Company formation

“Off the shelf companies,” are companies which have already been pre-incorporated and legally registered in Ireland. These companies are much faster to establish compared to incorporating a new one. Usually, such entities would have never traded before, therefore they would be free of liabilities. The upside to Shelf companies is that you are buying a ready-made company, more like picking a product in a supermarket. They serve great convenience for foreign entrepreneurs who want to quickly set up a business in Ireland.

A sole trader or sole proprietorship is registered in the name of the person who owns the entity and is one of the most straightforward and easy-to-understand business types in Ireland. This form of business has turned out to be well-liked and is very prevalent in Ireland, owing to an increasing number of people who are fascinated by the idea of being their own bosses instead of being an employee in someone else’s entity. The sole proprietorship has no legal separation from the owner.

The Irish jurisdiction does not impose any restrictions on buying property in Ireland. Therefore, the doors are open for all nationalities who want to own a piece of property in Ireland. It is important to note that anyone can own a property in Ireland, both EU and non-EU citizens, however owning a property doesn’t necessarily grant you permission to reside in Ireland.  In order to live in Ireland, you will have to have the necessary documents needed by the Irish jurisdiction.

In Ireland, Unlimited companies constitute only 2% of the total number of entities. Their distinctive characteristic is the fact that members’ liability is not limited. One can find three forms of unlimited companies in Ireland. 

A Societas Europaea (SE) is a special type of a public limited company whose registration occurs under the EU Regulation (Council Regulation 2157/2001) and Statutory Instrument 21 of 2007. It can result from mergers of companies or can come into existence in the form of a holding company or a supplementary affiliate of the company. Alternatively, it can emerge from the transformation of a firm from a PLC type of entity. Articles 3 and 10 of the EU Regulation (Council Regulation 2157/2001) necessitates member nations to consider SE companies in a similar manner to public limited companies registered in compliance with the relevant statutory instruments of that member nation in which an approved office exists.