Moving to Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man
Your island life, in one plan instead of invoices from half the island. We put tax cap, status, visa, house and bank account in an order that works.
Why an island move needs a conductor
I have done business in the British islands for twenty years. The authorities on Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are well organised. So is the local adviser market, it is just expensive and fragmented: the advocate does the house, the tax specialist the cap, another specialist the immigration, the bank the account. Each bills separately, and nobody feels responsible for the order.
That is exactly where moves fail. Buy the house on Guernsey before your immigration clearance is in place and you own an expensive holiday home. Leave your home country without checking whether it taxes your shareholdings on departure and you may pay tax without having sold a thing. Apply for High Value Residency on Jersey when Guernsey's cap would be cheaper for your income and you often find out only after the first tax bill.
Crown Dependency Relocation is the answer to that: one plan, one sequence, one point of contact. We do the sums, decide with you and keep everything in order.
Three islands, three logics
The key figures we calculate with. Updated November 2026.
| Jersey | Guernsey | Isle of Man | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income tax | 20 per cent at most | 20 per cent flat | 10 and 21 per cent |
| Route for the wealthy | High Value Residency, with an assessment | Open Market home, no wealth test | none of its own; visa through work or a business |
| Tax for top earners | 20 per cent up to £1.25m, 1 per cent above; at least £250,000 | £60,000 cap for four years (Open Market), otherwise £160,000 or £320,000 | £220,000 cap for five or ten years |
| Property | house above £3.5m, apartment above £1.75m | Part A home with at least £50,000 document duty for the cap | no restriction, no stamp duty |
| No tax on | capital gains, inheritances | capital gains, inheritances, wealth | capital gains, inheritances |
gov.je, gov.gg, Locate Guernsey, Isle of Man Budget 2026-27, Locate Isle of Man
How your move works
Eight steps, in this order. How long it takes depends on the authorities and the island's property market; we plan the timing with you.
- 1
Questionnaire and first call
You describe income, assets, company holdings, family and timetable. In the first call we establish which island is a real option at all.
- 2
Island comparison
We run Jersey, Guernsey with Alderney, and the Isle of Man on your numbers: tax in year one and year five, property needs, cost of living, immigration route.
- 3
Departure check
What your home country may still want after you move: exit charges on shareholdings, continuing tax liability, gift and inheritance tax, rules on your companies. We turn it into a checklist your adviser at home signs off.
- 4
Immigration
Without a British or Irish passport you need immigration clearance or a visa on all three islands. We prepare the papers for the application with you.
- 5
Residential status and property
On Jersey the HVR application with its business case, on Guernsey the Open Market Resident Certificate and the purchase or rental of a Part A home, on the Isle of Man a purchase or rental with no restrictions. An advocate handles the purchase.
- 6
Tax status
Registration with the island's tax authority, choice of the right cap or confirmation of the HVR formula, registration for social security.
- 7
Bank account
An account with an island bank through the Island Banking Introduction: the bank that accepts your new residence and the source of your wealth.
- 8
Leaving home and the first year
Deregistration at home on the right date, a record of your departure, the deadlines for your first island tax return. Then we hand over to ongoing support or to you.
What you provide
The more complete, the faster. The source of wealth and income is checked thoroughly on the island.
- Passport and civil status documents for everyone moving
- CV with your business history, and for Jersey your ideas for investing in or engaging with the island
- Evidence of income and wealth for recent years and, for Jersey, of income secured for ten years
- Criminal record certificates
- Your latest tax assessments and a list of your company shareholdings
- Budget and wishes for a house or apartment
Who this is for
For entrepreneurs, investors and families who want to genuinely live on a Channel Island or the Isle of Man, with a house, a school and an everyday life. On Jersey we are talking about worldwide income well above £1.25 million. On Guernsey about an Open Market home and a £60,000 cap, which beats the flat 20 per cent from around £300,000 of income. On the Isle of Man about people who work or start a business there.
It is not for an island structure without a move, meaning a company or trust while you stay resident at home. There your home country's rules on foreign companies and on where a company is managed take over, and that is a different kind of advice. Nor is it a way to hide money from the tax office: all three islands exchange account data under the CRS, and rightly so.
If you first want to sort out whether an island move makes sense at all, start with a UK Tax Consult. The islands one by one: Jersey, Guernsey with Alderney and Sark, Isle of Man.
Questions
Which island is cheapest?
That depends on your income and the house. Without an expensive property, the Isle of Man's ordinary tax at 10 and 21 per cent is often cheapest. Buy an Open Market home on Guernsey and the £60,000 cap beats 20 per cent from around £300,000 of income. At very high incomes Jersey's 1 per cent formula can come out ahead. That is exactly what the island comparison works out.
Do I need a visa as an EU citizen?
Yes, unless you hold a British or Irish passport or UK settled status. Each island has its own route, and this step comes before the house purchase.
Will my home country stop taxing me once I move?
Not automatically. Depending on where you come from, your home country may tax gains on departure, keep taxing income from home for some years, or still tax gifts and estates for a period. We put that on the table before you move.
What does it cost?
We set the price after your enquiry, because it depends on the island, the route and the work involved. Authority fees and the cost of the property come on top.