Just Landed in Guernsey? Your First 7 Days

Guernsey has strong 4G and expanding 5G from both main networks, plus widespread fibre broadband delivered through Sure and JT, so speeds are generally good across the small island. Buy a prepaid SIM on arrival and switch to a contract once you have a local address and bank details. The key catch is that a UK mainland plan may not treat Guernsey as domestic, so an old EE, O2 or Vodafone UK contract could roam here — check before you assume calls and data are free.

Typical cost: A prepaid SIM with a data bundle costs around £10-20; a monthly contract with generous data runs roughly £20-45; home fibre broadband is typically £30-55 per month depending on speed.

Guernsey uses pound sterling and issues its own Guernsey pound notes and coins at 1:1 with UK sterling. Both are accepted on the island, but Guernsey notes are not legal tender in the UK, so exchange or spend them before you leave. The island is largely cashless and contactless, and there is no separate exchange rate to worry about — a Guernsey pound and a UK pound are worth exactly the same.

Opening an account: Major banks with branches in St Peter Port include HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest International and Barclays; some newcomers also keep a UK-based fintech account such as Monzo or Starling alongside a local one. Bring your passport, proof of a Guernsey address and your housing permit or certificate. Opening an account can take time because banks apply strict identity, residency and source-of-funds checks under the island's finance-sector regulations.

Cash: Card and phone payments dominate and most places are effectively cashless. Keep a little cash for buses if you do not use a puffinpass, some small parish shops, hedge-veg honesty stalls and the odd market trader. ATMs are common in St Peter Port and St Sampson but sparser in rural parishes.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and not obligatory. Rounding up or leaving around 10% for good restaurant service is appreciated; it is not expected in bars, taxis or cafes, and no one will chase you for it.

Guernsey does not operate a continental-style residents' register, but living here legally hinges entirely on the Population Management regime, which makes some form of registration effectively compulsory. Your right to occupy a home depends on holding a Local Market permit, an Employment Permit, established-resident status, or a share of an Open Market property, and your permission to work depends on your employer holding a valid Employment Permit for the role. In practice you must engage with the Population Management Office when you take up residence and register with Social Security to obtain a social insurance number. Failing to hold the correct permit for your accommodation is a criminal offence, so this is not optional paperwork.

Deadline: There is no single fixed grace period, but you should confirm your housing permit before moving in and register for a social insurance number within your first days so you can work and be paid legally.

Where: Population Management Office and Social Security, both at Edward T Wheadon House, Le Truchot, St Peter Port, and online at gov.gg.

Guernsey is compact and easy to get around by car, bicycle or the island bus network run by Buses of Guernsey (CT Plus). Flat-fare buses cover the whole island on numbered routes, though services thin out in the evenings and on Sundays. Many residents drive because the island is small and fuel and parking are cheap by UK standards; parking in town uses a paper clock disc set to your arrival time rather than meters, and time limits are enforced.

From the airport: Guernsey Airport (GCI) sits about 5-6 km southwest of St Peter Port. A taxi to town costs roughly £15-20 and takes 10-15 minutes; Buses of Guernsey routes such as the 91/92 also link the airport with town for a flat fare. There is no Uber or ride-hailing app, so pre-book a taxi for early or late flights. A standard daytime bus single is £1.60 by card or £1.15 with a puffinpass smart card.

Housing is the defining challenge of moving here: the market is split into 'Local Market' property, open to holders of the right Population Management permit, and a small, pricier 'Open Market' pool open to anyone regardless of status. Rentals are found through local agents such as Cranfords, Livingroom and Swoffers, plus Facebook groups and Gumtree Guernsey, rather than the big UK portals. Supply is genuinely limited and good properties move within days, so line up viewings quickly and have your paperwork ready.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat in or near St Peter Port runs roughly £1,100-1,600 per month; two-bed flats often £1,500-2,200; family houses commonly £2,000-3,500+, with Open Market properties priced higher still.

Deposit norm: Landlords typically ask for one month's rent as a deposit plus the first month in advance; deposits should be protected in the Guernsey Tenancy Deposit Scheme, so ask for the scheme reference in writing.

Guernsey is NOT covered by the UK NHS and has no free GP service — you pay per visit, with a standard pay-on-the-day consultation now averaging around £70. The States contributes a small subsidy of roughly £12 towards a resident's GP appointment, and children's visits are heavily discounted. Hospital and much specialist care at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital is largely funded for residents through the social insurance scheme, but primary care, dentistry and prescriptions are paid out of pocket, so budgeting for health costs matters from day one.

How to access it: Register with one of the island's private GP practices — the Healthhub, Island Health, or the Queens Road surgery — and pay per visit; specialist and hospital referrals flow from your GP. For emergencies dial 999 or 112, or go directly to the Emergency Department at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. Pharmacies such as Boots and Lloyds dispense prescriptions, which you pay for in full.

Insurance: Because GP visits, dentistry and prescriptions are paid out of pocket, most residents take private medical insurance and also pay into Guernsey's social insurance scheme, which helps fund hospital care. There is a reciprocal health agreement between Guernsey and the UK covering some emergency treatment for visitors, but it is limited — confirm your own cover and any employer scheme on arrival rather than assuming an EHIC/GHIC or UK NHS entitlement applies here.

• Be polite, patient and understated — island life is close-knit and a good reputation genuinely matters when everyone seems connected.
• Say hello to neighbours and support the honesty boxes, the hedge-veg and flower stalls where you leave cash for produce; taking without paying is deeply frowned upon.
• Don't call Guernsey part of the UK or 'England' — it is a distinct Crown Dependency with its own laws, government and money, and islanders are proud of the difference.
• Respect the slower pace: shops and services close earlier and much is shut on Sundays, and building friendships and business relationships takes time and consistency.
• Give a wave of thanks when a driver lets you pass on the island's narrow, high-hedged lanes — filter-in-turn and courtesy keep the roads moving.
• Learn the parish you live in and get involved locally; volunteering, sport and church or community events are how newcomers actually make friends here.
• Be gentle with the coast and countryside — stick to cliff paths, close farm gates, and never disturb the nesting birds or the fragile dune systems.

• Occupying a home in the wrong Population Management category is a criminal offence, not a loophole — always confirm your permit and the property's status in writing before signing a tenancy.
• Guernsey banknotes are worthless off the island; swap or spend them before you travel to the UK or abroad, as no mainland shop will take them.
• The island is small and word travels fast, so be discreet and diplomatic — a careless comment or dispute can follow you socially and professionally.
• GP visits, dentistry and prescriptions are not free like the NHS; budget for per-visit fees and consider insurance from day one.
• Roads are narrow with a low 35 mph island speed limit (25 or 15 mph in many lanes), and there is no motorway — drive slowly and expect to give way often.