# Banking Licence (Section 9 Central Bank Act 1971) (Ireland)

Source page: https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/ireland/

The Banking Licence (Section 9 Central Bank Act 1971) is issued by Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) under Central Bank Act 1942 (as amended). It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The legal decision period is 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months from receipt of application under CRD IV / SSM. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.

## At a glance

| Official name | Banking Licence (Section 9 Central Bank Act 1971) [1] |
| --- | --- |
| Also known as | Irish banking licence · Irish bank licence · Central Bank of Ireland banking licence · Section 9 banking licence · CBI bank authorisation |
| Issued by | [Central Bank of Ireland](https://protegra.io/licensing/regulators/central-bank-of-ireland/) |
| Jurisdiction | [Ireland](https://protegra.io/licensing/jurisdictions/ireland/) |
| Licence family | [Bank / credit institution](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/) |
| Legal basis | Central Bank Act 1942 (as amended) [2]; Central Bank Act 1942 (Section 32D) Regulations 2026 (S.I. No. 348/2026) [3]; Directive 2013/36/EU on access to the activity of credit institutions and prudential supervision (CRD IV) [4] |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Annual fee | Minimum EUR 292,226 plus a variable amount (Category A1, S.I. No. 348/2026) [3] |
| Statutory decision time | 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months from receipt of application under CRD IV / SSM [4] |

## What it lets you do

| [Taking deposits from the public](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/deposit-taking/) | Accepting deposits or other repayable funds from the public, the activity reserved to credit institutions. |
| --- | --- |
| [Lending](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/credit-granting/) | Granting loans, including consumer credit, mortgage credit, factoring and financing of commercial transactions. |
| [Execution of payment transactions](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/payment-execution/) | Executing direct debits, card payments and credit transfers, including standing orders, from a payment account. |

## Where it is valid

_Issued in Ireland (gold); can be passported to the other EU/EEA states (blue) by notification._

## Cost

_Regulatory costs from the official sources above. Professional fees, staff, office and audit come on top and depend on the business model._

## How long it takes

Statutory: 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months from receipt of application under CRD IV / SSM [4]. Observed: not published. The statutory clock usually starts only when the regulator treats the application as complete, and pauses while it waits for answers to its questions.

## Buying a company that already holds it

**Prior notification with an objection period.** Direct or indirect acquisition or disposal of qualifying holdings reaching or crossing 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% of capital or voting rights, or resulting in the firm becoming a subsidiary, requires prior written notification to the Central Bank of Ireland; failure to notify renders the acquisition null and void. The Central Bank conducts a statutory assessment within 60 working days of complete acknowledgment (pausable once for 20 working days for EU acquirers or 30 working days for non-EU acquirers) evaluating acquirer reputation, financial soundness, and AML/CFT risks under the European Union (Payment Services) Regulations 2018, E-Money Regulations 2011, and MiFID Regulations 2017. [5]

## Bank in other countries

| Country | Licence | Regulator | Min. capital | Application fee | Statutory time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/adgm/) | Financial Services Permission for Accepting DepositsFinancial Services Permission for Accepting Deposits (Category 1 Commercial Bank) | FSRA |: | USD 70,000 |: |
| [Bermuda](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/bermuda/) | Banking Licence / Deposit Company Licence / Restricted Banking LicenceBanking Licence / Deposit Company Licence / Restricted Banking Licence (Banks and Deposit Companies Act 1999) | BMA |: |: |: |
| [Cayman Islands](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/cayman-islands/) | Bank LicenceBank Licence (Category A and Category B) under the Banks and Trust Companies Act | CIMA |: |: |: |
| [Czech Republic](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/czech-republic/) | Commercial Bank licence | CNB |: | CZK 200,000 |: |
| [Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/difc/) | Bank licenceFinancial Services Permission for Accepting Deposits or Providing Credit (Category 1 Commercial Bank) | DFSA |: | USD 70,000 |: |
| [Estonia](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/estonia/) | Credit institution authorisation (bank) | FI |: | EUR 5,000 | ~6 mo |
| [Georgia](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/georgia/) | Commercial bank licence | NBG |: |: | ~6 mo |
| [Germany](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/germany/) | CRR) | BaFin |: |: | ~6 mo |
| Ireland | Banking LicenceBanking Licence (Section 9 Central Bank Act 1971) | CBI |: |: | ~6 mo |
| [Latvia](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/latvia/) | Credit institution licence (bank) | LB |: |: | 4-13 mo |
| [Lithuania](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/lithuania-specialised/) | Specialised bank licence | LB |: | EUR 4,157 | ~6 mo |
| [Lithuania](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/lithuania/) | Bank licence | LB |: |: |: |
| [Luxembourg](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/luxembourg/) | Credit institution authorisation | CSSF |: | EUR 75,000 | ~6 mo |
| [Malta](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/malta/) | Credit institution licence | MFSA |: | EUR 35,000 | ~6 mo |
| [Netherlands](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/netherlands/) | Bank licenceBank licence (Vergunning bank / kredietinstelling) | DNB |: | EUR 44,300 | ~6 mo |
| [Poland](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/poland/) | Commercial Bank licence | KNF |: |: |: |
| [Singapore](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/singapore/) | Banking LicenceBanking Licence (Full Bank, Wholesale Bank, Digital Bank) | MAS |: |: |: |
| [Slovakia](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/slovakia/) | Banking licence | NBS |: |: |: |
| [Spain](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/spain/) | Commercial bank licence | BdE |: |: | ~6 mo |
| [Switzerland](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/switzerland-fintech/) | FinTech licence (PersonsFinTech licence (Persons pursuant to Article 1b Banking Act | FINMA |: | CHF 100 |: |
| [Switzerland](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/switzerland/) | Banking licence | FINMA |: |: |: |
| [United Arab Emirates](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/uae-commercial/) | Commercial Bank Licence | CBUAE |: |: |: |

Values come from each licence's page, where every figure has its source.

## Laws behind it

- [Capital Requirements Directive](https://protegra.io/licensing/laws/eu-crd-2013-36/): Directive 2013/36/EU

## Sources

1. [centralbank.ie: authorisation](https://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/how-we-regulate/authorisation): retrieved 2026-09-24
2. [revisedacts.lawreform.ie](https://revisedacts.lawreform.ie/eli/1942/act/22/revised/en/html): retrieved 2026-09-24
3. [irishstatutebook.ie: print](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2026/si/348/made/en/print): retrieved 2026-09-24
4. [EUR-Lex: CELEX 32013L0036](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32013L0036): retrieved 2026-09-24
5. [centralbank.ie: notification process for proposed acquisitions of qualifying](https://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/industry-market-sectors/payment-institutions/notification-process-for-proposed-acquisitions-of-qualifying-holdings): retrieved 2026-09-24

Last verified 2026-09-24 · Author: Danil Marmysh · Reviewed by Anastasia Sidorenkova · © Protegra. Data: CC BY 4.0, cite "Protegra Licensing Atlas". Not legal advice.