A registered office is one of the first decisions to make when setting up an Irish company. It affects where official correspondence arrives, which address appears on the company register and how you separate business administration from your home. The useful cost question is not simply which address is cheapest, but what the arrangement covers throughout the year.
This guide compares a suitable address you already control with a professional registered office service. It explains the difference between an address subscription, a CRO filing and a workspace, and gives you a practical checklist for comparing quotes without paying twice for something already included in your formation package. Prices and official fees were checked on 2 October 2026; confirm the current service terms before ordering.
Registered office costs at a glance
Separate the recurring address arrangement from any work needed to set it up or change it. There is no single government-set price for a commercial registered office subscription. Providers charge for their own service, facilities and administration; the CRO publishes the filing fees for company forms.
The figures below are current published StartCompany.ie prices or official CRO fees, not an estimate of the whole Irish market. They should not be read as a promise that every provider offers the same mail handling or that all companies need every service.
| Option or task | Published cost | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable home or business address you control | No separate address-provider subscription | Permission, access, privacy and official mail arrangements |
| StartCompany.ie registered office | €160 per year total | Annual address service and published correspondence support |
| Electronic Form B2 filing with the CRO | €0 filing fee | This changes the register; it does not purchase an address |
| StartCompany.ie change-of-registered-office support | €100 service price | Preparation support is separate from the annual address service |
What are you actually buying?
Think of a registered office service as a dependable legal correspondence arrangement. You need a clear process for mail receipt, notification and forwarding, with a named contact if something urgent arrives. A prestigious-looking street name is less valuable than a provider that explains exactly how you receive important letters.
StartCompany.ie's published service includes a professional Irish address, receipt and forwarding of official CRO and Revenue correspondence, mail notifications and use on company filings and letterhead. Before activation, confirm the address, start date and contact details. Ask about the handling method for original documents and any forwarding destination outside Ireland.
- Identify which types of correspondence the agreement covers.
- Confirm whether notifications are sent to one or several contacts.
- Check the process for originals, urgent notices and uncollected mail.
- Ask whether commercial parcels or customer returns are accepted.
- Keep the provider informed when your email or forwarding address changes.
Can a home address be the cheaper option?
A company needs a physical registered office in Ireland, not only a PO box. CRO guidance explains that people must be able to deliver documents by hand and inspect relevant records there. A suitable home or existing business address may be usable, but assess it as a working arrangement rather than treating it as a cost-free box on the application.
Consider permission from the property owner, any lease restrictions, access during travel and how official mail will be noticed. If several people live at the property, decide who is responsible for company letters. A founder who moves often may prefer the predictable administration of a professional address to repeatedly reorganising mail and updating records.
Using a professional registered office can avoid using your home for that particular public company address. It does not make the company anonymous or remove other legally required disclosures. Check what appears in each filing instead of assuming that buying an address hides all director or shareholder information.
Registered office versus virtual office or rented premises
These products solve different problems. A registered office is the company's official address. A virtual office may additionally offer a trading address, telephone answering, meeting facilities or broader mail handling. A rented office gives the business actual workspace under a lease or licence. Similar names on a price list do not mean the services are interchangeable.
A low annual address price should not be compared directly with a monthly workspace price without checking what you need. If staff will attend the premises, clients will visit or stock will be stored, ask about those uses explicitly. Do not put a service address on a marketplace return policy or direct couriers there unless the agreement permits it.
For an online consultancy, the important requirement may be reliable official correspondence. For a local business with customer appointments, a workspace and access arrangements could be more relevant. Choose the service around the company's real activity, not simply the label that appears cheapest in a search result.
Calculate the first year and renewal separately
At the current €160 annual service price, the registered office line in a 12-month budget is €160. Dividing it by twelve gives an approximate budgeting equivalent of €13.33 per month; it does not mean monthly billing is available. Record the actual payment date so your cash forecast matches the agreement.
If the same price applied for two full annual terms, the address service would total €320 across those terms. That is an illustration, not a fixed two-year quote or a guarantee about renewal prices. Ask when renewal is due, what notice is given and what happens if you choose a different provider.
If you are already incorporated and also order the separately listed €100 address-change service, the two listed service prices add to €260. Check whether change support is needed or included in your particular engagement before combining charges. Filing Form B2 yourself does not carry a CRO filing fee.
Check your formation package before ordering twice
A company formation package can bundle an address with incorporation and other support. Before buying a standalone service, review the package you have chosen or already purchased. Ask which address entitlement is included, when its term starts and what the next renewal will cost.
Do not compare a bundled formation package with a standalone address subscription as though both purchases provide the same outcome. Incorporation creates the company; an address service supports its administration. Package descriptions can also include first-return help or identity support, so compare the actual items you need rather than subtracting headline prices without checking their scope.
For a new company, ask the team to confirm the right combination before the Form A1 details are prepared. For an existing company, provide the CRO number and current address so the adviser can distinguish renewal, a provider switch and a genuine registered office change.
Changing provider without losing important mail
An address change should be treated as a handover. Agree the new service start date, establish who will notify the CRO and confirm arrangements for letters already received at the old address. Keep evidence that the company register has been updated rather than assuming a new subscription automatically changes it.
CRO guidance requires notification of a registered office change on Form B2 within 14 days. Update other organisations that hold the address where appropriate, including your bank, insurer and professional advisers. Review company stationery and website disclosures as part of the same handover, while keeping the actual operating address accurate wherever it is separately requested.
Avoid cancelling the old arrangement before the new one is usable. Ask the previous provider how remaining mail will be handled and retain the relevant correspondence. A short overlap can be preferable to missing a legal notice while an address change is being processed.
What overseas founders should not assume
An overseas owner may need an Irish registered office while running the business elsewhere. That does not turn the address into a staffed operational office. Describe the company's actual people, activities and management locations honestly when speaking to banks, customers or authorities.
The address purchase does not appoint an EEA-resident director, replace any required director bond or decide the company's tax residence. Those are separate questions about the company's structure and real circumstances. A bank can request proof of trading activity and ownership beyond the registered office record; approval is not guaranteed by buying a professional address.
Questions to ask before paying
Send a short description of the business, whether it is new or already registered, and the correspondence handling you need. Ask for the total amount payable, the service period and written inclusions. That makes different proposals comparable and reduces misunderstandings about ongoing work.
The most economical choice is the arrangement that fits the business and keeps official correspondence dependable. Contact StartCompany.ie if you need the address as part of a new formation or want to move an existing company's registered office. We can confirm the current service and next steps before you commit.
- What is the total price for the full service period?
- When does the annual term begin and how is renewal handled?
- What mail is included and are any additional uses restricted?
- Who handles Form A1 or Form B2 and verifies the address entry?
- Does my formation package already include an address?
- What is the handover process if I change provider?
StartCompany.ie service
Professional Registered Office Address in Ireland
Current listed price: €160 per year total
Official information and next steps
General information, not legal or tax advice. Service prices and CRO fees were checked on 2 October 2026. Current service terms and the company's actual circumstances take priority over illustrative budgets.