Gibraltar · Tax regime
High Executive Possessing Specialist Skills (HEPSS)
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open. Assessable income is capped at GBP 160,000, with an annual tax liability of GBP 39,940 under the Gross Income Based System. The June 2026 Category 2 changes do not affect this.
HEPSS is the working counterpart to Category 2. There is no net-worth test, but you must genuinely hold a senior Gibraltar role paying above GBP 160,000 in skills the local economy lacks. For a fund principal or a gaming or insurance executive relocating the business, it is cheaper and less scrutinised than Category 2. It was also untouched by the June 2026 repricing.
Qualifying routes
£39.9k
HEPSS certificate
Gross assessable income capped at GBP 160,000, taxed only under the Gross Income Based System, with an annual liability of GBP 39,940
The facts
- Minimum
- £39.9k
- Total landed cost
- GBP 39,940 a year in tax, plus high-standard approved residential accommodation in Gibraltar
- Route type
- Tax regime, not a visa
- Timeline
- 1–4 months (requires an employment offer in Gibraltar, plus a certificate application)
- Physical presence
- You must occupy approved high-standard residential accommodation in Gibraltar and hold a genuine executive role there.
- Family
- The spouse and dependent children accompany the principal applicant
- Permanent residency
- It stays tied to continued employment and status.
- Citizenship
- There is no direct route.
- Language test
- Not applicable
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- Employment in Gibraltar in a role requiring specialist skills that are not available in Gibraltar and are of value to the economy.annual earnings above GBP 160,000approved, high-standard housing in Gibraltargenerally, no residence in Gibraltar during the previous 3 yearsa certificate issued by the Finance Centre Director
What can go wrong
- The skills must genuinely be unavailable in Gibraltar and must be of value to the economy. The Finance Centre assesses this substantively and refuses applications that look like Category 2 under another name.
- It is contingent on employment. Lose the role, and you lose the status and, with it, the residence basis.
- The GBP 160,000 salary floor must be real and actually paid.
- It caps assessable income at GBP 160,000, but it does not shelter you from taxation elsewhere. And unlike Category 2, the tax is a fixed GBP 39,940 with no banding relief.
- Approved high-standard residential accommodation is required, and Gibraltar's supply is tight and expensive.
- The same cross-border risk applies as with Category 2. Living in Spain while claiming Gibraltar tax status is the classic error, and it is now easier to fall into under the post-15-July-2026 open border.