Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (Ireland)

The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme, usually called STEP, is Ireland's immigration route for non-EEA founders who want to establish an innovative business. It is run by Immigration Service Delivery.

STEP is for businesses with potential to grow, not for ordinary small shops. The programme looks for a high potential start-up, and it excludes some kinds of business outright.

You must show access to funds. The first principal must have 50,000 euros, and each additional principal must have 30,000 euros. The funds must be available to the business, and you must be able to show where they come from.

Do not treat the figure as a target to reach after you arrive. It is a requirement for the application, so evidence it clearly.

The business must be innovative and capable of growth. The official criteria refer to a business that can create ten jobs and reach one million euros in sales within three years. These are criteria used to assess the proposal, so your business plan should show a credible path to them.

Your plan should explain the product or service, the market, the team, how the funds will be used and how you will measure progress.

A strong application connects four things: the idea, the people, the money and the plan. Immigration Service Delivery assesses whether the business is innovative and whether it can grow, so a vague plan is a weak plan.

Be specific about what is new in your product or service, who will buy it and why they would choose you over what already exists. Show the founders' backgrounds and why this team can deliver. Set out how the 50,000 euros, or more, will be spent in the first two years, and what milestones you expect to reach.

Because the business is reviewed every quarter after you are approved, write the plan so that you can actually report against it. Targets you cannot measure will be hard to defend later.

Retail, personal services and catering businesses are excluded. A food business, a shop or a salon will not qualify, however well run it is.

If you are unsure whether your business model falls into an excluded group, ask before you apply, because the application fee is not refunded.

The application fee is 350 euros and it is non-refundable. There is no appeal against a decision, so the application needs to be strong the first time. Take time to prepare the plan and the supporting evidence.

Because there is no appeal, consider getting advice from an adviser who knows the programme before you submit.

Permission is granted for two years at first. If you meet the conditions, you can then receive three years, and after that five-year renewals. The business is evaluated quarterly, so expect to report on progress.

After five years you can apply for long-term residence. As with other routes, keep your records in order so the application is smooth.

The first permission lasts two years, and the quarterly evaluations mean the clock starts early. Treat the first quarter as setup time, but do not let it drift.

Open the company and bank account, register with the relevant tax authorities, and begin the activity described in your plan. Keep records of spending, hiring, customers and sales from the first day, because they are the evidence for each evaluation and for the later move to a three-year permission.

Do not build a plan that depends on public funds. Holders must not rely on them.

You must hold private medical insurance, and you cannot rely on public funds. You must keep running the business as described, and you should report changes that affect the plan.

If your business changes direction significantly, speak to Immigration Service Delivery before you act.

At the time the page was last checked (October 2025), the programme did not accept applications from Russian or Belarusian citizens. Restrictions like this can change, so confirm the current position on the official page.

Check your own situation before you pay the fee.

Founders usually need to set up a company in Ireland, open a business bank account and register for tax. Do the corporate structure early, because the investors, funds and ownership shape the application.

Emooves lists service providers who help founders incorporate abroad. Compare them on scope and price before choosing.