Guernsey trust cost depends mainly on the structure rather than the island: the entities, the assets, the powers you keep and the trustee's yearly work. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust or foundation in Guernsey 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 Guernsey 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
The Trusts (Guernsey) Law, 2007 is the main statute for Guernsey trusts[1]
Reserved settlor powers
Reserving powers, such as to revoke or vary, does not void the trust (s. 15)[2]
Reporting to authorities
Guernsey takes part in automatic exchange of tax information under the CRS[4]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 10,500
Trust set-up in Guernsey: 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 12,500
Foundation set-up in Guernsey: 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 work done once, before any asset reaches the trust. The engagement letter gives the date each line falls due.
Structure design and onboarding checks. Choosing with counsel between a trust, a foundation and a company beside either, and verifying the settlor and each person who can direct the trustee.
Drafting. A Guernsey law firm drafts the deed under the Trusts (Guernsey) Law, 2007, the main statute for Guernsey trusts (source: Guernsey Legal Resources, Trusts (Guernsey) Law, 2007). Your own lawyer reviews it.
Reserved powers. Reserving powers, such as to revoke or vary, does not void the trust (source: States of Guernsey, Billet d’Etat XIX 2007, Projet de Loi, The Trusts (Guernsey) Law, 2007).
Each power kept must still be written into the deed, which adds drafting time.
Trustee acceptance and account opening. The trustee tests the file against the deed, accepts office and opens the accounts.
Foundations and companies. The Foundations (Guernsey) Law 2012 is a Guernsey law on foundations (source: States of Guernsey, media release of 21 December 2012).
Forming a foundation or a company has its own incorporation and agent costs.
We work with a local partner where the work is done on the island. The set-up guide shows the order of the work.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
After signing, the trust runs on yearly charges. The trustee bills for holding office, keeping accounts and records, convening meetings and signing resolutions.
Guernsey takes part in automatic exchange of tax information under the CRS (source: States of Guernsey, Common reporting standard). That means refreshed identity documents and a record of each person’s tax residence.
On our side, administration covers your reports, the yearly identity refresh and the instructions you want passed to the trustee.
Event charges arise when the trust changes: a distribution, a new beneficiary or protector, a deed amendment or a move to another trustee.
A quiet year asks less of the trustee than a year with many distributions or many bank accounts.
Ask what notice the trustee gives before changing its charges. Those answers belong in the written terms, and we ask for them on your behalf.
Third-party costs
Others set some charges, and the quote lists each on its own line.
Cost
Who charges it
When it arises
Deed drafting and later advice
Guernsey law firm
At set-up, and at each amendment
The role it takes in your structure
Local partner
At set-up, then each year
Bank and custodian charges
Bank or custodian
At set-up, then ongoing
Forming and running a company or foundation
Corporate services provider
At set-up, then each year
Accounts or audit of an entity under the trust
Accountant or auditor
Each year, where required
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Your own advisers
Before signing, and if your position changes
Basis: our pricing approach for Guernsey 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 where an entity is formed. Your lawyer confirms whether any does for your structure.
What changes the total
Five answers move the quote more than the rest.
Factor
Why it matters
Kinds of assets
Shares in private companies and property need more work than cash
Entities in the structure
Each company or foundation adds formation, agent and accounting charges
Powers the settlor keeps
Each reserved power must be drafted and then respected in every decision
Number of accounts
Each bank relationship adds checks and reporting
Activity each year
Distributions and changes bring event charges
When you compare quotes, ask each provider to list what sits inside the yearly fee and what is charged per event. A low headline figure can hide items billed separately. The law and features page explains why some clauses take longer.
How to get a quote
Tell us your plans in plain words and we price them. A quote starts with the structure you have in mind, the assets, the beneficiaries, the countries connected and any entity you want.
The estimate lists its assumptions. We firm it up after reading the draft deed terms and the asset papers.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Guernsey?
You pay for onboarding checks and structure design, a Guernsey law firm's drafting of the deed, the trustee's acceptance and account opening, and any company or foundation formed beside the trust. Powers you want to reserve add drafting time. Each item appears on its own line in the quote.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Guernsey?
Yes. Each year the trustee charges for holding office, accounts, records, meetings and resolutions. Identity refreshes and tax reporting add work. A distribution, a new beneficiary or a deed amendment brings an extra event charge. A quiet year costs the trustee less effort than a busy one.
How do I get a quote for a trust in Guernsey?
Send a short note on your plans: structure, holdings, beneficiaries, countries and any entity. You receive an estimate listing its assumptions, which is then firmed up once the draft deed terms and asset papers are checked. The estimate does not bind either side.
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
