Ireland Golden Visa

Program Overview

Golden Visa
Ireland

Invest for Residency in Ireland with La Vida’s trusted advisors. 

Ireland Golden Visa Closure

The government closed Ireland’s Golden Visa programme in 2023. 

It is no longer possible to gain residency in Ireland through this investment route. The information below relates to the programme as it was before its closure.

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Ireland Golden Visa Overview

Ireland introduced its original investor visa programme in 2012, which is officially known as Ireland’s Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP). The programme was enhanced in 2013 and it now offers the opportunity for applicants from outside the European Union to gain Irish residency through investing a minimum €1.0 million in an Approved Investment Fund.

The Irish golden visa programme was made available to stimulate investment in Ireland and offer residency to dynamic business professionals with a proven record of success. This is an ideal programme for High-Net-Worth families seeking residency in Europe and will be particularly attractive to businessmen, entrepreneurs and those seeking a top level of education for their children at world class universities.

Euro

From €1,000,000 + costs

Fund Investment

Full Family

Flexible. 1 Day minimum stay.

Superb Education Choice

Ireland Golden Visa Resources

Investment Requirements for Ireland’s Golden Visa

Applicants must make a minimum investment of €1,000,000 into an approved fund which will be held for a minimum of 3-5 years. The process to obtain Ireland’s Residency Visa is relatively straightforward and quick. Applicants need to be non–EEA residents and have:

  • A clean criminal record
  • Sufficient funds and healthcare to cover their stay
  • No previous visa refusals
  • Demonstrate a net worth of €2,000,000

Citizenship by investment in Ireland

Ireland does not have a direct Citizenship by Investment programme, but following five years of full-time residency in Ireland, investors will have the opportunity to apply for Irish citizenship and an Irish EU passport, in line with Ireland’s citizenship laws. Once Irish citizenship has been granted, the holder will gain the ability to reside, work or study in any of the other EU member countries with no additional visa required. Ireland also holds a Common Travel Area agreement with the UK, giving Irish citizens the right to move freely throughout the UK.

Ireland’s passport is one of the strongest in the world and Irish passport holders can enjoy visa-free access to 199 countries and territories worldwide.

If citizenship in an EU country is your ultimate goal, but you are unable to reside in Ireland for five years, then investors are advised to consider the Portugal Golden Visa programme as an alternative.

Ireland Golden Visa Benefits

The Irish Immigrant Investor Programme (IIIP) has many benefits and is particularly attractive to those who may be considering relocating to Ireland due to its booming economy, career, and education opportunities. Ireland is ranked as one of the top ten wealthiest countries in the world, in terms of GDP per capita. Investors can gain a €50,000 reduction in the amount needed for investment if they have children who wish to attend university in Ireland. The benefits of a full education in Ireland are attractive. English speaking and offering some of the best universities in Europe, Ireland offers unique opportunities for students and for graduates. Two of the top four universities in Europe for educating entrepreneurs are based in Dublin, namely Trinity College and University College Dublin. In addition due to its access to the EU market, graduates are welcomed by many of the world’s top companies with headquarters in Ireland. They include the likes of Google, Facebook, Intel, Twitter, Citi, Huawei, Pfizer, Takeda, Novartis, Trend Micro and Fujitsu.

Key Benefits:

  • Irish Residency with a route to citizenship
  • Education incentive for Golden Visa investors
  • Part of the Common Travel Area agreement with the UK
  • Live, work, study in Ireland, if you wish, but no minimum stay
  • Part of the EU
  • English speaking country

Your Free Quotation

Minimum investment of €1,000,000

Clean criminal record

Demonstrate a net worth of €2,000,000

Full family residency

Dependent children

Dependent family members

1 day minimum stay requirement

No interview

No language test

Residency in EU country

EU Schengen zone travel

Citizenship 5yr+ residency

Ireland Residency By Investment – Approved Fund

The fund is a low-risk investment fund authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. It offers the opportunity for foreign investors to invest in Ireland in return for long term residency status. The two key objectives of the fund are:

1. Ensure maximum protection of investor funds through a conservative, low risk loan investment policy

2. Issue innovative finance to a portfolio of Irish hotels which will each increase employment levels through the lifetime of the fund

This is an asset backed mutualised debt fund which offers a very secure option for investors seeking access to the Irish Investor Visa Programme.

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How to Apply for The Golden Visa in Ireland

Several countries offer residency and citizenship through investment. La Vida offers the most established golden visa programs available.

1

Step 1

Book your free consultation with La Vida’s team of experts to discuss and decide which programme and investment route is best suited to you and your family. Our experienced consultants will run through all your objectives and requirements and advise and guide you through the entire process in detail.

2

Step 2

For your peace of mind, before you commit, La Vida will run a pre-application background check to ensure your application for Ireland is likely to be successful. Once this has been completed and you are happy to proceed, you can formally initiate the process by signing our Client Facilitator agreement and paying the pre-application deposit.

3

Step 3

La Vida’s professional team will work with you to prepare the application. When your application is completely prepared and ready to be submitted the first payment (legal and processing and application fees) should be paid. Following approval from Ireland’s Evaluation Committee and the Minister for Justice and Equality, the fund investment will then be required.

4

Step 4

Once the investment is officially confirmed, successful applicants will be granted an initial two-year residency visa in Ireland together with any eligible family members that were included in the application. Applicants will need to visit Ireland prior to their two-year renewal to register their permission on the application.

Ireland Golden Visa FAQ’s

We have listed below some of the frequently asked questions we receive regarding the Golden Visa in Ireland. However, it is impossible to cover everything in depth here. Please contact our advisors for further details.

How long does it take to obtain Ireland’s Golden Visa?

Processing for Ireland’s Golden Visa programme takes approximately 4-6 months from the date the file is submitted. All in all the process will take around 6-9 months from start to finish.

Will an Irish Residency Visa give me access to the rest of the EU?

Ireland is an EU member but it is not a member of the Schengen Zone and therefore Irish residency holders cannot travel visa-free to other EU / Schengen Zone countries unless they have an additional Schengen Visa in their existing passport. Once you hold Irish residency, obtaining a Schengen visa will be very straightforward.

If you later decide to apply for Irish Citizenship, then you will become a citizen and passport holder of an EU country and this then allows you to travel, live, work or study, visa-free, throughout the EU.

Can I obtain citizenship in Ireland through investment?

The Irish Immigrant Investor programme (IIP) is a residency only programme. However, once investors have resided in Ireland full time for five years, it is possible to apply for Irish Citizenship through the countries naturalisation laws. There is no direct Citizenship by Investment programme in Ireland.

Can I invest in property for Ireland’s Golden Visa programme?

No. Ireland’s Immigrant Investor programme does not offer a simple property purchase route for investors to qualify for residency. It is possible to invest through a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), but this route requires an investment of €2,000,000. Due to the higher cost, most applicants prefer to go for the fund investment route instead.

Should you decide to reside in Ireland you would be able to purchase or rent a property once you have gained your residency visa, at any value.

Does Ireland offer any other investment routes to gain residency?

There are four official investment options for Ireland’s Immigrant Investor programme:

  • Enterprise Investment: A minimum of €1 million invested in an Irish enterprise for a period of at least three years
  • Investment Fund: A minimum of €1 million invested in an approved investment fund for a period of at least three years. Such funds must be approved and regulated by the Central Bank
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts: A minimum investment of €2 million in any Irish REIT that is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange, for a period of at least three years
  • Endowment: A minimum €500,000 (or €400,000 where 5 or more applications are received) philanthropic donation to a project which is of public benefit to the arts, sports, health, culture or education in Ireland.

We have found option two to be the most favourable with our clients as this route is one of the most reliable ways to invest and the funds are refundable after three years. To find out more on all options, please contact our experts.

Citizenship and Residency Programs

A selection of alternative residency and citizenship investment programmes to consider.

Portugal Golden Visa

Portugal

From €500,000 + costs
Private Equity Investment
European Residency
EU Schengen Zone Travel
Apply Citizenship 5 years

Explore
Grenada Citizenship by Investment

Grenada

Minimum $235,000 Donation
Real Estate Option
Citizenship & Passport
E2 USA Visa Potential

Explore
Turkey Citizenship Investment

Turkey

$400,000 Investment
Full Family Residency
No Requirement to Reside
Visa Free Travel
European Passport

Explore

Testimonials

How Can La Vida Help You?

La Vida has extensive experience of all the Golden Visa programmes in Europe. In addition to residency through investment in Ireland we can advise on Portugal, Malta, Greece and Spain. We also offer five programmes for citizenship through investment in the Caribbean.  La Vida has extensive global reach with our expert team having helped clients in over 150 countries worldwide.

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