Guernsey Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Guernsey Business

TL;DR. Guernsey’s official companies register is the Guernsey Registry, operated by the States of Guernsey and supervised by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC). Basic company name and number searches are free and available in English with no account required. Guernsey is a UK Crown Dependency, not part of the EU or UK for most regulatory purposes. It is a well-regulated international finance centre with FATCA and CRS in effect. The UBO register exists but public access is restricted.

What is the official Guernsey business registry?

The Guernsey Registry (guernseyregistry.com) is the States of Guernsey’s central register for companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, foundations, and other legal entities incorporated in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, including Alderney and Sark. The Registry is administered by the States of Guernsey and the GFSC (Guernsey Financial Services Commission) supervises the regulatory framework under which entities operate.

Guernsey is a Crown Dependency of the United Kingdom: it is not part of the UK, not part of the EU, and has its own separate legal system, government, and tax regime. Guernsey has its own legislative assembly (the States of Deliberation) and makes its own laws. UK Acts of Parliament do not automatically apply to Guernsey. Guernsey has its own company law under the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended), which is a modern, sophisticated framework designed to support international finance.

The main entity types registered in Guernsey include:

• Limited companies (private and public): the most common form for international holding structures, investment vehicles, and operating companies.
• Protected Cell Companies (PCC) and Incorporated Cell Companies (ICC): specialist structures common in insurance, fund, and structured finance transactions.
• Limited Partnerships (LP): widely used as private equity and investment fund vehicles.
• Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP): used by professional services firms and as fund structures.
• Foundations: used for estate planning, philanthropy, and some fund structures.

The GFSC maintains a separate register of licensed financial services businesses (fund managers, banks, insurance companies, fiduciaries, and investment intermediaries) at gfsc.gg.

What can you search?

The Guernsey Registry public portal provides:

• Company name and number search (free, no account required)
• Entity status: active, dissolved, in liquidation, struck off
• Registered office address
• Date of incorporation
• Entity type (company, limited partnership, foundation, etc.)
• Registered officer names (where filed, some are nominee-protected)
• Filed documents: annual validation certificates, constitutional documents

The online search returns basic status data. Certified documents, shareholder registers, and certain constitutional documents may require ordering through the Registry’s paid document retrieval service or direct request.

Guernsey has a Register of Beneficial Owners maintained under the Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons (Guernsey) Law, 2017. The beneficial ownership register is not public-facing; it is accessible by the GFSC, Guernsey law enforcement, and — through information exchange agreements — foreign financial intelligence units and tax authorities. Registered agents in Guernsey (who must be licensed by the GFSC) are responsible for capturing and maintaining UBO data for their clients.

Guernsey is party to the UK and international automatic exchange of information frameworks including FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, under the UK-US intergovernmental agreement extended to Guernsey) and the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS). Financial account information is exchanged with over 100 jurisdictions under CRS.

How much does it cost?

Fee schedules are maintained on the Guernsey Registry portal. GBP/USD conversion: approximately 1.27 (May 2026; verify at point of purchase). Prices may be updated periodically by the States of Guernsey.

Do you need a local account or ID?

No account is required for basic free company searches. Ordering documents and certified extracts requires creating a portal account with the Guernsey Registry, using an email address only — no Guernsey address or identity document is required from foreign applicants. The document ordering system accepts credit and debit card payment online.

Is the website in English?

Yes. Guernsey’s official language for legal and commercial purposes is English (with Norman-French for some traditional ceremonies). The Guernsey Registry portal is fully in English. All company data, entity types, filing labels, and status indicators are in English. Documents filed by companies may be in other languages but the registry interface is English-only.

What’s the turnaround time?

Free online searches are instant. Certified document orders placed through the Guernsey Registry portal are typically processed within 1-3 business days. Guernsey is known for a responsive and professional registry service oriented toward international finance practitioners.

Is there an API?

No public developer API is documented for the Guernsey Registry as of May 2026. High-volume or programmatic access to Guernsey company data for compliance platforms must be arranged directly with the Registry or through licensed Guernsey corporate service providers who act as registered agents and maintain their own client records.

What you legally cannot do

Guernsey has its own data protection law: the Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2017 (amended 2021), which is substantively aligned with the EU GDPR. Processing personal data of directors and officers obtained from the Guernsey Registry must comply with this law. Specific restrictions include:

• Bulk automated scraping of the Guernsey Registry portal for commercial redistribution is not permitted under the Registry’s terms of use.
• Personal data of officers and registered persons may not be used for unsolicited marketing.
• The beneficial ownership register data is not publicly accessible; attempting to bypass access restrictions is a criminal offence under Guernsey law.
• Guernsey companies using a registered agent address (common in international finance) may have limited publicly visible officer data; do not assume a nominee address represents the genuine business location.

For cross-border data transfers, Guernsey has been recognized by the European Commission as providing adequate data protection (adequacy decision, 2003, maintained through successor arrangements), meaning GDPR-equivalent protections apply to personal data transferred from the EU to Guernsey.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• Registered agent is the key contact. Almost all international Guernsey companies use a GFSC-licensed registered agent (trust company or corporate service provider) as their registered office. The registered agent is legally responsible for maintaining UBO records and beneficial ownership data under the 2017 law. If you need UBO information, the formal route is through the GFSC’s information-sharing framework or through AML-regulated obligated entities conducting their own customer due diligence.
• GFSC authorization register is a critical parallel check. If your Guernsey counterparty claims to be a fund manager, bank, trustee, or regulated financial institution, check the GFSC’s public register of licensees at gfsc.gg. The GFSC list shows current license status, license class, and any public enforcement actions.
• Protected Cell Companies require specialized understanding. Guernsey’s PCC structure creates legally segregated cells within a single corporate entity. Each cell has its own assets and liabilities ring-fenced from other cells and the core. When dealing with a cell rather than the core company, ensure your due diligence covers the specific cell’s capacity, not just the PCC as a whole.
• FATCA and CRS reduce banking risk but not corporate risk. Guernsey financial institutions are required to identify and report on US persons under FATCA and on reportable account holders under CRS. This means financial account information flows to relevant tax authorities. However, non-financial companies in Guernsey are not directly subject to these reporting obligations in the same way; the CRS compliance framework sits primarily at the financial institution level.
• Sark and Alderney. Alderney has its own Companies Registry under the Alderney Financial Services Commission but many Alderney-incorporated entities are administered through Guernsey-based registered agents. Sark also has a small registry of its own. For compliance buyers, entities from Alderney and Sark are treated similarly to Guernsey entities in terms of the Crown Dependency framework, but verify the specific registry and regulator for each.
• Enforcement track record matters. The GFSC has a demonstrated enforcement record including license revocations, public censures, and financial penalties. Review the GFSC’s published enforcement decisions when assessing a Guernsey counterparty’s compliance culture.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly

• GFSC licensee search (gfsc.gg): free public search of all GFSC-licensed financial services entities. Essential for regulated counterparties.
• Guernsey-licensed corporate service providers: All registered agents operating in Guernsey must be GFSC-licensed. Many offer company search and document retrieval services as a commercial service for foreign compliance buyers.
• OpenCorporates: Has some Guernsey Registry data but currency and completeness are limited; use only for indicative name checks.

Local data suppliers

Guernsey does not have a dedicated domestic commercial credit bureau. Due diligence on Guernsey entities in international finance contexts is typically handled by:

• GFSC-licensed fiduciaries and law firms in St. Peter Port (the capital): local practitioners with direct registry access, UBO information access under AML frameworks, and knowledge of the local corporate service market.
• International compliance platforms (LexisNexis, Refinitiv World-Check) that include Guernsey-registered entities in their adverse media and sanctions screening databases.
• Dun and Bradstreet has partial coverage of larger Guernsey-registered entities with operating substance.

For entities with genuine Guernsey-based operations (finance, fund administration, insurance), local legal advisers are the most reliable source of enhanced due diligence.

FAQ

Is Guernsey part of the UK?

No. Guernsey is a Crown Dependency of the UK Crown, not part of the UK. It has its own parliament (the States of Deliberation), its own legal system based on Norman customary law and English common law, and its own tax regime. The UK government is responsible for Guernsey’s defense and international relations, but Guernsey makes its own domestic legislation. Guernsey is not part of the EU and was not subject to Brexit directly; it has its own relationship with the EU through the Protocol on the Bailiwick of Guernsey (now repealed and replaced by Guernsey’s own agreements).

What is Guernsey’s beneficial ownership regime?

Guernsey has maintained a beneficial ownership register since the Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons (Guernsey) Law, 2017. All legal persons incorporated in Guernsey are required to maintain accurate, verified beneficial ownership records. These records are held by the GFSC and are not publicly accessible. They are shared with foreign financial intelligence units and tax authorities under Guernsey’s international exchange of information agreements. This is a different model from the UK’s public PSC register. Guernsey has committed to exploring public UBO access in line with global transparency developments.

Is Guernsey on the FATF grey list?

No. Guernsey is not on the FATF Increased Monitoring list. Guernsey cooperates with the FATF process through the UK as the responsible state for Guernsey’s international relations. Guernsey has independently undergone MONEYVAL evaluations; the most recent assessment confirmed broadly adequate technical compliance. See fatf-gafi.org and gfsc.gg for current information.

Does Guernsey share beneficial ownership data internationally?

Yes. Guernsey has over 60 Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) and is a signatory to the OECD’s multilateral instrument for automatic exchange of financial account information (CRS). The GFSC shares beneficial ownership information with foreign financial intelligence units through bilateral information-sharing arrangements. Guernsey was an early adopter of CRS and FATCA compliance among international finance centres.

What is Guernsey’s corporate tax rate?

Zero percent for most companies. Guernsey operates a zero-ten corporate tax regime: 0% for most commercial companies and up to 10% for certain regulated businesses (banking, insurance, fund administration). This zero rate is a key driver of Guernsey’s role as an international finance and holding company jurisdiction. Individuals resident in Guernsey pay income tax at 20%.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: Guernsey Registry (guernseyregistry.com); Guernsey Financial Services Commission (gfsc.gg); States of Guernsey (gov.gg); FATF (fatf-gafi.org). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.