Why Guernsey for international insurance?
Guernsey is a leading international insurance centre and a recognised pioneer in insurance innovation, with specialist expertise spanning captive insurance, reinsurance, insurance-linked securities (ILS), longevity risk, run-off and managing general agents (MGAs). With more than 100 years of captive insurance experience, and as the birthplace of the Protected Cell Company (PCC), Guernsey helps organisations, insurers and investors manage complex risks through innovative structures and alternative risk solutions.
Proportionate, pragmatic regulation
Supportive specialist environment
Innovative industry
Global leader in captives
International insurance centre
What is international insurance in Guernsey?
International insurance in Guernsey extends beyond traditional risk transfer. The sector combines insurance, reinsurance and alternative capital expertise, supported by Guernsey's wider investment capabilities.
to help businesses, insurers and investors manage risk more effectively.
Guernsey specialises in solutions including captive insurance, reinsurance, insurance-linked securities, longevity risk, managing general agents and run-off structures.
Why choose Guernsey for insurance?
| More than 100 years of captive insurance experience |
Guernsey is one of the world's longest established captive insurance domiciles, with a track record supporting organisations across multiple sectors.
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Europe's leading captive insurance domicile
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More than 40% of UK FTSE 100 companies have captives domiciled in Guernsey, demonstrating the jurisdiction's scale, credibility and expertise.
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| Pioneer of the Protected Cell Company (PCC) |
Guernsey created the PCC structure, an innovation that has since been adopted internationally and remains a cornerstone of alternative risk solutions.
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Specialist insurance expertise
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Guernsey has developed recognised expertise across captive insurance, reinsurance, insurance-linked securities (ILS), longevity risk, run-off insurance and managing general agents, supported by an established network of specialist insurance and professional service providers.
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Insurance and investment capability
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Few jurisdictions combine deep expertise in both insurance and investment funds, helping support sophisticated ILS and alternative risk transfer structures.
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| Pragmatic and proportionate regulation |
Guernsey offers an internationally aligned and respected, proportionate regulatory framework, providing flexibility outside the Solvency II framework while maintaining robust standards.
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Why Guernsey for insurance?
Discover Guernsey’s specialist insurance sector, where innovation, flexibility and global connectivity underpin a diverse and forward-looking industry. This flyer highlights Guernsey’s strengths across key areas including captives, Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS), reinsurance, Managing General Agents (MGAs), and run-off insurance.
How does Guernsey help organisations manage risk?
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Rising insurance costs and reduced market capacity
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Captive insurance can help organisations take greater control of their insurance programmes, retain appropriate levels of risk and access reinsurance markets and supporting more efficient long-term risk financing strategies.
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Complex or emerging risks
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Guernsey supports specialist insurance solutions designed for risks that may be difficult to place in traditional insurance markets, including cyber, climate-related exposures, longevity risk and other specialist or emerging exposures.
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Accessing additional sources of capital
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Through insurance-linked securities (ILS) and alternative risk transfer structures, Guernsey helps connect insurance and reinsurance risks with global capital markets and institutional investors.
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Managing long-term liabilities
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Guernsey has expertise in longevity risk transactions and structures that help pension schemes and insurers manage future liabilities.
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Improving resilience and business continuity
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Insurance structures in Guernsey can support organisations seeking greater certainty, flexibility and resilience in an increasingly complex risk environment.
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Specialist insurance solutions in Guernsey
With more than 100 years of experience, Guernsey is a global leader and Europe's number one domicile for captive insurance.
More than 40% of UK FTSE 100 companies have captives domiciled in Guernsey. Guernsey-domiciled captives are also popular in Europe, the Americas, Middle East, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Caribbean.
Guernsey is an established and growing centre for international reinsurance, supporting a broad range of commercial reinsurance, collateralised reinsurance and specialist risk transfer business.
The market continues to grow in scale and international reach, attracting major global institutions including Zenkyoren, alongside Guernsey’s established expertise in innovative and specialist reinsurance solutions.
Guernsey combines its expertise in the insurance and investment funds sectors to support insurance-linked securities (ILS), connecting insurance and reinsurance risk with capital market investors and providing bespoke opportunities for investors and managers.
Guernsey has also supported innovative ILS transactions, including catastrophe bond structures designed to provide financial protection across a range of risks, including humanitarian and climate risks.
Guernsey's insurance expertise, access to alternative capital markets and flexible and pragmatic approach to regulation make it a key domicile for Managing General Agents and delegated authority business.
Guernsey’s established insurance industry and specialist expertise support the management of run-off and legacy insurance business, including solutions for transferring and managing existing insurance and reinsurance liabilities.
Guernsey has specialist expertise in longevity risk transactions, helping pension schemes and insurers manage the financial uncertainty associated with people living longer than expected.
Guernsey's insurance, reinsurance and professional services expertise supports the structuring and management of longevity risk-transfer solutions.
Learn more about Pension Funds - Hedging Longevity Risk
The Guernsey International Insurance Association (GIIA)
GIIA was formed in 1983 to represent the combined interests of Guernsey insurers and Guernsey insurance managers. The Guernsey insurance industry has historically been dominated by captive insurance and protected cell companies, at least in terms of the number of licensed insurers operating from the island. Almost all of these insurers are run by licensed insurance managers. This inevitably means that the majority of insurance professionals represented in the association are insurance managers. However, the membership also includes all the island’s major international life assurers.
In recent years, the Guernsey Insurance Industry has expanded through the development of insurance linked securities (ILS) products and Guernsey insurers also provide a significant share of the market capacity for kidnap & ransom (K&R) and fine art insurance today.
The Guernsey Financial Services Commission
The GFSC is the regulatory body for the finance sector in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Why do people like working with Guernsey practitioners?
“For the first time, the Guernsey hybrid provides managers with the opportunity to operate an investment fund and any number of sub-funds and SPIs in once place, supervised by one regulator, governed by one board of directors with one set of service providers and one auditor. No other jurisdiction in the world offers such a unique combination.”
“UK FTSE 100 companies may collectively save almost £100 million per year by using Guernsey Captives.”
“Kelvin Re was the first rated commercial reinsurer choosing Guernsey as its domicile. Guernsey was selected following detailed analysis of the options. Some of the factors identified were political, fiscal, legal and economic stability, experienced professionals and regulator, and a convenient time zone and location – close to Zurich and London where the underwriting and risk modelling team of CSAM is located. Guernsey’s financial strength versus other potential domiciles was also a key consideration.”
“I like the approach we heard about and the ambition Guernsey is showing in this space. Guernsey clearly gets what MGAs are all about.”
"Guernsey is a low-risk captive domicile, but also flexible and maintains high standards in terms of how captives are run and managed. There’s a health captive market in Guernsey, with plenty of resources with regards to directors and non-execs – a good support network. It’s also easy to get to and from London. As part of moving the management of Rutland to SRS, we did a mini review of the domicile and Guernsey still comes out as the best option.
Innovation is always a key driver for any business. A captive is no different. As part of the management review, we had some new ideas that we were looking to progress and use the captive differently. Our manager was best placed to support that process.
Captive insurance is an industry where support and networking is vital, and that is all present in Guernsey. I’d happily recommend the domicile.”
“Captives are one of the many means corporates buy affordable and broad insurance coverage. A jurisdiction like Guernsey brings down the cost of business for these firms which makes UK PLC more competitive.”
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