who have worked in similar environments. For example, for a nanny looking after a two-year-old boy in Monaco, we look for a nanny who’s worked with a two-year-old, not necessarily someone who’s worked in Monaco specifically.

Ben W

What compliance or licensing steps are unique to working in Monaco from a client’s perspective?

Laurine

Employers must register employment contracts with the Direction du Travail de Monaco. Social contributions are paid to another Monaco organism. For non-European workers, work permit applications must be submitted before candidates begin employment. There are specific rules governing working hours, rest periods, and paid leave that differ from French legislation. Employers shouldn’t assume French HR practices apply.

Ben W

Do European workers like French or Italian workers need a permit to work in Monaco?

Laurine

Yes, when you want to work in Monaco, you need a permit. The process can take weeks or months, but not more than three months. Monaco has national preferences – they prefer to employ people already living in Monaco. If you want to employ someone from outside, usually French people from France, you need to explain why you’re employing this candidate.

Ben W

If a client wants a whole yacht crew for summer, should they start the process in January or February?

Laurine

For yachts it’s different because the yacht residency depends on the country flag. You can have a yacht year-round in Monaco while its flag is Spanish. If your flag is Spanish, every worker gets a Spanish contract. It’s like your own house – you have a property in Paris, so it’s France. Because a yacht is on the sea year-round, you need to give it a country flag.

Ben W

What’s the Morgan & Mallet recruiter’s role when a client has, say, a St. Lucia-flagged yacht?

Laurine

We explain to the client they’ll need contracts depending on the yacht flag country. But for the rest, they need to communicate with an expert, an advisor. That’s really important and sensitive information – clients have their own lawyers for these matters.

Ben W

Which roles are the hardest to fill in Monaco?

Laurine

Probably live-in caregivers. We get many requests because the population is aging, but they need people who live on the property. This is difficult because candidates don’t expect living in Monaco as a dream. They prefer placements in Switzerland, Geneva, or France. Caregivers don’t really know Monaco – it’s not famous among candidates, especially caregivers.

Ben W

For these specialist searches, you have to be more active than a standard search?

Laurine

Yes, definitely. Caregivers are challenging because they’re people with qualifications, diplomas, certificates – real knowledge for looking after someone fragile, disabled, or elderly. You need to provide a candidate with the personality expected by the client. It’s multiple challenges for us as recruiters, but it’s really interesting – one of my favorite types of recruitment.

Ben W

What advice would you give to employers to remain compliant, fair, and competitive in Monaco?

Laurine

First, work with a specialist agency that understands Monégasque employment law. We have clients in Monaco, so this is really important. Offer competitive packages that reflect the true cost of living, including housing support. Treat your staff with the same level of professionalism you expect from them, and invest in long-term relationships. The best candidates in Monaco are often placed through trust and reputation, not job boards.

Ben W

So it’s a little bit old school. Is there anything else fascinating about the Monégasque market you’d like to share?

Laurine

It’s a very tiny country compared to France or Switzerland, but the market is very, very high. We receive a lot of requests, and many candidates would like to work in Monaco. That tiny area has such exceptional levels of concentrated wealth.

Ben W

Perfect. For listeners considering hiring in Monaco, you’re best going with an expert recruiter who knows the market. Morgan & Mallet is one such agency – get more information at householdstaff.agency. If you want to hear more Morgan & Mallet podcasts, subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, and all major platforms. Thank you, Laurine.

Laurine

Thank you for your time. Thank you everybody and wishing you all a beautiful day.