Incorporation & Change of Name
Please note: These guidance notes are not intended to be definitive legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. The interpretation of legislation is a matter on which the Guernsey Registry cannot advise and entities/individuals need to form their own independent view on compliance with the legislation. Independent legal advice is advised where there is any uncertainty.
The guidance notes on this page give information on company incorporations, changes of name and name reservation, including example resolutions and documents.
Incorporation
Guernsey companies can only be incorporated by a Corporate Service Provider (CSP) who holds a full fiduciary licence from the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
The Registry has a directory of CSPs available here.
Prior to incorporating a company, a company name may be reserved for three months to prevent anyone else from using it.
| Guidance Note | Description |
|---|---|
 Choosing a company name [269kb] | Guidance on choosing company names, including information on compulsory components of a company's name and prohibited words/phrases |
| Alternative company names (in non-Roman script) [264kb] | Guidance on alternative company names (in non-Roman script or alphabet) |
| Company Classification Changes - January 2021 [266kb] | Guidance on changes to company classifications |
| Economic Activity Codes [664kb] | Guidance on Economic Activity Codes & link to list of codes |
| Standard Memorandum [113kb] | PDF copy of the standard Memorandum for Guernsey companies (current version) |
| Standard Articles [266kb] | PDF copy of the standard Articles of Incorporation for Guernsey companies (current version, introduced September 2015) |
Change of company name
Companies may change their name by special resolution of the members. A change of name submission, along with a declaration of compliance and a copy of the special resolution, must be submitted to the Registry online. If the name change is accepted, a change of name certificate is issued and sent to the company.
A template resolution, template declaration of compliance and guidance on making the online submission is available below.
| Guidance Note | Description |
|---|---|
| Choosing a company name [269kb] | Guidance on choosing company names, including information on compulsory components of a company's name and prohibited words/phrases |
| Change of company name - resolution [156kb] | Template special resolution to change a company name |
| Change company name - declaration of compliance [15kb] | Template declaration of compliance for company name changes |
| Exemption from s21(1)(b) for charitable companies [138kb] | Template confirmation of exemption from section 21(1)(b) for charitable companies |
