For founders with an innovative, high-potential business proposal; this is not a passive investment visa.
Route overview
Typical timeline / duration: Initial two-year permission; a further three years on renewal if conditions remain satisfied. A D visa, where required, is a separate travel step.
Important notes
STEP is for innovative businesses with international growth potential, not passive investment. The currently linked September 2023 guide targets manufacturing or internationally traded services, a business under five years old with an experienced team and Irish headquarters/control, and the potential for ten Irish jobs and €1 million sales within three years; these are capability tests, not jobs that must already exist when applying.
The first principal needs at least €50,000 in available business funding; the guide sets €30,000 for each additional non-family principal in the same proposal. Evidence must establish lawful provenance and transferability, not merely an account balance.
Applicants must have good character and no criminal convictions. The guide requests police records for countries lived in for more than six months during the previous ten years; the current form and guide determine the full evidence list.
The approved founder must operate the proposed business full-time, with no other employment, private medical insurance and sufficient personal support without Irish State assistance.
The currently linked guide requires the necessary funds to reach an Irish-regulated financial institution before permission is issued, alongside the required good-character affidavit.
Applications may be emailed throughout the year, but proposals are evaluated quarterly. The non-refundable application charge is €350, separate from business capital; approval is not guaranteed by paying either amount.
Initial permission is two years, followed by a possible three-year renewal. Renewal requires continuing business viability and compliance with the other conditions; five years does not automatically confer long-term residence or citizenship.
The separate Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) closed to new applications on 15 February 2023. Existing-case arrangements are not a reopening for new investors.
These requirements were checked on 14 October 2026 against the live STEP page and its September 2023 guide; they are not presented as a newly announced 2026 reform.
Preparation checklist
Assess innovation, international demand, growth capacity and the founder's active role before committing funds.
Prepare the business proposal, application, identity and police documents, funding history and transfer evidence required by the linked guide.
Submit the complete file through the official STEP channel and pay the €350 charge using the current official instructions.
After approval, complete funding and permission conditions, then obtain the appropriate D visa if required and register the residence permission after entry.
Retain business, insurance and support evidence and plan the conditional renewal before permission expires.
What do STEP and IIP mean?
STEP means Start-up Entrepreneur Programme. It gives a qualifying founder permission to establish and work full-time in an innovative Irish business. You cannot use it as a general work permit for another employer.
IIP means Immigrant Investor Programme — the acronym is IIP, not IPP. IIP was the old passive-investment residence programme and is closed to new applications. It is mentioned here only to prevent confusion; it is not an available route.
What does “not be a financial burden” mean?
This is an immigration condition, not a promise that the business will immediately make a profit. In practical terms, you should be able to support yourself without depending on Irish State welfare or other public support, while also showing that the €50,000 business funding is genuinely available and that its source is credible. The official authority decides this from the evidence in the individual case.
How hard is this route?
Difficulty: Hard / selective. The €50,000 threshold is only the entry floor. The difficult part is convincing the evaluation committee that the proposal is genuinely innovative and has high-growth potential, rather than being an ordinary local shop, consultancy, or passive investment. Proposals are considered quarterly, so a strong application can still involve waiting for the next evaluation cycle.
What the process looks like
Prepare the business proposal, evidence of the funding and its source, identity documents, and good-character evidence.
Submit the STEP application and proposal to the Irish immigration authorities for evaluation.
If approved, apply for the Irish long-stay D visa if your nationality requires a visa.
After arrival, register the immigration permission and operate the approved business full-time, following the conditions of the permission.
Bottom line: this route suits a real technology or other high-growth founder with a credible business plan and enough personal runway. It is a poor fit for someone who mainly wants residence through savings, property purchase, or a normal small business.