Residence Requirements

Workers employed by a Gibraltar-based business and self-employed persons may apply for residence in Gibraltar. The criteria to qualify for residence is as follows.

Minimum salary & Employment requirements

New residents will generally be required to hold a Gibraltar employment contract with average gross annual earnings of at least £37,500 (rounded up to the nearest £500).

The employment must be with a business that has been trading in or from Gibraltar for at least one year, is fully registered and licensed under the Fair Trading Act or any other applicable regulatory authority.

Accommodation

Applicants must rent or purchase residential property in Gibraltar for use as their primary residence. Rental agreements must be for a minimum of twelve months and holiday lets will not qualify. New applications from individuals proposing to live aboard vessels will not be accepted.

Age requirements

Applicants must generally be aged 55 or under, although the Chief Minister retains a discretion to allow applicants over that age where their residence is deemed to be in the interests of Gibraltar. Persons over 55 who are granted residence would have no entitlement to Elderly Residential Services unless and until they obtain Gibraltarian Status.

Security vetting

All applicants must submit an official vetting form from their country of origin.

Young persons

Applicants under 30 may qualify below the £37,500 salary threshold, provided their employer pays the applicable tax and social insurance contributions as though the threshold were met.

Self-employed individuals & new businesses

New self-employed applicants and businesses that have been trading for less than one year will generally be required to lodge a deposit covering the estimated first-year tax and social insurance liabilities. This deposit is to be returned upon the cessation of business and the Minister for Business retains a discretion to waive the full amount in defined circumstances.

Benefits & entitlements

Residents will continue to have access to the Gibraltar Group Practice Medical Scheme (GPMS) for them selves, their spouse and their children, as well as schooling in Gibraltar for their children. Scholarships for dependent children will be available after 10 years of continuous lawful residence and uninterrupted payment of tax and social insurance. However, residence alone will not provide access to elderly residential care, domiciliary care, public or affordable housing, berths in the Small Boats Marina, or other social benefits.

Partners &families

Applicants may be accompanied by a spouse and children. Unmarried partners of individuals with Gibraltarian Status may be permitted to reside in Gibraltar where evidence of a durable relationship of at least two years is provided. Spouses of applicants will be required to pay an amount equivalent to the maximum employee's Social Insurance contribution.

Renewal & lapse

Residence permits will be renewed annually with confirmation required that all conditions continue to be met. Permits will automatically lapse if tax and social insurance payments cease or eight weeks after a Notice of Termination of Terms of Engagement is filed with the Department of Employment, unless a new employment contract is secured.

Anti-avoidance measures will flag any downward variations in salary to ensure the conditions under which the permit was issued continue to be met.

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