Promote:
Invest in Montserrat
A short guide for companies expanding into Montserrat: the economy at a glance, the rules and steps to set up, and who can help, each with its source.
1. Montserrat at a glance
Population
4,396
The final 2023 census counted 4,396 people in Montserrat, as at September 2023.
Source: Government of Montserrat, final 2023 census results, 8 August 2024 (opens in a new tab) · as of September 2023 (census)
GDPEstimate
US$86.1 million
GDP was US$86.055 million in 2025 in current prices, in UNCTADstat's series for Montserrat.
Source: UNCTADstat, GDP and growth, Montserrat, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDP per personEstimate
US$19,742
GDP per person was US$19,741.88 in 2025 in current prices, from the UNCTADstat series for Montserrat.
Source: UNCTADstat, GDP and growth, Montserrat, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Real GDP growthEstimate
3.7%
Real GDP growth was 3.7 percent in 2025 in UNCTADstat's series for Montserrat.
Source: UNCTADstat, GDP and growth, Montserrat, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
InflationEstimate
2.7%
Inflation was 2.7 percent in 2025, a preliminary estimate in the Caribbean Development Bank review, which does not state the measure.
Source: Caribbean Development Bank, Caribbean Economic Review and Outlook 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Foreign direct investment inflows
US$1.36 million
Inward foreign direct investment was US$1.355 million in 2025, on an asset and liability basis, in the UNCTADstat series.
Source: UNCTADstat, foreign direct investment, Montserrat, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
The currency is the East Caribbean dollar, shared through the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.
Source: Government of Montserrat, Budget Speech 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab) · as of April 21, 2026
2. Before you set up
The investment agency, any one-stop route, the sectors reserved for nationals and the zones, as the guide found them.
The Trade and Quality Infrastructure Division is the investment contact: Invest Montserrat names it the government's hub for entrepreneurs and investors, beside the UK Office.
Source: Invest Montserrat, about page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
No one-stop shop for investors was found; Invest Montserrat describes liaison services, and companies register through the online portal of the Financial Services Commission.
Source: Invest Montserrat, about page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
No list of sectors reserved for nationals was found on the investment site's pages on doing business and on key investment sectors.
Source: Invest Montserrat, doing business on Montserrat page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
The investment pages list no free zone or special economic zone, and no zone authority was found.
Source: Invest Montserrat, doing business on Montserrat page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
3. Steps to set up
The main steps, in order, each with the body responsible and its official page.
Setting up in Montserrat
- Incorporate a company on the online portal; business name registration there is marked coming soon.Financial Services CommissionOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Financial Services Commission Montserrat, companies online registry portal (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- Register with the Inland Revenue Department for income tax.Montserrat Customs and Revenue ServiceOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Montserrat Customs and Revenue Service, home page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- Apply for a trade license and, for approved sectors, ask about tax and duty incentives.Trade and Quality Infrastructure DivisionOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Government of Montserrat, Trade and Quality Infrastructure Division page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- To hold land as a non-Montserratian, apply for a landholding license to the Permanent Secretary, with a copy to the Registrar of Lands.Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Environment, Youth Affairs & SportsGreater of 5 percent of the price or $2,500Official page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Invest Montserrat, doing business on Montserrat page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Show 2 more set-up steps
- Apply for work permits at the Department of Labour, and for visas or resident permits on the online immigration site.Department of LabourRenewal or variation processing fee EC$75 (CARICOM national) or EC$125Official page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Government of Montserrat, services page: work permits (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- For banking, insurance, trust or company management businesses, apply for a license from the Financial Services Commission.Financial Services CommissionOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Financial Services Commission Montserrat, home page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
4. Organizations that help investors
Start with UK Office and MCRS. Each card links to the organization’s own site.
Each card says what it can help with:Get adviceFind financeMeet requirementsResearch markets
- Montserrat has 4,396 residents, so this guide lists every national body found with evidence dated 2025 or later; it has 9 organizations. Source (opens in a new tab)
Investment and business setup
Government office in London
UK Office
Montserrat Government UK Office
Gives details to prospective investors and promotes trade and tourism for the Government of Montserrat in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Visit UK Office (opens in a new tab)Source: Government of Montserrat, Montserrat Government UK Office page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
- Meet requirements
Company registry and regulator
FSC
Financial Services Commission
Runs the Companies and Intellectual Property Office, registers companies, and licenses and supervises financial service providers.
Visit FSC (opens in a new tab)Source: Financial Services Commission Montserrat, home page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Show 2 more organizations
Ministry for land and agriculture
Agriculture Ministry
Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Environment, Youth Affairs & Sports
Receives landholding license applications from non-Montserratians and runs the lands and survey and physical planning departments.
Visit Agriculture Ministry (opens in a new tab)Source: Invest Montserrat, doing business on Montserrat page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Government legal department
AG Chambers
Attorney General's Chambers
Publishes Montserrat laws, acts passed each year and statutory rules and orders.
Visit AG Chambers (opens in a new tab)Source: Government of Montserrat, Attorney General's Chambers page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Customs and tax
- Meet requirements
Customs and revenue authority
MCRS
Montserrat Customs and Revenue Service
Collects customs duties and taxes, runs export entries and customs forms, and administers most direct taxes through its Inland Revenue Department.
Visit MCRS (opens in a new tab)Source: Montserrat Customs and Revenue Service, Customs Department page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
5. Worth knowing
Export duty on aggregate
The Mined Aggregates (Export Duty) Act 2025, assented on December 16, 2025, sets a duty of $2.00 per ton on exported sand, stone, gravel, soil and ash.
What to do: Confirm the current rate with the Comptroller of Customs and Excise before you price a shipment.
Source: Montserrat, Mined Aggregates (Export Duty) Act, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Currency and settlement
The April 2026 Budget Speech reports engagement on correspondent banking challenges, and the territory uses the East Caribbean dollar.
What to do: Confirm with your bank how payments to and from Montserrat will clear before you invoice.
Sources: Government of Montserrat, Budget Speech 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab); Invest Montserrat, doing business on Montserrat page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Aid dependence
Budgetary aid was 69.1 percent of recurrent revenue in the revised 2025/26 estimates, the April 2026 Budget Speech says.
What to do: Check public-sector project timelines against the current budget estimates before you schedule work for government.
Source: Government of Montserrat, Budget Speech 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Electricity
Diesel fuel is 50 to 55 percent of the island utility's operating costs, Invest Montserrat says.
What to do: Request the current tariff schedule from the utility before you budget energy costs.
Sources: Invest Montserrat, doing business on Montserrat page (opens in a new tab); Government of Montserrat, Budget Speech 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
Show 1 more
Land ownership license
A non-Montserratian needs a landholding license, unless an exemption order covers their nationality, and an application is accepted only for a whole parcel.
What to do: Subdivide the parcel first if you want part of it, and confirm current fees with the Ministry.
Sources: Invest Montserrat, doing business on Montserrat page (opens in a new tab); Government of Montserrat, agriculture ministry page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026
6. How Promote:Global helps
- Compare Montserrat with other countriesSet Montserrat beside other countries on investment momentum, fundamentals and trade access, before site, tax and legal work.
- Find advisors and service firmsAsk an advisory firm a scoped, paid question, or browse firms that list their own services, from legal work to logistics.
- Organize your next stepsKeep each product and market in a project, with a roadmap of steps you work through.
Turn this guide into your Montserrat project.
Use Promote:Global to explore markets, understand requirements and organize your next steps.
Free to start. No card required.
Already have an account? Sign in
Promote:Montserrat is an independent guide by Promote:Global, not an official government portal. The organizations named here are independent public and membership bodies, not Promote:Global partners, and every link goes to their own site.
Facts read from public sources, with an editorial cut-off of November 1, 2026. Nothing here is investment, legal, tax or sanctions advice. Check current status with the organization before you rely on it.