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Jersey is a leading international finance centre with a deep funds, banking, and private wealth sector, a 0% standard corporate tax rate for most companies, island-wide full-fibre connectivity, and a regulator that engages with innovative firms. For a broader overview, see Jersey for Fintech.
This page sets out the key steps to set up or relocate a fintech, regtech or digital-asset business in Jersey. It is a high-level guide and does not replace professional legal, tax or regulatory advice.
We’ve put the Jersey-specific steps in one place – and we can help you work out which parts apply to you. Note that in practice, most fintech firms are either outside the financial services licensing perimeter or are Schedule 2 (AML-only) businesses, not fully licensed financial services firms.
The main early decision is whether, from the JFSC’s perspective, you are:
Many fintechs fall into the first two categories. Digital Jersey can help you work out which applies to you.
A small subset of fintechs will need a full license under the Financial Services (Jersey) Law 1998 – for example where you are holding client money or assets, providing investment advice, executing trades or offering fund services in your own name.
JFSC sector pages explain how this applies in practice:
– Investment business – robo-advice, trading platforms, digital brokers, etc.
– Fund services business – fund administration platforms, tokenised fund service providers.
– Money service business – payments, FX, remittance.
If you are likely to fall in these sectors, engage the Innovation Hub and prospective local advisers early.
If you are not licensed under FSJL but carry out certain financial activities (for example some lending models, certain payment flows or virtual asset services), you may fall under the Schedule 2 regime to the Proceeds of Crime (Jersey) Law 1999.
Schedule 2 businesses must:
– register with the JFSC for AML/CFT/CPF supervision; and
– comply with the AML regime and the JFSC’s AML/CFT/CPF Handbook.
The JFSC’s Guidelines on the interpretation of Schedule 2 give detailed examples.
Examples that are often out of scope or Schedule 2-only include:
– workflow and productivity tools sold to banks and administrators
– analytics and reporting dashboards that use client data but do not handle client money or assets
– KYC / onboarding / regtech utilities where the regulated client configures and operates the service
Your exact position always depends on how your model is structured, but if this sounds like you, it is unlikely you will need a full FSJL licence.
Most VASPs are also Schedule 2 businesses and must register for AML supervision, even where they are not licensed under FSJL.
If you provide virtual asset services you are likely a VASP, for example:
– exchange between virtual assets and fiat or between virtual assets;
– transfers of virtual assets on behalf of others;
– safekeeping or administration (custody / wallet providers);
– some virtual asset platforms.
Key materials:
– Virtual assets sector page, including an “Is my activity a VASP?” check.
– Travel Rule guidance note – updated November 2025 to reflect maturing global standards and on-site examinations.
– Tokenisation / ICO / ITO guidance – how tokenised securities, fund interests and other assets are treated.
If you are a VASP or other crypto-asset intermediary, you may also be a Reporting Crypto-Asset Service Provider (RCASP) under the OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).
Jersey has implemented CARF from 1 January 2026, with first reporting of 2026 transactions due in 2027. CARF creates separate tax-reporting duties (alongside AML and Travel Rule requirements) for in-scope firms. See Revenue Jersey’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework and expansion of the Common Reporting Standard for scope and timelines.
In practice, most fintechs use a Jersey limited company; other forms (LPs, LLCs) are reserved for specific fund or holding structures.
The JFSC’s Registry (myRegistry) handles:
– company incorporation
– business name registration
If you are not resident in Jersey, you cannot incorporate a Jersey company directly. You will need to work through a Jersey-regulated corporate service provider (CSP), who will use myRegistry on your behalf and carry out the required due diligence.
If you are eligible to incorporate directly, you do so online using myRegistry. Once formed, the company is automatically registered with Revenue Jersey for corporate tax.
Under the Financial Services (Disclosure and Provision of Information) (Jersey) Law 2020 you must file and keep up to date:
– your beneficial owners
– your “significant persons” (for example directors and some shareholders)
– core entity information (registered office, purpose, etc.)
You must also submit an annual confirmation statement via myRegistry. The JFSC explains this in its DPI Law guidance.
From February 2025, obliged entities supervised for AML/CFT can access the Obliged Entity Beneficial Owner (OEBO) register in myJFSC for customer due diligence (CDD) purposes.
Key points:
– access is only for specified individuals in obliged entities (or their representatives) and is controlled through myJFSC
– searches must be for legitimate CDD purposes
– access and use are auditable and misuse may constitute an offence under Jersey law.
See:
– Guidance for accessing the OEBO register
– Guidance on evidence required to prove legitimate search of the OEBO register
Running a business and employing staff in Jersey is governed by the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012.
Most Jersey-based fintechs need a business licence issued under the CHW Law:
– apply online via the Government’s business services portal
– the licence states your permitted activities and how many people of each “status” (entitled / licensed / registered) you can employ
Guidance sits on the Government’s “Apply for a business licence” page.
Digital Jersey can support you with this process – including helping you shape roles and permissions – through our Work Permissions Assistance service.
Your business licence under the CHW Law effectively caps the number and type of roles you can fill, so your hiring plan and licence application should be designed together.
Together with Digital Jersey, you plan:
– relocation routes and work permissions for founders / key hires
– local recruitment plans
– where your registered office and operational footprint will sit
This is tied to CHW Law quotas, so it is worth aligning your structure, licence application and hiring plan from the start.
When you start employing staff in Jersey, you must register as an employer with Revenue Jersey, and set up combined employer returns for ITIS and Social Security contributions.
With your model, entity and CHW plan clear, you can firm up your regulatory route and practical banking options.
Using the work from Section 2:
– confirm whether you are applying for an FSJL licence (for example investment business, fund services business, money service business) via the relevant JFSC sector pages;
– or registering as a Schedule 2 business for AML supervision only, using the Guidelines on the interpretation of Schedule 2.
For many fintechs, the outcome of this step is that you are only registered with the JFSC as a Schedule 2 (AML-supervised) business, not fully licensed as a financial services provider. That still brings AML responsibilities, but it is a lighter touch than an FSJL licence.
The Innovation Hub can sense-check this before you commit to a full application.
Jersey hosts a mix of international and local banks.
For fintechs and VASPs in particular:
– open a dialogue with potential banks early, ideally while you are shaping your regulatory route
– check whether any critical global PSPs or platforms in your stack support Jersey-registered entities – coverage is improving but not universal. Here is a useful resource for PSP options.
FSJL-licensed and Schedule 2 businesses must comply with:
– the Proceeds of Crime (Jersey) Law 1999
– the Money Laundering (Jersey) Order 2008
– the JFSC’s AML/CFT/CPF Handbook
These set expectations for risk assessment, CDD, monitoring, sanctions, governance and record-keeping.
If you are already FCA-authorised in the UK, much of this will feel familiar – these are Jersey’s equivalents to the AML and systems-and-controls expectations you already meet, with some local differences.
Article 3(4A) of the Money Laundering Order recognises certain digital identification systems as a “reliable and independent source” of identification data, where they meet conditions aligned with FATF’s Digital ID Guidance.
The AML/CFT/CPF Handbook (especially Section 4) explains how firms should:
– risk-assess digital ID providers
– integrate them into CDD in a risk-based way.
If you outsource material activities – including cloud hosting, data processing, ID&V or transaction monitoring – you must comply with the JFSC’s Outsourcing Policy (OSP).
The revised OSP:
– took effect from 1 January 2024 after a transition period
– sets expectations on due diligence, contracts, governance and oversight
– defines when you must notify or obtain no-objection
In practice you should:
– maintain an outsourcing register
– ensure contracts cover access, audit, data location and exit
– build oversight into your governance structure
Even if you are not regulated yourself, your regulated clients must comply with the Outsourcing Policy, so designing your product and contracts to support those requirements is a competitive advantage.
Once your Jersey entity is formed, make sure you are correctly set up with Revenue Jersey for the tax and contributions obligations that apply to your structure and operating model.
In practice, this usually means:
– Corporate tax: Jersey companies are automatically registered for corporate tax on incorporation, but you still need to understand your filing and payment obligations
– Employing staff: if you employ people in Jersey, you must register as an employer for Income Tax Instalment System (ITIS) and Social Security contributions, and you’ll have ongoing combined employer return obligations (tax, social security and manpower). Revenue Jersey expects you to notify them within 7 days of your first employee starting
– GST: check whether you need to register based on the £300,000 taxable supplies threshold (see 7.3 below)
For guidance see the Government of Jersey’s step-by-step guide.
Jersey’s standard corporate tax regime is often summarised as “0/10/20”:
– 0% – standard rate for most companies
– 10% – certain regulated financial services companies
– 20% – utilities and some large retailers / property income
From 1 January 2025, in-scope entities of large multinational groups are also subject to a 15% Multinational Corporate Income Tax (MCIT) and to an Income Inclusion Rule (IIR), implementing OECD Pillar 2. This is set out in the Multinational Corporate Income Tax (Jersey) Law 2025 and the Multinational Taxation (Global Anti-Base Erosion – IIR Tax) (Jersey) Law 2025. For further information, please refer to Revenue Jersey’s MCIT guidance.
MCIT and IIR generally apply to groups with consolidated annual revenues of €750m or more (OECD Pillar 2 threshold), but your tax advisers should confirm your specific position.
If you’re a JFSC-regulated 10% taxpayer, you may also qualify for Jersey’s RegTech super-deduction, which lets eligible firms deduct 150% of qualifying RegTech spend for tax purposes. See RegTech Super-Deduction: Explained for details.
Certain “relevant activities” (including some finance and IP-heavy models) must meet economic substance requirements.
You will need to show appropriate:
– Jersey-based people
– expenditure
– decision-making and activity
The Government’s economic substance guidance sets out which entities are in scope and what “enough” looks like for each activity.
The standard rate of GST is 5%.
You must register if your taxable supplies are £300,000 or more in any 12-month period, or if you have reasonable grounds to believe they will reach that level in the coming 12 months.
See:
– Company tax – business hub
– Registering your business for GST
If you are a crypto-asset platform or intermediary, you should also consider the OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).
Jersey is preparing to implement CARF from 1 January 2026, subject to approval by the States Assembly, with first reporting of 2026 transactions due in 2027.
This is aligned with international timelines and the EU’s DAC8. See Revenue Jersey’s page on the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework and expansion of the Common Reporting Standard for current status and detailed scope.
CARF introduces additional international tax-transparency obligations for Reporting Crypto-Asset Service Providers (RCASPs) – for example virtual asset brokers, exchanges and dealers must:
– Conduct due diligence to identify reportable customers
– Collect tax information (jurisdictions of tax residence and Taxpayer Identification Numbers)
– Report certain crypto-asset transactions by type and value to Revenue Jersey by 30 June each year for the previous calendar year
Revenue Jersey’s Implementation of CARF in Jersey industry note summarises who is affected, what must be reported and the key dates.
CARF sits alongside the expansion of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) to bring some digital assets within scope. It does not itself:
– Impose Travel Rule obligations on non-VASPs; or
– Require institutions to collect additional provenance information beyond what is needed for CARF due diligence.
You should work with your tax advisers to confirm whether your Jersey entity is an RCASP and to integrate CARF and expanded CRS reporting into your wider compliance and reporting framework.
If you are established in Jersey and process personal data, you must register with the Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner (JOIC) under the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 and the Data Protection Authority (Jersey) Law 2018.
– Register and manage your entry via JOIC registrations.
– Government overview: Data protection laws in Jersey.
JOIC treats most companies incorporated and managed from Jersey as ‘established in Jersey’ for registration purposes
The European Commission has confirmed that Jersey continues to benefit from EU data adequacy, and the UK has also recognised Jersey as an adequate jurisdiction under the UK GDPR.
This means personal data can flow between Jersey and the EU / UK without needing additional transfer tools such as SCCs, which is helpful if:
– you are a Jersey fintech handling EU or UK client data; or
– an EU or UK firm using Jersey-based regtech / infrastructure.
Transfers to non-adequate countries (for example some US or APAC destinations) still require appropriate transfer mechanisms under your group’s data protection framework.
If you are not issuing securities or running fund structures, you can skip Step 9.
If you issue securities (including tokenised securities, fund interests or bonds) using a Jersey vehicle, you will usually need consent under the Control of Borrowing (Jersey) Order 1958 (COBO).
This covers, for example:
– share issues by Jersey companies
– interests in unit trusts and limited partnerships
– tokenised forms of these products
Government has consulted on repealing COBO and moving to a more modern framework. COBO remains fully in force until new legislation is passed and any transition is published.
See JFSC guidance on:
– Securities issues by Jersey companies
– Tokenisation and initial coin offerings
The JPF is designed for professional / eligible investors only; it is not a retail product.
For professional-only strategies and pilots, the Jersey Private Fund (JPF) is often the most efficient product.
Enhancements effective since 6 August 2025 include:
– removal of the 50-investor / offer cap;
– broader professional investor definition;
– ability to list JPFs with JFSC consent;
– a 24-hour authorisation process for qualifying JPF applications submitted by registered Designated Service Providers (DSPs).
JFSC guidance: Jersey Private Fund Guide.
For fintech / tokenisation, a JPF is often used when:
– you want “fund-style” guardrails
– you are dealing with professional / institutional money
– you want a repeatable institutional product after a successful pilot
Once you’re live, your focus shifts to staying compliant and current. In practice, this breaks into four buckets: regulator, registry, data protection, and tax/substance.
Submit sector-specific regulatory returns (for example Investment Business, Fund Services Business, Schedule 2 / VASP) through myJFSC.
Maintain your AML/CFT/CPF business risk assessment, policies, procedures and training in line with the JFSC’s AML/CFT/CPF Handbook.
Keep your outsourcing register up to date and make any notifications or material change notifications required by the JFSC’s Outsourcing Policy.
Keep beneficial ownership and significant person information accurate and current.
File your annual confirmation statement via myRegistry in line with the Financial Services (Disclosure and Provision of Information) (Jersey) Law 2020.
Maintain and renew your data protection registration with the Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner via JOIC registrations.
Update your records of processing and your data processing agreements when you change what you do, where data is stored, or which vendors you use.
File your company tax (and, if applicable, MCIT) and economic substance returns in line with Revenue Jersey’s company tax guidance and economic substance guidance.
Monitor your turnover against the £300,000 GST registration threshold and register / file GST returns if required via GST for businesses.
