Set up a Fund in Jersey

Investors who are interested in the creation of Jersey funds have access to a wide range of structures and types. Jersey’s regulatory regime, as well as easy access to the European market, are two of the most important reasons to set up a fund in Jersey.

Setting up a business in Jersey, as well as fund creation and overall compliance for businesses, is easier with our help. We are a team of experts who can help investors open a company in Jersey.

If you want to know more about Jersey private funds, or if you want to set up a hedge fund in Jersey, you can always contact us if you have questions. We can also help you if you are interested in opening a Jersey trust company.

Types of Jersey funds

Jersey is a popular location for investors who wish to register alternative investment funds. The sector is well-developed, and many investors choose to open a hedge fund in Jersey.

Our team briefly lists some of the types of structures available to investors:

• The private fund: it is a flexible structure that can be easily marketed, used for co-investments or cross-border structuring; it can be listed only with the JFSC’s consent;
• The unregulated eligible investor fund: it is not subject to the Collective Investment Funds Law in Jersey, however, it does need to meet other criteria;
• The expert fund: can be set up as a hedge fund in Jersey, or as a private equity vehicle; as the name suggests, they are reserved for experienced investors;
• The regulated eligible investor fund: an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), which is similar to the expert fund and it is subject to authorization and ongoing compliance.

The hedge fund in Jersey can be defined as a separate type of fund, as it is a structure that focuses on several alternative investments. Unlike mutual funds, hedge funds adopt a more flexible investment strategy.

As far as the minimum investment is concerned, the following can apply:

• £250,000 minimum investment level for a Jersey private fund (in most cases); it is open to professional or eligible investors, with no cap on their number since August 2025;
• US$100,000 for the expert fund; only expert investors can participate and there is no limit.

Conditions concerning investors who open a fund in Jersey

In addition to observing the fund set up and authorization requirements, special attention should be paid to the conditions concerning the number of investors. Our team that can help you open a company in Jersey summarizes some of the requirements below:

• The Jersey private fund is open to professional or eligible investors (the former 50-investor cap was removed in August 2025);
• The expert fund is open only to expert investors (as the name suggests), but there are no limitations on their number in this case;
• The listed fund has no restrictions on the number or type of investors;
• The eligible investor fund is, as the name suggests, only open to eligible individuals;
• The unclassified collective investment fund is another type that does not have restrictions on the number or type of investors.

Another issue of note concerns service providers. Those who set up a fund in Jersey should be well aware of the condition to appoint a designated service provider in Jersey. The one occupying this function will make sure that the Jersey private fund:

• Meets the eligibility criteria;
• It complies with the anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing laws;
• It meets the filing criteria and deadlines (i.e., it fills in and submits the application form and the annual return to the JFSC).

The role of the fund service provider is more complex in the case of the expert fund and the listed fund. For example, the appointed provider must make sure that the arrangements for the safe custody of the fund property are met and, when the fund is structured as a company, it meets the requirements for its Jersey directors.

The Jersey designated service provider is formally appointed for their role and must be registered to offer one or more classes of financial services business.

Essential issues to consider for investors who set up a fund in Jersey

Because Jersey funds can take the form of more than one type of structure, it is essential to determine the most appropriate form, and then follow the steps for its creation.

Our team, specializing in company formation in Jersey assists investors who wish to register one of the types of funds described herein. The choice can be influenced by many issues, including the authorization requirements with the Jersey Financial Services Commission, and the time for registration.

When choosing to open a fund in Jersey, we recommend keeping in mind the following issues:

• the type of legal structure;
• the fees and time for registration;
• the number of investors interested in setting up the fund;
• the need to contract specialized service providers;
• the manner in which the fund will be promoted, and others.

Fees that apply when setting up Jersey funds

Some of the current fees that investors can keep in mind are:

• a £1,895 application fee for a Jersey private fund;
• a £1,512 annual fee for the private fund;
• a higher application fee for an expert fund/listed fund/eligible investor fund, at £3,812 (plus £3,812 for each fund service provider);
• an authorisation time of 24 hours (for a compliant private fund application submitted by a registered designated service provider), and more for other types of funds (approximately 72 hours).

The Jersey Financial Services Commission imposes different types of fees. What this means is that, in practice, the application fee can differ between funds (as seen above, it is higher for the expert or eligible investor fund, when compared to the private fund).

In addition to the application fees exemplified above, the Commission also imposes an annual fee (which can depend on the size of the pool of assets) and a fee applied to each fund service provider (these being imposed in relation to the collective investment fund).

Understanding the JFSC fees is part of the compliance requirements for those who set up a fund in Jersey. As needed, our team can provide pre-application guidance on the applicable fees and other details on the JFSC authorization, in addition to those for company formation in Jersey (incorporation for the purpose of fund creation).

Our experts can also provide other types of services to interested businesspeople, such as those for investors who wish to immigrate to Jersey.

Contact our team if you are interested in setting up a business in Jersey, or if you have questions about how to set up a fund in Jersey.