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Gibraltar company bank account 2026

Gibraltar company bank account: eight banks, and which ones take you

Updated 13 November 2026Bank price lists of 2025 and 2026About 9 minutes to read
The short answer

Gibraltar is a small banking market: eight banks sit in its deposit guarantee scheme, and they don't all serve the same people. One of the best known only opens business accounts for owners living in Gibraltar, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

For a company owned from abroad the choice is a Gibraltar bank that takes non-residents, or a UK or EU payment account. The regulator's guidance counts a secure video call as meeting in person; each bank decides whether it uses one.

See the eight banks Work out the yearly cost
Deposit scheme members 8 banks in Gibraltar's deposit guarantee scheme, each with its own idea of who it serves The dashed one: a bank whose business account needs every owner to live in Gibraltar, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

You picked Gibraltar for English law, a company register in English, and tax that only reaches profits made in Gibraltar. It is also a place where everyone in finance seems to know each other, and the banks show it: a short list, each with its own clientele. The trick is not to apply everywhere. It's to know which two or three doors are open to an owner like you, and walk through one with a full file.

Key takeaways

  • Eight banks belong to the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme; NatWest International's business account is closed to owners living elsewhere.
  • Gibraltar International Bank charges £15 a month for a business account; SEPA payments cost £15 each and SWIFT £25.
  • Trusted Novus Bank charges £300 to open a corporate account and £25 a month, from its April 2026 price list.
  • The GFSC's August 2026 guidance treats a secure video call as equal to a face-to-face meeting.
  • Since January 2026, deposit cover is £120,000 per depositor per bank, paid in pounds within seven working days.
  • No rule makes a Gibraltar company bank in Gibraltar; UK and EU payment accounts are an option.
Chapter 1

Banks in Gibraltar, and who each one serves

The scheme's own list of member banks is the most reliable count of who takes deposits in Gibraltar. What each publishes about business clients differs a lot. Tell us where the owners live.

The company's owners live

Where a bank publishes no business terms we say so rather than guess. Xapo Bank sets out its offer for companies on its institutional page.

Gibraltar banks often look for a link to Gibraltar, such as a business licence there, local staff or customers, and like to meet the owner. Outside NatWest International, that is a preference rather than a written rule.

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Key takeaway

Start with the banks that publish corporate terms for clients like you; skip the ones whose rules exclude you.

Chapter 2

What a Gibraltar business account costs in a year

£

At a Gibraltar bank the monthly fee is the small part. Payments abroad cost more, so the bill depends on how the company is paid. Set a typical month, priced on Gibraltar International Bank's published guide.

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Business payment rates: SEPA £15, SWIFT £25, Faster Payment £1.

Gibraltar International Bank notes that some industries and business profiles may pay different charges.

Trusted Novus prices the account itself higher and adds fees for special cases: £75 a month for accounts serviced through an intermediary, at least £100 a month where enhanced checks apply, and £300 to close. Currency conversion on payments carries a margin of up to 2% either way.

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Key takeaway

Count the euro and SWIFT payments you expect; at £15 and £25 each, they outweigh the monthly fee.

Chapter 3

Pounds, euros and SEPA from a Gibraltar account

£€

Gibraltar's own currency is pegged to sterling, and its banks keep company accounts in pounds and other currencies. Outside the EU, it still sits inside the euro payment area: the European Payments Council's SEPA map lists the UK including Gibraltar, and Gibraltar banks send SEPA transfers.

£

Sterling first

The deposit cover is set and paid in pounds; balances in other currencies are converted on the payout date.
€

Euro by SEPA

A Gibraltar account can send and receive euro transfers in Europe, at the bank's SEPA price.
$

Dollars by SWIFT

US and other payments travel by SWIFT, the most expensive line on the tariff.

If most of your customers pay in euro, compare a Gibraltar sterling account with a euro account at an EU payment firm before you choose; chapter 7 explains the trade-off.

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Key takeaway

Gibraltar banks in sterling but reaches the euro area through SEPA, at a price per payment.

Chapter 4

Opening a Gibraltar account by video, or in person

The Gibraltar Financial Services Commission's guidance on customer risk, August 2026 edition, settles a question most guides fudge:

A secure video callProtected against image tampering
=
Meeting in personTreated the same for risk

Where there is no meeting of either kind, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2015, section 18, asks the bank for something extra: more documents, copies certified by a suitable professional, or a first payment from an account in your name at another bank.

The rules make a remote opening possible. They don't oblige any bank to offer one, and none of the price lists we read promises it. Ask at the first contact; some banks still prefer the owner to visit once.

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Key takeaway

Video counts as meeting under GFSC guidance; whether a bank offers it is still the bank's call.

Chapter 5

Gibraltar company bank account requirements

The GFSC's customer due diligence guidance gives the base list, and Trusted Novus's corporate application form shows what a bank adds in practice.

The companyCertificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, registers of directors and shareholders, a registry extract and proof the owners are on the beneficial owner register.
The structureA corporate family tree. Where a shareholder is a company, trustee or nominee, the bank looks through to each person with 25% or more.
Bearer sharesA signed undertaking from the directors that the company has none and won't issue any without the bank's approval.
The peopleA details form, certified passport and proof of address for each owner, director and signatory. A certifier abroad confirms the photo is a true likeness.
The moneyWhere the company's funds come from, and the source of wealth of each owner, even an owner who put no money in (guidance section 5.10.4).
Tax statusTax residences and numbers for the company and its key people, and US status.

The source of wealth line catches people out: the bank asks how you, the owner, came to have your money, not only how the company will earn. A short honest paragraph with a document or two behind it answers it.

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Key takeaway

Expect questions about your own wealth, not only the company's; prepare that answer first.

Chapter 6

Deposit cover in Gibraltar changed in 2026

£

Older pages quote cover in euro. That changed with Legal Notice 3 of 2026, published on 8 January 2026.

Before 2026€100,000Paid as its sterling equivalent, within 7 to 20 working days.
Now£120,000Per depositor, per bank, companies included, paid in pounds within seven working days.

The Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme converts balances held in other currencies at the rate on the compensation date. E-money institutions licensed in Gibraltar must safeguard client money and may not pay interest on it; they are not on the scheme's member list, so their balances are not guaranteed.

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Key takeaway

£120,000 per bank, in pounds, for company deposits at the eight member banks.

Chapter 7

A UK or EU payment account for a Gibraltar company

We found no rule that makes a Gibraltar company keep its account in Gibraltar. Payment and e-money institutions in the UK or the EU can open accounts for it under their own risk rules, often online, with a sterling or euro IBAN.

A Gibraltar bank suits
  • A company with a Gibraltar business licence, office or staff
  • Balances you want under the £120,000 cover
  • Clients or counterparties who want a local bank
  • Mostly sterling business
A payment account suits
  • A company that invoices clients across Europe in euro
  • Many small payments, where per-payment bank fees add up
  • Owners who can't travel to meet a bank
  • A first account while a bank reviews the file

One limit to keep in mind: a payment account doesn't lend, and its balances are safeguarded rather than guaranteed.

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Key takeaway

A Gibraltar company can bank outside Gibraltar; choose by currency and how often you pay.

Chapter 8

Who is told about the account

Gibraltar's Income Tax Office runs an automatic exchange portal for the Common Reporting Standard and FATCA. Banks ask for the tax residence and tax number of the company and its key people at opening, so the right country can be told.

Which country is yours? pick it

Separately, the beneficial owner register is filed within 30 days of incorporation and shows some details publicly, such as name, nationality, country of residence and the nature of the interest; our Gibraltar company page explains what anyone can see.

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Key takeaway

Your tax office can learn of the account; that's standard for any company account today.

Chapter 9

How Heirson sets up the Gibraltar account with you

ShortlistWe compare the Gibraltar banks that take owners like you with UK and EU accounts, by currency and payment mix.
RegistersCompany, registered office, secretary and owner filing done, so the bank's first checks find a complete record.
FileFamily tree, bearer share undertaking, certified copies, and a clear note on the company's money and yours.
MeetingA video call where the bank offers one, or a visit planned around a single trip.
Tax numberThe company's tax registration, which the bank asks for in the self-certification.
IncludedAccount setup is part of our £1,190 first year, with the licensed firm, registered office, secretary, owner filing and tax number.

With the right route it almost always goes through. Our Gibraltar company page lists everything included; the Gibraltar tax guide explains the 15% on profits that arise in Gibraltar, and Gibraltar annual fees the yearly filings.

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Key takeaway

We choose the door, build the file and plan the meeting; you sign and join one call.

Chapter 10

Gibraltar company bank account questions

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Can a non-resident open a bank account for a Gibraltar company?
Yes, at a Gibraltar bank that accepts owners living abroad, or at a UK or EU payment institution. NatWest International is the exception that says no in writing: its business account is only for owners living in Gibraltar, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Which banks operate in Gibraltar?
Eight banks belong to the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme: Bank J. Safra Sarasin (Gibraltar), Gibraltar International Bank, IDT Financial Services, Moneycorp Bank, The Royal Bank of Scotland International, Trusted Novus Bank, Turicum Private Bank and Xapo Bank.
How much does a Gibraltar business bank account cost?
Gibraltar International Bank charges £15 a month, with SEPA payments at £15 and SWIFT at £25. Trusted Novus Bank charges £300 to open a corporate account, £25 a month and £300 to close, from its April 2026 price list.
Do I have to visit Gibraltar to open the account?
Not under the rules: the GFSC's guidance treats a secure video call as equal to a face-to-face meeting. Each bank decides whether it offers one, and some prefer to meet the owner once.
Can a Gibraltar account send euro SEPA payments?
Yes. Gibraltar sits in the SEPA scheme area with the UK, and Gibraltar International Bank charges £15 per SEPA payment from a business account.
How much of a company's deposit is protected in Gibraltar?
£120,000 per depositor per bank since January 2026, companies included, paid in pounds within seven working days by the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme. E-money balances are safeguarded, not guaranteed.
Does a Gibraltar company need a Gibraltar bank account?
We found no rule requiring one. A company with business in Gibraltar often wants a local bank anyway; a company trading elsewhere can use a UK or EU payment account.
Is the bank account included in Heirson's Gibraltar price?
Yes. Our £1,190 first year includes the bank account setup with the licensed firm, registered office, secretary, owner filing and tax number. The bank decides, and with the right route it almost always goes through.

Changelog

Your Gibraltar company

The right door on a short list, and a file ready for it.

Formation, registers, tax number and the account route matched to how your company gets paid.

See the Gibraltar company Gibraltar tax guide