Can a non-resident own an Irish company?

Yes. Non-residents can own 100% of an Irish LTD. The restriction is on the directors: at least one director must be resident in the European Economic Area (EEA), or the company must hold a Section 137 bond.

How much does a Section 137 bond cost?

A Section 137 non-resident directors bond typically costs around €2,000 for two years. It covers potential unpaid taxes or penalties.

Do I need to visit Ireland to open a company?

No. The entire CRO filing can be done online via CORE (Companies Online Registration Environment). You do not need to travel to Ireland.

How long does CRO approval take?

Online submissions through CORE are typically processed within 5 business days. Paper submissions take longer.

How to Open an Irish LTD as a Non-Resident (2026)

Short answer: Yes, you can open an Irish private limited company (LTD) from anywhere in the world. You'll need one director resident in the European Economic Area (EEA) — or a Section 137 non-resident directors bond if you don't have one. The entire filing happens online via the CRO's CORE portal, usually in under two weeks.

This guide walks through the exact steps, the €2,000 question everyone asks about Section 137, and the three rejection reasons that catch non-resident founders off-guard.

1. Why founders pick Ireland

Ireland has the lowest corporate tax rate in Western Europe at 12.5% on trading income, an English-speaking legal system, and full EU market access — which matters if you're running a SaaS, agency or ecommerce business with EU customers. The CRO accepts online filings, Revenue accepts online VAT registration, and Stripe supports Irish companies natively.

The tradeoffs: if you don't live in the EEA, you'll either need to appoint an EEA-resident co-director or buy a Section 137 bond. Annual compliance is more involved than a Delaware C-corp.

2. The Section 137 bond rule, explained

Under Section 137 of the Companies Act 2014, every Irish company must have at least one director whose "ordinary residence" is in a member state of the EEA. If none of your directors live in the EEA, the company must:

Take out a Section 137 bond, which costs roughly €2,000 and covers two years. The bond guarantees up to €25,000 for unpaid corporate taxes or penalties.
Or appoint a nominee EEA-resident director through a service provider (typically €1,500–€3,000/year).

Most non-resident founders take the bond — it's cheaper over time and doesn't give a stranger legal standing over your company.

3. Choose your company structure

You have four realistic options:

Private Limited by Shares (LTD) — 90% of SaaS, agencies, ecommerce and holding companies use this. No minimum capital, one-page constitution, flexible objects.
Designated Activity Company (DAC) — used when you need a specific objects clause, or you're in a regulated industry like fintech, crypto or insurance.
Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) — non-profits, associations, charities.
Sole Trader — simplest but offers no liability protection and puts the business in your personal name.

Unless you have a specific reason to pick something else, go with LTD.

4. Pick and check your company name

The CRO will reject names that are:

Identical or too similar to an existing registered company
Missing a legal suffix (Ltd, Limited, Teoranta, DAC, CLG, PLC)
Containing restricted words (Bank, Insurance, University, Group, State) without prior ministerial approval
Using characters outside the Latin alphabet set

Use the CRO CheCK search to verify your name is available before you commit to the filing.

5. Prepare the paperwork

For a standard LTD incorporation you need:

Form A1 — the main application form listing directors, shareholders, share capital and registered office
Constitution — a one-document version replacing the old Memorandum & Articles of Association
Registered office consent letter — signed by the address holder (if you're using a virtual office)
Section 137 bond certificate — if applicable
Director details — full name, date of birth, nationality, residential address and occupation for every director
PPS number or Verified Identity Number (VIN) for each director

6. File through CORE

CORE is the online filing portal. Create an account, upload your Form A1 PDF, pay the €50 fee, and submit. Approval typically lands in your inbox within 5 business days — and faster if your file is clean.

7. The three rejections non-resident founders hit most

a) Director DOB or residential address incomplete

The CRO wants the residential address of each director, not a business or PO box. Dates of birth must be full (day/month/year), not approximated.

b) Registered office consent letter missing

If you're using a virtual office or an accountant's address, the address holder must sign a consent letter stating they authorize the use of their address as the registered office. Missing this consent is the second most common rejection.

c) Section 137 bond not attached

If you're relying on a bond, the certificate must be attached to the filing. If you're relying on an EEA-resident director, that director's residential address must show as EEA.

8. After incorporation

Register for Corporation Tax with Revenue (automatic in most cases).
Register for VAT if you'll sell to EU customers above the thresholds (€37,500 for services, €75,000 for goods). GetVatrax handles this step.
Register for PAYE/PRSI if you plan to pay yourself or employees.
File the Beneficial Ownership (RBO) register within 5 months.
Your first annual return is due 6 months after incorporation.

Where GetIrishCompany fits

Our software prepares every document on this checklist — Constitution, Form A1 draft, registered office consent, Section 137 guidance — and if your application gets rejected, our Rejection Fixer AI reads the CRO letter and regenerates the corrected documents in minutes. You still file with the CRO yourself; we handle the paperwork.

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