# Credit institution authorisation (bank) (Estonia)

Source page: https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/estonia/

The Credit institution authorisation (bank) is issued by Finantsinspektsioon (FI) under Credit Institutions Act. It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The official register lists 8 current holders. The legal decision period is Within 6 months after receipt of complete documentation, and not later than 12 months after initial application receipt (decision taken by the ECB upon proposal by Finantsinspektsioon). The application fee is EUR 5,000.

## At a glance

| Official name | Credit institution authorisation (bank) [1] |
| --- | --- |
| Issued by | [Finantsinspektsioon](https://protegra.io/licensing/regulators/finantsinspektsioon-estonia/) |
| Jurisdiction | [Estonia](https://protegra.io/licensing/jurisdictions/estonia/) |
| Licence family | [Bank / credit institution](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/) |
| Legal basis | Credit Institutions Act [2]; Directive 2013/36/EU on access to the activity of credit institutions and the prudential supervision of credit institutions and investment firms (CRD IV) [3]; Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms (CRR) [4] |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Application fee | EUR 5,000 [5] |
| Statutory decision time | Within 6 months after receipt of complete documentation, and not later than 12 months after initial application receipt (decision taken by the ECB upon proposal by Finantsinspektsioon) [1] |
| Public register | [official register](https://www.fi.ee/en/supervised-entities?closed=1&st[29]=29) [6] |
| Current holders | 8 [6] |

## What it lets you do

- [Taking deposits from the public](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/deposit-taking/)
- [Lending](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/credit-granting/)
- [Execution of payment transactions](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/payment-execution/)

- **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

_Issued in Estonia (gold); can be passported to the other EU/EEA states (blue) by notification._

## Cost

_Regulatory costs from the official sources above. Professional fees, staff, office and audit come on top and depend on the business model._

## How long it takes

Statutory: Within 6 months after receipt of complete documentation, and not later than 12 months after initial application receipt (decision taken by the ECB upon proposal by Finantsinspektsioon) [1]. Observed: 6 to 12 months in practice depending on document readiness and joint European Central Bank review [1]. The statutory clock usually starts only when the regulator treats the application as complete, and pauses while it waits for answers to its questions.

## Buying a company that already holds it

**Prior approval required.** Acquiring or increasing a qualifying holding reaching or crossing 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% of share capital or voting rights in an Estonian bank, payment institution, EMI, investment firm, or CASP requires prior notification and approval from Finantsinspektsioon. Filings are submitted electronically through the FI Application Portal (or via the ECB SSM portal for credit institutions). The statutory assessment period is 60 working days from receipt of complete documentation, interruptible once by up to 20 or 30 working days to request additional information, evaluating acquirer reputation, financial solidity, and AML/CFT compliance. [7]

## Laws behind it

- [Capital Requirements Directive](https://protegra.io/licensing/laws/eu-crd-2013-36/): Directive 2013/36/EU
- [Capital Requirements Regulation](https://protegra.io/licensing/laws/eu-crr-575-2013/): Regulation (EU) No 575/2013

## Sources

1. [fi.ee: operating licence credit institution](https://www.fi.ee/en/banking-and-credit/applying-activity-licences/operating-licence-credit-institution): retrieved 2026-09-24
2. [riigiteataja.ee: 509072025008](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/akt/509072025008): retrieved 2026-09-24
3. [eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32013L0036)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32013L0036): retrieved 2026-09-24
4. [eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32013R0575)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32013R0575): retrieved 2026-09-24
5. [riigiteataja.ee: 529072025004](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/akt/529072025004): retrieved 2026-09-24
6. [fi.ee: supervised entities](https://www.fi.ee/en/supervised-entities?closed=1&st[29]=29): retrieved 2026-09-24
7. [taotlus.fi.ee](https://taotlus.fi.ee/en): retrieved 2026-09-24

Last verified 2026-09-24 · Author: Danil Marmysh · Reviewed by Anastasia Sidorenkova · © Protegra. Data: CC BY 4.0, cite "Protegra Licensing Atlas". Not legal advice.