What the cost of a company in Guernsey is made of
In Guernsey every company follows one route: a company limited by shares under the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008, incorporated through a corporate service provider (CSP). Only a CSP holding a full fiduciary licence from the Guernsey Financial Services Commission can apply to the Registrar (Incorporating a Company). The Registry fee schedule sets three incorporation fees: GBP 100 for the standard service within 24 hours, GBP 500 for the rapid service within 2 hours and GBP 1,000 for the special service within 15 minutes, where certain restrictions apply. The rapid and special fees replace the standard fee; they are not added to it. Reserving a name is optional and costs GBP 25 per name, held for 3 months.
The Registry asks for a statement of initial share capital but publishes no minimum. The provider files the memorandum of incorporation, statements of the first directors, the registered office and the first resident agent, and a declaration of compliance; if no articles are filed, the standard articles apply. Directors and the resident agent must be registered with the Registry before they are appointed (Directors & Resident Agents), and beneficial ownership information is filed on incorporation (Beneficial Ownership Guidance).
Every company needs at least one founder member, at least one director at all times, a registered office address in Guernsey and a resident agent. Only a Guernsey resident individual director or a CSP can act as resident agent, unless an exemption applies, so a founder with no Guernsey resident director uses a provider. The authorities publish no amount for the provider’s fees.
Each year the company files an annual validation between 1 January and the last day of February, with its details as at 31 December. The fee is GBP 525 for a company administered by a CSP and GBP 260 for one that is not; a late or missing filing is liable to a civil penalty, whose amount is not published. Accounts are audited unless the members pass a waiver resolution in the previous financial year and file it within 30 days. The 2025 corporate tax return is due by 30 November 2026.
No firm on Accountanty publishes a price for formation, accounting, registered office, resident agent or bank account in Guernsey: prices are on request. The official fees above are separate from what a firm charges for its services: ask each firm to show the two apart in its quote.