Gibraltar trust cost depends mainly on the structure rather than the place: the local trustee's role, the assets, the drafting and the yearly work. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust or foundation in Gibraltar on this page; annual administration, event-based work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case.
The set-up fee for a Gibraltar trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Governing law
Gibraltar trust law includes the Trustees Act and the Trusts (Recognition) Act 1989[1]
Foreign law rules
The 1989 Act deals with recognising foreign trusts[1]
Governing law
Gibraltar trust law includes the Trustees Act and the Trusts (Recognition) Act 1989[1]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 8,000
Trust set-up in Gibraltar: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by One Pacific Trust or a partner trustee, confirmed in your quote.
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Standard foundation
USD 9,500
Foundation set-up in Gibraltar: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by One Pacific Trust or a partner trustee, confirmed in your quote.
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Illustration, not a real client.
Set-up costs pay for the work done before the trust holds any asset. In Gibraltar the trustee is confirmed in your quote, and part of the set-up cost is the trustee’s acceptance of office.
Structure design and onboarding checks. Agreeing with counsel whether a trust, an asset protection trust or a private foundation fits your aims, and verifying the settlor and the people connected with the structure.
Drafting. A Gibraltar law firm drafts the deed. Gibraltar trust law includes the Trustees Act and the Trusts (Recognition) Act 1989 (source: Laws of Gibraltar, Trusts legislation). The firm charges for its own time.
Trustee acceptance. The trustee reads the file against the deed, accepts office and opens the trust file. The trustee is confirmed in your quote, and its role and charges are set out in your engagement letter.
Purpose trusts. Gibraltar has a Purpose Trusts Act 2015 (source: Laws of Gibraltar, Trusts legislation). A purpose trust adds roles to draft and appoint.
Foundations and companies. If the structure includes one, forming it carries its own incorporation and agent costs.
The set-up guide shows when each of these happens.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Once the trust is running, the trustee’s work repeats each year. It covers holding title to the assets, keeping accounts and records, holding meetings with minutes and refreshing identity checks.
The trustee’s yearly charge forms the main ongoing line, and the trustee is confirmed in your quote. We add the administration we do on your side: reports, instructions to the trustee and the records kept for tax information exchange.
Some tasks are charged when they happen rather than yearly. Examples are a distribution to a beneficiary, a change of beneficiary or protector and a change of trustee.
The engagement letter says which tasks fall under the yearly arrangement and which are charged separately. Read it with your own lawyer before you sign.
Third-party costs
Third parties set their own charges. Your quote says which we pass through at cost and which you pay directly.
Cost
Who charges it
When it arises
Drafting the deed and advising on later changes
Gibraltar law firm
At set-up, and at each amendment
Account opening and holding the assets
Bank or custodian
At set-up, then ongoing
Forming a foundation or a company
Counsel and a corporate services provider
At set-up, then each year
Accounts or audit of an entity in the structure
Accountant or auditor
Each year, where required
Tax advice where you live
Your own adviser
Before signing, and if your position changes
Basis: the intake questions we ask Gibraltar clients and the sources cited on this page, checked 2026-11-06. The set-up fee shown on this page is for a standard trust or foundation; other lines are quoted after we review your case.
Government or registry charges may apply. Your lawyer confirms whether any does in your case, and we tell you before one is paid on your behalf.
What changes the total
Four things move the total more than any others.
The type of structure. A single trust is simpler than a trust with a foundation or a company beside it.
The kind of assets. A portfolio of listed securities is simpler to hold than shares in an operating company or property.
The number of people and countries. More beneficiaries and more countries mean more identity checks and more reporting.
How much of the work you do yourself. Complete documents at the start save time on every later step.
The 1989 Act deals with recognising foreign trusts (source: Laws of Gibraltar, Trusts legislation). If a trust or its assets already sit under another law, expect extra drafting and advice to line the two up. The law and features page explains the rules in more detail.
How to get a quote
A quote rests on five answers: the structure in mind, the kind of assets, the number of beneficiaries, the countries involved and whether a foundation or a company interests you.
We reply with an estimate. It is not a binding offer, and we confirm it after we have seen the documents and the assets.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Gibraltar?
You pay for onboarding checks and structure design, a Gibraltar law firm's drafting, and the trustee's acceptance of office. A purpose trust, a foundation or a company adds its own work. Account opening is a further step. The quote lists each item separately.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Gibraltar?
Yes. The trustee charges every year for holding office, accounts, records, meetings and identity refreshes, and our administration work adds to it. A distribution, a new beneficiary or a change of trustee brings an event charge. The engagement letter sets out which lines repeat.
How do I get a quote for a trust in Gibraltar?
Describe the structure you have in mind, the assets, the beneficiaries, the countries involved and any foundation or company. We send an estimate with its assumptions and confirm it after reviewing your documents. It is a guide to the likely lines, not a binding offer.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
Hong Kong
Singapore
BVI
Jersey
