Company Registration in Ireland: Steps and CRO Filing

An Irish company is officially incorporated after its successful registration with the Companies Registration Office, also called the CRO. Company registration in Ireland is a multi-step process outlined in this article by our local lawyers in Ireland. Upon request, we assist investors with business registration.

Business registration in Ireland

Companies, limited partnerships, and external companies must be registered with the Companies Registration Office as part of their incorporation. The registration step is an essential one, effectively allowing the respective legal entity to exist and operate according to law.

Quick Facts
Trade Register’s full/official name	The Companies Registration Office
Services offered by our team for registrations with this authority	Complete assistance for entering a new company into the register or making the needed changes.
Main role	It is the central repository of public information on Irish companies and partnerships
Organizational chart	Divided into areas relating to company incorporation, business name services, or liquidations
Laws observed by and implemented by the Registry	The Companies Act 2014 and other relevant statues and laws
Legal entities entered into the Registry	Companies and limited partnerships
Public services offered by the Companies Registration Office in Ireland	Public information on Irish companies and business names
Compliance ensurance	The Registration Office also handles issues related to post-registration and beneficial ownership registrations
Modifications	Possible after registration
Modification notifcation	Mandatory, generally within 14 days of the change (e.g. 14 days for changes of directors/secretary, 15 days for a change of registered office)
Renewals	As prescribed by law
Company names in Ireland	Business name registration is performed with the Office as required
Company name changes	Possible after registration, subject to name availability
Company deregistration	Dissolving through liquidation or strike-off
Companies Registration Office fees in Ireland	Examples include EUR 50 for registering a new company online; changes of directors/secretary (B10) or of registered office (B2) are filed online free of charge.

As part of its core services, the CRO also offers business name registration services. This is also a key step for company or branch creation in Ireland, however, business name registration alone does not result in the creation of the legal entity. The company’s registration is submitted separately.

The mandatory steps for company registration in Ireland are the following:

Choose the company type;
Decide the company’s particulars (name, registered address, shareholding structure);
Prepare its constitutive documents: these are its Articles of Association, and others;
Provide supporting documents: these include, but are not limited to, details on the secretary and directors;
Register the business: all the documents required to form a company in Ireland are submitted at the same time to the CRO.

Our Irish lawyers can assist with any one of these steps.

The following infographic also offers useful information in this topic:

The role of the Irish CRO

The Companies Registration Office is the central agency for registering companies and limited partnerships in Ireland, storing public information on these entities as well as information on business names.

The CRO operates under the Irish Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment. Its main functions are the following:

Incorporate companies and register business names;
Receive post-incorporation documents for the registered legal entities, including those used to notify any changes brought to companies and/or limited partnerships;
Provide public access to information on registered legal entities and business names;
Enforce the provisions of the Irish Companies Act regarding not only registrations but also filing obligations;
Handle the process required for company termination (through liquidation or otherwise).

The Registration Office operates under the Freedom of Information Act and observes its principles in terms of disclosing public information, financial data, and procurement information, and the decision-making process for important policy proposals (among others).

Our Irish lawyers can give you more information about your rights to access information provided by the CRO. We also invite you to watch a short video about this topic:

General CRO fees – examples

Investors who open a company in Ireland should expect general and particular costs associated with the incorporation phase. As part of the general costs, one can consider the fees imposed by the CRO. Our lawyers in Ireland highlight some of the main fees that apply:

New company registration fee (as per the A1 form): EUR50;
Change of registered addresses (form B3): EUR 15 on paper, free online;
Notice of increase in members (form B9): EUR 15;
Chance in the company’s registered office: free.

Please keep in mind that these fees are subject to change and include only the ones for registration with the CRO, not legal fees or any others that are in place for related services.

Given the fact that company registration in Ireland includes several steps, applicants should expect a minimum processing period for their business registration submission.

The team of company registration experts at our law firm in Ireland can assist throughout the incorporation process, including with (but not limited to) making the necessary submissions to the Companies Registration Office.

You can contact our law firm in Ireland for more information on how to register a company in Ireland with the Companies Registration Office.