Memorandum and articles in Guernsey – official record
A Guernsey memorandum and articles of association is the constitutional record filed for a Guernsey company. It sets out the company's name, registered office, objects and share structure. REGISTRUM obtains this Guernsey company document as issued. The access regime and the official fee for this record are currently being confirmed against the primary source.
What this document shows
A memorandum and articles of association records the constitutional terms of a company. In Guernsey, this document is filed at incorporation. It is updated only when the company itself files an amendment.
The fields commonly found in this type of record include:
- the company's registered name, and any previous name it has held
- the registered office address in Guernsey
- the objects for which the company was formed, where an objects clause is still used
- the authorised and issued share capital, broken down by class
- the powers reserved to directors, and those reserved to members
- the date the current version was adopted, or last amended
Not every field is present in every version. Some companies operate under model articles with few bespoke provisions. Others carry detailed, negotiated terms built up over several amendments.
A certified Guernsey extract is a separate document. It summarises current filed data. It does not reproduce the constitutional text itself.
Whether the copy supplied is the original memorandum and articles, or a certified copy consolidating later amendments, depends on how the order is placed. REGISTRUM confirms which version is available before taking payment.
Many requests for this Guernsey memorandum and articles are made to satisfy a registrar or a bank abroad that lists the company's constitutional terms. The document itself is neutral. It states what the company adopted, not whether a given recipient will accept it.
The regime governing access to this document in Guernsey is being confirmed against the primary source. Where that confirmation is incomplete, this page states the general position rather than a specific claim about how the record is held or issued.
What it does not show
A memorandum and articles of association does not show who owns or controls the company. Beneficial ownership sits in a separate record, where one exists.
It does not show the directors' personal details. Names, addresses and appointment dates for directors are held in a separate register in Guernsey. That register is ordered separately from this one.
Charges and security interests over the company's assets sit outside this document too. A lender's fixed or floating charge is recorded, if at all, in its own register, not in the constitutional text.
The document says nothing about litigation, insolvency proceedings or the company's current standing. A certificate confirming good standing, where Guernsey issues one, is a different order.
Financial statements are not part of this record. Guernsey's filing requirements for accounts, where they apply, sit in a separate filing stream.
This limit is not a gap in REGISTRUM's service. It reflects how the underlying record is structured in Guernsey, not an omission by the report.
Whether each of these adjacent registers is open, restricted or closed to a foreign applicant is exactly what is being confirmed against the primary source for this jurisdiction. This page does not assume an access position it cannot yet support.
How it is obtained
The issuing authority for this document in Guernsey is being confirmed against the primary source. Company records across the Channel Islands sit with different bodies depending on the type of filing, and REGISTRUM does not assume Guernsey mirrors Jersey or the Isle of Man on this point. REGISTRUM identifies the correct authority, by name, at the point an order is checked.
The official fee charged for issuing this document is likewise under confirmation. No fee figure is stated on this page until that confirmation is complete. REGISTRUM confirms the current fee before any payment is taken, and states it in writing before the order proceeds.
REGISTRUM's own turnaround for this document is normally two working days from the point availability is confirmed. That figure covers REGISTRUM's handling; it does not cover any additional time the register itself may need to issue the underlying record.
The language in which the document is issued, and whether an English version exists as standard, is being confirmed against the primary source. REGISTRUM asks this question of the primary source for every jurisdiction it covers, since assuming an English original where none exists is exactly the kind of error a compliance officer cannot use.
Whether a foreign applicant can request this document without a local representative, a Guernsey-specific identifier or a local electronic signature is also under confirmation. REGISTRUM states the position plainly once it is established, rather than inferring it from adjacent jurisdictions.
Reuse of the copy supplied is licensed per document. Each further use, or a fresh recipient, calls for a new order rather than a repeat of the original licence. This licence covers the document as delivered; it does not extend to further copies made from it.
Price and timing
Price on request. REGISTRUM confirms the fee for this document before any order proceeds. Add-ons – apostille, certified translation, courier delivery and a rush service – each add their own working days, set out separately on the order form once selected, rather than folded into the base figure shown above, and none of them shortens REGISTRUM's own confirmation step before payment.
If the document does not exist in this jurisdiction or cannot be obtained for you, we say so before you pay and we do not take the order.
How long does a memorandum & articles / constitutional documents from Guernsey take?
REGISTRUM's own handling of this document normally takes two working days once availability is confirmed. That figure covers REGISTRUM's side of the order only. Any additional time the Guernsey register itself needs to issue the underlying record is confirmed separately, before the order is placed, so the full timeline is known in advance rather than estimated afterwards.
Will a Guernsey document be accepted abroad without an apostille?
REGISTRUM does not state whether a given recipient abroad will accept a document with or without an apostille; that decision sits with the receiving body. What REGISTRUM confirms is whether an apostille is available for this document from Guernsey, and adds it as a separate step where the order calls for one.
What does a memorandum & articles / constitutional documents in Guernsey not show?
It does not show beneficial ownership, director's personal details, charges over company assets, litigation or insolvency status, or financial statements. Each of those sits in a separate record. Whether each adjacent register is open, restricted or closed to a foreign applicant in Guernsey is being confirmed against the primary source.
Can a foreign applicant order this document without visiting Guernsey?
Yes, REGISTRUM places the order on the applicant's behalf without requiring travel to Guernsey. Whether the underlying process needs a local representative, a Guernsey-specific identifier or a local electronic signature is confirmed on a case-by-case basis before the order is accepted, and stated plainly if any of those applies.
Is the Guernsey company register open to public search?
The access regime for company records in Guernsey, including this document, is currently being confirmed against the primary source. REGISTRUM does not state a general open-or-closed position ahead of that confirmation, since the position can vary by record type within the same register, and a position correct for one document type is not always correct for another.
State the entity, the jurisdiction and the date you need this document by; REGISTRUM confirms availability and the fee before you pay. If you would rather handle the request yourself, the step-by-step route is set out in our guide to obtaining a memorandum and articles in Guernsey directly from the register.
REGISTRUM obtains and delivers official records issued by public registers and licensed registered agents. This page describes what those records contain and how they are obtained. It is not advice on the legal effect of any record. To order, write to info@registrumfirm.com.