
Healthcare in Monaco for New Residents: CHPG, CCSS and Emergency Numbers (2026)
Healthcare is one of the first practical questions people ask when they move to Monaco, and one of the least clearly explained. The Principality has its own hospital, its own social security funds and its own rules on which insurance cards work at the door. This guide sets out how the system fits together for new residents: who is covered by the Monaco social funds, what happens if you rely on private insurance, how to reach a doctor at night, and which emergency numbers to keep by the phone.
It is part of our Moving to Monaco guide. It is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice, so check your own situation with your insurer or a professional adviser.
The Princess Grace Hospital Centre (CHPG)
The Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace, known locally as the CHPG, is Monaco's public hospital. It sits on Avenue Pasteur, and its switchboard is (+377) 97 98 99 00. According to the hospital's own patient handbook, it runs adult and paediatric emergency departments and has imaging equipment that includes MRI, PET and CT scanners, so most care can be provided without leaving the Principality.
The emergency department can be reached directly on (+377) 97 98 97 69. In a life-threatening situation, however, call the emergency services first (see the table below) rather than the hospital.
When you are admitted, the admissions office (Bureau des Admissions) will ask how your care is to be paid for. The answer depends on which scheme covers you, which is why it is worth sorting this out before you need it.
Who is covered by the Monaco social funds (CCSS and others)
Monaco has its own social security bodies, grouped under the Caisses Sociales de Monaco. The CHPG lists the Monaco funds as the CCSS, the CAMTI and the SPME. In broad terms, the CCSS (Caisse de Compensation des Services Sociaux) covers employees of Monaco businesses, while self-employed workers come under their own fund. If you take a salaried job in Monaco, your employer registers you and you become an insured person (assuré) of the CCSS.
A few practical points from the CCSS's own guidance for insured people:
- Your insurance card. You show your registration card (carte d'immatriculation) at consultations and at the hospital. The card is now also available in digital form through the CCSS mobile app and your online personal space (Espace personnel Assuré).
- Claiming back costs. Your doctor, dentist or other practitioner can send an electronic claim (feuille de soins électronique) using the number on your card. Otherwise, you can scan a paper claim form and upload it from your personal space, which the CCSS says is faster than posting it.
- Fee levels. Your household's family quotient places you in a card category, which determines the fee rates that apply when you pay doctors, dentists and other practitioners.
- Dental work. Prior approval (entente préalable) is compulsory for prostheses and orthodontic treatment. The CCSS recommends asking for a written quote that shows the reimbursement base and the amount left for you to pay, and sending it to your top-up insurer.
- Sick leave. A sick note must reach the CCSS Medical Control department and your employer within 48 hours, unless your doctor sends it electronically.
- Care abroad. Outside Monaco and France, the CCSS only reimburses urgent and unforeseen care, capped at Monaco or French rates. It advises taking out travel health insurance before you leave.
The CCSS medical reimbursements department can be reached on (+377) 93 15 44 18.
If you are not working in Monaco: private health insurance
Many new residents do not take a salaried job in Monaco, so they are not covered by the CCSS. If that applies to you, you will need private health insurance, and you should know how the CHPG treats it:
- Planned hospital stays. When your admission file is prepared, you must have a written payment undertaking from your insurer (garantie de paiement) covering the expected length of your stay. If you do not, you pay a deposit (provision) based on the expected length of stay.
- Emergency admissions. You pay a deposit based on the expected length of stay. You are advised to contact your insurer during your stay to obtain a payment undertaking, and the admissions office can help. If the undertaking is in place when you leave, the deposit is returned once the insurer pays the bill.
- No insurance. Patients without cover pay a deposit on arrival.
- Top-up insurance. Show your top-up (mutuelle) card at admissions. The CHPG notes that some top-up insurers do not pay out in Monaco, so check your policy wording.
When you compare policies, ask the insurer in writing whether it will issue payment undertakings directly to the CHPG, and how quickly.
The EHIC and UK GHIC do not work as they do in the EU
Monaco has not signed the European Convention on Social Security. The CHPG explains that a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) can only provide financial cover in strict conditions, for a genuine life-threatening medical emergency. The UK government's travel advice goes further: it states that the EHIC and the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) are not accepted in Monaco. Do not rely on either card once you live here. If you are moving from Britain, our guide to moving to Monaco from the UK covers the other practical steps.
If you live in France near Monaco and are insured with a French fund, the rules differ again. The CHPG states that patients living in, and insured with funds in, the Alpes-Maritimes are covered for planned care, provided their rights are up to date. Those insured with a French fund outside the Alpes-Maritimes are excluded from that cover for planned care under the Franco-Monegasque agreement.
Doctors, night calls and pharmacies
Finding a doctor. Once you have an address, find a general practitioner (médecin généraliste) and a dentist close to home before you need one. If you are insured with the CCSS, remember that the fee rates you pay depend on your card category, so ask the practice how it bills.
Doctors on call at night. Since 1 October 2025, the Médecins de Garde Monaco service has provided home-visit consultations at night across the Principality. It runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., every day of the year, and you reach it by calling 116 117. It is for medical needs that cannot wait until morning but are not life-threatening.
Duty pharmacies. Pharmacies take turns to stay open outside normal hours (pharmacie de garde), and the official rota is published in the Journal de Monaco. The Government's public-service site refers residents to the MonacoSanté portal to find the doctors, pharmacies and osteopaths on duty.
Emergency and useful numbers in Monaco
The numbers below come from the Government of Monaco's public-service site (Mon Service Public) and its announcement of the night doctor service. The UK government's travel advice adds that, for an ambulance, you call 112 from a mobile or 18 from a landline. Save them in your phone on the day you arrive.
| Who | Number |
|---|---|
| European emergency number (fire and emergency service) | 112 |
| Fire and emergency service (Sapeurs-Pompiers) | 18 |
| Police (Sûreté Publique) | 17 |
| Police, switchboard | (+377) 93 15 30 15 |
| Doctors on call, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. | 116 117 |
| CHPG emergency department | (+377) 97 98 97 69 |
| Cardio-Thoracic Centre | (+377) 92 16 80 00 |
| IM2S (sports medicine and surgery institute), trauma emergencies | (+377) 99 99 10 23 |
| Poison control centre (Marseille) | (+33) 4 91 75 25 25 |
The Government's public-service site also refers residents to the MonacoSanté portal for its list of emergency numbers available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A short checklist for your first weeks
- Work out which scheme covers you: CCSS through an employer, a self-employed fund, a French fund, or private insurance.
- If you are insured privately, confirm in writing that your insurer will issue payment undertakings to the CHPG.
- If you are a CCSS member, set up your online personal space and the mobile app so that your digital card is to hand.
- Find a GP and a dentist near home, and ask how they bill.
- Save 112, 18, 17 and 116 117 in every family member's phone.
- Keep a copy of prescriptions and your medical history in French or English.
- Stop relying on an EHIC or GHIC for care in Monaco.
Settling in
Healthcare is one item on a longer list. Our guides to how long Monaco residency takes, renting an apartment in Monaco and opening a bank account cover the other steps. When it comes to the apartment itself, Meubles Monaco can help you furnish it with curated pre-owned designer pieces, through our sourcing service or turnkey furnishing. You reserve a piece for €25, view it in the seller's home and arrange collection with the seller, and we recommend trusted local transport partners.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my EHIC or UK GHIC in Monaco?
Not as you would in the EU. The UK government states that neither card is accepted in Monaco. The CHPG says an EHIC can only provide financial cover in strict conditions, for a genuine life-threatening emergency. Residents should have proper cover, either through the Monaco social funds or through private insurance.
Who is covered by the CCSS?
The CCSS covers people in salaried employment with a Monaco employer. Your employer registers you, and you receive a registration card, which is also available in digital form. Self-employed people have their own fund, and those who do not work in Monaco generally need private cover. Check with the Caisses Sociales de Monaco for your own case.
What number do I call in an emergency in Monaco?
Call 112, the European emergency number, or 18 for the fire and emergency service. Call 17 for the police. For a doctor at night when it is not life-threatening, call 116 117 between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Do I have to pay upfront at the hospital with private insurance?
For a planned stay, the CHPG asks for a payment undertaking from your insurer, or a deposit if you do not have one. For an emergency admission, you pay a deposit, which is returned if your insurer later pays the bill. Ask your insurer how it handles direct billing in Monaco.
Last updated: October 2026
Sources
- Mon Service Public (Government of Monaco): Emergency telephone numbers
- Mon Service Public: on-duty doctors, chemists and osteopaths
- Mon Service Public: health insurance funds in Monaco
- Government of Monaco: launch of the Médecins de Garde Monaco service
- CHPG: patient handbook (2025)
- Caisses Sociales de Monaco: newsletter for insured people (October 2025)
- GOV.UK: Monaco travel advice, health

