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Your residency

What your Gibraltar residence permit gives you and your family, how to renew it each year, and what can cause it to lapse.

Once you have residency, this page covers what you and your family can access, how to renew your permit each year, and what can cause it to lapse.

What residency gives you

Residency is focused on healthcare and education for you and your immediate family. Access to wider social benefits is limited.

What you and your family can access

As a Gibraltar resident, you are entitled to:

  • healthcare through the Gibraltar Health Authority group practice medical scheme (GPMS) for you, your spouse or civil partner and your children (children under 18, and those in full-time education)
  • schooling in Gibraltar for your children (under 18, unless in full-time education)
  • a scholarship for a dependent child (under 18, unless in full-time education) after 10 years of continuous lawful residence and uninterrupted payment of tax and social insurance
Note:

These entitlements cover your spouse or civil partner and children only. They do not extend to parents, and the rules do not use the term “dependant”.

What residency does not give you

Residency does not give you access to:

  • Elderly Residential Services
  • Domiciliary Care
  • public and affordable housing
  • berths in the Small Boats Marina, or any other Government berthing scheme
  • any other social benefits

After 20 years

Residents who are British Citizens can apply for Gibraltarian Status after 20 years of residence. With Gibraltarian Status, you then have access to all services, including Elderly Residential Services and Domiciliary Care.

See guidance and rules for the pathway to Gibraltarian Status.

Renewing and keeping your permit

Your residence permit is renewed every year. You must continue to meet all the conditions of your permit to keep it.

Renewing each year

When you renew, you must confirm that all the conditions of your permit continue to be met. The renewal fee is £20.

Warning:

If you do not disclose accurate and complete information, or do not report a material change in your circumstances, your renewal can be refused, or your permit can be suspended or revoked.

When your permit lapses automatically

Your permit lapses automatically if:

  • payments of your tax or social insurance stop — unless you can show that the payments were deducted from your salary but not passed on by your employer
  • 16 weeks after a Notice of Termination of Terms of Engagement is filed with the Department of Employment — unless the Director of Immigration and Home Affairs is satisfied that you have a new employment contract
Note:

Your permit is not put at risk if your tax or social insurance payments pause because you are on maternity leave, seriously ill, studying or training, or unemployed for up to 16 weeks.

Keeping good standing

The Government can refuse, suspend or revoke a residence permit if you are not of good standing — for example, on the basis of future vetting or arrests — or on public policy, public health or public security grounds.

Warning:

Your permit can be revoked — and you can be barred from reapplying for 5 years — if you commit residence or address fraud, or harbour or assist an illegal immigrant.

Living without a valid permit

Warning:

If you live in Gibraltar without a valid residence permit, you can be fined up to £2,500. See fees.