Companies Registration Office - CRO

It operates under the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The CRO's main functions are as follows:

• Incorporation of companies
• Registration of business names
• Registration of company post-incorporation documents
• Registration of changes in business name particulars
• Enforcement, prosecution and striking companies off the register
• Provision of information to the public

The CRO is the central facility of statutory information on Irish companies.

Formacompany.ie Ireland are part of the Companies Registration Office company incorporation scheme, we file all applications for new companies under this scheme.

The memorandum and articles of association we submit to the CRO are preapproved and only the following changes can be made for each company:

• The name of the company
• The principal objects clause (main activity)
• The shareholders and their shareholding
• The witness and the date witnessed
• Authorised share capital

No other alterations may be made to the printed memorandum and articles of association once approved and retained at the CRO.

Once incorporated the memorandum and articles of association can be changed by way of a special resolution.

The additional text inserted in the principal object clause must not be more than forty words long and ought to include a maximum of two distinct activities.

The principal activity must match the NACE code set out in the application form A1. The scheme may not be used for the formation of companies that are not required for immediate commercial use by the company promoters.

We file all applications electronically as part of the scheme and then submit the documents with original signatures.

3-5 days later we will provide your with your company incorporation details and forward the certificate of incorporation and company formation package to you.

Methods of access to information on companies

All statutory information provided by companies to the CRO is available for public inspection on payment of a fee.

• Certain vital information, such as company name, registration number, date of incorporation and registered office address, may be checked free of charge at www.cro.ie/search.
• The CRO publishes a regular electronic bulletin giving up to date information on the Office's procedures, practices and services.
• You can retrieve a free duplicate certificate of incorporation for a company or registration of a business name from www.cro.ie. This certificate is valid solely for public service use, for example for submission to the Revenue Commissioners.
• All statutory information supplied by companies is kept on files by the CRO; in paper format in the case of companies formed prior to May 1990, and in electronic format for companies incorporated since that date.
• Files in paper format may be inspected during opening hours and may not be removed from the Office. Photocopying facilities are available in the Office. Scanned images of documents stored on the imaging system may be ordered by post, at the office or by CRO account holders over the internet.

In dealing with various departments of the Companies Registration Office on a daily basis, we have the best contact details and procedures in place for seeking information from the Companies Registration Office regarding registration and post-registration matters.