[ EU_COMPANY ]

European Company
Formation

The EU is harmonising company law across all 27 member states. Form, manage, and operate European companies from a single platform — with governance infrastructure built for the new regulatory landscape.

EU 2019/1151
Online company formation directive
SUP Framework
Single-member private company
27 Member States
Harmonised governance layer
eIDAS AES
EU-compliant digital signing
[ REGULATORY_CONTEXT ]

What's changing in EU company law

Directive (EU) 2019/1151 IN FORCE

Online Company Formation

All EU member states must allow private limited companies to be fully incorporated online, without any physical presence requirement. Directors can be appointed, shares issued, and constitutional documents filed entirely through digital channels with electronic identity verification.

SUP Proposal ADVANCING

Societas Unius Personae — Single-Member Private Company

The proposed EU-wide single-member private company form would allow entrepreneurs to register a standardised private company valid across all 27 member states using a unified template constitution, minimum €1 share capital, and fully online formation. It is designed to remove the friction of forming subsidiaries or operating across borders within the EU single market.

Company Law Package 2023 PROGRESSING

Harmonised Corporate Mobility

The EU Company Law Package extends the framework for cross-border conversions, mergers, and divisions of limited liability companies. It establishes a common digital company identity standard and mandates interconnection of all member state company registers through the Business Registers Interconnection System (BRIS).

BRIS — Business Registers Interconnection System OPERATIONAL

Pan-European Company Register

The BRIS network connects all EU national company registers, enabling any cross-border request — verification of incorporation, director search, branch registration — to be processed digitally without manual intervention across borders. Irish CRO is fully connected.

[ JURISDICTION ]

Ireland as your EU base

English-language common law

Ireland operates a common-law legal system in English, making it uniquely accessible for international founders while remaining fully within the EU single market and its civil-law harmonisation framework.

12.5% corporation tax

Ireland's 12.5% corporate tax rate applies to trading income from Irish-resident companies. Combined with extensive tax treaty network (73+ treaties) and EU parent-subsidiary directive, it remains one of the most competitive rates in the EU.

EU passporting rights

An Irish-incorporated company has full EU market access — single-market passporting for financial services, freedom of establishment in all 27 member states, and access to EU procurement frameworks.

Online CRO filing

The Companies Registration Office (CRO) supports fully online incorporation and annual return filing. Combined with COMPANY.LEGAL's automated B1 and iXBRL generation, your compliance burden is largely automated.

GDPR/EU data residency

All company data processed through COMPANY.LEGAL is stored in EU data centres on Cloudflare's European infrastructure. Full GDPR compliance from day one, with no data leaving the EEA.

BRIS-connected register

The Irish CRO is fully connected to the EU Business Registers Interconnection System, enabling seamless cross-border verification, branch registration, and director searches across all 27 member states.

[ PLATFORM ]

What the platform handles for you

Company Constitution

Model constitution compliant with the Companies Act 2014. Auto-generated for LTD, DAC, and CLG company types.

Board & Members Register

Digital register of directors, members, and shareholders. Biometric identity for each capacity holder.

Boardroom & Voting

Run board meetings, pass resolutions, and collect votes — all with cryptographic audit trails and eIDAS signatures.

CRO Annual Returns (B1)

Automated B1 XML generation from your live company data. One-click export for CRO submission.

iXBRL Financial Statements

FRS 102-compliant inline XBRL financial statements for Revenue Commissioners CT1 filing.

EU eSign Execution

eIDAS Advanced Electronic Signatures on all company documents — no wet ink, no couriers, no delays.

[ ENTITY_TYPES ]

Irish company types supported

TypeFull NameMin. MembersMin. CapitalBest For
LTDPrivate Company Limited by Shares1€1Startups, SMEs, subsidiaries
DACDesignated Activity Company2€1JVs, SPVs, specific-purpose entities
PLCPublic Limited Company7€25,000Listed companies, large corporates
CLGCompany Limited by Guarantee2NoneNon-profits, charities, clubs
UCUnlimited Company2NoneProfessional partnerships, privacy-focused

COMPANY.LEGAL is optimised for LTD companies — the most common structure for Irish startups and EU subsidiaries. DAC and CLG support is available on request.

[ FAQ ]

Common questions

What is the SUP (Societas Unius Personae)?

The SUP is a proposed EU-wide single-member private company form that would allow a single founder to incorporate using a standardised template across all member states, with a minimum €1 share capital. It's designed to eliminate the need for expensive local legal counsel when establishing cross-border EU operations. While the directive is still progressing through the EU legislative process, Ireland's existing LTD structure already satisfies most of its requirements — single member allowed, online formation, €1 minimum capital.

Can non-EU founders incorporate in Ireland?

Yes. There is no nationality or residency requirement for shareholders of an Irish LTD. There is a requirement for at least one EEA-resident director, but this can be satisfied by an EEA-resident co-director or by obtaining a Section 137 bond (a surety bond), which is standard practice for non-EEA-led companies.

How does BRIS affect my company?

BRIS means your Irish company is already visible and verifiable across all EU member states. If you need to establish a branch, verify a counterparty, or register for VAT in another member state, the cross-border information flow is digital and near-instant. COMPANY.LEGAL's compliance module is built to take advantage of this — your company data is always in a state ready for cross-border queries.

Is COMPANY.LEGAL a registered agent or legal services firm?

COMPANY.LEGAL is a technology platform, not a regulated legal services firm. We provide automation tools for company governance and compliance workflows. For specific legal advice on incorporation strategy, tax structuring, or regulatory matters, we recommend working with a qualified Irish solicitor or accountant alongside the platform.

Does the platform support multi-jurisdiction companies?

Yes. A single COMPANY.LEGAL account can manage multiple organisations across different EU jurisdictions. Each organisation has its own boardroom, cap table, compliance module, and document vault. Cross-organisation features (Connections, Contracts, Meetings) link entities together without merging their data.

[ GET_STARTED ]

Ready to operate across the EU?

One platform for Irish and European company governance. Boardroom, compliance, contracts, and investor management — built for the EU regulatory landscape.