Fintech licensing in Netherlands
Two authorities issue the licences in the Netherlands: De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). The Atlas covers 14 licence types here. They sit in 10 families: bank, crypto-asset service provider (MiCA), electronic money institution, fund manager, investment firm, lending, money transmitter, payment institution, stablecoin issuer and trust and corporate services. The Netherlands is in the EU/EEA, so a passportable licence can be extended to other member states by notification. Crypto-asset service providers are authorised under MiCA.
Financial regulators in Netherlands
- Netherlands
Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM)
The Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) is the Netherlands' autonomous conduct-of-business supervisory authority (zelfstandig bestuursorgaan
- Netherlands
De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB)
De Nederlandsche Bank acts as the central bank of the Netherlands and integral member of the Eurosystem and ESCB, exercising prudential supe
Fintech licences available in Netherlands
Bank / credit institution
Crypto-asset service provider (MiCA CASP)
Electronic money institution (EMI)
Fund manager
- FM · Netherlands
Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) licence
Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) licence under Wft Article 2:65 and Directive 2011/61/EUAFM
- FM · Netherlands
Fund manager licence
Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS / ICBE) registration under Wft and Directive 2009/65/ECAFM
Investment firm / broker-dealer
Lending / consumer credit
Money transmitter / money services business (MSB)
Payment institution (PI)
Stablecoin / e-money token issuer
- EMT/ART · Netherlands
Asset-referenced token (ART) issuer licence
Asset-referenced token (ART) issuer licence under EU MiCADNB
- EMT/ART · Netherlands
E-money token (EMT) issuer notification
E-money token (EMT) issuer notification under EU MiCADNB
Trust and corporate service provider (TCSP)
Path to market
Match your activities to the licence types above; the activity pages show which licence permits each one. DNB holds pre-application meetings and runs an innovation hub. AFM does the same and also runs a regulatory sandbox. The regulator page explains how to use them. The application goes to DNB and AFM. It must include the capital and governance information and the AML file that the licence page requires. Once authorised, an EU/EEA licence can be extended to other member states by passport notification, without a new licence.
Getting licensed in Netherlands
Protegra handles licensing in Netherlands end to end: CASP license in the Netherlands.
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