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Pathway

Ireland Startup Founder Residence

Ireland Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Ireland's Start-up Entrepreneur Program offers residence to founders with an innovative business proposal and at least €50,000 in funding. The business must have international growth potential; ordinary retail or local-service businesses do not qualify. Russian and Belarusian citizens are currently excluded.

Requirements
Startup approval, business plan, and funding proof
Investment
€50,000
Who can apply
High-potential startup founders

Summary

Ireland’s startup residence route is for founders of an innovative business with strong growth potential. The applicant must be outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland, have the required funding, and obtain approval for the business plan. Russian and Belarusian nationals are excluded under the current program restrictions.

How founder residence can continue
  1. First 2 years Initial permission If approved Live in Ireland and work on your approved startup.
  2. Next 3 years Renewal If renewal conditions are met The startup must remain in place and be successful or viable. Personal residence conditions still apply.
  3. After 5 years Later residence Subject to further requirements The guidelines allow later renewals and eligibility to seek long-term residence.

These are permission periods, not application processing times. Citizenship requires a separate application under the ordinary rules.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

An applicant must be of good character, have no criminal convictions in any jurisdiction, have the required funding available and present an innovative proposal. The official guidelines define the target “high potential start-up” as one that:

These are evaluation criteria, not a promise that the business must already have achieved those results. ISD expressly says there is no initial job-creation target, but the committee must be satisfied that the proposal is genuinely innovative and has significant export potential.

Funding may come from the founder's resources, a business loan, angel or venture-capital funding, or an Irish State-agency grant. The file must prove the amount, lawful source and ability to transfer it to Ireland. Character evidence includes police records for countries where the applicant lived for more than six months during the prior ten years, followed by an Irish-law affidavit after approval.

What This Route Allows

The current guidelines provide an initial two-year permission, renewable for three further years if the start-up remains in place, the committee considers it successful or viable, and the founder maintains good character, private medical insurance and no recourse to public funds. Later renewals may be granted in five-year periods.

The founder can reside in Ireland and work full time on the approved business. A spouse or partner and minor children may receive related residence after their family relationship is proved. A de facto partner normally needs evidence of two years' cohabitation.

After five years, the guidelines describe eligibility to seek long-term residence. Naturalization remains a separate application under the ordinary citizenship law with no STEP preference.

What This Route Is Not

STEP is not designed for retail, personal services, catering, ordinary consulting, a local professional practice, passive property investment or buying an established small business without a genuine innovation and export case. Merely possessing €50,000 does not make a proposal approvable.

The permission is tied to establishing and working full time on the approved start-up. The founder may not take other employment. A refusal is final under the program and has no review or appeal, although a later new application is not barred. The €350 application fee is non-refundable.

Next Steps

  1. Test the proposal honestly against every high-potential start-up criterion before paying the fee.
  2. Build a detailed plan covering the product, innovation, international market, Irish headquarters and control, team, three-year jobs and sales case, funding use and locations.
  3. Assemble proof of at least €50,000, its source and transferability; add €30,000 for each additional unrelated principal seeking permission.
  4. Obtain the required police records and prepare the current application form.
  5. Submit electronically and pay the €350 fee. Proposals are considered quarterly, even though applications may be submitted at any time.
  6. If approved, transfer the identified funds to a qualifying Irish business account, complete the character affidavit, obtain any needed visa and register the permission.
  7. Maintain separate records proving business activity, insurance, funds and compliance for renewal.

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Sources