Living in Jersey
Where you can live mainly depends on your residential and employment status but also depends on your budget, lifestyle and circumstances.
Whilst Jersey is a desirable place to live, the cost of accommodation can be higher compared to other countries. This is due to limited space and rising house prices.
Residential and employment statuses and restrictions
The kind of accommodation you can live in depends on your residential and employment status:
| 'Registered' | Someone who has lived in Jersey for less than 5 years, who is not essentially employed and who is not married to, or in a civil partnership with, someone who is ‘Entitled’, ‘Licenced’ or ‘Entitled for Work’. | Can only lease 'Registered' (unqualified) property as a main place of residence. |
| 'Licensed' | Someone who is an approved ‘essential employee’. | Can buy, sell or lease any property, apart from first time buyer restricted or social rented housing, in their own name, for as long as they remain in full-time 'Licensed' employment. Can only have one property to occupy as a main place of residence. If `Licensed’ status is lost, they can no longer occupy Qualified property.
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| 'Entitled for Work' | Someone who has lived in Jersey for the last five consecutive years, or is married to, or the civil partner of someone who is ‘Entitled’, ‘Licensed’ or ‘Entitled for Work’. | Can buy any property jointly with an ‘Entitled’ or `Licensed’ spouse or civil partner. They can also rent ‘Registered’ (unqualified) property as a main place of residence in their own right. |
| 'Entitled' | Someone who has lived in Jersey for 10 years. | Can buy, sell or lease any property. |
Most people who move to Jersey, and have no prior connection to the island, will have a residential and employment status of ‘Registered’. ‘Registered’ status has the most accommodation restrictions, with accommodation options being limited to:
- registered lodging accommodation
- private lodgings
- tourist accommodation (eg hotels, guesthouses, camp sites, self-catering units)
Housing for people with ‘Registered' status
Rental prices in Jersey
Most people moving to Jersey won’t be able to buy property, due to restrictions based on their residential and employment status. With property prices being high, rental costs are also high. Private sector rental prices advertised in 2018, were 9% higher than in 2017. People have compared the rental prices in Jersey to those of London.
For `Qualified’ properties (for people with 'Entitled' or 'Licensed' status), the average advertised price for a 1 bedroom flat is around £1,000 per month, and the majority of rentals advertised are in the price range of £800 to £1,200 per month.
For `Registered’ properties (for people with 'Registered' and 'Entitled' for Work status), the average monthly rental is generally more expensive as there are fewer 'Registered' properties available. The average advertised price range for a 1 bedrooms flat is around £1,000 to £1,500 per month, depending on the quality of the accommodation.
Buying
Most people moving to Jersey for the first time won’t be able to buy a property. You can only buy a property in Jersey if your
residential and employment status is ‘Entitled’ (you’ve lived in Jersey for a continuous period of at least 10 years and have not left for more than a total of 5 years) or ‘Licensed’ (you are an approved essential employee in the island).
Property prices in Jersey can be high compared with a lot of other countries. Based on the latest available figures from 2018, an average 1 bedroom flat costs around £238,000 and a 3 bedroom house costs around £580,000.
Only Jersey mortgages can be used to purchase property in the island. You can’t transfer your mortgage from a property you own elsewhere.
Arrange accommodation
If you decide to move to Jersey, it's important that you consider your accommodation options. You'll need to arrange somewhere to stay when you first arrive, as well as longer term.
Moving to Jersey: Arrange accommodation
gov.je