Payment initiation and account information services in Ireland
In Ireland, payment initiation providers are authorised as payment institutions and account information providers are registered, both by the Central Bank of Ireland. The same three-stage process and service standards apply. The CBI expects a credible management team in Ireland even for firms that never touch client money.
Facts under review · last checked 2026-10-08 · confirm figures with the regulator before relying on them
Regulator · Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) ↗
Key facts
- Payment initiation (PIS) initial capital
- €50,000, plus professional indemnity insurance or a comparable guaranteePSD2-Art-7(b)as of 2026-10-08Source ↗
- Account information (AIS) capital
- No initial capital; registration instead of authorisation, with professional indemnity insurance or a comparable guaranteePSD2-Art-33as of 2026-10-08Source ↗
- CBI service standards
- Assessment: 90% within 90 business days of the start of the assessment phase. Decision: 90% within 10 business days of a satisfactory response to the 'minded to authorise/register' letteras of 2026-10-08Source ↗
- EU reform status (PSD3/PSR)
- Negotiated text approved by the European Parliament ECON committee on 5 May 2026; plenary indicatively scheduled for 14 December 2026as of 2026-10-08Source ↗
Realistic timeline
Who does what, and how long each phase usually takes once work starts. The regulator’s share is outside anyone’s control.
- HartsizScoping and key facts document3–6 weeks
- YouHires, insurance and full application pack6–12 weeksHartsiz drafts the pack; the client supplies people, insurance and decisions
- RegulatorCBI exploratory stage, assessment and decision20–52 weeksOutside our control; the 90-business-day standard runs only once assessment formally starts
Estimated end to end: 7–16 months. Not a guarantee.
What the regulator expects to see
- Irish company with head office in Ireland
- Board and pre-approval controlled function (PCF) holders who pass the CBI fitness and probity assessment
- Professional indemnity insurance sized under the EBA guidelines
- Strong customer authentication and secure communication with banks' APIs
- ICT risk-management framework under DORA
Questions we get
Is AIS registration quicker than PI authorisation?
The requirements are lighter, with no capital, but the CBI applies the same staged process and service standards, so plan for a full preparation effort.
Will PSD3 change this?
The new EU payments package is not yet adopted. Until it applies, PIS and AIS remain under the current PSD2-based rules.
Changes affecting this route
- UpcomingEuropean Union · Fintech & Crypto · medium impact
PSD3 and Payment Services Regulation indicative plenary vote
The European Parliament's procedure file lists 14 December 2026 as the indicative plenary date for the payment services file, after the committee approved the agreed text in May 2026. Adoption would start the countdown to new authorisation, safeguarding and fraud-liability rules for payment and e-money institutions. Indicative plenary dates can move.
Source ↗