VisaGibraltar families should budget separately for residence fees and the spouse deposit
A current-rule guide to adding a spouse or children to an employment residence application, and why partners of Gibraltarians follow a different route.
Official source date: 2026-09-04
Last verified against linked sources:
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Choose the family route before starting the form
People seeking residence in Gibraltar through employment or self-employment should establish which relatives can accompany them before budgeting or submitting an online application. The government family guidance permits a spouse or civil partner and children. It does not offer an unrestricted route for every relative financially supported by the main applicant. This guide concerns those family applications under the current framework, rather than a new announcement on 3 November.
The same official page distinguishes partners of people with Gibraltarian Status. An unmarried partner must demonstrate a genuine durable relationship lasting at least two years when applying; a relationship based solely or mainly on remote contact does not qualify. That route does not impose the employment salary, age or business criteria, and no deposit applies. Such applicants should contact Immigration and Home Affairs rather than use the employment application. Married and civil partners of Gibraltarians are also directed to that department for their own route.
Separate the application charge from money held as a deposit
The Fees and deposits page lists £250 for the main residency application and £250 for each included dependant. Its example of a main applicant, partner and one child therefore totals £750 in processing charges. Annual renewal is listed separately at £20. Families should count the people included in the application instead of treating the main applicant charge as a household price.
For an employment or self-employment application including a spouse or civil partner, the applicant pays an additional deposit currently stated as £2,121.21. It is collected at the counter with the final application, rather than online, and the guidance says it is refunded when the applicant leaves Gibraltar. This differs from business-related deposits paid by an employer or new business. The published rules also identify separate deposits for first-time self-employment and some younger employees; the family deposit should not be mistaken for a complete quotation where another category applies.
Build a document file for each person
The Documents and evidence page requires a passport and, where held, both sides of a national identity card for every included dependant. Anyone aged 18 or over also needs an official vetting form from the country where they most recently lived. This age distinction matters for families with older children: a shared surname does not remove the individual identity and vetting requirements.
The main employment application has its own evidence requirements. The government describes a contract or Notice of Terms of Engagement lasting at least one year, with gross annual earnings of at least £37,500, subject to the separate eligibility rules. Housing evidence must show a main home rented for at least 12 months or an owned property available for exclusive use. Holiday accommodation and living on a vessel do not satisfy the stated new-application housing route. Check the main applicant file alongside the family records before paying.
Follow the payment and decision sequence
The How to apply instructions direct applicants to the official online form after eligibility and document checks. An authorised agent may submit it, but the government requires the agent’s identity evidence. After submission, the applicant receives an emailed payment link for the non-refundable processing charge. Families should distinguish that link from the later counter deposit and keep a record of which payment covers which item.
The application is subject to vetting and good-standing checks, including public-policy, health and security grounds for refusal. The page does not promise a fixed decision period; it says decision timescales will be confirmed. A payment or an application receipt therefore should not be interpreted as an approval or as a guaranteed move date. The permit is renewed annually, so the household should retain the approval documents and record the actual expiry dates once issued.
Check family entitlements and questions the pages do not settle
The Your residency page describes healthcare through the group practice medical scheme for the resident, spouse or civil partner and children, and schooling for children within its stated age and full-time-education conditions. It specifically says these entitlements do not extend to parents. Residence also does not provide general access to public housing or elderly residential services. Families should test their plans against those exclusions before relying on benefits to support a move.
The public document checklist does not fully resolve every relationship-evidence situation, such as a foreign civil partnership or a custody arrangement. Ask Immigration and Home Affairs which certificate, translation or consent record it requires for that particular family relationship and how an older child is treated. The official Contact page identifies the department handling residence questions; progress messages sent from the no-reply address cannot receive replies. No separate family filing deadline was established from these pages, and no direct clarification was obtained.
