Business Licence Alteration
Business licence holders may wish to change some of the particulars relating to their business licence. These particulars include:
• Extension of an existing licence by adding other business classes activities
• Transfer an existing business licence to another person
• Transfer an existing business licence to another premises
• Change the conditions of an existing business licence
How We Can Help With Business Licence Alterations
- We complete the online relevant applications on the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) website
- We upload the required supporting documents
- We make payment of the government applicable fee
- We liaise regularly with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to monitor progress and ensure everything remains in order until a decision is reached
Why Might You Need to Alter a Business Licence?
Your business may change over time, and your Business Licence may need to be updated to reflect those changes. You may need to apply to alter your existing licence if:
- You changed your Business Name and you want your existing Business Licence to reflect the change
- You want to add new business activities or extend your licence to include additional business classes
- The business is being transferred to another person, such as following a change in ownership
- You are moving your business to new premises and need your licence transferred to the new location
- You need to change the conditions attached to your existing Business Licence to reflect changes to how your business operates
- You are taking on a business partner and changing the legal structure of your business, for example, moving from operating as a sole trader to operating as a partnership
Important Things to Remember
Keeping your Business Licence up to date ensures that the details held by the Office of Fair Trading accurately reflect your current business activities, ownership and premises. As alterations to a Business Licence may take some time to process, it is important to plan ahead and submit your application well in advance of any intended changes to your business.
Required Documents
Altering your Business Licence can involve a number of different changes, depending on your circumstances. The documents required will vary depending on the type of alteration, but the main documents you may need include:
- Details of proposed change
- Copy of ID Card, Civilian Registration Card or Passport of new partners or owners (If applicable)
- New Business Name Registration (If applicable)
- Register of Property Occupation (If applicable)
- Proof of new premises like lease, tenancy agreement or other proof of occupation (If applicable)
- Photographs of the premises – interior and exterior (If applicable)
- Site plan of the premises (If applicable)
- Business Plan (If applicable)
Turnaround Time
Business Licence applications involves two stages:
Application Preparation and Submission: Once we have received all the required information and supporting documents, we can prepare and submit your application within 5 working days.
Appeal Processing: After submission, your application is processed by the Office of Fair Trading. Processing times* vary depending on the complexity of the application and the volume of applications being handled.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may need to alter your Business Licence if your business activities, ownership, legal structure or premises change. This can include adding new business activities, taking on a partner, transferring the licence to another person or premises, or changing the conditions of your licence.
Yes. If you want to expand your business and provide additional services or sell products, you may need to apply to add the relevant classes to your existing licence.
If you are changing from operating as a sole trader to a partnership, your Business Licence may need to be altered to reflect the new ownership and structure of the business.
A Business Licence may be transferred to another person, subject to the relevant OFT requirements and approval.
If your business is moving to a different premises, you may need to apply to transfer your existing Business Licence to the new location.
Not every business needs dedicated commercial premises. If your business can operate without a physical location, you may be able to request a premises waiver as part of your Business Licence application.
If you are applying for a premises waiver, you should be prepared to explain how your business operates and why dedicated premises are not necessary.
Processing times can vary depending on the type of alteration and whether all required information and supporting documents have been provided. It is therefore advisable to plan ahead and submit your application well before the intended date of the change.
*Disclaimer: The processing of the above services is the sole responsibility of the Office of Fair Trading in Gibraltar. A2Z Business Solutions acts only as an independent facilitator and assumes no responsibility for the processing, approval, or outcome of these services.
