Working in Gibraltar Fact Sheet

WORKING IN GIBRALTAR
Index
1. Introduction to Gibraltar
2. Interesting Facts about Gibraltar
3. Taxation in Gibraltar
4. Living in Gibraltar
5. Living in Spain
6. Estate Agents
7. Banks
8. Useful Information
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1.INTRODUCTION TO GIBRALTAR
If you are thinking of moving to Gibraltar Congratulations you are making a wise
choice. Gibraltars climate, friendly atmosphere, diverse culture, social life and close
vicinity to Spain make this small peninsular a perfect place to move to.
The Rock of Gibraltar has always been a fortress and historians have tended to focus
on its military role. By comparison, the history of the civilian population, particularly
in its most recent aspects, has not been nearly so well documented.
2.INTERESTING FACTS
Gibraltar has a population of around 30,000 in an area of little more than 3 square
miles in size.
The Rock still manages to rise up over the sea to 1,396 feet.
Gibraltar is situated at the southern tip of Europe, the entrance to the
Mediterranean Sea.
The Rock fell to an Anglo-Dutch force in 1704 during the War of the Spanish
Succession, almost all of its approximately 4000 Spanish inhabitants left for the
neighbouring parts of Spain. Immigration from other Mediterranean regions then
took place, with incomers from Malta, Genoa, and Portugal, among others, settling
on the Rock.
It was formally ceded by Spain to Britain under Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht in
1713.
The Rock has seen visits by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1954.
In 1963 and 1964 the question of the Rock's decolonisation was placed on the
agenda of the United Nations special committee on the subject. After listening to
Britain, Spain, and petitioners from Gibraltar, the committee took a line which
favoured the Spanish point of view. Spain interpreted this as carte blanch to impose
a series of restrictions at her land frontier with Gibraltar, something which
culminated in the complete closure of the border in 1969.
In 1967 a referendum had been held where Gibraltarians were asked whether they
wanted to remain British or be handed over to Spain. Over 12,000 people voted for
Britain, with only 44 choosing the Spanish option.
From 1969 until the border opened for pedestrians only in December 1982, Gibraltar
was a city under siege. General Franco had cut off the territory by land and by sea.
Telephone communications were also removed and air restrictions imposed. The
only lines of communication kept open were travel by air to London and by sea to
Morocco.
On 1 January 1973 Gibraltar joined the European Economic Community with Britain,
as a European territory for whose external affairs a member state is responsible. A
number of special arrangements were negotiated which means that Gibraltar is not
liable to pay VAT, does not belong to the Customs Union nor to the Common
Agricultural Policy.
The closed frontier years saw several attempts being made to remove the
restrictions, which were given a new impetus by the death of General Franco in 1975.
An agreement was drawn up at Lisbon in 1980 which declared that both Britain and
Spain were committed to solve all their differences over Gibraltar, in return for which
Spain would lift the restrictions. This did not happen until the election of a socialist
government in Madrid saw them swing open for pedestrians only the full opening of
the border didnt take place till 1984.
To date Gibraltars relationship with Spain is tenuous with border queues arising
whenever Spain deems Gibraltar has slighted there right to the Rock.
3. TAXATION
Gibraltar has two tax systems in place: The Allowance System
Under the more traditional allowance-based system, taxable income is reduced by

various reliefs and allowances, before applying tax rates. The tax rates are generally
higher than those under the gross income-based system. Tax rates and allowances
available under this system are given in Baker Tilly Gibraltars Tax Facts which are
reproduced elsewhere in the Financial Services Handbook. Notable features of this
system include:
Personal allowances on a similar basis to tax systems elsewhere in Europe;
Allowances for mortgage interest on principal residence (if in Gibraltar) on
mortgages of up to 300,000 (in some case more than 300,000);
One-off house purchase allowance of 11,500.
Most allowances are available to non-residents (but not the house purchase
allowance).
Government is keen to move taxpayers from the allowance-based to the more user
friendly gross income-based system and, subsequent to the budget measures
announced in July 2011, estimated that 86% of all personal taxpayers will find it
beneficial to be taxed under the gross income-based system.
Gross income-based system
Under this system no allowances are given, but the tax rates are generally lower than
those under the allowance-based system. The tax rates in place for 2011/12 are
given in Baker Tilly Gibraltars Tax Facts which are reproduced elsewhere in the
Financial Services Handbook. Notable features of this system include:
All taxpayers pay an effective rate of less than 25%;
When income exceeds 105,000 per annum the marginal tax rate starts to
decrease;
Income in excess of 1 million per annum is taxable at 5%.
The best place to check what you will be paying is on the Government Website
http://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/taxation/1511-gross-income-based-system-calculators-
a-application-forms
One thing is certain, the tax rates are much better than in the UK.
4.LIVING IN GIBRALTAR
In the last fifteen years the prices of property in Gibraltar have been steadily rising,
the limited space available for housing in Gibraltar guarantees that property prices
will continue to rise, certainly in the short term but probably in the long term too.
Due to the property prices in Gibraltar, the rental market in Gibraltar is very strong,
plenty of choices available but with big variance in price. A two bedroom flat in
Gibraltar can cost anything from 750 to 3000 depending on the area you are
looking to rent in.
There are advantages and disadvantages in living in Gibraltar like everywhere else in
the world.
Advantages
Travelling
Among the many advantages of living in Gibraltar is that everything is in walking
distance no matter where you decide to live.
Health
Gibraltar can boast of having a very comprehensive healthcare system. This is
available to everyone working in Gibraltar. Another of the benefits of living in
Gibraltar is that dependents are also entitled to the use of the Gibraltar Health
Authority (GHA) where as if the employee lives in Spain the dependents are entitled
to nothing.
Education
A deciding factor for your final decision of whether to live in Gibraltar or Spain might
be that if you are resident in Gibraltar your children will be entitled to free schooling.
Education in Gibraltar follows the English system and the schools follow the Key
Stage system which teaches the National Curriculum.
Primary Education
The first year of education is completed in pre-school/nursery. Attendance is from 3
to 4 years of age and is not compulsory.
Compulsory education starts at the age of 4 with primary education (first school).
The first year is known as Reception where attendance is up to 5 years.
Primary education in Gibraltar (which consists of both First and Middle school) lasts
for 8 years.
Secondary Education
At the age of 12 students enter a single-sex Secondary/Comprehensive school
(before this age the schools are mixed). The students follow a four year course in
preparation for GCSE exams where they sit the final examinations at the age of 16.
Up to 10 GCSE subjects can be taken, which includes the core 5 subjects English,
Spanish, mathematics, science and religious studies. After taking their GCSEs,
students can move onto the sixth form of the Secondary school providing they have
passed in 4 subjects at grade C or higher; these subjects generally include English and
mathematics. In the sixth form the student will go onto a two-year A Level course,
which comprises the AS (Advanced Subsidiary) exams at the end of the first year and
then the A2 (Advanced 2) exams at the end of the course. Students can take up to 4
different A Level subjects at one time.
Further Education
Once the A Levels are completed, there are no facilities for full-time higher/further
education in Gibraltar and all students must study elsewhere for degree level or
equivalent (also for some non-degree courses).
The Government of Gibraltar operates a scholarship/grant system to provide funding
for the students studying in UK. All students follow the student loans procedure of
the UK where they apply for a loan from the Student Loans Company, which is then
reimbursed in full by the Government of Gibraltar.
The Gibraltar College of Further Education can provide GCSE and A Level courses as
well as some extra evening/part-time courses.
High Pass Rates

Summary Of Both Secondary/Comprehensive Schools: 2011
Total Passes = 396 Total No of entries = 408 Pass Rate A - B = 60% Pass Rate A - E =
97%
Schools
There are 14 Government schools, one College, two Private Schools and one MOD
school in Gibraltar. 5 Nursery / Pre Schools, 7 Primary Schools, 5 Middle Schools and
2 Comprehensive Schools. The Private Schools are the Loretto Convent Primary /
Middle School and The Hebrew Comprehensive School.
All teacher training takes place in the UK universities and colleges. In addition,
teachers must have a registration number issued by the DCSF (UK).
Remuneration
The currency in Gibraltar is Sterling, you will therefore have your salary calculated in
Sterling. Another big advantage of living in Gibraltar is you know each month how
much you are going to spend on your rent, food etc as there is no exchange rate to
worry about. The exchange rate has fluctuated between 1.12 and 1.18 during the last
6 months. That is if you choose to get paid to a Euro account. If you get paid into a
sterling account and you live in Spain you have to also withdraw the money from
your Sterling Account and go to a bureau de change which there are many off in
Gibraltar. The exchange rates at the bureaus can vary from one day to the next.
5.LIVING IN SPAIN
Over the last two years, with the financial problems Spain is suffering, the housing
market has taken a nose dive and this is reflected in rental prices which have
decreased substantially over the last 24 months. You can now rent a 2 bedroom flat
in La Linea for 450.
Travel
If you decide to move into La Linea your travel time can be quite short. From the
Centre of La Linea to Gibraltar can take 20 mins walking and you can get a bus to
Gibraltars Main Street from the Border. If you decide to live outside La Linea you
have to think about getting some mode of transport bearing in mind that you can
drive a UK registered vehicle for six months in Spain but no longer. One of the issues
you will come across should you become a cross frontier worker is the border queue,
generally if you are walking the queue is minimal if any at all but in a car it can take
anything from ten minutes to two hours to cross from Gibraltar to Spain and vice
versa.
Health
There is also a free health service, similar to the NHS, in Spain. As long as you have all
relevant paperwork prepared you and your family will be entitled to free healthcare.
For this you need to have a certificate of residence from the Spanish authorities as
well as an E106, also known as an S1 which is prepared in Gibraltar once you start
paying the equivalent of National Insurance (Social Insurance) in Gibraltar.
Registering for an E106

You need to have a Residence Certificate. Go to the Social Insurance Office in
Gibraltar, 14 Governors Parade to take your work contract, residence certificate and
your social insurance report, inform them you want to claim for the E106.
They inform the central office in Cadiz, who will in turn send you a letter in Spanish
informing you that within a period of time (normally 15 days of receipt of the letter)
you must go to the local Social Security Office in Spain and take your, Residence
Certificate, contract, and the letter received. This will be stamped and within 30 90
you will receive the E106 from them. This lasts 2 years after which you will be
informed to renew by the office in Cadiz, by following the same procedure.
It is important you inform the Social Insurance office in Gibraltar if you want any
dependants included on the E106 with yourself.
Education
Education in Spanish schools is free to all children resident in Spain up to the age of
16.
School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16, though children
often attend state pre-school by the age of 3.
The families of children in state education are expected to pay the costs of school
books which are only free in exceptional cases.
The exact guidelines are as follows:
Basic education is compulsory and free of charge, and is extended to the age
of 16, the legal age for entering the work force.
The educational system includes special education as well as general
education, so that different modes of education are adapted to suit students
with special needs.
All students must have basic vocational training, which is provided in
secondary schools. Vocational training is organized at two levels: the first at
the end of compulsory secondary education, and the higher level following
the bachillerato.
Religious instruction must be available and voluntary at all schools.
Special educational systems are set up for the arts and language learning.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten or pre-school education is available up to 6 years and is divided into 2
groups, up to 3 years and from 3 to 6 years.
From 3 - 6 years the education starts to become more structured and takes place
during normal school hours, although it is not a part of any curriculum.
This stage is not compulsory, although the central government will guarantee the
existence of a sufficient number of places to ensure schooling for those who request
it.
For those moving to Spain and with children of a suitable age, this is an excellent
opportunity to give them a head start with their new language.
Educacion Primaria Primary Education
Primary education is compulsory and free, for children aged 6 to 12 years.
It consists of 3 cycles of 2 years each:
first cycle: 6-8 years
second cycle: 810 years
third cycle: 10-12 years
The average number of students per classroom is approximately 25 in Spanish
schools. The purpose of this level of education is to provide all children with a
common education that makes it possible for them to acquire the basic cultural
elements, learning oral expression, writing and arithmetic, as well as a progressive
autonomy of action in their environment.
Teaching of foreign languages begins fully in the first year of the second cycle (8
years). Although, as is becoming common in most countries, languages is a key focus
within education and a second language (English) may be taught at all age levels.
Curriculum: General academic
Leaving Certificate: Graduado Escolar (School Graduate)
Educacin Secundaria Obligatoria Compulsory Secondary Education

This secondary stage of education is compulsory and also free.
It comprises of 4 courses divided into 2 cycles of 2 years each. The first cycle is for
pupils from 12 to 14 years and the second from 14 to 16 years.
There are approximately 30 students to a classroom in Spanish Schools. On
successfully completing this education stage, pupils are awarded the certificate of
Secondary Education Graduate giving access to Bachillerato and medium-grade
training cycles in Spanish schools.
Curriculum: General academic
Leaving Certificate: Graduado de Educacin Secundaria (Secondary Education
Graduate)
From the age of 16 onwards there are Post Compulsory Secondary Education, these
are not free. The Education system in Spain is very good but you have to bear in mind
that the main language is Spanish and its something to consider when you are
deciding where to live.
6.ESTATE AGENTS
Whether you decide to live in Gibraltar or Spain it is essential that you find an Estate
Agent willing to help you. There are a number of Agencies in Gibraltar whom can
help you find property in either Country. In Gibraltar and Spain you should expect to
pay a months rent deposit as well as a months rent in advance.
7.BANKS
Gibraltar has a great variety of International Banks and Building Societies. A number
of them offer High Street facilities in Gibraltar too, amongst these are Natwest,
Lloyds and Norwich & Peterborough.
We always strongly recommend that you open a new bank account wherever you
decide to live. The main reason for this is should you lose your Debit or Cash card and
you havent got a local branch, there is no way for you to access your money, you
have to wait for the new card to be sent from your Country of Origin, which can be
delayed by two or three weeks because of the post.
The quickest bank to open an account with in Gibraltar is Natwest. They do same day
service.
There are 15 cash points in Gibraltar with a minimum of 6 quick cash machines.
Flights
Gibraltar Airport is ideal if you are staying anywhere from Gibraltar right up to
Marbella on the Costa del Sol or up to Jerez on the Costa de la Luz. Although it is
quite a small airport, Gibraltar Airport has flights everyday from Luton Airport,
Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, Liverpool Airport and Manchester Airport with
Monarch Airlines, EasyJet, British Airways and American Airlines.
Gibraltar Airport Modernisation

Gibraltar now hosts a brand new airport with lots of facilities
Location of Gibraltar Airport

Gibraltar Airport is accessed via the Spanish town of La Linea on the very start of the
Costa del Sol. It is about 20 minutes from Sotogrande, 30 minutes from Estepona and
45 minutes from Marbella. In the other direction Gibraltar Airport is about an hour
from Jerez de la Frontera.
Taxis and Buses Gibraltar Airport

If you are heading into the main part of Gibraltar from the airport there is a taxi rank
opposite the airport as well as a bus stop for access to Main Street and other parts of
the Gibraltar. If you are heading into Spain from Gibraltar Airport then you will need
to go through customs and cross the border into Spain and on your right will be a
Spanish taxi rank. A couple of hundred meters straight across the road you will find
the bus station where you can get a bus to many of the other major resorts of the
Costa del Sol.
Parking at Gibraltar Airport

There is an official car park for the airport right outside with plenty of spaces
available.
8.USEFUL INFORMATION
Climate
Gibraltar's climate is relatively temperate. If you're travelling to Gibraltar during
winter months pack for lows of around 13 C and highs that could reach 18C. Only
about 30 percent of winter days are classified as wet.
It is not at all uncommon for residents of The Rock to enjoy up to 90 days straight
without rain during the summer months, when the sun shines approximately 10.5
hours daily. Summer lows might reach 13C, but most days the temperature will
hover much nearer the area's 30C highs:
Like neighbouring southern Spain, as autumn progresses temperatures can be divine
with some people still enjoying a swim at the beach in late October.
Two winds embrace the rock, each bringing different meteorological phenomenon.
The first comes from the east and brings with it a humidity factor that sometimes
crowns the rock with a cloud of it's own, this is known as the Levanter Cloud. The
second, usually coming from the west, brings clear, dry weather.
What to do in Gibraltar
There is a lot of activities to be done in Gibraltar. In the summer months there are 6
beaches, four of which are sandy. On the south side beaches the sun can be burning
hot till nine or ten at night.
There is also a fully kitted out Leisure Centre, with a small ice skating rink, a bowling
alley, multiple cinema screens and lots of video games.
Gibraltar also has a roller skating park and it can boast of 8 childrens parks. Many of
them have been recently refurbished.
There are many restaurants and pubs on the Rock, most of them are family friendly
and it is not uncommon for families to go out for family meals in the evening.
Summer Nights are one of the highlights of the summer months. These are held
every Tuesday and Thursday during the end of July and August. Tuesdays are
especially geared towards family entertainment with Thursdays is more adult
orientated. These are held in Casemates Square. A small Square surrounded by bars
and restaurants, so you can enjoy a meal al fresco and watch the entertainment.
At the end of August the annual Gibraltar fair arrives. A number of rides are set up,
along with a marquee which has local entertainment every night. This event lasts for
a week.
On September 10th is Gibraltars National Day. Most Gibraltarians spend all day out,
dressed in Red and White, they celebrate Gibraltars first sovereignty referendum of
1967. During National Week (the days leading up to National Day) there are a
number of events that get organised, amongst them a Rock Night, Miss National Day
and some competitions.
Buses
There is a bus service in Gibraltar which is part owned by the Government. They
operate a free service for all Gibraltar Residents except the Bus to the Border. All
Buses run at twenty minute intervals but the dense traffic during Peak times can
delay the bus service. New Bus Stops have recently been erected making it the
cheapest and best way to travel in Gibraltar.
The central Bus Terminal is in Casemates. There you can find all the routes
undertaken by each Bus.
Near Gibraltar
There are many beautiful towns and cities in Spain which are only a short drive away.
There are first rate golf courses , The Valderrama in Sotogrande is ranked the No.1
course in continental Europe.
The historic town of Mijas is only a ninety minute drive from Gibraltar and the
picturesque town of Granada which is a three hour drive but well worth the visit.
There is lots to discover in neighbouring Spain, just by simply crossing the border.
You can also visit Morocco in just over half an hour by ferry.
Shops
There is a wide range of shops in Gibraltar, amongst them is BHS, Top Shop, Marks &
Spencers, La Senza, Oasis, Mango, Next, Monsoon and Peacocks.
There are only two major supermarkets in Gibraltar, Morrisons and Coviran.
Morrisons bring a lot of the products that are sold in the UK but much more
expensive. Coviran are a Spanish owned company and although most of their
products are Spanish they also bring a wide range of English products. Their pricing
are pretty reasonable and comparable to Spain.
If you want to cross to Spain to do your shopping they have some major
supermarkets over the border for example Lidl, Mercadona, Maxi Dia, Plus, Aldi and
Carrefour. There prices are very competitive and if you compare prices between the
shops you will be able to make quite a substantial saving.
Have a look on this video for more information about Gibraltar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdqbCCfCuQg

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WORKING IN GIBRALTAR

2. Interesting Facts about Gibraltar

Under the more traditional allowance-based system, taxable income is reduced by

Gross income-based system

High Pass Rates

Registering for an E106

Educacin Secundaria Obligatoria Compulsory Secondary Education

Gibraltar Airport Modernisation

Location of Gibraltar Airport

Taxis and Buses Gibraltar Airport

Parking at Gibraltar Airport

Have a look on this video for more information about Gibraltar:

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