# Investment Business Firm Authorisation (Section 10 IIA 1995) (Ireland)

Source page: https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/investment-firm/ireland-iia/

The Investment Business Firm Authorisation (Section 10 IIA 1995) is issued by Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) under Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments (MiFID II). It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.

## At a glance

| Official name | Investment Business Firm Authorisation (Section 10 IIA 1995) [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 | [Investment firm / broker-dealer](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/investment-firm/) |
| Legal basis | Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments (MiFID II) [2] |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |

## What it lets you do

- [Reception and transmission of orders](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/order-reception-transmission/)
- [Investment advice](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/investment-advice/)

- **Reception and transmission of orders.** Receiving client orders in financial instruments and passing them to another firm for execution.
- **Investment advice.** Giving personal recommendations to a client about one or more transactions in financial instruments.

## Where it is valid

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

## 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. [3]

## Laws behind it

- [Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments](https://protegra.io/licensing/laws/eu-mifid2-2014-65/): Directive 2014/65/EU

## Sources

1. [registers.centralbank.ie: DownloadsPage](https://registers.centralbank.ie/DownloadsPage.aspx): retrieved 2026-09-24
2. [eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32014L0065)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014L0065): retrieved 2026-09-24
3. [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.