Company formation in Guernsey

Updated 7 October 2026

A Guernsey company is registered within a day, and most businesses pay 0% income tax. We cover the registry fees, the rates, the steps and the documents.

Guernsey companies are formed under the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 and registered with the Guernsey Registry. Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency with its own law, taxes and financial supervision, chosen for private wealth and holdings for its predictable regulation.

Who it suits and what is required

A Guernsey company is chosen for holdings, family investment structures, funds and asset ownership: the law is close to English law, the beneficial ownership register is closed, and the standard tax rate is 0%. For a trading company with a small turnover Guernsey is usually too expensive to maintain.

• Form. Most often a company limited by shares. There are also companies limited by guarantee, unlimited companies and protected cell companies for funds and insurance.
• Directors and shareholders. One director and one shareholder are enough, with no nationality requirements. There is no minimum capital.
• Address. The registered office must be in Guernsey.
• Resident agent. Mandatory: a director who lives in Guernsey or a licensed corporate services provider.
• Filing. Only a licensed corporate services provider can submit the incorporation application to the registry; an owner cannot register a company directly.

Costs: registry fees

Fees under the Guernsey Registry schedule in US dollars:

The annual validation fee depends on the company's category: $350 is the rate for a non-licensed company not administered by a licensed corporate service provider, and other categories have their own rates. The validation is filed by 28 February, and late filing attracts a registry penalty. Our packages with the address, secretary and first-year fees are in the fee table below.

Tax

According to the Guernsey Revenue Service, companies pay tax at 0%, 10% or 20% depending on the business. The standard rate is 0%. Banks, fiduciary business, investment management and several financial services pay 10%, and regulated utilities, large retail with taxable profit above $670,000 and income from Guernsey land and buildings pay 20%.

How registration works

1. Reviewing the task and choosing the structure: a holding, a trading company or asset ownership.
2. Name, articles and directors.
3. Owner checks by a licensed corporate service provider.
4. Registration in 24 hours or 2 hours.
5. Bank account and annual validation.

Timeline by step

What documents you need

A passport and proof of address for each owner and director, beneficial ownership details, a description of the business and the source of funds. Documents not in English are translated and certified.

Beneficial owners and company obligations

Details of a Guernsey company's beneficial owners are entered in the beneficial ownership register, and the resident agent keeps them up to date and notifies the registrar of changes within 14 days. The register is not public. Every year by 28 February the company files an annual validation and pays the fee for its category; late filing incurs a penalty. Annual accounts are not filed with the registry or published, but every company must keep accounting records, and a tax return is filed even at the 0% rate. Companies engaged in holding, financing and other activities covered by economic substance rules confirm that they are managed from Guernsey. Registering a new company usually takes 24 hours, or 2 hours on the urgent track.

Common reasons for refusal

• the source of funds and of the owner's wealth cannot be documented;
• an owner, director or counterparty is on a sanctions list;
• the business description does not match the actual payments;
• the structure conceals the person who owns or controls the company;
• the company needs a licence from the Guernsey financial regulator and has none;
• the company is not really managed from Guernsey, although its activity falls under the economic substance rules.

The corporate services provider answers for the client to the regulator, so it checks more strictly than the registry. We check the questionnaire and documents against its requirements before filing.

Restrictions for certain nationalities

The Guernsey companies law does not restrict the nationality of directors or shareholders. But Guernsey applies the UK sanctions regimes: people on sanctions lists and structures connected with them will be refused services. For citizens and residents of Russia and Belarus who are not sanctioned there is no direct ban on owning a company, but the provider and the bank run enhanced checks, and many refuse such clients. We find out the provider's and the bank's position before preparing documents.

What we do

Murblz specialists design the structure, check the tax consequences in the owner's country, prepare the documents for the licensed provider, handle registration and the bank account and remind you of the annual validation in advance.

A manager in the chat will calculate the exact quote for your structure, with or without a nominee service, a bank account and bookkeeping.

Fees

See also

Business account · Personal account · Investment property

FAQ