Financial licences
EMI, PSP / Payment Institution, CASP under MiCA, VARA. Authorisation for payment, e-money and crypto businesses — and the compliance to keep it. We say honestly when your own licence is not needed and a partner model is enough.
Choose the licence type — each has its own capital, team and timeline requirements
E-Money Institution (EMI)
Issue e-money, hold customer balances and run your own wallets and IBANs.
Learn morePayment Institution (PI / PSP)
Acquire, process and remit payments without issuing e-money.
Learn moreCrypto-Asset Service Provider (MiCA)
One EU authorisation for crypto services, passportable across member states.
Learn moreFour steps from enquiry to result
Product and authorisation
What exactly the product does with client money, in which countries and for whom. Which authorisation is needed — or whether an agent model works.
Company and team
Incorporating the applicant, directors, MLRO, compliance officer, substance in the filing country.
The regulatory file
Business plan, financial model, AML/CFT policies, safeguarding, IT security, outsourcing. Filing.
The regulator and launch
Replies to enquiries, pre-launch conditions, first reports. In parallel, the bank and payment partners.
- A description of the product and the flow of funds
- Beneficial owners, source of capital, business history
- Candidates for directors, MLRO and compliance
- A three-year financial model (we help build it)
- Applying for an EMI when the product is an agent or a technical provider
- Choosing the country by price rather than the regulator’s practice
- An application with no real team in the country — the regulator sends it back
- Underestimating the timeline: the regulator counts from a complete file
An EMI agent instead of an own licence: launched in four months
Terms with the principal, AML policies, a UK company for sales; the own licence planned for year two.
Moving from a VASP registration to CASP authorisation under MiCA
Assessment of the requirements, filing in Poland with the regulator’s timelines in mind, authorisation before the transition period ended.
Entering the UAE market with a Lithuanian licence
What can be done cross-border, what needs a UAE central bank licence, a free-zone company for marketing — without breaching the European licence.
How much capital does an EMI need?
Minimum initial capital in the EU is €350,000; for a PI, €20,000 to €125,000 depending on the services. But the regulator looks at adequacy for the model, not the minimum.
Which EU country is fastest?
Lithuania has historically been fastest for EMI/PI, but requirements have risen; Poland and Ireland are predictable for CASP. We choose by practice at the time of filing.
Can we start without a licence?
Often, yes: as an EMI/PI agent, through a BaaS partner or as a technical provider. That removes 12–18 months of waiting.
What does it cost?
A fixed fee per stage, quoted after a consultation. Government fees, capital and team costs are separate.
Not sure whether you need a licence?
Describe the product and the flow of funds — we will say which authorisation is needed, or how to launch without one.
- A reply within one working day
- The first consultation is 30 minutes
- Confidential, no obligation