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This guide is for entrepreneurs, directors, and business owners in Ireland who want to understand how company seals work and when they are needed. It is especially useful for new founders who may only realise the importance of a seal when it’s urgently required by a bank, solicitor, or third party.
In this guide, you’ll find:
What a company seal is and how it’s used
The legal position under the Companies Act 2014
When a seal is required in practice
Types of company seals available
How to use and manage a seal correctly
Key Takeaways
A company seal is not legally required under the Companies Act 2014, but many banks, solicitors, and third parties still expect it in practice
It is a physical embossing tool used to authenticate formal company documents, similar to a corporate signature
Commonly required for share transfers, property transactions, deeds, and international documents
Must be used correctly — authorised by directors, witnessed, and recorded in a seal register
Two main types are available: plier seals (portable and cost-effective) and desk seals (suited for regular office use)
Low-cost but high-importance — not having a seal can delay critical business transactions
The One Item Most New Irish Companies Overlook
When you form a limited company in Ireland, there’s a checklist of things that immediately demand your attention — registering with Revenue, opening a business bank account, filing with the CRO, setting up payroll. The company seal tends to fall to the bottom of that list, if it appears at all.
That’s a mistake that can cost you time at precisely the wrong moment.
Imagine sitting across the table from a solicitor, ready to sign a commercial lease for your new premises, only to be told the landlord’s solicitor won’t proceed without a sealed document. Or needing to transfer shares to a new investor — quickly — and discovering that your bank or their legal team needs a formally sealed instrument before they’ll act on it.
A company seal is a small, affordable tool. But when you need it, you really need it.
This guide covers everything an Irish business owner, director, or company secretary needs to know about company seals in 2026 — what they are, what the law says, when and how to use one, what types are available, and how to make sure you have the right one for your business.
What Is a Company Seal?
A company seal, also known as a common seal or corporate seal, is a physical embossing device that imprints your company’s registered name (and usually its registration number) onto paper, creating a raised impression. That impression serves as the official mark of your company on formal documents.
Historically, companies used wax seals — heated wax was pressed into the document and a metal stamp created the impression. Today’s company seals are mechanical embossing tools: the document is placed between two metal dies and pressure is applied to create a clean, permanent indentation in the paper.
The result is a distinctive raised design that is immediately recognisable, cannot be photocopied convincingly, and is extremely difficult to forge. That’s exactly the point.
Think of the company seal as your business’s equivalent of a personal signature — except it carries the authority of the company as an entity, not just one individual within it.
Is a Company Seal Legally Required in Ireland?
This is the question we hear most often, and the answer has changed in recent years.
Under the Companies Act 2014, Irish companies are no longer legally required to have a company seal. The Act introduced alternative execution methods — most notably, documents can be validly executed by two directors signing together, or by one director and the company secretary signing together, without any seal being required.
So strictly speaking, no — you are not legally obliged to obtain a company seal.
However, there is an important practical reality that the legislation alone doesn’t capture.
Many third parties still expect a seal. Irish banks, solicitors handling conveyancing, property management companies, and international business partners regularly require documents to bear a company seal before they will act on them. This is especially true for:
Property deeds and lease agreements
Share certificates and transfer instruments
Debentures and charges
Documents executed for use in other jurisdictions
Even if your solicitor knows that a seal is not strictly mandatory, the counterparty’s solicitor — or the land registry, or a foreign government agency — may not be prepared to accept an unsealed document without prolonged back-and-forth.
The practical advice from most Irish company secretarial professionals is straightforward: get a seal when you incorporate, keep it safe, and have it available when you need it. The cost is minimal. The inconvenience of not having one can be significant.
Even though seals are now optional, companies that do have one must use it correctly. The Companies Act 2014 sets out specific rules:
The company seal may only be used by the directors or a committee authorised by the directors.
Every use of the seal must be witnessed and signed by at least one director (or another authorised officer) and countersigned by the company secretary or another authorised individual.
The use of the seal must be recorded in the company’s seal register — a log that records each time the seal is used, on what document, and by whom.
This matters more than many directors realise. An improperly used seal — one that wasn’t authorised by a board resolution or wasn’t correctly witnessed — can potentially be challenged. Maintaining proper records of each use is part of good corporate governance, and it’s one of the areas where a professional company secretary service adds real value.
What Is a Company Seal Used For? Common Documents That Require One
In practice, the company seal is most likely to be called for in the following situations:
1. Share Certificates and Share Transfers
When new shares are issued or existing shares are transferred from one person to another, the instruments documenting those transactions are typically sealed. Investors and their legal teams will often expect this as a matter of course.
2. Company Law Documents
Director appointments, statutory declarations, members’ resolutions, and other formal company law documents may be presented with the seal as a mark of authenticity.
3. Property Transactions
Deeds, leases, mortgage instruments, and conveyancing documents frequently require the seal. This is one of the most common situations where a new business owner discovers they need a seal urgently — when the deal is already on the table.
4. Major Commercial Contracts
High-value or long-term commercial agreements, particularly those involving significant obligations, are often executed under seal to give them the status of a deed. This provides greater legal protection and, in some cases, extends the limitation period within which a party can bring a claim.
5. Board Meeting Minutes
Formal minutes of board meetings, particularly those recording significant decisions (approving major contracts, issuing shares, changing bank signatories), are sometimes sealed to underscore their authenticity.
6. International Business Documents
If your Irish company does business with overseas partners, suppliers, or customers, foreign governments and legal systems may require sealed documents. Some jurisdictions simply do not recognise alternative execution methods under Irish law.
Types of Company Seal Available in Ireland
There are two main types of company seal available to Irish businesses today:
Plier Seal (Handheld Embosser)
The plier seal is the most popular option. It’s a handheld device — similar in appearance to a pair of pliers — with two metal dies engraved with your company name. You place the document between the dies and squeeze the handles to create the embossed impression.
Key characteristics:
Portable and lightweight — easy to carry to external meetings, solicitor offices, or bank appointments
Suitable for paper up to approximately 100 gsm
38mm round face with capacity for up to 50 characters
Lower cost — typically around €30 + VAT
The plier seal is the right choice for most small and medium-sized Irish companies, particularly those where documents are sometimes signed away from the office.
Desk Seal (Standing Embosser)
The desk seal is a larger, free-standing unit designed for regular office use. It sits on your desk or in a drawer and delivers clean, consistent impressions with less effort than the handheld plier seal.
Key characteristics:
Handles heavier paper stock — up to approximately 120 gsm
No installation required — simply place on a flat surface and use
Better suited to frequent or high-volume sealing
Higher cost — typically around €80 + VAT
The desk seal is the preferred choice for company secretarial firms, solicitors, accountants, and any business that seals documents regularly.
Company Seal vs. Company Stamp What’s the Difference?
This is a common point of confusion, particularly for new business owners.
A company stamp (also called a rubber stamp or self-inking stamp) typically contains the company name, address, and sometimes a logo. It is used on everyday business documents — invoices, delivery notes, letters, receipts — simply to identify who the document comes from. It uses ink.
A company seal is a fundamentally different tool. It is an embossing device that creates a raised impression in the paper itself — no ink involved. It is used only for formal, legally significant documents where corporate authority needs to be clearly established. It carries substantially more legal weight than a rubber stamp.
Company Seal vs. Electronic Signature Can You Use DocuSign Instead?
This is increasingly relevant as more Irish businesses adopt digital workflows.
Electronic signatures are legally valid in Ireland under the eIDAS Regulation and the Electronic Commerce Act 2000 for most everyday contracts and agreements. For straightforward commercial transactions, a qualified electronic signature is perfectly acceptable.
However, there are important limitations:
Certain documents — including deeds and instruments that must be executed “under seal” at common law — may still require a physical seal or wet ink signatures, depending on the specific legal requirements and the preferences of the other party.
International transactions are particularly variable. A foreign counterparty’s legal team may not accept an electronic signature in circumstances where they would accept a sealed document.
Irish banks, in particular, often have internal policies that require traditional execution methods for certain account mandates and security documents.
The safest approach for any Irish company is to have both: a proper company seal for formal legal documents, and the ability to use electronic signatures for everyday commercial contracts. These complement each other rather than competing.
When Do You Need to Replace Your Company Seal?
Your company seal needs to be replaced in two main situations:
Company name change. If your company’s registered name changes — even by a single word, a spelling change, or the addition or removal of “Limited” or “DAC” — your existing seal is no longer valid. You must order a new one immediately.
Company type change. If you re-register your company from one type to another (for example, from a Designated Activity Company to a Private Company Limited by Shares), the designation on the seal will be incorrect and a new seal is needed.
You should also consider replacing a seal that has become damaged or worn, as a poor-quality impression may cause queries or delays with the documents it authenticates.
How Much Does a Company Seal Cost in Ireland?
Company seals are surprisingly affordable for something so important. As a general guide:
Plier seal: from approximately €30 + VAT
Desk seal: from approximately €80 + VAT
These are one-time costs (unless you need a replacement). There are no ongoing fees or licences. The seal you order will serve your company for as long as your name and structure remain unchanged.
At TAS Consulting, we supply both types at these price points, with delivery within 2–3 business days.
How to Order a Company Seal in Ireland
There are two ways to obtain a company seal in Ireland:
Through a company formation agent or secretarial services provider (recommended). This is the easiest route, particularly if you’re also getting help with company formation or secretarial compliance. The agent can verify your registered details with the CRO and ensure the engraving is accurate before the seal is produced.
Through a legal stationer. Some specialist legal stationers supply company seals directly. You’ll need to provide your company’s registered name and number.
In either case, make sure your company name is already approved by the Companies Registration Office before you order — the seal must match your registered name exactly.
At TAS Consulting, you can order a company seal by contacting our team directly. We handle the verification, engraving, and delivery so there’s nothing to manage on your end.
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Company Seals in Ireland Everything You Need to Know
When you form a limited company in Ireland, there’s a checklist of things that immediately demand your attention — registering with Revenue, opening a business bank account, filing with the CRO, setting up payroll. The company seal tends to fall to the bottom of that list, if it appears at all.
