Guide · Non-EEA founders
You can own and run an Irish company from anywhere. If none of your directors lives in the EEA, here is what the law asks of you, and how we help.
At least one director of an Irish company must live in the European Economic Area. The test is where they live, not their nationality, and a director living in the UK no longer counts.
If none of yours does, your company can still be registered. It needs one of three things in place first: a Section 137 bond, a Section 140 certificate, or a director who lives in the EEA.
Each director and the secretary gives a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) on Form A1. Someone without a PPSN first applies to the CRO for an Identified Person Number (IPN) on Form VIF.
The CRO does not guarantee a processing time. It takes longer if a director first needs an IPN.
Your options
Most founders outside the EEA choose the bond: it is quick to arrange and needs nothing more from your directors.
A Section 137 bond is an insurance bond the company holds instead of an EEA-resident director. It must be in force from incorporation for at least two years and is then renewed.
A company with a real and continuous economic link to Ireland can instead obtain a certificate from Revenue under section 140 and file it with its application.
A director who lives in the EEA joins your board, so the company meets the rule without a bond.
Your company still needs an Irish registered office and a secretary, and you still file with the RBO and register with Revenue after incorporation.
A company’s registered office must be an address in Ireland from the day it is formed, and it must keep one for as long as it exists. Official letters are sent there, and it appears on the public register.
Every company needs a secretary. If a company has a single director, the secretary must be someone else, and a company can act as secretary.
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FAQ
Something else? Ask us directly.
At least one director of an Irish company must live in the European Economic Area. The test is where they live, not their nationality, and a director living in the UK no longer counts.
A Section 137 bond is an insurance bond the company holds instead of an EEA-resident director. It must be in force from incorporation for at least two years and is then renewed.
Yes. Each director and the secretary gives a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) on Form A1. Someone without a PPSN first applies to the CRO for an Identified Person Number (IPN) on Form VIF.
This adds time, so start early if any of your directors needs an IPN.
Banks set their own requirements and usually ask for the company’s RBO filing and identity documents for its directors and owners. We can’t open an account for you, but we can make sure your company documents are complete and ready to show them.
Check your company name against the CRO register now, then form your company when you’re ready.