Barclays plans to move HQ to Ireland after Brexit

Barclays has settled on Dublin for its main hub inside the EU after Brexit, and is planning to add about 150 staff here if UK-based finance companies lose easy access to the trading bloc, according to Bloomberg sources.
It is believed the bank started scouting the city for office space this month, and has been in contact with regulators here about expanding its operations.

Reports from the UK indicate that the UK bank is embarking on contingency plans in case Prime Minister Theresa May is unable to negotiate a transition period to preserve London firms' access to the EU while talks about the UK’s exit are ongoing.
“We have made clear repeatedly that we will plan for a range of Brexit contingencies, including building greater capacity into our existing operations in Dublin,” the bank said in a statement. “Identifying available office space is a necessary and predictable part of that contingency planning process.”

Barclays CEO Jes Staley said earlier this month "We may have to move certain activities, we may have to change the legal structure that we use to operate in Europe," in an interview with the BBC. "Whether he have to route some activities through Ireland, or do something in Germany, those are the options that we are looking at."

London is the hub for European finance, with many international banks using the British capital as the base for their EU operations.

HSBC and UBS, the Swiss bank, have said they could each move about 1,000 to another city in the EU depending on the type of deal London secures with Brussels.