Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the CBI decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get an EMI license in Ireland.
The EU home of the industry's biggest names: the Central Bank of Ireland authorises EMIs through an engagement-led process - thorough, slow, and worth it for groups building a European headquarters on a 12.5% tax base. We run the file end to end.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Ireland in brief
Where the giants put their European e-money.
Ireland is the EU base several of the world's best-known fintechs chose for their e-money operations, and the reason is structural: the only English-speaking, common-law jurisdiction in the euro area, 12.5% corporation tax on trading profits, and a supervisor whose approval reads as institutional-grade everywhere. The Central Bank of Ireland authorises EMIs under EMD2 with €350,000 initial capital through an engagement-led process - pre-application interaction, a detailed application built to the CBI's guidance note (updated May 2025), fitness-and-probity vetting of PCF holders - with a statutory three-month determination from complete files that, in Irish practice, means twelve to eighteen months end to end.
That timeline is the real price of the stamp. What it buys: an authorisation banks and enterprise counterparties treat as near-bank grade, EU/EEA passporting from a headquarters jurisdiction, and a regulatory relationship built for firms planning to be systemic, not just licensed. With PSD3 and the PSR provisionally agreed in November 2025 and close to adoption, e-money folds into the unified payment-institution regime on the EU's timetable; files we build in Dublin are structured for that conversion from the start. For groups whose ambition is a European headquarters rather than a quick licence, Ireland is the desk, and we run it with the patience it demands.
The headquarters desk: CBI EMI authorisation at €350,000 - engagement-led, F&P-vetted, built to the May 2025 guidance. 12-18 months, realistically.
What it buys: a near-bank-grade stamp, 12.5% trading tax and the EU base the industry's giants chose.
The framework
EMI authorisation - built the CBI's way.
One authorisation, engagement-led: pre-application, the guidance-note file, F&P vetting and supervisory dialogue. The PI licence runs on the same rails for non-e-money models. We fix the scope first, then build once.
EMI authorisation the CBI's way. Engagement first, then the file. PI runs on the same rails.
01 - EMI AUTHORISATION
E-money institution
E-money issuance and the full payment-services list - €350,000 initial capital, safeguarding, and the CBI's full engagement-led assessment, built to its May 2025 guidance.
E-money issuance and the full payment-services list - €350,000 initial capital, safeguarding, and the CBI's full engagement-led assessment, built to its May 2025 guidance.
- ✓E-money issuance and distribution
- ✓Full PSD2 payment-services list
- ✓€350,000 initial capital · own funds ongoing
- ✓Pre-application engagement with the CBI
- ✓Fitness & probity - PCF vetting and interviews
- ✓EU/EEA passport on notification
02 - PI & THE PSD3 HORIZON
Guidance updated - May 2025Payment institutions · what's next
Payment institution authorisation covers remittance-to-acquiring models at €20,000-€125,000, and PSD3/PSR, provisionally agreed in November 2025, will fold e-money into one PI regime. Dublin files convert.
PI at €20k-€125k, and PSD3 (agreed Nov 2025) folding e-money into one regime. Files convert.
- ✓PI authorisation - €20k-€125k by service
- ✓Same engagement-led CBI process
- ✓PSD3/PSR - agreed Nov 2025, near adoption
- ✓EMIs fold into the unified PI regime
- ✓Fraud, SCA and refund rules strengthen
- ✓Files structured to convert, not rebuild
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. The CBI's process is engagement-led. Pre-application quality determines the calendar, and we build for it.
Why Ireland
The headquarters desk of European e-money.
The framework is EMD2/PSD2 under the Central Bank of Ireland. The supervisor global groups chose when the licence had to carry a headquarters.
✓
The giants chose Dublin
Several of the world's best-known fintech and technology groups run their EU e-money operations from Ireland. The ecosystem of advisors, auditors and banking that grew around them now serves every applicant.The ecosystem now serves every applicant.
✓
A near-bank-grade stamp
The CBI supervises one of Europe's largest funds and payments sectors; its EMI authorisation reads as institutional-grade to banks, schemes and enterprise clients. The point of enduring the process.The point of enduring the process.
✓
12.5% behind the licence
The corporation tax rate global groups structured around for a generation applies to e-money trading profits. With 75+ treaties and decades of case law behind it.The generation-old headquarters rate.
✓
English, common law, euro
The only jurisdiction combining all three. Contracts, courts and compliance in your board's language, inside the euro area, with EU passporting.The only such combination.
✓
Engagement over queues
The CBI's pre-application model front-loads the hard questions. Slower to file, faster to trust: firms arrive at authorisation with a supervisory relationship already built.Slower to file, faster to trust.
✓
PSD3-era planning
With the PSR/PSD3 package close to adoption, the CBI's conversion path matters. Headquarters files built now anticipate the unified regime instead of retrofitting it.Built to convert, not retrofit.
How it compares
How Ireland differs from other routes.
Ireland trades speed for institutional weight and the headquarters case. The full comparison is below.
Ireland vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Ireland | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory regime | EMD2/PSD2 - CBI | Same directives, lighter desks |
| Process | Engagement-led, 12-18 months | 6-12 months typical |
| The stamp | Near-bank institutional grade | Varies - often needs explaining |
| Corporate tax | 12.5% trading | 17-25% typical |
Regulatory regime
IrelandEMD2/PSD2 - CBI
Other jurisdictionsSame directives, lighter desks
Process
IrelandEngagement-led, 12-18 months
Other jurisdictions6-12 months typical
The stamp
IrelandNear-bank institutional grade
Other jurisdictionsVaries - often needs explaining
Corporate tax
Ireland12.5% trading
Other jurisdictions17-25% typical
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | EMI (CBI) | 12.5% CIT trading | Engagement-led, headquarters-grade |
 Lithuania | EMI (Bank of Lithuania) | 17% CIT (2026) | CENTROlink, specialised desk |
 United Kingdom | EMI (FCA) | 25% CIT · 19% small | Deep market, no EU passport |
 Germany | EMI (BaFin) | ~30% effective | Document-heavy, benchmark stamp |
IrelandLicense typeEMI (CBI)
Taxation12.5% CIT trading
RequirementsEngagement-led, headquarters-grade
LithuaniaLicense typeEMI (Bank of Lithuania)
Taxation17% CIT (2026)
RequirementsCENTROlink, specialised desk
United KingdomLicense typeEMI (FCA)
Taxation25% CIT · 19% small
RequirementsDeep market, no EU passport
GermanyLicense typeEMI (BaFin)
Taxation~30% effective
RequirementsDocument-heavy, benchmark stamp
Before you apply
Requirements for the CBI authorisation.Requirements for CBI authorisation.
The CBI's guidance note. Updated May 2025. Defines the file, and fitness-and-probity runs through everything. The checklist below is what a passing application contains.
01
Irish entity. A limited company with its registered office and real operations in Ireland.
02
Initial capital - €350,000 evidenced, with the own-funds methodology modelled forward.
03
Substance. Decision-making genuinely in Ireland: local executives, compliance and risk on the ground.
04
Fitness & probity. PCF holders vetted and interviewed under the CBI's regime.
05
Programme of operations. Services, volumes, three-year financials built to the guidance note.
06
Safeguarding. Segregated accounts or insurance, with reconciliation and governance the CBI tests.
07
AML/CFT framework. CJA 2010-grade KYC, monitoring and reporting to FIU Ireland, with a named MLRO.
08
IT and operational resilience. DORA-grade architecture, outsourcing register and incident frameworks.
09
Governance. Board composition, control functions and the outsourcing limits the CBI enforces.
10
Wind-down plan. Credible, funded and documented.
01
Irish company, operations local.
02
€350,000 capital + own funds.
03
Real Irish decision-making.
04
PCF holders through F&P.
05
Guidance-note-grade programme.
06
Tested safeguarding governance.
07
CJA 2010 AML with MLRO.
08
DORA-grade resilience.
09
Outsourcing within limits.
10
Funded wind-down plan.
Reflects EMD2/PSD2, the CBI's May 2025 guidance note and fitness-and-probity regime as of 2026.EMD2/PSD2 + CBI guidance (May 2025) + F&P, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the CBI register.
01
Strategy and frank advice
Whether Ireland's timeline fits your runway, and the interim architecture if it does not. Fixed in writing before anything files.Does the timeline fit? In writing.
02
Irish company and people
Company formation, PCF candidates and the substance the CBI engages with.PCF candidates, real substance.
03
Pre-application and the file
Engagement rounds, then the full application built to the guidance note. Complete, coherent and defensible.The engagement is the application.
04
CBI assessment
Question rounds and F&P interviews - 12-18 months realistic. We answer every round and keep momentum.12-18 months; momentum kept.
05
Authorisation and passport
Register entry, EU/EEA notifications and the supervisory relationship. Running as the headquarters it was built to be.The headquarters, running.
Quick facts
RegulatorCentral Bank of Ireland
FrameworkEMD2 / PSD2
Initial capital€350,000
Guidance noteMay 2025
Statutory clock3 months complete
Realistic timeline12-18 months
People vettingFitness & probity (PCF)
PassportEU/EEA on notification
Irish timelines are won in pre-application. The engagement is the application. We manage it as such.
On the ground in Ireland
Run from our Dublin office.
Prifinance - Ireland
Dublin · Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
01
Irish company formation
Limited company, registered office and the governance the CBI expects. Structured for the authorisation from day one.Structured for authorisation.
02
The engagement plan
Pre-application interaction managed deliberately. The questions answered before they are asked, which is how Irish timelines are actually shortened.Questions answered pre-emptively.
03
The authorisation file
Programme, safeguarding, AML and resilience documentation built to the May 2025 guidance. Defended through the CBI's rounds and F&P interviews.Guidance-note perfect, defended.
04
PCF-ready people
Executive and MLRO search, fitness-and-probity preparation and interview coaching. The people layer the CBI actually assesses.Coached for F&P interviews.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of payment companies in Ireland.
The headquarters tax base: 12.5% on trading profits, VAT-exempt payment services and a treaty network built for global groups.
Corporation tax 12.5%
The trading rate applies to e-money and payments income. With 15% only for groups above €750M under Pillar Two, and 25% for passive income.15% only above €750M.
VAT-exempt payment services
Payment and e-money services are exempt financial services. The 23% standard rate touches ordinary supplies, with recovery planned upfront.Recovery planned upfront.
R&D credit 30%
Qualifying platform development earns the refundable credit. Payments engineering routinely qualifies, and headquarters groups use it at scale.Used at headquarters scale.
The headquarters logic
IP, treasury and people concentrate where the licence lives. Ireland's regime was built for exactly that pattern, with case law to match.IP, treasury, people - one base.
Float and safeguarding
Safeguarded-fund interest and float treatment follow established Revenue practice. Modelled per structure from the start.Settled Revenue practice.
75+ treaties
A network built for multinationals keeps group flows predictable, and Irish substance makes access real.Built for multinationals.
Tax summary
Corporation tax (trading)12.5%
Large groups (Pillar Two)15%
VAT on payment servicesExempt
Standard VAT23%
R&D credit30%
Tax treaties75+
*Figures as of 2026. Trading characterisation and group charges drive outcomes. Modelled before you commit.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Irish limited company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, CBI-authorised institution.
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Ireland · Central Bank
Launch your payment project in Ireland with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from company registration to CBI authorisation and ongoing compliance.
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Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Irish EMI licence - what clients ask.
What licence does an e-money business need in Ireland?+
Authorisation as an electronic money institution from the Central Bank of Ireland under EMD2 - €350,000 initial capital, the full application built to the CBI's guidance note (updated May 2025), and fitness-and-probity vetting of key people.
How long does CBI authorisation really take?+
The statutory determination is three months from a complete application, but Irish practice is engagement-led, and realistic end-to-end timelines run 12-18 months. The pre-application phase is where the calendar is actually decided.
Why do global groups accept that timeline?+
Because the stamp is near-bank grade: several of the world's best-known fintechs run EU e-money from Ireland, and the authorisation carries weight with banks, schemes and enterprise clients that faster desks cannot match.
What substance does the CBI expect?+
Real Irish decision-making: local executives and PCF holders who pass fitness-and-probity, compliance and risk on the ground, and outsourcing kept within supervised limits. Letterbox models do not survive engagement.
How are payment companies taxed?+
12.5% corporation tax on trading profits (15% for €750M+ groups), VAT-exempt payment services, and the 30% R&D credit for qualifying development - the headquarters tax base.
Does the Irish licence passport across the EU?+
Yes - EU/EEA passporting on notification, from a jurisdiction built for headquarters. One authorisation, the whole single market.
What changes under PSD3?+
The PSD3/PSR package - provisionally agreed 27 November 2025 and close to formal adoption - folds EMIs into a unified payment-institution regime with strengthened fraud and authentication rules. Dublin files we build are structured to convert.
Ireland or Lithuania?+
Different products: Vilnius offers speed, CENTROlink and startup costs; Dublin offers the institutional stamp, 12.5% and the headquarters ecosystem. Many groups run Lithuania first and add Ireland when scale demands - we sequence both deliberately.
What is the role of pre-application?+
Everything: the CBI's model front-loads scrutiny, so the quality of pre-application interaction determines the whole calendar. We manage it as the application itself, because in Ireland, it is.
Why Ireland with you?+
Because we run the engagement deliberately: PCF-ready people, a guidance-note-perfect file, and the patience the desk demands - with the UK and Lithuanian pairings structured alongside where the group needs them.
What licence is needed?+
CBI EMI - €350k, guidance-note file, F&P.
How long?+
12-18 months realistic - engagement-led.
Why accept it?+
The near-bank stamp the giants chose.
Substance?+
Irish executives, PCF vetting, real ops.
Taxes?+
12.5% trading; VAT-exempt; 30% R&D.
Passport?+
EU/EEA on notification.
PSD3?+
Agreed Nov 2025 - files convert.
Vs Lithuania?+
Speed there; institution here. Sequence both.
Pre-application?+
It is the application - managed as such.
Why with us?+
The engagement run deliberately, end to end.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Central Bank of Ireland or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.