Passport Rank
7
Ireland offers a number of different residency visas, each of which has its own set of requirements and benefits.
The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP) is a residency visa for ireland that allows entrepreneurs to live and work in ireland for up to 2 years. The programme is designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas that have the potential to scale and create jobs. To be eligible for STEP, entrepreneurs must be aged 18 or over and have a minimum investment of €50,000. They must also be endorsed by an authorised endorsing body such as Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Office or the Halo Business Angel Network. Once an entrepreneur has been endorsed, they can apply for a STEP visa online. If their application is successful, they will be issued with a stamped visa that allows them to travel to ireland and stay for up to 2 years. During this time, they can work on developing their business idea and building their team. After 2 years, entrepreneurs can apply for an extension of their STEP visa or apply for another type of ireland residency visa.
Invest in a startup with high potential in the innovation economy. This program is not intended for retail, personal service, catering, or similar businesses. While each application will be evaluated on its own merits, this program is intended for businesses that are part of the innovation economy and have high growth potential in the future. The State agencies will play a significant role in assessing the suitability of proposed business proposals for the program.
Endowments are very popular with entrepreneurs and executives who want to invest in high-growth companies while also qualifying for residency in Ireland. The Endowment option is also very attractive to investors from countries where there are restrictions on the free movement of capital. The Endowment option is one of the most popular options under the Immigrant Investor Programme.
Make a donation in an arts, sports, health, cultural, or educational project of public benefit. The Endowment should be viewed as a charitable contribution with an obvious public benefit. There will be no financial return or principal repayment for investors.
Investment Funds that have been approved by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service for the Immigrant Investor Programme. All funds must be invested in Ireland and must represent equity stakes in unquoted, Irish-registered companies. To conduct business in Ireland, funds and fund managers will be subject to regulation by the Central Bank. Thirdly, only fund managers with proven experience managing regulated funds will be permitted to manage funds in Ireland.
Invest a minimum of 1,000,000 Euro.
Listed Irish Real Estate Investment Trusts on the Irish Stock Exchange. The EUR2 million investment may be dispersed among several Irish REITs. A REIT is a publicly traded company that invests in rental properties. It is a globally recognized benchmark for rental property investments.
Invest a minimum of 2 million euro.
According to the SovSpot Passport Ranking Index, the Irish passport is now ranked seventh. It allows anyone to travel to 190 countries without needing a visa. With a very high mobility score, it is regarded one of the most sought passports in the world. Visa-free travel and visas on arrival are available to Irish passport holders in countries such as Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, allowing for nearly rapid travel around the world. Irish passport holders, on the other hand, need a visa to visit around 39 countries around the world.
7
190
The number of countries Ireland passport holders can enter without a visa (i.e. visa-free countries) is added to the number of countries Ireland passport holders can enter by obtaining a visa on arrival (i.e. visa-on-arrival countries) or an electronic travel authorization (i.e. visa-on-arrival countries) (eTA). There are now 138 visa-free countries for Ireland passport holders, 42 visa-on-arrival countries for Ireland passport holders, and 10 eTA destinations. In total, Ireland passport holders can visit 190 countries without a visa, via a visa on arrival, or using an eTA. As a result, Ireland's passport is ranked seventh in the world. Apart from these Ireland visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries, there are 39 more countries where Ireland passport holders would need a physical visa or an eVisa to visit (i.e. visa required countries).
Ireland is one of the EU nations that allows citizenship by descent till the third generation. If you meet the following requirements, you may apply for Irish citizenship:
To submit a successful application for Irish citizenship by descent, you must first register your birth in the Foreign Births Register. You can then continue with the remainder of the application procedure.
Note: Keep in mind that the costs for citizenship by descent applications can vary and depend on many factors, such as:
* In the case of first generation citizenship by descent, we assumed ONLY administration costs, which will be around $100 or less (usually free if application is done in the same country versus foreign embassy or consulate)