Specialised bank licence (Lithuania)
The Specialised bank licence is issued by Bank of Lithuania (LB) under Republic of Lithuania Law on Banks No IX-2085. It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The official register lists 8 current holders. The legal decision period is 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall. The application fee is EUR 4,157. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.
At a glance
| Official name | Specialised bank licence1 |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Bank of Lithuania |
| Jurisdiction | Lithuania |
| Licence family | Bank / credit institution |
| Legal basis | Republic of Lithuania Law on Banks No IX-20852 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 4,1575 |
| Annual fee | Variable supervisory fee based on annual balance sheet assets6 |
| Statutory decision time | 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall2 |
| Public register | official register1 |
| Current holders | 81 |
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
How long it takes
Statutory: 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall2. Observed: not published. 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 notification with an objection period. Acquisition or disposal of qualifying holdings reaching or crossing 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% of capital or voting rights, or becoming controlled, requires prior written notification to the Bank of Lithuania. The supervisory authority assesses acquirer reputation, financial soundness, and AML/CFT risks within a statutory 60 working days period (interruptible once by up to 20 working days for additional information) under Law on Banks Arts 24-25, applied mutatis mutandis to EMIs (EMI Law Art. 17) and PIs (PI Law Art. 10).2
Laws behind it
- Capital Requirements Directive: Directive 2013/36/EU
- Capital Requirements Regulation: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013
Sources
- lb.lt: sfi financial market participants · retrieved 2026-09-24
- e-seimas.lrs.lt: 9ba20892227e11e6acbed8d454428fb7 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32013L0036) · retrieved 2026-09-24
- eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32013R0575) · retrieved 2026-09-24
- web.archive.org: authorisation of banks · retrieved 2026-09-24
- ecovis.lt: specialized banks · secondary · retrieved 2026-09-24
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