Authorisation

The Central Bank is the competent authority in Ireland for the authorisation of financial services firms. Authorisation is an important part of the overall supervisory framework.

The Central Bank is committed to providing a clear, open and transparent authorisation process while ensuring a rigorous assessment of the applicable regulatory standards. To support this, on a semi-annual basis, the Central Bank publishes a Regulatory Service Standards Performance Report. Read the most recent report below.

These service standards are designed to inform stakeholders with regard to the length of time certain regulatory processes will take.

Who We Authorise

Learn about the authorisation/approval process for individual sectors.

Central Securities Depositories

• Central Securities Depositories

Credit Serving Firms

• Credit Servicing Firms

Credit Institutions

• Credit Institutions
• Third Country Branches

Insurance / Reinsurance Undertakings

• Insurance Undertakings

Retail Intermediaries, Money Lenders and Debt Management Firms

• Retail Intermediaries
• High Cost Credit Providers
• Debt Management Firms

Payment Firms, Electronic Money Firms, Bureaux de Change and Money Transmission Firms

• Payment Institutions
• Electronic Money Institutions
• Small Electronic Money Institutions
• Money Transmission Businesses
• Bureaux de Change

Investment Funds and Fund Service Providers

• UCITS Investment Funds
• Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)
• UCITS Management Companies
• Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMs)
• AIF Management Companies
• Fund Administrators
• Fund Depositories
• Self-Managed Investment Companies
• Internally Managed AIFs
• Investment Managers

Investment Firms

• Investment Firms

Regulated Disclosures - Prospectus Approval

• Prospectuses under the Prospectus Regulations

Trust or Company Service Providers

• Trust or Company Service Providers

Fitness and Probity PCF

• Fitness and Probity applications