Ireland - Business & Investment - Ireland Investor Programme
The Ireland Investor Programme requires an applicant to make one of four eligible investments in Ireland:
1. A minimum investment of €1 million in either a single Irish enterprise or spread over a number of enterprises for a minimum of three years.
2. A minimum investment of €1 million in an Approved Investment Fund committed for a minimum of three years.
3. A minimum investment of €2 million in any Irish REIT that is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange committed for a minimum of three years.
4. A minimum Endowment of €500,000 in a project of public benefit in the arts, sports, health, cultural or educational field.
Where a group of five or more investors combine their endowments, a minimum investment of €400,000 per investor will qualify under the Programme.
One of the more popular options is the Approved Investment Fund option, which provides for a return on investment. For example, the Irish Diaspora Loan Fund (IDLF) is a government approved investment route that is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland. The two key objectives of the fund are to (a) ensure maximum protection of investor funds by following a conservative,low-risk loan investment policy and (b) issue innovative finance to a portfolio of Irish hotels, which will each increase employment levels throughout the lifetime of the fund.
A selected hotel will enter into a five-year loan agreement with the IDLF and the IDLF takes security over the property until completion of the loan. At the end of the term, the hotel will refinance with a traditional lending institution and repay the IDLF loan.
In addition to the above investment requirements, applicants must demonstrate a personal net worth of at least £2 million. Approval time is around six to eight months. Once an investor's application has been approved, they have one month to action the selected investment. Following this, a two-year resident visa is issued, allowing the investor and their dependent family members to live, work, and study in Ireland. At the end of year two, an application for a three-year visa extension is submitted.