Can I get residency in Ireland if I buy a house?

Ireland has zero foreign ownership restrictions, meaning a buyer from Tokyo or Toronto can purchase Irish property on identical legal terms as an Irish citizen in 2026. The Immigrant Investor Programme closed in February 2023, so buying property in Ireland no longer provides any path to residency or citizenship.

Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP) (Ireland) — WhereCaniMove

Programmes/Ireland/Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)

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Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)

IrelandEntrepreneurhigh confidence

Ireland's STEP allows non-EEA entrepreneurs to establish a business in Ireland. Requires an innovative business proposal and investment of 75000 EUR.

Investment

€50,000 minimum funding

Processing

3 months

Min stay

183 days/year

Tax rate

20%

How popular is this programme?

Searches/mo

Interest

Low

Trend

Stable 0%

Demand score28/100

Based on Google search demand (US). Updated periodically.

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Stay updated on this programme

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Key Details

Leads to PRYes

PR after5.0 years

Citizenship path8 years

Dual citizenship—

Remote workNo

Healthcare includedNo

Crypto accepted—

Same-sex recognised—

RenewableYes

Stay Requirements

STEP: must run the Irish business; naturalisation requires ~half of time physically in Ireland

medium confidence

Highlights

Minimum investment of €75,000
Pathway to citizenship in 8 years
Supports innovative business proposals
Processing time of 3 months
No requirement for prior business experience

The catch

You have to actually live there. At least 183 days a year in-country — this becomes your main home, not a paper residency.
Long road to a passport. Citizenship takes around 8 years of qualifying residence.

Auto-summarised from the data we hold — always confirm specifics on the official page.