Guernsey Investor & Entrepreneur Residency

The Bailiwick of Guernsey, the second-largest of the Channel Islands and home to some 63,000 inhabitants, offers a path to permanent residency and citizenship in the UK for both investors and entrepreneurs.

Guernsey’s Investor and Entrepreneur visas, respectively, have a structure similar to the now-closed UK Tier 1 Investor Visa and the Innovator Founder visa, though the investment amount required in Guernsey was half that of the UK’s Investor Visa.

Investors:

Deposit of £1m in a Guernsey bank account, £750,000 should subsequently be invested “to the benefit of the Bailiwick”.

Guernsey’s Committee for Economic Development considers the three following options as ‘suitable’ investments:

• £750,000 placed on deposit in a GFSC-regulated Guernsey bank
• (In addition to the property in which the applicant lives), the purchase and retention of an Open Market property of a value no less than £750,000
• Investment of £750,000 into another Guernsey opportunity of the applicant’s choosing that is considered satisfactory by the States of Guernsey.

Entrepreneurs

Individuals who intend to live in Guernsey and take an active role in the running of a business in Guernsey can qualify for residency.

The applicant must be able to show they have at least £200,000 in their name in a bank account and which they must be prepared to invest into an existing Guernsey business. Creating a new Guernsey business, again with a minimum £200,000, is also acceptable.

• Path to citizenship
• Permits dual/multiple citizenship
• Lower taxes
• Lower cost of living
• Safety and security
• Enhanced education opportunities
• Enhanced business access to large economies
• Short processing time
• English as official language

The initial residency is a two- year permit that can be extended by another three years if the investment is held or the entrepreneurial business is still operational and the financial investment is maintained.

After five years, the participant may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which is a permanent residency for Guernsey. Following one year as a holder of ILR in Guernsey, the investor/entrepreneur is eligible to apply for British citizenship.

Applicants aged 18 to 65 must pass a citizenship test to demonstrate they have sufficient knowledge of English and life in the UK and Guernsey. Dual citizenship is allowed.

Browse 195 countries’ paths to citizenship in the hyper-detailed IMI Citizenship Catalog.

Applications for this program may be directed to Guernsey’s Committee for Economic Development.

Legislation upon which this program is based Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008, Part 6, Section 201-224.