Living in Vatican City, Vatican City
Vatican City is a smaller coastal city in Vatican City (under 250,000 people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 17°C over the year with about 607 mm of rain. For foreigners, long-term residency in Vatican City is hard to obtain.
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- Climate
- 17°C
- 607 mm rain a year
- Size
- Smaller
- under 250,000 people
- Residency
- Hard to obtain
- for most foreigners
Limited data for Vatican City. We do not have verified cost, tax, safety, healthcare or internet figures for Vatican City yet, so this page covers climate, location and residency only.
What stands out about Vatican City
- Long-term residency is hard to obtain
- On or near the sea
Residency and visas
Hard to obtain. Vatican City has no general immigration, investment, or income route; long-term residency is granted only to clergy, Holy See officials, Swiss Guards, their resident families, or by direct papal permission, and lapses when that role ends.
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Climate
Vatican City averages 17°C across the year with about 607 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 36% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Questions couples ask about Vatican City
Is Vatican City a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Our data for Vatican City covers climate, geography and residency, but not cost, tax, safety or healthcare. Expect a mild, moderately wet climate (17°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Vatican City and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
Can foreigners live in Vatican City long term?
Our assessment: hard to obtain. Vatican City has no general immigration, investment, or income route; long-term residency is granted only to clergy, Holy See officials, Swiss Guards, their resident families, or by direct papal permission, and lapses when that role ends.
What is the weather like in Vatican City?
Vatican City averages 17°C across the year with about 607 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 36% of the cities we track.
Cities like Vatican City
Closest matches in other countries on climate, size and distance to the coast.