Number of wealthy people given residency doubles

The number of approved applications from wealthy people wanting to live in Jersey - part of the High Value Residency scheme - more than doubled in 2025 compared to the year before.

Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said 37 applications were approved last year compared to 18 in 2024. He was responding to a written question on the States Assembly website.

However, the data shows there were 29 actual arrivals in 2025 and 11 departures from the scheme, a net value of 18. The year before, while there were 18 approved applications, there were 29 arrivals and 10 departures, a net value of 19.

Farnham said there were now 233 high value residents.

He said the overall benefit and impact was more clearly illustrated in the net number of new arrivals and, in the past 10 years, it had averaged at an additional eight people per year.

"When the scheme was established in 1974, the aim was it would result in 15 housing consents per year for people arriving and settling in Jersey," he said.

"This objective was reaffirmed in 2005 and remains in place.

"However, a number of individuals also leave the scheme each year."

He said application approvals, actual arrivals in Jersey, and departures from the scheme were all tracked between the Department of Economy and Revenue Jersey and reported periodically to the Housing and Work Advisory Group.

The minster needs to be satisfied there are economic and/or social grounds for a person to apply for high value residential status.

Farnham said the framework included a minimum expectation of charitable giving of £100,000 per year, in addition to the minimum tax liability of £250,000 per year.

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