The official fees to set up a company in Gibraltar are low. Companies House Gibraltar charges £100 to register a company plus £10 stamp duty, with £200 or £500 extra for same-day or two-hour processing. A new single-class business licence costs £185. Most of what you will actually spend goes on professional fees: formation, registered office, company secretary, accounts and help with banking.
At a glance
| Cost item | Amount (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Companies House registration fee | £100 |
| Stamp duty on nominal share capital | £10 |
| Same-day / two-hour incorporation | £200 / £500 urgency fee |
| New business licence (single class) | £185; renewal £116 a year |
| Accounts filing fee at Companies House | £26 |
| Provider formation package | About £800–£1,700 (published 2025–2026 provider prices) |
| Typical first-year total | About £1,600–£5,500 for a simple company (published 2026 estimates) |
What are the official Companies House fees?
Companies House Gibraltar fees are set by Schedule 24 of the Companies Act 2014. The current table took effect on 1 August 2025 under the Companies Act (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and is reproduced in Companies House Guidance Note 19.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Incorporation or registration of a company | £100.00 |
| Stamp duty on nominal share capital (at incorporation) | £10.00 |
| Same-day incorporation (lodged before midday) | £200.00 |
| Incorporation within two hours (lodged 9am–3pm) | £500.00 |
| Change of company name | £100.00 |
| Lodging director or secretary particulars | £26.00 |
| Filing of accounts | £26.00 |
| Certificate of good standing (standard / same day) | £62.00 / £123.50 |
| Registration of a charge | £113.00 |
| Statement of allotments | £206.00 |
| Re-domiciliation into Gibraltar | £100.00 |
The fee table calls the £200 an urgency fee, and the Government’s companies page and 2026 formation guides treat it as added to the standard £100, so a same-day incorporation costs about £310 in government charges including stamp duty. Guides treat the £500 two-hour fee the same way; your provider will confirm the exact total when it files.
What does the annual return cost?
Companies House raised the annual return fee from £91 to £100 from 1 March 2024. The fee table in force since 1 August 2025 lists £103 for a return filed on time, and 2026 formation guides quote the same figure. Late returns cost £257.50 in the first year, rising to £412 after three years.
How much does a business licence cost?
A company that trades goods or provides services in or from Gibraltar generally needs a business licence from the Department of Business. Fees are set by the Fair Trading (Fees) Regulations 2024, as amended from 1 August 2025.
| Licence item | Fee |
|---|---|
| New single business licence | £185.00 |
| New licence covering trade and service classes | £264.00 |
| Annual renewal, single class | £116.00 |
| Annual renewal, trade and service classes | £211.00 |
| Adding a business class or activity | £116.00 |
| Transfer to new premises | £116.00 |
| Registration only (where permitted) | No fee |
Not every company needs a licence. Holding companies and some activities regulated under other laws may fall outside the regime; see Gibraltar business licences.
What do private providers charge?
Private fees vary widely with complexity, risk profile and the level of local substance you need. The ranges below come from published 2025–2026 provider price lists and guides; only a written quote is binding.
| Service | Typical charge |
|---|---|
| Formation package (name check, constitution, filing) | About £800–£1,700 |
| Due diligence per director, shareholder or beneficial owner | About £80–£400 each |
| Registered office (annual) | About £200–£600 a year |
| Company secretary (annual) | About £400–£1,500 a year |
| Nominee or resident director (where appropriate) | Rarely published; quoted case by case |
| Business licence application support | Rarely published; quoted case by case |
| Bank account introduction | About £150–£600 |
| Bookkeeping and annual accounts | About £700–£2,500 a year |
| Statutory audit (where required) | From about £2,000 a year |
| Corporate tax return | Usually priced with the accounts |
Ask each provider whether disbursements (government fees, certification, couriers) are included, how it charges for changes such as new shareholders, and what notice it needs to resign as registered office.
What does it cost to run a Gibraltar company each year?
Annual government charges are small. Expect the annual return fee, a £26 accounts filing fee and a business licence renewal of £116 or more. Pillar Two registration and top-up tax rules only affect large groups.
The larger recurring costs are professional:
- registered office and company secretary;
- bookkeeping, accounts and the corporate tax return;
- an audit if assessable income is £1,750,000 or more (for periods ending on or after 1 July 2024), or an independent accountant’s report below that;
- bank fees, which depend on the bank and account type;
- office premises if your licence or tax position needs real presence.
Corporation tax itself is a separate cost: 15% on profits accrued in and derived from Gibraltar. See Gibraltar corporate tax explained.
How much do late filings cost?
Penalties can quickly exceed the fees you saved by doing it yourself.
| Late item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Late annual return (first year late) | £257.50, rising to £412 after three years |
| Accounts filed late | Supplementary fees on top of the £26 filing fee |
| Late corporate tax return, micro/small company | £100, then £450 after 3 months, £750 after 6 months |
| Late corporate tax return, medium company | £750, then £1,250, then £2,000 |
| Late tax payment | 10% surcharge, plus 20% more if unpaid after 90 days |
The tax return penalties apply to accounting periods ending on or after 31 March 2024, with penalties charged from 1 January 2025. Restoring a company that has been struck off costs between £200 and £1,000 at Companies House, plus professional fees.
How can you keep set-up costs down?
- Choose standard incorporation unless a deal genuinely depends on same-day registration.
- Prepare clean, certified due diligence documents before engaging a provider; incomplete files cause repeat charges.
- Use standard articles if you have a single owner and no investors.
- Ask whether the provider bundles registered office, secretary and annual return filing.
- Plan banking early, since delays there can mean paying for a company that cannot trade.
Did the 2026 budget or treaty change these costs?
The Companies House and business licence fees above were last revised on 1 August 2025, in line with the 2025 Budget. The 2026 Budget, delivered on 7 July 2026, kept corporation tax at 15% and did not announce new company registry fees. As of October 2026, the Gibraltar laws database shows no Companies House or Fair Trading fee regulations made after the August 2025 changes; check the latest Companies House fee table before you file.
The UK–EU treaty, applied provisionally since 15 July 2026, does not change registry fees. It does add costs for goods businesses through the transaction tax and customs processes; see the UK–EU treaty explained for business.
For the full process behind these numbers, read how to set up a company in Gibraltar, or browse the Gibraltar business hub.