If you want to become a director of an Irish company and do not have a PPS number, identity verification can affect both the budget and the formation timetable. Searches for an IPN cost often mix three different items: the number issued by the CRO, the work an agent does to support the application and the appointment needed to witness the declaration.
This guide separates those items, explains the questions to ask before paying and highlights the current in-person witnessing rule. It is particularly useful for overseas founders arranging an Irish company remotely. Official guidance and our published service price were checked on 2 October 2026. Eligibility and the correct identity route should be confirmed for the individual applicant.
IPN application costs: the items to separate
Start by distinguishing a professional service charge from the statutory identity process. Our €100 published price describes application support; it is not a CRO price for purchasing a number. A witnessing professional quotes for their own appointment. The cost can depend on the location and work involved, so this guide does not invent a worldwide notary price range.
Ask whether the support you are considering includes preparation guidance, a review before signing, submission assistance and follow-up. Then identify which outside expenses you must arrange yourself. The most useful comparison is a written scope for your situation, not a headline that leaves an essential appointment unexplained.
| Budget item | Price or basis | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| StartCompany.ie IPN/VIF support | €100 total service price | Application support and agreed handling of queries |
| In-person witnessing appointment | Obtain a quote from the eligible witness | Current VIF accepted, required identification and signing arrangements |
| Travel, translation or document assistance if needed | Individual quote | Only order work actually required for your application |
| IPN support in a formation package | Check the selected package's inclusions | Avoid ordering a separate service already included |
| Existing valid PPSN or previously issued IPN | Check whether a new application is needed | Do not pay for a duplicate number application without a reason |
IPN, VIF and PPSN are not three products to buy
An IPN is an Identified Person Number issued after the relevant VIF identity process is completed successfully. VIF refers to the declaration, not an alternative number that you buy instead. A PPSN is a different identifier. If you already have a PPSN, investigate the correct use of that existing number rather than assuming an overseas address makes a new IPN necessary.
The practical goal is to provide a valid identity route for the person's relevant filings. Do not order one service labelled IPN and another labelled VIF merely because the abbreviations appear in separate search results. Ask the provider to describe the outcome in plain language: which person is being verified, what documents will be prepared and what evidence of completion you will receive.
Keep the application distinct from the company's own registration number. The identity number relates to a person; the company number identifies the incorporated entity. Confusing those records can create avoidable questions during onboarding and subsequent administration.
Check eligibility before booking an appointment
The IPN route is not simply a quicker replacement for a PPSN. CRO guidance describes its use for non-resident directors or beneficial owners and says Irish citizens resident in the State, including part-time residents, must obtain a PPSN rather than use this route. Someone who previously lived in Ireland may already have a PPS number worth checking before starting again.
When contacting us, explain where you live, whether you have previously held a PPSN or identity number used for CRO/RBO filings, and whether this is a new directorship or an existing company record. Do not send a full identity number in a public message or social comment. First establish the correct process and the appropriate way to provide sensitive information.
This early check can prevent paying for a witness appointment for the wrong application. It also gives the presenter a chance to identify an existing-record issue before it becomes a problem at the final submission stage.
The 2026 witnessing rule changes the budget
The CRO's April 2026 announcement states that VIF forms witnessed online are no longer accepted. From midnight on 30 April 2026, the applicant and witness must be physically in the same room for verification and signing. The notice also says previous versions received after that point will be rejected. Obtain the current form through CORE rather than using an old saved template.
For an overseas founder, plan the appointment before promising an incorporation date to a customer. Ask the proposed witness to confirm that they can handle the current Irish declaration and the required identification. Read the current form's witness instructions for where the declaration will be made; do not assume that any professional who can certify a passport can necessarily witness this declaration.
Remote preparation and submission support should not be confused with remote witnessing. An agent can assist with administration, but that does not remove the physical appointment required by the CRO's current rule.
How to compare witness appointment quotes
Send the current form and explain the intended use before booking. Ask what identification to bring, whether an appointment is required and what the total charge covers. A quote for witnessing one declaration may differ from a quote that includes additional certified copies, translation or courier work. Do not purchase those extra items unless they are actually needed.
Consider the practical costs as well as the invoice: travel time, opening hours and how you will provide the signed material for submission. If two directors need separate declarations, ask whether one appointment can accommodate both and how the charges are calculated. Each person still needs their own identity process; one company engagement is not automatically one declaration.
Keep the quote and appointment instructions together. If a provider offers a cheaper online-only appointment, ask how that could satisfy the current same-room requirement before relying on it. The comparison should be between acceptable routes, not just between different prices.
Does your formation package already include support?
Some formation packages include IPN assistance for applicants without a PPSN. Check the selected package's current feature list and confirm the scope for each director before ordering an additional €100 service. An included support item should not be treated as a second purchase merely because it also appears on a standalone service page.
Package assistance does not automatically mean every outside appointment or travel expense is paid by the provider. Ask how many applicants are covered, what help is provided before signing and who arranges the witness. If one director has a valid PPSN and another needs an IPN, explain both situations so the work is planned correctly.
Compare the formation package as a whole. Identity support, registered office arrangements, company secretary services and incorporation work meet different needs. Buying a larger package only to solve one identity task may not be the best fit if its other inclusions do not suit your company.
Avoid name mismatches before signing
A number alone does not guarantee a successful filing: the identity details must match the applicable official record. CRO guidance highlights names, date of birth and IPN data, and its VIF help page discusses how existing names and first-name/surname fields can cause mismatches. Review existing directorship information before completing a new application or filing.
Make a private comparison sheet for the presenter using the person's supporting identity information and existing record. Pay particular attention to middle names, multiple family names and date format. Do not make informal spelling changes simply because a shortened version is easier to use. Ask how any inconsistency should be resolved rather than signing one version and filing another.
A few minutes spent on that review can reduce avoidable back-and-forth. It is also a useful question when comparing services: does the agreed support include checking existing-record details, or only uploading material you supply?
Existing numbers and future filings
The CRO states that an issued IPN can be used for relevant CRO and RBO documents. Do not assume every new company or annual filing requires purchasing a fresh identity number. First check the number already held, the person's details and any existing match problem. Further professional filing assistance is a different service from a new identity application.
Store the issued information securely and agree who can access it for authorised company administration. A folder containing only the company's certificate is not a complete record of each director's identity process. When changing advisers, arrange an appropriate private handover rather than asking for sensitive numbers in an open email chain with unrelated recipients.
If a filing later fails an identity check, investigate the specific mismatch. Repeating an application without understanding the reason may create more work while leaving the underlying data issue unresolved.
What an IPN does not solve
Do not treat identity verification as approval of the entire company setup. A valid number does not replace incorporation, company-governance decisions, bank onboarding or any separate residency and permission questions. An overseas founder should discuss those workstreams alongside the IPN application rather than assuming one successful form settles them all.
The same applies to commercial timing. You may still need the witness appointment, a satisfactory submission and CRO processing before the number can be used. No general cost guide can promise a fixed completion date for every applicant. Plan milestones around actual confirmation and avoid making irreversible launch commitments while an essential identity step remains incomplete.
Get the right scope for your application
To start, tell us how many applicants need support, whether any already have a PPSN or IPN, where the witnessing will take place and whether you are buying a formation package. We can then discuss the relevant support instead of treating every overseas founder as the same case.
Before ordering, confirm the total service price, outside appointment arrangements and responsibility for any returned submission. Keep the current form version, the agreed scope and confirmation of the issued number with your private company records. The goal is a usable, correctly matched identity record, not simply a signed piece of paper.
StartCompany.ie service
IPN and VIF Application Support
Current listed price: €100 total service price
Official information and next steps
Official identity guidance checked on 2 October 2026. Use the current CORE form and witness instructions. This is general information; the CRO determines acceptance and eligibility for an individual application.