Getting Your Ireland Golden Visa – Ireland Investor Visa Application & More

Wealthy foreigners can get Irish residency with an Ireland Investor Visa. The Irish government launched the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) in 2012 to help non-EU/EEA nationals and their families become citizens by investing a large sum in an Irish business or enterprise, creating jobs and boosting the economy.

The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) and an Evaluation Committee determine whether investments qualify for the Immigrant Investor Programme and which applicants can acquire the Ireland Investment Visa.

The Ireland Investment Visa is often referred to as an Ireland Golden Visa.

Most Irish Investment Visa applicants engage specialists to aid with the investment and visa application. The La Vida advisors have years of international investment scheme experience, local bank and legal ties, and Irish law understanding. They can advise you on the best program for your family and walk you through the process.

Hire specialized lawyers to help with the paperwork and procedures for securing a Golden visa for Ireland.

Who is eligible for the Ireland Investment Visa?

You qualify for the so-called “Ireland Golden Visa”, and in turn, for Irish residency, if you are a foreign national not in the EU or EEA and you invest at least €1 million into one of the following investment options:

Enterprise Investment

You must invest a minimum of €1 million in an Irish enterprise for at least 3 years.

Rules about the investment:

• It must be made in your name. You cannot invest in behalf of a corporation, even if you own 100% of the shares in it.
• You could either invest in one Irish enterprise or divide the investment over several enterprises.
• The investment has to help in the creation or preservation of employment.

In addition, the enterprise could be a start-up which you have established or an already-existing business which is registered in Ireland.

Investment Fund

You must invest €1 million in an Approved Investment Fund for three years. You must invest in an Immigrant Investor Programme-approved fund. Your fund must also follow IIP criteria when using your money.

The Central Bank of Ireland regulates your fund and its managers. Fund managers must have experience managing regulated funds to be eligible for this program. The Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS) can tell you which Investment Funds are eligible.

Real Estate Investment Fund (REIT)

You must invest €2 million in an Irish Stock Exchange-listed REIT. You could also invest in multiple REITs to reduce risk.

You must also hold your initial investment for three years, even if your shares appreciate. You can sell 50% of your shares three years after buying them. You can sell 25% more acquired shares a year later. You can totally sell the shares after five years.

Endowments

Endowments are the most direct way to invest in Ireland. You must donate €500,000 to a public-benefit art, education, health, culture, or sports project in Ireland.

However, this is a philanthropic giving and will not yield a cash return. At least five investors must donate €400,000 to qualify for the Immigrant Investor Programme.

Book a visit with La Vida to determine your investment program eligibility. Their experts will recommend a program based on your ambitions, money, and family structure.

Requirements for an Ireland Investor Visa

When you submit your Ireland Investor Visa application, you must have several supporting documents.

Document checklist for Ireland Investor Visa application

• Proof of net worth. You must have a minimum net worth of €2 million, which you have acquired legally, to qualify for the IIP. The funds must be yours, not of another family member, for example.
• Explanation of your financial activities from the past 12 months, such as:
  Your income, including employment details, annual income, bonuses and commissions, and any gifts or inheritances you may have received.
  Full details of any investments you made.
  Your loans (bank, mortgage, etc.)
• Proof you have the required funds for investment. You must also be able to prove you can transfer them to Ireland.
• Proof of the source of your funds. You must be able to show how you acquired the funds you intend to use for the investment, for example via:
  Business/investment activities
  Sale deeds
  Inheritance/gifts
  Divorce settlement
• Evidence of character. You must include a statement of character from the authorities from every country you have lived in for more than six months for the past ten years.
• You must include the same type of statement of character for any of your children who are over 16 that you have included on the application.
• In addition, depending on the type of investment you will make, you need the following documents as well:

For Enterprise Investment

• A comprehensive business plan of the enterprise in which you are investing (new or existing), which:
• Identifies the financial investments you are making.
• Shows how your investment will help create or maintain jobs.
• Details how much equity you are acquiring.
• Details how you will receive investment return.
• If you are investing in an already-existing business: Most recent audited business account.

Investment Fund

• Include a profile of the investment fund, which details:
• The investment strategy
• The source of funding
• The investment pool for the fund
• A target return on investment; and
• States the employment projections of the investments under the fund.

Real Estate Investment Trust

Proof you have the required funds for the investment. You do not need to specify which REIT you are investing in.

Endowment

A Business Plan – You can find a business plan template on INIS’s website and adapt it to your purpose.
Proof of how your donation will be used and how it will benefit Ireland.

Required documents after you make your investment

After your application for Ireland Investor Visa has been approved, you have to submit the following documents to the Minister for Justice and Equality:

For Enterprise Investment

• Letter from a solicitor which confirms that you have transferred the funds in the Irish business/enterprise.
• A letter from the business/enterprise which states how much you have invested.
• A payment remittance and bank statement which proves you have transferred the funds.

For Investment Fund

• Letter from a solicitor which confirms that you have transferred the funds in the Irish business/enterprise.
• A letter from the Fund Investment Manager confirming you have transferred the funds.
• A copy of your subscription certificate

For Real Estate Investment Trust

• Letter from a solicitor which confirms that you have invested €2 million in REIT.
• A letter from the REIT company which confirms the sum you have invested.
• Copy of your share certificate.

For Endowment

• Letter from a solicitor which confirms that you have transferred the funds to the Irish registered charity.
• A letter from the registered charity which confirms you have transferred the funds.
• A payment remittance and bank statements proving you have transferred the funds.
• The solicitor who issues your letter must be cleared to work in Ireland.

How to apply for the Ireland Investor Visa?

Before you invest in any Irish fund, you must make an online application at the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS) of the Ministry for Justice and Equality.

File the online application form

You start by filling out the online application form and collecting all the required documents. You could employ an Irish immigration lawyer or another legal representative to assist you with the application process and acquiring the documents.

Mail your documents

Once you have completed the application form and obtained the documents, you have to submit them online by emailing them to this email address: iip&stepapplications@justice.ie

Pay the fees

You must also pay a non-refundable processing fee of €1,500 by electronic funds transfer and mail the receipt along with the completed and signed application form to the Immigrant Investor Unit of INIS in Ireland.

Wait for processing

After receiving your application, the INIS will propose it to the Minister for Justice and Equality and an Evaluation Committee.

Senior officials from various Irish Government Departments and State Agencies involved in Irish industry development make up the Ireland Investor Visa Evaluation Committee. You can invest with a pre-approval letter if your application is granted. You must invest within 90 days after the letter.

After investing, you must submit many supporting documents to the Minister for Justice and Equality (see below). Many Irish investor visa applicants use lawyers due to the high amount of money involved.

Residence Permits for an Ireland Ireland Investor Visa

The Ireland Investor Visa allows you to live in Ireland when the Minister for Justice and Equality approves your investment. The letter of acceptance grants you and your family two years of residence.

After receiving the permission letter, register at the Dublin registration office for your Ireland Residence Permit. You and your family will receive a Stamp 4, an Irish registration stamp that permits you to work, study, or start a business in Ireland without an immigration permission like an Ireland Employment permission.

After two years, you can renew your residence permit if you meet Immigrant Investor Programme standards.

What family members can you include on the Ireland Investor Visa?

The family members that you can include on your Ireland Golden Visa application are:

• Your spouse/partner.
• Your minor children (under 18 years old).

In some cases, children between 18 and 24 can be included on the Ireland Investor Visa if they are unmarried and they are financially dependent on you – for example, they are still in school/university.

Getting Ireland Citizenship by Investment

The Immigrant Investor Program does not guarantee international investors quick Irish citizenship.

It does, however, grant you a renewable residence permit, and you can apply for Irish citizenship through naturalization if you meet the same requirements as other foreign nationals. As a result, the Immigrant Investor Program is the sole means to obtain Irish citizenship through investment – it just won’t be instant.