Fintech licensing in Germany
The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) issues the fintech and crypto licences in Germany. Here the Atlas covers 8 licence types, in 7 families: bank, crypto-asset service provider (MiCA), electronic money institution, fund manager, investment firm, payment institution and virtual asset service provider. Germany sits in the EU/EEA, so passportable licences issued there can be extended to the other member states by notification. Crypto-asset service providers are authorised under MiCA. Each licence page has its legal basis, fees and decision period, with sources.
Financial regulators in Germany
Fintech licences available in Germany
Bank / credit institution
Crypto-asset service provider (MiCA CASP)
Electronic money institution (EMI)
Fund manager
Investment firm / broker-dealer
Payment institution (PI)
- PI · Germany
Account information service provider registration
BaFin
- PI · Germany
Payment institution licence
BaFin
Virtual asset service provider (non-MiCA)
Path to market
Start with your activities. Match them to the licence types above: the activity pages show which licence permits each one. BaFin runs pre-application meetings, an innovation hub and a regulatory sandbox, and the regulator page explains how to use them. Applications go to BaFin with the capital, governance and AML documentation that the licence page lists. Once authorised, a firm can extend an EU/EEA licence to other member states by passport notification, without applying for a new licence.
Need this licence, or a different one?
Tell us your business model and target markets. We check the fit before you spend on an application, then handle the licence end to end.
A free preliminary assessment: we check your business model against the licence before you spend on an application. We handle this licence and any other fintech licence, including jurisdictions the Atlas does not cover yet.