Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the GFSC decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get an investment license in Gibraltar.
The UK's regulatory mirror at 15%: GFSC authorisation under the Financial Services Act 2019 - the IFPR prudential regime with permanent minimum capital from £75,000, a disciplined three-stage application, and the Gibraltar Authorisation Regime preserving access into the United Kingdom market.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Gibraltar in brief
London's rulebook, run smaller and taxed lighter.
Gibraltar authorises investment firms under the Financial Services Act 2019, with the GFSC applying the Investment Firm Prudential Regime - the same architecture as the UK's IFPR. Permanent minimum capital follows activity: £75,000 for reception-transmission, execution, portfolio management and advice where client-asset holding is restricted; £150,000 for other firms including platform operators; £750,000 for dealing on own account - with own funds also meeting a quarter of fixed overheads and the K-factor sum across risk-to-client, risk-to-market and risk-to-firm. The application itself is staged in three parts - business model and key people first, risk and systems second, conduct third - each gated by GFSC approval, which turns the file into a sequence of small decisions instead of one large one.
The commercial case is the pairing: UK-mirror regulation with the Gibraltar Authorisation Regime preserving Gibraltar firms' route into the United Kingdom market, at a 15% corporate tax rate and no VAT. The territory runs a genuine financial cluster - banks, administrators, auditors and a regulator that answers its phone - at a scale where files are read by people who remember them. For portfolio managers and advisory firms selling into the UK without London costs, and for groups that want a second common-law licence beside an EU one, Gibraltar is the practical mirror. We build the file end to end.
The UK mirror: GFSC authorisation under the FSA 2019 with IFPR capital - £75k advisory/PM, £150k other, £750k dealing, plus ¼ fixed overheads and K-factors; a three-stage gated application.
The Gibraltar Authorisation Regime keeps the route into the UK market - at 15% corporate tax, no VAT, no CGT. Built end to end.
The two builds
The £75,000 asset-side firm - or the dealer.
IFPR tiers by activity: advisory and portfolio management at £75,000, other firms at £150,000, own-account dealing at £750,000. The perimeter sets the tier. We fix it first.
The £75k asset-side firm - or the £750k dealer.
01 - ADVISORY · PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
The asset-side firm
Advice, order handling, execution and discretionary portfolio management with restricted client-asset holding - £75,000 permanent minimum capital under the IFPR, Class 3 proportionality for small firms.
Advice, order handling, execution and discretionary portfolio management with restricted client-asset holding - £75,000 permanent minimum capital under the IFPR, Class 3 proportionality for small firms.
- ✓Advice · RTO · execution
- ✓Discretionary portfolio management
- ✓£75,000 permanent minimum
- ✓FOR - ¼ of fixed overheads
- ✓K-factors by actual risk
- ✓Class 3 small-firm proportionality
02 - THE DEALING FIRM
The own-account build
Dealing on own account and firm-commitment underwriting at £750,000. The full IFPR stack with K-factors across the risk map, for firms that put their own balance sheet in the market.
Own-account dealing and firm-commitment underwriting at £750,000 with full K-factor computation. Class 2 treatment, trading-book governance.
- ✓Dealing on own account
- ✓£750,000 permanent minimum
- ✓Full K-factor computation
- ✓Class 2 prudential treatment
- ✓Trading-book governance
- ✓Upgrade path from the asset side
Tiers per the GFSC's IFPR as of 2026. Application fees follow the Financial Services Fees Regulations 2020. Confirmed at filing.
Why Gibraltar
Six reasons firms choose the Rock.
✓
The UK mirror
IFPR architecture matching London's. A firm built for Gibraltar is a firm UK counterparties already understand.London's rulebook, smaller.
✓
The UK route
The Gibraltar Authorisation Regime preserves market access into the United Kingdom. The only third territory with that bridge.UK access preserved.
✓
15% and no VAT
The corporate rate undercuts every UK-facing alternative, and fees carry no VAT pad. Economics London cannot match.London can't match.
✓
A staged application
Three gated stages. Model, systems, conduct. Each approved before the next; the file de-risks itself as it goes.Three small decisions.
✓
Human scale
A regulator that meets applicants and remembers files. Supervision as dialogue, at a size where you are a name.You are a name.
✓
The cluster is real
Banks, fund administrators, auditors and law firms in one square mile. Assembly without flights.One square mile.
How it compares
How Gibraltar differs from other routes.
Numbers next to numbers: the UK bridge at a fraction of the cost. With UK-grade expectations attached.
Gibraltar vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Gibraltar | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | FSA 2019 - IFPR mirror | EU MiFID or offshore |
| Capital | £75k-£750k PMC | €75k-€750k EU tiers |
| Market | UK via the GAR | EU passport or none |
| Tax | 15% · no VAT | 12.5%-25% + VAT |
Regime
GibraltarFSA 2019 - IFPR mirror
Other jurisdictionsEU MiFID or offshore
Capital
Gibraltar£75k-£750k PMC
Other jurisdictions€75k-€750k EU tiers
Market
GibraltarUK via the GAR
Other jurisdictionsEU passport or none
Tax
Gibraltar15% · no VAT
Other jurisdictions12.5%-25% + VAT
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibraltar | Investment firm - GFSC | 15% · no VAT | IFPR £75k-£750k |
 England | Investment firm - FCA | 25% main rate | MIFIDPRU £75k-£750k |
 Cyprus | CIF - CySEC | 12.5% · 15% large | IFD tiers, EU passport |
 Estonia | Investment firm - FI | 0% retained · 22/78 | IFD tiers, statutory clock |
GibraltarLicense typeInvestment firm - GFSC
Taxation15% · no VAT
RequirementsIFPR £75k-£750k
EnglandLicense typeInvestment firm - FCA
Taxation25% main rate
RequirementsMIFIDPRU £75k-£750k
CyprusLicense typeCIF - CySEC
Taxation12.5% · 15% large
RequirementsIFD tiers, EU passport
EstoniaLicense typeInvestment firm - FI
Taxation0% retained · 22/78
RequirementsIFD tiers, statutory clock
Before you apply
Requirements for the Gibraltar licence.Requirements for the licence.
The GFSC gates the application in three stages. The checklist below is what the full file contains.
01
Gibraltar company. Incorporated locally with a real presence on the Rock.
02
Permanent minimum capital - £75,000, £150,000 or £750,000 by activity, plus FOR and K-factor own funds.
03
Stage 1 pack. Business model, capital plan and key individuals, approved before anything else moves.
04
Fit-and-proper controllers. Shareholders and officers vetted to ultimate-owner level.
05
Key-individual bench. Directors and senior managers with provable track records, approved personally.
06
Stage 2 pack. Risk management, IT systems, governance and financial-crime controls.
07
Stage 3 pack. Conduct-of-business policies and client documentation.
08
Client-asset arrangements. CASS-style segregation where the permissions touch assets.
09
Prudential reporting. IFPR computations and returns live from day one.
10
AML/CFT programme. Gibraltar's framework with a named MLRO.
11
Substance. Local management and operations the GFSC can walk into.
01
Gibraltar company, present.
02
PMC per tier + FOR + K.
03
Stage 1 - model, people.
04
Controllers vetted to UBO.
05
Key individuals approved.
06
Stage 2. Risk and IT.
07
Stage 3 - conduct pack.
08
Client assets CASS-style.
09
IFPR returns live.
10
MLRO named, AML live.
11
Walk-in substance.
Reflects the Financial Services Act 2019 and the IFPR as of 2026. Fees per the Fees Regulations 2020 are paid in full at Stage 1.FSA 2019 + IFPR, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the GFSC register.
01
Tier and model
Perimeter, IFPR tier and capital stack fixed. The Stage 1 pack built to pass its gate.Stage 1 built to pass.
02
Stage 1 - model and people
Business model, capital and key individuals filed with fees. The GFSC's first approval taken.Model and people in.
03
Stage 2 - systems
Risk, IT, governance and financial-crime controls. The operational architecture approved.Systems approved.
04
Stage 3 - conduct
Conduct-of-business policies and client documentation. The final gate before authorisation.Conduct cleared.
05
Licence and launch
Authorisation granted, UK access mapped under the GAR, banking live. The mirror firm operating.UK route mapped.
Quick facts
RegulatorGFSC
FrameworkFSA 2019 · IFPR
PMC - advisory/PM£75,000
PMC - other£150,000
PMC - dealing£750,000
Own fundsMax of PMC · FOR · K-sum
Application3 gated stages
Corporate tax15%
The staged design is the schedule: a clean Stage 1 sets the tone for everything after it. We build that pack hardest.
On the ground in Gibraltar
Run from our Gibraltar office.
Prifinance - Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar
01
Tier and perimeter
Activities mapped to the £75k/£150k/£750k tier precisely. Capital sized with FOR and K-factors from the start.Sized from the start.
02
The staged file
Stages 1-3 sequenced as the GFSC designs them. Each gate passed before the next is attempted.Gate by gate.
03
Bench and controllers
Key individuals sourced and vetted, controllers documented to UBO. Approvals run in parallel.Vetted before Stage 1.
04
UK access and launch
The GAR route into the United Kingdom mapped, banking and administration assembled in-cluster.GAR mapped, banked.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in Gibraltar.
A 15% rate, no VAT and territorial logic. The UK-facing firm keeps more of every fee.
15% corporate tax
The standard company rate. Ten points under the UK main rate, on the doorstep of the same market.Ten under the UK.
No VAT
Gibraltar charges no VAT at all. Advisory and management fees carry no indirect pad, full stop.Fees unpadded.
Territorial flavour
Income accrued and derived outside Gibraltar can sit outside the charge. Mapped and documented per case.Outside income mapped.
No capital gains tax
Gains sit outside the system. Portfolio and exit value stay whole at firm level.Value stays whole.
Payroll that competes
Personal taxation with capped bands for relocating professionals. The team's economics work too.Teams relocate well.
Group-friendly exits
Dividends flow without local withholding. Holding structures above the firm stack cleanly.No withholding.
Tax summary
Corporate tax15%
VATNone
Capital gains taxNone
Dividend withholdingNone
Planning levelGroup + owner
*Figures as of 2026 per the Income Tax Office. Territorial-source outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Gibraltar company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed firm.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Gibraltar · GFSC
Launch your investment firm in Gibraltar with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the staged GFSC application to IFPR capital and UK market access - run through our Gibraltar office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Gibraltar the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Gibraltar investment licence: the practical answers.
What licence does an investment firm need in Gibraltar?+
Authorisation from the GFSC under the Financial Services Act 2019, with prudential treatment under Gibraltar's IFPR - covering advice, order handling, portfolio management and dealing by permission.
What capital is required?+
Permanent minimum capital by activity: £75,000 for advisory, order-handling and portfolio-management firms with restricted client-asset holding; £150,000 for other firms; £750,000 for dealing on own account. Own funds must also meet a quarter of fixed overheads and the K-factor sum.
What are K-factors?+
The IFPR's risk-based capital add-ons across risk-to-client, risk-to-market and risk-to-firm - assets under management, client money and orders handled each carry a coefficient. Small Class 3 firms compute a proportionate subset.
How does the three-stage application work?+
Stage 1 covers business model, capital and key individuals; Stage 2 risk management, IT and governance; Stage 3 conduct of business. Each stage is approved before the next proceeds - the file de-risks progressively, and fees are paid in full at Stage 1.
Does Gibraltar give access to the UK market?+
Yes - the Gibraltar Authorisation Regime preserves Gibraltar-licensed firms' route into the United Kingdom, the only third territory with that standing arrangement. For UK-facing models it replaces what EU passporting once was.
How long does licensing take?+
Realistically 6-12 months across the three stages, driven by how cleanly each pack passes its gate - a strong Stage 1 sets the pace for the whole file.
How are Gibraltar investment firms taxed?+
15% corporate tax, no VAT, no capital gains tax and no dividend withholding - with territorial-source logic for income accrued and derived outside Gibraltar, mapped per case.
What substance does the GFSC expect?+
Real local management - key individuals on the Rock, staffed control functions and premises the regulator can walk into. The human-scale system works because the firms in it are real.
Gibraltar or Cyprus for the second licence?+
Different bridges: Gibraltar reaches the UK under the GAR at 15%; Cyprus reaches the EU under the passport at 12.5%. Groups running both markets increasingly hold both - we build them in parallel.
Why Prifinance for Gibraltar?+
The staged application run stage by stage as the GFSC designs it, IFPR capital computed correctly the first time, and a bench vetted before Stage 1 - from our Gibraltar office.
What licence?+
GFSC investment firm.
Capital?+
£75k/£150k/£750k + K.
K-factors?+
Risk-based add-ons.
Three stages?+
Model, systems, conduct.
UK access?+
Yes - via the GAR.
How long?+
6-12 months staged.
Taxes?+
15%, no VAT, no CGT.
Substance?+
Key people on the Rock.
Or Cyprus?+
UK bridge vs EU passport.
Why you?+
Stage 1 built hardest.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
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Google
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Google
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of GFSC or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.