Fintech licensing in United Kingdom
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issues the fintech and crypto licences in the United Kingdom. Here the Atlas covers 9 licence types, in 6 families: electronic money institution, fund manager, investment firm, lending, payment institution and virtual asset service provider. Each licence page has its legal basis, fees and decision period, with sources.
Financial regulators in United Kingdom
Fintech licences available in United Kingdom
Electronic money institution (EMI)
- EMI · United Kingdom
Small Electronic Money Institution (SEMI) Registration
FCA
- EMI · United Kingdom
Authorised Electronic Money Institution (AEMI)
FCA
Fund manager
Investment firm / broker-dealer
Lending / consumer credit
Payment institution (PI)
- PI · United Kingdom
Registered Account Information Service Provider (RAISP)
FCA
- PI · United Kingdom
Small Payment Institution (SPI) Registration
FCA
- PI · United Kingdom
Authorised Payment Institution (API)
FCA
Virtual asset service provider (non-MiCA)
Main laws
- The Electronic Money Regulations 2011: S.I. 2011/99
- Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: 2000 c. 8
- The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017: S.I. 2017/692
- The Payment Services Regulations 2017: S.I. 2017/752
Path to market
Start with your activities. Match them to the licence types above: the activity pages show which licence permits each one. FCA runs pre-application meetings, an innovation hub and a regulatory sandbox, and the regulator page explains how to use them. Applications go to FCA with the capital, governance and AML documentation that the licence page lists.
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.