Required Steps

Who may form a company?
The Companies Act 2014 generally allows one or more persons to form a private company for any lawful purpose by subscribing to a constitution. A private company may have a maximum of 149 members and there is no limit on the number of members of a public company.

To form a company.
Please submit the following documents on CORE, along with the registration fee: Form A1 and constitution.

For a Private Company Limited by Shares (LTD company) the constitution consists of a one document constitution. All other company types have a constitution that includes a Memorandum of association and Articles of association.

It is also possible to reserve a company name online using CORE and which has a fee of €25. Please see Reserve Company Name.

Form A1
Form A1 requires you to give details of the company name, its registered office, details of secretary and directors, their consent to acting as such, the subscribers and details of their shares.

It incorporates a declaration that the requirements of the Companies Act have been complied with and as to the activity which the company is being formed to engage in. Link to Form A1.

Applications to incorporate companies can be submitted online using CORE.

This section sets out the conditions upon which the company is granted incorporation. It must contain provisions dealing with certain matters e.g. the name of the company and, if it is a company with limited liability, that fact must be also stated.

A private company limited by shares (LTD company), being a company incorporated under the Companies Act 2014 has a one document constitution. This consists of the articles of association. An LTD company does not have a memorandum of association as there are no stated objects for an LTD company. It can engage in any allowed business. Schedule 1 to the Companies Act 2014 sets out the format of the constitution of a Private company limited by shares.

All other company types have a two document constitution which includes a memorandum and articles of association. The format of the constitution is set out in the relevant schedule to the Companies Act. See Irish Statute Book website for examples of constitutions.

 Private Limited by Shares Company (LTD) Schedule 1
 Designated Activity Company limited by Shares Schedule 7
 Designated Activity Company limited by Guarantee Schedule 8
 Public Limited Company Schedule 9
 Company Limited by Guarantee Schedule 10
 Private Unlimited Company Schedule 11
 Public Unlimited Company having a share capital Schedule 12
 Public Unlimited Company not having a share capital Schedule 13
 Investment Company Schedule 16

 

Articles of association
This document sets out the rules under which the company proposes to regulate its affairs.
Articles must be printed and divided into paragraphs and numbered consecutively.

The CRO does not provide drafts of the constitutions – (memorandum or articles of association) to be used by companies. Samples of these documents may be obtained from legal stationers, accountants, solicitors or company formation agents.

Documents are processed in chronological order and are subject to checks. Documents returned for correction are processed according to their date of re-submission to the CRO.

Persons wishing to incorporate new companies are required to classify the principal activity of the company using the NACE classification for economic activities.  Nace codes 2.pdf

Checklist for Constitution (all company types)

See also:

Please also see Methods of Registration and some information on different Company Types.

Other Links: Incidental obligations to registration concern