• Business Licensing
  • Online Access to Business forms
  • Business Support

Business Licensing

Any person wishing to trade in Gibraltar, be it wholesale or retail, or to provide a service in Gibraltar must hold a valid business licence (unless the relevant business is regulated by another enactment). Find out more about the Business Licencing Authority and download copies of the licence application forms.

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Online Access to Business forms

All forms and applications relating to the licensing and registration requirements of your business with various Government departments can now be downloaded for free from our website. This includes forms for the Department of Employment, Income Tax Office, Development and Planning Commission, HM Customs and the OFT. Just visit the Business Support section.

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Business Support

The Business Support team’s aim is to assist entrepreneurs with the process of establishing their new businesses in Gibraltar. We can provide guidance about your business’s licensing and registration requirements with the OFT and other HM Government of Gibraltar Departments.

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*For specific COVID-19 news and guidance please see below or refer to our News section*

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is a regulator set up by Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar. The OFT’s legal framework is enshrined within the Fair Trading Act 2015 and its subsidiary legislation.

The OFT's objectives

Its primary objectives are:

  1. to protect the interests of consumers and prevent harmful business practices;
  2. to ensure a fair market is maintained for all businesses in Gibraltar;
  3. to license and regulate Gibraltar businesses;
  4. to facilitate the establishment of new businesses in Gibraltar; and
  5. to prevent the misuse of local high value good dealers and real estate agents for the laundering of money or the funding of terrorism.

It shall meet these objectives by:

  1. promoting consumer law and encouraging businesses to comply with their legal obligations;
  2. investigating and reviewing business practices which may harm consumer interests;
  3. licensing businesses efficiently while encouraging appropriate trading standards;
  4. undertaking supervisory, regulatory and investigatory work on a risk based approach; and
  5. issuing educational information and guidance for the benefit of consumers and businesses.

Starting a Gibraltar business

Most businesses operating in Gibraltar will be required to have a business licence. If you are looking to open a business in Gibraltar refer to our Business Licensing section for guidance or contact our Business Licensing team. 

If you need guidance about the legal registration requirements before a business can start operating locally visit our Business Support section.

Your consumer rights and complaints against local businesses

To find out more about your consumer rights visit on Consumer Protection section. If you have a complaint about a local business’s practices please contact our consumer protection team to report that matter or simply to seek guidance from the team about your rights.

For any other queries please contact us.

About us

The OFT is a statutory regulator set up by Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar to protect the interests of consumers in Gibraltar and to ensure a fair market is maintained.

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