Moving to Guernsey: housing, costs and market guide

A general orientation, not financial, tax or immigration advice — figures below are widely reported but can change, so treat every number as a starting point and confirm anything that matters against the official States of Guernsey pages linked throughout.

Housing: two markets, not one

Whether you can buy — and what you can buy — depends on your residency status. The Local Market is reserved for people residentially qualified in Guernsey, on an Employment Permit, or an immediate family member of a Local Market householder. The Open Market has no residency restriction but is a smaller, generally pricier slice of the island's housing. See how the Open Market and Local Market system works for the full explanation, and the States of Guernsey's own Population Management pages for the current rules.

Tax

Guernsey has long charged a flat rate of personal income tax, has no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax and (currently) no VAT — a materially different system from the UK's. A tax reform affecting the personal income tax rate structure has been under discussion for 2026; check gov.gg's income tax changes page for whether and when it takes effect, and the current income tax rates and allowances for the actual figures in force today. Your tax residency status depends on how many days you spend in Guernsey each calendar year — see gov.gg's residence and tax liability page.

Healthcare

There is no free-at-the-point-of-use equivalent of the NHS in Guernsey — GP practices are private, and residents (including new arrivals) pay for consultations, though the States of Guernsey subsidises part of the cost of a primary care appointment. Prescribed medication is typically provided free once a GP has prescribed it. See gov.gg's guide to registering with a doctor and the current medical charges page for up-to-date fees.

What's actually on the market right now

Rather than quote a stale "average house price" figure, see the real current stock and prices: property for sale in Guernsey and Guernsey sold prices since 1990 for a sense of what things have actually sold for, drawn from the States of Guernsey's own property register.

Buying once you're ready

See buying property in Guernsey: process and costs for how a purchase actually completes, including the Royal Court step every Guernsey conveyance goes through.