UK extends Gibraltar financial services access to 2026
Here’s the simple version: the UK has given itself another year to keep Gibraltar–UK financial services working as they do now. A statutory instrument made on 11 November 2025 and coming into force on 16 December 2025 extends the existing transitional arrangements to 2026, so you won’t see sudden changes while long‑term rules are finalised.
For students of policy, the title tells you what changed. The Financial Services (Gibraltar) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2025 adjust regulation 12(1) of the 2019 Gibraltar regulations by replacing “2025” with “2026”. In plain English, Parts 2 and 3 of the 2019 rules run for 12 months longer.
What are these transitional arrangements? They are temporary rules that let specified categories of Gibraltar‑based firms continue to offer regulated services in the UK, and allow similar UK firms to access Gibraltar’s market. This bridge has been in place since the UK left the EU to protect continuity for customers and staff while a permanent regime is built.
Why extend again? Because policymakers want to avoid a cliff‑edge. Since 2020, the expiry has been pushed back several times to give regulators and firms time to align the long‑term framework. This year’s update repeats that approach and keeps the safety net in place throughout 2026.
What it means for you as a customer: nothing should change overnight. If your provider is a Gibraltar‑based firm covered by the 2019 rules, it can keep serving you after 16 December 2025. You should continue to receive the usual disclosures and protections under UK law; if you are unsure, ask your provider whether it falls within the scheme.
What it means if you work in compliance or run a small firm: keep your permissions, notifications and customer communications tidy. Check your firm still fits the “specified categories” in the 2019 Regulations, diarise the 2026 end‑date, and watch for FCA or HM Treasury updates about moving from transitional to permanent arrangements.
Key dates to remember and teach: the instrument was made on 11 November 2025 by two Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury, Lilian Greenwood and Christian Wakeford; it was laid before Parliament on 13 November 2025; and it takes effect on 16 December 2025. The extended arrangements now reach into 2026.
On costs and red tape, HM Treasury says no significant impact is expected for the private, voluntary or public sector. That is why no full impact assessment accompanies the measure; a short de minimis assessment exists and can be requested from the Treasury for those who need the detail.
For classroom or team briefings, use the official source as your anchor. This change is Statutory Instrument 2025 No. 1182 on the UK legislation website and it amends the Financial Services (Gibraltar) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/589). The text and explanatory note provide reliable context for discussion.