Fintech licensing in United Arab Emirates
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) issues the fintech and crypto licences in the United Arab Emirates. Here the Atlas covers 3 licence types, in 3 families: bank, payment institution and stablecoin issuer. Each licence page has its legal basis, fees and decision period, with sources.
Financial regulators in United Arab Emirates
Fintech licences available in United Arab Emirates
Bank / credit institution
Payment institution (PI)
Stablecoin / e-money token issuer
Main laws
- Regulatory Law 2004: DIFC Law No. 1 of 2004
- Federal Decree-Law No. (6) of 2025 Regarding the Central Bank, Regulation of Financial Institutions and Activities, and Insurance Business: Federal Decree-Law No. (6) of 2025
Path to market
Start with your activities. Match them to the licence types above: the activity pages show which licence permits each one. CBUAE runs pre-application meetings, an innovation hub and a regulatory sandbox, and the regulator page explains how to use them. Applications go to CBUAE. They carry the capital, governance and AML documentation that the licence page lists.
Getting licensed in United Arab Emirates
Protegra handles licensing in United Arab Emirates end to end: crypto licensing in the UAE.
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.