Personal bankruptcy in Ireland —
in about 12 months
Debt relief. Checked, not promised.

No. Personal bankruptcy in Ireland is not a standard product. Crucial factors include the amount of debt, the creditor structure, the types of claims, residence, COMI (Country of Main Interests), assets, income, documentation, and whether the chosen EU strategy can actually be implemented reliably.

As a guideline: From approximately €60,000 in total debt, the costs of the proceedings—court and procedural fees, setting up a COMI (Common Interest Income), living expenses in Ireland, and legal representation—are economically proportionate to the debt relief. Below this amount, an out-of-court settlement or German personal insolvency is often the better option. There is no fixed lower limit; the initial assessment of each individual case remains crucial.

The initial consultation is free and without obligation. It serves to systematically assess your situation. You will only be liable for any costs incurred if you consciously decide to continue working with us.

Privatinsolvenz Irland ist eine der meistgenutzten EU-Insolvenz-Optionen. David Grunewald ist vor Ort in Dublin und koordiniert Irland-Verfahren direkt mit dem Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI).

COMI stands for Center of Main Interests. In Irish personal bankruptcy proceedings, the COMI must actually be located in Ireland. A sham residence or a mailbox address is no substitute for a viable strategy—and can jeopardize the entire process.

No. Reputable advice does not promise guaranteed debt relief. The aim of the review is to realistically assess opportunities, risks, gaps in documentation, COMI issues, and the next steps.

Personal bankruptcy proceedings in Ireland take approximately one year. This is preceded by a COMI transfer of around six months. This information is for guidance only; the decisive factors remain the COMI, documentation, income, assets, and court classification.

Not automatically. Especially in cases involving tax claims, tort claims, or directors' liability, it is essential to carefully examine whether and to what extent a discharge of residual debt would be practically and legally viable.

Yes. If personal bankruptcy in Ireland does not seem like a viable option, out-of-court settlements, negotiations, installment plans, or other debt strategies may be more realistic.

The core of the law is the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 (amended in 2015). This is supplemented by the EU Insolvency Regulation (EU) 2015/848 for Europe-wide recognition, the Bankruptcy Act 1988, and the Courts and Civil Law Act 2023. Irish debt relief is therefore generally recognized in all EU member states.

The key requirements are relocating your center of life (COMI) to Ireland for an initial period of approximately six months, having debts of around €20,000 or more, and demonstrable insolvency. The court fee is approximately €200. We will assess whether these requirements can be reliably met in your specific case during a free initial consultation.

Generally, almost all debts are included: tax claims, loans, credit card, bank and business debts, guarantees, rent, utility and social security claims, leasing, and debt collection. Unlike in Germany (§ 302 InsO), civil tort claims can also be covered, provided no criminal fine has been imposed. Classification is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Maintenance obligations, fines imposed by a criminal court, debts incurred after the commencement of proceedings, and certain student loans are exempt. In the case of secured claims, the portion covered by the security remains in effect.

Ireland does not have fixed tax-free allowances, but rather the Reasonable Living Expenses (RLE) system of the ISI. Set costs start at approximately €1,178.84 (single person) or €1,918.70 (couples) per month (as of October 2025); reasonable housing costs, transport, childcare, and insurance are additional. These figures are for guidance only and are calculated individually.

Then an Income Payment Agreement (IPA) may apply under the Bankruptcy Act 1988, which covers excess amounts for up to three years. If you remain within the RLE (Restricted Income Liability), an IPA is generally not required. Changes in income must be reported immediately and fully disclosed.

In the case of an Irish Limited company, acting as a director without court authorization (Section 132 Companies Act 2014) is generally prohibited; authorization can be applied for. Foreign companies (e.g., German GmbH, Spanish SL, Latvian SIA) are generally not subject to these restrictions. Freelance work is permitted – all income must be disclosed and is included in the calculation of the RLE (Resident Income Tax).

Yes. As an EU citizen, you enjoy freedom of movement under Directive 2004/38/EC; personal insolvency is not a prison sentence. Short trips of up to about three weeks are generally unproblematic; for longer stays abroad, it is advisable to consult with your Personal Insolvency Practitioner to ensure your COMI in Ireland is not jeopardized.

From the free initial assessment and the approximately six-month COMI transfer, through practical organization (apartment, PPS registration, bank account) and the PIP report, to the application submission, ISI statement, and predominantly digital court hearing. The 12-month good conduct period begins upon the insolvency declaration; discharge then typically follows automatically.

Complete and truthful information, immediate notification of changes (income, address, assets, inheritances), timely submission of requested documents, appropriate employment or serious job search, and participation in prescribed – mostly digital – appointments.

Improvements as well as deteriorations in circumstances must be reported to the Personal Insolvency Practitioner immediately; payments will be recalculated, and the RLE limits will continue to apply. An increase in income does not generally jeopardize debt discharge; in cases of hardship through no fault of the recipient, the courts usually show understanding.

Personal bankruptcy is generally not grounds for dismissal. There is often no general obligation to inform the employer; exceptions may exist for positions involving asset management (e.g., banking, insurance, trusts). Garnishment is limited to the amount subject to garnishment; below the statutory minimum wage, it is usually not garnished at all.

Irish insolvency proceedings are recorded in the public register of the Insolvency Service of Ireland (isi.gov.ie) and the Official Gazette, Iris Oifigiúil – both of which are generally irrelevant outside of Ireland. Currently, Irish insolvency proceedings are not recorded separately in German or Austrian registers.

After debt discharge, you can generally request the deletion of no longer necessary negative entries (e.g., EU Regulation 2015/848, Art. 17 GDPR, Section 35 BDSG) and, in principle, regain your ability to conduct business and your creditworthiness. The retention period after debt discharge is subject to current case law. This is not legal advice for individual cases.

Seizable assets are transferred to the Official Assignee upon adjudication and can be used to satisfy creditors. Necessary household items, work equipment, and reasonable personal belongings remain protected. Real estate and larger assets are discussed openly in the initial consultation—those who conceal assets risk losing their debt discharge.

The decisive factor is that the COMI (Central Office of Main Interest) must be demonstrably located in Ireland at the time of application. During the application process, there are obligations to cooperate and be available to the Official Assignee. A premature, complete withdrawal can weaken the evidence and, in a worst-case scenario, the recognition itself—therefore, the optimal timing is planned on a case-by-case basis and not guaranteed in general.

Yes. Creditors can challenge international jurisdiction if they can prove that the COMI was not actually located in Ireland. Such challenges regularly fail due to a clearly documented, genuinely implemented relocation—and that is precisely what the preparations have been working towards from the outset. With a mere shell company structure, however, the risk would be considerable.

Bankruptcy is the court-supervised insolvency process with automatic discharge after approximately twelve months. A Personal Insolvency Agreement (PIA) is a regulated agreement with creditors through a licensed Personal Insolvency Practitioner—it can last several years but may allow for the preservation of certain assets. Which path is most suitable depends on assets, income, and the creditor structure and is determined during the initial assessment.

Yes. An Irish bank account is not only permissible, but expressly recommended as part of a well-established COMI (Common Interest) structure. Restrictions apply to borrowing: above a certain legal threshold, the lender must be informed of any ongoing insolvency. These restrictions are lifted with a discharge.

The total costs comprise court and procedural fees, the actual living and housing costs for setting up the COMI (Common Interest Income), and legal representation. A reliable estimate can only be given after the initial assessment, as the debt structure and initial situation determine the scope of work. The initial assessment itself is free of charge; costs are only incurred upon a formal engagement of legal counsel.