The New Year is bringing a fresh name for one of Guernsey’s most familiar frontline services… and islanders are being reassured that the resulting cost is “minimal”.

From today (1 January 2026), the Guernsey Border Agency has officially become the Guernsey Customs and Immigration Service.

Officials say the new name is designed to better reflect what the organisation actually does in a post-Brexit world.

It follows the evolution of Guernsey’s customs and immigration responsibilities since Brexit, which has reshaped both regimes and increased the importance of clear international engagement.

The previous title, they say, didn’t always make that role obvious when dealing with counterparts beyond the Bailiwick.

“These changes have also affected the way the organisation is viewed on a national and international stage, and it is important the organisation is now recognised as a customs and immigration service with a clear identity when interacting with counterparts internationally,” a statement shared on social media explained.

“The previous name did not always achieve this.”

And for anyone worried about knock-on effects – there aren’t any.

But while the name is changing, the service will continue operating as normal, with no changes to how it works day to day.

The Guernsey Customs and Immigration Service – whose new name more closely mirrors its counterpart across the water, the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service (JCIS) – will continue to operate exactly as before, with no changes to how it works day to day.

Rather than it being a case of “out with the old, in with the new”, some islanders reacted on social media that it was more of a case of “back to the future”.

“We were always Guernsey Customs and Immigration in the earlier days, so back to original name,” one commenter said.

Another chimed in: “It was Customs and Excise when I joined in 1973 before we had uniforms. Became Customs and Immigration a few years later when we took on the passport control on arrival. I think that’s where the name ‘border control’ came from.”

Others were more concerned about the potential cost of the change.

But, according to Bailiwick Law Enforcement, the resulting dent in the public purse will be “extremely minimal, if not nothing”.

“All of Customs’ signage needs replacing regardless because of age, and that will be the main piece of work that still needs doing,” they said.

Meanwhile, the new emblem was said to have been “designed in house”, while the uniforms will not change, and “electronic changes like email signatures are free”.