Bank licence (Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC))
The Financial Services Permission for Accepting Deposits or Providing Credit (Category 1 Commercial Bank) is issued by Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) under DFSA Rulebook: Prudential Investment, Insurance Intermediation and Banking Module (PIB). The legal decision period is No statutory decision period: the Regulatory Law (Art. 48) only requires the DFSA to notify the applicant of its decision without undue delay. The application fee is USD 70,000.
At a glance
| Official name | Financial Services Permission for Accepting Deposits or Providing Credit (Category 1 Commercial Bank)1 |
|---|---|
| Also known as | DIFC bank licence · DIFC banking licence · DFSA bank licence · DFSA Category 1 bank · DFSA Accepting Deposits permission · Dubai International Financial Centre commercial bank licence |
| Issued by | Dubai Financial Services Authority |
| Jurisdiction | Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) |
| Licence family | Bank / credit institution |
| Legal basis | DFSA Rulebook: Prudential Investment, Insurance Intermediation and Banking Module (PIB)1 |
| Passporting | Domestic only |
| Application fee | USD 70,0002 |
| Annual fee | USD 100,0002 |
| Statutory decision time | No statutory decision period: the Regulatory Law (Art. 48) only requires the DFSA to notify the applicant of its decision without undue delay3 |
What it lets you do
| Taking deposits from the public | Accepting deposits or other repayable funds from the public, the activity reserved to credit institutions. |
|---|---|
| Lending | Granting loans, including consumer credit, mortgage credit, factoring and financing of commercial transactions. |
| Execution of payment transactions | Executing direct debits, card payments and credit transfers, including standing orders, from a payment account. |
Where it is valid
Cost
Buying a company that already holds it
Prior approval required. Under Regulatory Law 2004 Article 59 and DFSA Rulebook General Module (GEN) Section 11.8, prior written approval from the DFSA is required before any person becomes a Controller, or increases their holding across 30% or 50% thresholds. A Controller is defined as someone holding 10% or more of shares or voting rights, or exercising significant influence over management. Under GEN 11.8.6, the DFSA must determine an application for approval of a change of control within 90 days of receipt of a duly completed application.4
Bank in other countries
| Country | Licence | Regulator | Min. capital | Application fee | Statutory time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) | Financial Services Permission for Accepting DepositsFinancial Services Permission for Accepting Deposits (Category 1 Commercial Bank) | FSRA | n/a | USD 70,000 | n/a |
| Bermuda | Banking Licence / Deposit Company Licence / Restricted Banking LicenceBanking Licence / Deposit Company Licence / Restricted Banking Licence (Banks and Deposit Companies Act 1999) | BMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Cayman Islands | Bank LicenceBank Licence (Category A and Category B) under the Banks and Trust Companies Act | CIMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Czech Republic | Commercial Bank licence | CNB | n/a | CZK 200,000 | n/a |
| Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) | Bank licenceFinancial Services Permission for Accepting Deposits or Providing Credit (Category 1 Commercial Bank) | DFSA | n/a | USD 70,000 | n/a |
| Estonia | Credit institution authorisation (bank) | FI | n/a | EUR 5,000 | ~6 mo |
| Georgia | Commercial bank licence | NBG | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Germany | CRR) | BaFin | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Ireland | Banking LicenceBanking Licence (Section 9 Central Bank Act 1971) | CBI | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Latvia | Credit institution licence (bank) | LB | n/a | n/a | 4-13 mo |
| Lithuania | Specialised bank licence | LB | n/a | EUR 4,157 | ~6 mo |
| Lithuania | Bank licence | LB | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Luxembourg | Credit institution authorisation | CSSF | n/a | EUR 75,000 | ~6 mo |
| Malta | Credit institution licence | MFSA | n/a | EUR 35,000 | ~6 mo |
| Netherlands | Bank licenceBank licence (Vergunning bank / kredietinstelling) | DNB | n/a | EUR 44,300 | ~6 mo |
| Poland | Commercial Bank licence | KNF | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Singapore | Banking LicenceBanking Licence (Full Bank, Wholesale Bank, Digital Bank) | MAS | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Slovakia | Banking licence | NBS | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Spain | Commercial bank licence | BdE | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Switzerland | FinTech licence (PersonsFinTech licence (Persons pursuant to Article 1b Banking Act | FINMA | n/a | CHF 100 | n/a |
| Switzerland | Banking licence | FINMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| United Arab Emirates | Commercial Bank Licence | CBUAE | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Values come from each licence's page, where every figure has its source.
Sources
- DFSA Rulebook: prudential investment insurance intermediation and banking m · retrieved 2026-09-24
- DFSA Rulebook: fees module fer ver3504 26 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- DFSA Rulebook: regulatory law 1 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- DFSA Rulebook: general module gen ver7207 26 · retrieved 2026-09-24
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