Gibraltar Day in London 2025: Connecting Finance, Innovation, and Opportunity
“The Gibraltar Bankers Association is pleased to support Gibraltar Day in London 2025. These events highlight the strength, confidence, and partnership that underpin Gibraltar’s position as a trusted and forward-looking financial jurisdiction.”
Katie Muldoon, Vice President, Gibraltar Bankers Association
What does Gibraltar really offer the United Kingdom, and why should London’s financial community take notice? These are the questions that will frame Gibraltar Day in London this October, when policymakers, industry leaders, and financial institutions meet to discuss the future of banking, insurance, funds, distributed ledger technology, and private client services.
For the Gibraltar Bankers Association (GBA), this event is more than an annual fixture. It is an opportunity to demonstrate Gibraltar’s role as a trusted financial centre and a partner of choice for UK businesses. It is also a reminder that Gibraltar is not only a financial hub but a jurisdiction of choice for those relocating, drawn by its stability, English-speaking community, and Mediterranean quality of life.
At a time when cross-border regulation is evolving and firms are seeking stable jurisdictions with access to key markets, Gibraltar stands out for its regulatory strength, agility, and enduring relationship with the United Kingdom.
Gibraltar as a trusted jurisdiction
The most important issue for any UK firm is regulatory credibility. Gibraltar has built its reputation on robust oversight and alignment with international standards. The Gibraltar Financial Services Commission regulates the sector and works closely with the UK Financial Conduct Authority to ensure consistent supervision. Recent updates, such as the introduction of rules equivalent to the UK’s Consumer Duty, demonstrate Gibraltar’s commitment to protecting customers and maintaining confidence in the financial system.
This consistency is not new. Gibraltar has long taken a conservative approach to financial regulation, aligning itself with UK norms while also meeting international obligations. For banks represented by the GBA, this creates a level playing field when working with UK partners. A UK business considering Gibraltar can be reassured that the standards applied locally will be familiar and reliable.
Unique market access to the UK
A further question is whether Gibraltar provides genuine access to the UK market. The answer is yes. Gibraltar is the only jurisdiction in the world that currently enjoys a special bilateral framework with the United Kingdom for financial services — truly Big on Access, the slogan of Gibraltar Finance that captures the scale of opportunity that Gibraltar offers.
This relationship began with transitional arrangements that allowed Gibraltar-based firms to continue serving UK customers after Brexit. It is now evolving into the Gibraltar Authorisation Regime, a long-term solution designed by both governments to secure market access while ensuring regulatory alignment and cooperation. Information on the regime can be found on the Gibraltar Finance website.
For UK businesses, this means Gibraltar is not a third-country jurisdiction in the usual sense. Firms based in Gibraltar can continue to offer services in the UK under clear rules, while UK firms can explore partnerships and structures that benefit from this unique relationship.
Agility, scale, and talent
Gibraltar cannot and does not claim to compete with London in scale. What it does offer is agility and focus. Authorisation processes are faster and more responsive than in larger jurisdictions, making Gibraltar attractive for innovative businesses that want to bring new models to market quickly.
This agility is complemented by a professional ecosystem of lawyers, accountants, and service providers who are experienced in cross-border transactions. The Gibraltar Bankers Association itself plays an important role in bringing together institutions to promote industry standards and engage with policymakers. For UK firms, this translates into an environment where decisions can be made quickly, and where the necessary expertise is already in place.
Sector strengths
The programme of Gibraltar Day in London reflects the areas where Gibraltar has built genuine specialisation.
Banking and payments
Gibraltar hosts a mix of domestic and international banks as well as a growing e-money and payments sector. For UK firms engaged in cross-border payments or fintech, Gibraltar provides a regulatory framework that mirrors UK standards while offering cost efficiencies and closer supervisory engagement.
Insurance
Insurance is perhaps Gibraltar’s strongest sector. The jurisdiction is home to a large number of insurers writing UK risks, especially in motor insurance. Estimates suggest that more than a quarter of UK motor policies are underwritten by Gibraltar firms. This scale has been achieved because Gibraltar combines regulatory credibility with commercial flexibility, making it an attractive location for insurers and reinsurers alike.
Funds and asset management
Gibraltar also competes as a domicile for funds. It offers an English law environment, efficient costs, and an ability to service both traditional and alternative structures. For UK asset managers looking to distribute across Europe while retaining UK access, Gibraltar is a natural option.
Distributed Ledger Technology
In recent years Gibraltar has established itself as a leader in distributed ledger technology regulation. It was among the first jurisdictions to introduce a dedicated framework for blockchain businesses, providing clarity and certainty for operators. This has positioned Gibraltar as a serious player in digital assets, tokenisation, and fintech partnerships.
Private clients
Gibraltar has a well-developed private client sector. Services include trusts, pensions, family offices, and private banking. For UK professional services firms advising international families, Gibraltar offers a stable, English law jurisdiction with recognised expertise.
Online gaming and technology
While not part of the official Gibraltar Day programme, online gaming remains one of Gibraltar’s most successful industries. The sector has established the jurisdiction as a global leader in responsible gaming, compliance, and technology. It also plays a significant role in Gibraltar’s economy, creating expertise and innovation that directly benefit financial services.
Addressing risks and perceptions
It would be unrealistic to present Gibraltar without acknowledging limitations. Market access to the UK is currently transitional, and while the Gibraltar Authorisation Regime is progressing, firms must continue to monitor developments. Consumer protection frameworks in Gibraltar differ from those in the UK, and clients should understand which scheme applies to their products.
There is also the issue of perception. Gibraltar’s scale may lead some to see it as niche. Yet this is not a weakness but a differentiator. Gibraltar works best as a complement to London rather than a replacement. It offers specific strengths in key sectors, and a culture of engagement that larger centres cannot replicate.
Why Gibraltar Day in London matters
All of this makes Gibraltar Day in London a valuable event. Over three days, the programme will cover every major pillar of the jurisdiction’s financial services:
- Financial Services Lunch on 20 October will open discussions on Gibraltar’s overall position and banking sector.
- Insurance Breakfast on 21 October will focus on underwriting, reinsurance, and captives.
- DLT event on 21 October will showcase blockchain and tokenisation projects.
- Funds Breakfast on 22 October will explore domiciliation and alternative investments.
- Private Client Lunch on 22 October will highlight trusts, pensions, and family offices.
For UK businesses, this is a rare opportunity to meet directly with regulators, institutions, and service providers in one forum. It allows questions to be asked openly, strategies to be tested, and partnerships to be formed.
A partnership for the future
The key message for the UK audience is that Gibraltar is not peripheral but complementary. It offers trusted regulation, proven access to the UK, and expertise across banking, insurance, funds, digital assets, private clients, and online gaming. It is also agile and forward looking, willing to adapt quickly to new technologies and emerging business models.
As firms and individuals in London and across the UK look for stable partners in an uncertain world, Gibraltar is positioned to deliver. Gibraltar Day in London 2025 will be the place to explore those opportunities, to test assumptions, and to see how our jurisdiction can support the ambitions of UK businesses.
The Gibraltar Bankers Association is proud to represent the banking sector in this dialogue and looks forward to continuing the conversation beyond London.
