Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP)

No — the Ireland IIP does not include a real estate option.

There are only 2 options:

• A €400,000 endowment to a public benefit project
• A €1 million investment in an enterprise, maintained for 3 years

• Most of our clients choose the endowment option
• IMM Group was the first firm in Vietnam to handle Ireland IIP applications (since 2017).

Three reasons our clients choose the endowment option

• Lowest cost — €400,000
• Streamlined process — no need to maintain the investment for 3 years
• Aligns with the timeline for your children to move to Ireland for school and benefit from tuition-free state schooling

Stamp 4 — long-term residence permission under the IIP

• Stamp 4 is a type of residence permission (not a visa); the physical card is the Irish Residence Permit (IRP)
• Issued once Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) approves the application — processing times depend on ISD
• Allows you to live, work, do business, and study in Ireland under Stamp 4 conditions
• It is time-limited and must be renewed as required
• Once you meet the reckonable residence requirements, you may apply for naturalization

• Stamp 4 does not provide visa-free access to the Schengen Area
• If your nationality requires a Schengen visa, you still need to apply for one
• With Irish residency status, the Schengen visa application process may be more straightforward.
• Once you naturalize as an Irish citizen, you are eligible to travel, live, work, and study across the EU, subject to the applicable rules.

Schengen is not the same as the EU

• European Union (EU): a political and economic union of 27 member states
• Schengen Area: 29 countries without internal border controls (as of September 2026)
• Ireland is an EU member state but is not part of the Schengen Area
• Stamp 4 holders who need a Schengen visa based on their nationality must still obtain one to travel.

• No — with Stamp 4, your children may study only in Ireland
• To study in another EU country, they need a student visa
• To study freely across the EU, they would need Irish citizenship (once eligible)

• Tax obligations depend on tax residency and the source of income
• Under Irish rules, an individual is tax resident once they meet the prescribed day-count thresholds (generally 183 days or more in a tax year, or under a cumulative formula)
• If you spend only a short period in Ireland (for example, 1 day a year), you would generally not meet the tax residency threshold
• We recommend consulting a tax advisor before proceeding

Stamp 4 — renewal timeline

• Initial permission: 2 years
• First renewal: a further 3 years
• Subsequent renewals: 5 years each

Renewal conditions

• Enterprise investment option: maintain the investment as required
• Endowment option: submit a renewal application under ISD rules

• Yes — you may withdraw the capital after 3 years without affecting renewal, provided the other renewal conditions are met
• You are only required to maintain the investment for 3 years
• As set out in the rules of Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), Ireland's immigration authority
• Conditions for renewal after 3 years
• Visit Ireland at least once per calendar year
• No criminal investigation, charge, or conviction in Ireland or any other jurisdiction

You may apply for naturalization once you meet the reckonable residence conditions (currently a minimum of 5 years under Irish law)

• Meet 1 of 2 residence conditions:

Option 1 — continuous residence

• Absences from Ireland of no more than 6 weeks a year in the first 4 years
• 12 months of continuous residence in year 5, immediately before applying

Option 2 — cumulative residence within a 9-year window

• For example, applying in year 8: 4 years accumulated within the first 6 years
• 12 months of continuous residence in year 7

Note: the outcome of a naturalization application depends on approval by the relevant Irish authority

Benefits after naturalizing in Ireland

• Full Irish citizenship rights under law
• Eligibility to live in the 27 EU member states
• Eligibility to live, study, and work in the UK under the Common Travel Area (CTA)
• Eligibility to apply for British citizenship once UK residence requirements are met — no English language test required
• The Irish passport ranks among the world's strongest, offering visa-free or eVisa access to many countries

• Under current rules, no language test is required — not even in English
• You only need to meet the residence conditions and submit your application
• Unlike Portugal or Greece, which require a test in the local language

Requirements for British citizenship

• Aged 18 or over
• Lived in the UK for 5 years before the application date
• Held permanent residence or indefinite leave to remain for the final 12 months
• English at B1 level (Irish citizens are exempt)
• Pass the Life in the UK test
• Show an intention to continue living in the UK
• Pass security and background checks

Note on time spent outside the UK

• No more than 450 days outside the UK over 5 years
• No more than 90 days outside the UK in the final 12 months

• Multiple citizenships may be possible — this requires an assessment under the nationality law of your home country
• Ireland and the UK both allow dual and multiple citizenship
• For your home country: keeping your existing citizenship alongside new ones requires an assessment under its nationality law — we recommend consulting a legal professional

• Not necessary — Irish citizenship already gives you the right of residence in the UK
• Irish citizenship allows you to live in the UK under the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements
• Under the CTA, Irish citizens are not treated as "foreign nationals" in the UK
• If you still wish to naturalize as a British citizen, you are exempt from the English language test.

Three main risks of the Ireland IIP

• Enterprise investment option: choosing an unreliable project or developer, or a project that is not viable
• Both options: an unclear source of funds, which can lead to refusal
• Working with an attorney or immigration firm that lacks experience in documenting source of funds

The program has a long track record in Europe, although it is now closed to new applications

• One of the EU's earliest residency-by-investment programs (alongside Portugal)
• Launched in the wake of the 2007–2008 crisis
• Well regarded in the region for its maturity and transparency
• Processing times depend on ISD

Eligible family members

• Legal spouse
• Children under 24 who are unmarried, in full-time education, and financially dependent
• The policy on dependent children is relatively broad compared with many other programs.

Proving dependency is straightforward

• Birth certificates are the main document required for children
• Children under 18: no proof of dependency required
• Children aged 18–24: proof of ongoing study and financial dependency

Adopted children and stepchildren are eligible

• Adopted children: a legally recognized adoption certificate is required.
• Stepchildren: legal documentation is required, together with a certified letter of consent from the spouse.
• IMM Group assists with preparing these documents.

• No — the program does not accept parents in the same application
• An application covers only the main applicant, spouse, and dependent children
• IMM Group can assist with tourist visas for parents
• Alternatives if you want to bring the whole family
• Consider the Portugal Golden Visa
• File a separate Ireland IIP application for your parents

• No language requirement — no age or management experience requirement
• Basic requirements
• Personal net worth of at least €2 million from lawful sources
• Choose 1 of the 2 investment options
• Cash requirement depends on the option
• Endowment: €400,000 in cash or savings deposits
• Enterprise investment: €1 million in cash available to invest

• Note: the Ireland IIP closed to new applications on February 15, 2023
• Previously, the program accepted applications in ISD-scheduled rounds during the year
• Currently, only investment places in projects that were legally eligible before that date may still be accepted to complete their target funding

• Just 1 visit to Ireland per calendar year to maintain Stamp 4
• Note: this applies only to maintaining IIP residence permission — it is not the residence requirement for naturalization
• Tip: arriving in Ireland at the end of one year and staying into the new year may satisfy the requirement for both years in a single trip.