- Change of Control Notifications via GFSC Portal
As of the 1st June 2026, Change of Control notifications pursuant to the Financial Services Act 2019 (“FSA”) may be submitted to the GFSC via the GFSC’s online portal (“GFSC Portal”). Accordingly, notifications relating to acquisitions, increases, reductions or cessations of control in respect of Gibraltar Regulated Firms may now be submitted via the GFSC Portal.
Key features introduced by the GFSC Portal include logic-driven forms, automated information requests, the development of structure charts, as well as live status tracking. This will enable for an overall streamlining of such notifications with added efficiencies and benefits for firms, proposed acquirors and advisors, as well as for the GFSC itself.
In order to assist with these changes, the GFSC has made comprehensive guidance available on its website outlining the functionality of the GFSC Portal, including video tutorials and FAQs.
- Change of Control – GFSC Guidance Notes
The GFSC has also published, on 1st June 2026, a new set of Guidance Notes on Change of Control: Assessment of Acquisitions and Increases in Control (“COC Guidance Notes”). The COC Guidance Notes are relevant to all Gibraltar regulated firms and replace previously applicable EU Guidelines with a set of Gibraltar specific guidelines.
As those familiar with the Gibraltar Authorisation Regime (“GAR”) regulatory alignment process will note from the publication of recent GFSC guidance notes, these COC Guidance Notes are largely consistent with UK FCA/PRA equivalent guidance. This includes on matters such as conditional approvals, aggregation of holdings, practical guidance on submitting notifications and approach to financial crime assessments.
By way of summary, the COC Guidance Notes set out the GFSC’s expectations on the following issues:
- identifying controllers, including the concepts of significant influence, aggregated holdings and indirect controllers;
- the submission of a section 111 notice and the approach to completeness;
- the notification obligations of Gibraltar-regulated firms;
- the assessment criteria; and
- the GFSC’s use of its statutory power to attach conditions to an approval where doing so advances any of its regulatory objectives.
Should you have any queries on or require assistance with change of control matters, please contact Partner, Christian Caetano. Christian may be reached directly at christian.caetano@isolas.gi.
