FCA authorisation for investment business in the United Kingdom

About This Company

Passporting across overseas jurisdictions is unavailable because this Part 4A permission functions only as a domestic authorisation within the United Kingdom. Legal authority derives from the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (c. 8) under the Investment Firms Prudential Regime. Holding this authorisation requires paying a GBP 2,000 standard minimum annual fee under Fee-block A.0 to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Variable annual levies increase that cost based on funds under management under block A.7, principal trading under A.10, or client assets under A.21. Taking control of the company without advance regulatory approval constitutes a criminal offence under Section 191F of FSMA 2000. London houses the supervisory authority. For a MiFID investment firm, mandatory notifications trigger at control thresholds of 10%, 20%, 30%, as well as 50% of shares or voting rights, or upon becoming a parent undertaking. The statutory assessment window runs for 60 business days from complete notification acknowledgment under FSMA Section 189. FCA case officers can pause that timetable a single time for an extension of 30 business days when requesting further documentation. New applicants face initial processing fees ranging from GBP 2,820 for Category 4 advisory firms to GBP 11,260 for Category 6 principal trading businesses. Before execution, the buyer searches the Financial Services Register by the 6-digit firm reference number to verify current permissions and active supervisory restrictions.