Side-by-side on the points that decide where you incorporate: corporate tax, FATF standing, sanctions exposure, data-protection law, arbitration enforceability, apostille, foreign ownership and local-director requirements.
Jurisdiction table checked: 2026-10-02
| Cyprus [CY] | Ireland [IE] | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | EU | EU |
| Corporate tax rate | 15% | 15% |
| FATF status | compliant | compliant |
| Sanctions exposure | No | No |
| EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions | not applicable — EU member state | not applicable — EU member state |
| Data-protection law | GDPR | GDPR |
| New York Convention | Yes | Yes |
| Apostille Convention (1961) | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign ownership | Yes | Yes |
| Local director requirement | No | Yes |
Cyprus does not mandate a resident local director.
Ireland requires a resident/local director. This adds real cost and a governance dependency — include it in the structure.
Neither is obviously right until you know what you are optimising for — tax, banking, enforcement or speed.
Informational resource curated by the Ignito legal practice and cross-checked against primary sources. This is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Rules change — verify against the primary source before you sign or file. Terms of Use