The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a group of islands (called Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou and Lihou) within the Channel Islands.
It is a beautiful, vibrant and safe place to live. It has a thriving and modern community driven by a fast-paced economy, but maintains a healthy respect for its culture and traditional values.
Situated in the Bay of St. Malo the Islands are geographically closer to France, only 27 miles from the Normandy coast, and 70 miles from the south coast of England.
The island is approximately 9 miles by 6 miles (just over 78 square kilometres) with a population of over 60,000. The capital, St Peter Port, is unique with its cobbled streets and a mixture of small boutiques and other mainstream shopping and banking areas. In addition there are many restaurants, bistros and cafes offering a wide range of cuisine with many featuring fresh local seafood.
Guernsey offers a completely different way of life. The island has stunning views, beautiful walks and cycle routes. Sport is an important part of life in Guernsey, as well as the arts. If you wish to participate in some voluntary work we have many charities that would welcome your support.
Limited space together with the many positive reasons to live here, mean that there are certain requirements you need to meet if you would like to move to Guernsey.
Although Guernsey is geographically closer to the Normandy coast than the south coast of England, it is a dependency of the British Crown. The King is the Head of State (as the latter day successor to the Duke of Normandy) and the Lieutenant-Governor is His Majesty's personal representative.
Part of the Duchy of Normandy from before the Norman Conquest of England, the Channel Islands were retained by the Kings of England when Normandy was lost in 1204. Guernsey and Jersey have remained as two separate crown dependencies, each with their own laws and customs based originally on Norman practice. Effectively independent, yet coming under the protective wing of the British Government, Guernsey is a part of the British Isles but not the United Kingdom. The UK Government is responsible only for the Bailiwick's international representation and defence.
The Bailiwick is not represented in the UK Parliament. UK legislation rarely extends to the Crown Dependencies and should not be extended without first consulting the Islands' authorities and obtaining their consent. In instances where a UK Act of Parliament does extend, it may do so either by virtue of the Act itself or by 'Order in Council' made by the Privy Council. The UK Government is responsible for the Bailiwick's formal international representation.
Prior to Brexit, there was a formal relationship between the Channel Islands and the EU which was governed by Protocol 3 to the UK's Act of Accession to the European Economic Community in 1972 ("Protocol 3"). This relationship, amongst other things, allowed for Guernsey to be in the EU Customs Territory and to benefit from free movement of industrial and agricultural goods. Certain limited agreements which the UK was party to through its relationship with the EU applied to Guernsey insofar as Protocol 3 applied. When the UK ceased to be a Member State of the EU, the Bailiwick's Protocol 3 relationship with the EU also ended.
On the afternoon of 24th December 2020, the UK Government and the European Parliament announced that an agreement in principle had been reached on a future relationship with the European Union ('EU'), for trade, security and other cooperation. This agreement is called the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (the TCA).
The three parliaments of the Bailiwick of Guernsey (Guernsey, Alderney and Sark) considered their involvement in the UK-EU relationship, through the TCA, at meetings on 27th December 2020. Each of the parliaments resolved to participate in the participation in the new UK-EU relationship, insofar as it will apply to the Bailiwick, in particular, in respect of fisheries and the trade in goods.
The TCA took effect at 11pm on 31 December 2020 and the new UK-EU relationship began, including in respect of the Bailiwick.
