The Residency Regulations 2026 guidance uses a current employee earnings threshold of £37,500 gross annual earnings for a standard Residence Permit application.
Use the free Gibraltar Residency Calculator to check whether the income point is likely to be relevant to your situation.
The headline figure
An employee applying in the standard way must provide an employment contract for at least one year showing gross annual earnings of at least £37,500.
The amount is linked to Gibraltar's average gross annual earnings and is updated annually, so it should not be treated as permanently fixed.
What counts as the issue?
This is not only a salary question. The earnings point is linked to the employment contract and employer position.
A simple way to read the published criteria is:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Do you have a Gibraltar employment contract? | The employee route starts with the contract. |
| Is your gross annual income at least the stated average-earnings figure? | The current official portal figure is £37,500. |
| Is the employer properly registered/licensed? | The paper requires the business to be fully registered/licensed. |
| Has the employer traded in or from Gibraltar for at least one year? | The paper includes a one-year trading requirement for the employer. |
| Are employer payments and filings up to date? | The paper requires payments and filings to be up to date. |
Can the income requirement be waived?
A person who does not meet the salary requirement can submit an exemption request through the normal application form. It will not be treated as a standard application and will be reviewed by the relevant departments.
The Regulations provide flexibility for sectors, skills, labour shortages and Gibraltar's wider economic interests.
That means a lower salary is not always automatically fatal, but it should be treated as a point that requires checking.
Under-30 applicants
The framework includes a specific minimum-salary waiver for applicants under 30.
The official portal says the salary requirement may be waived if the employer pays a deposit of about £14,420 for each applicable year. The amount represents tax and social insurance calculated by reference to the current earnings threshold and must be confirmed before applying.
Anti-avoidance warning
Contract variations reducing pay are flagged so that the authorities can check whether permit conditions continue to be met.
In practical terms, do not treat the salary point as something that only matters on the application date. It may also matter later, especially at renewal.
Work versus residence
The Government has stated that the residence policy should not be confused with the right to work in Gibraltar. Many people work in Gibraltar while living elsewhere.
This means:
- you may be able to work in Gibraltar without being resident in Gibraltar;
- an employer may be able to recruit you even if you do not live in Gibraltar;
- residence criteria are a separate question from employment permission.
Self-employed and new-business applicants
Businesses trading for less than one year and newly registered self-employed applicants must pay a deposit in the circumstances described by the official portal. The portal currently gives an indicative amount of about £14,420.
This is not the same as the employee salary threshold, but it uses the same average gross annual earnings concept.
Practical examples
Example 1: employee over the threshold
A person has a Gibraltar employment contract, earns more than £37,500 gross per year, has suitable Gibraltar accommodation, is 55 or under, and the employer is properly registered and compliant. Under the current guidance, the income point is less likely to be the main blocker.
Example 2: employee below the threshold
A person earns below £37,500. This should be flagged. A waiver may be possible in certain sector or under-30 circumstances, but this should not be assumed.
Example 3: cross-frontier worker
A person works in Gibraltar but lives in Spain. The residence income requirement may not be relevant unless they want to live in Gibraltar.