# Electronic Money Institution Authorisation (Ireland)

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

The Electronic Money Institution Authorisation is issued by Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) under European Communities (Electronic Money) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 183/2011). It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The application fee is EUR 0 (No application fee). Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.

## At a glance

| Official name | Electronic Money Institution Authorisation [1] |
| --- | --- |
| 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 | [Electronic money institution (EMI)](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/emi/) |
| Legal basis | European Communities (Electronic Money) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 183/2011) [2]; Directive 2009/110/EC on the taking up, pursuit and prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions (EMD2) [3] |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Application fee | EUR 0 (No application fee) [1] |
| Annual fee | Minimum levy of EUR 6,625 plus a variable levy based on the firm's share of all transactions processed (Category N, S.I. No. 348/2026) [4] |

## What it lets you do

- [Issuing electronic money](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/e-money-issuance/)
- [Execution of payment transactions](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/payment-execution/)
- [Money remittance](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/money-remittance/)
- [Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/card-issuing-acquiring/)
- [Payment initiation services](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/payment-initiation/)
- [Account information services](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/account-information/)

- **Issuing electronic money.** Issuing monetary value stored electronically against funds received, redeemable at par and accepted by third parties as payment.
- **Execution of payment transactions.** Executing direct debits, card payments and credit transfers, including standing orders, from a payment account.
- **Money remittance.** Receiving funds from a payer solely to transfer them to a payee or another provider, without opening payment accounts.
- **Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions.** Issuing cards or other payment instruments to payers, and acquiring card and other payment transactions for merchants.
- **Payment initiation services.** Initiating a payment order at the user's request from an account held with another provider, as in open banking.
- **Account information services.** Providing consolidated online information on one or more payment accounts the user holds with other providers.

## 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._

## 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]

## Laws behind it

- [Directive 2009/110/EC on the taking up, pursuit and prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions](https://protegra.io/licensing/laws/eu-emd2-2009-110/): Directive 2009/110/EC

## Sources

1. [centralbank.ie: payment authorisation](https://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/how-we-regulate/authorisation/payment-authorisation): retrieved 2026-09-24
2. [irishstatutebook.ie: print](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2011/si/183/made/en/print): retrieved 2026-09-24
3. [eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32009L0110)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32009L0110): retrieved 2026-09-24
4. [irishstatutebook.ie: print](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2026/si/348/made/en/print): 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.