# Specialised bank licence (Lithuania)

Source page: https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/lithuania-specialised/

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 licence [1] |
| --- | --- |
| Issued by | [Bank of Lithuania](https://protegra.io/licensing/regulators/bank-of-lithuania/) |
| Jurisdiction | [Lithuania](https://protegra.io/licensing/jurisdictions/lithuania/) |
| Licence family | [Bank / credit institution](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/) |
| Legal basis | Republic of Lithuania Law on Banks No IX-2085 [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 4,157 [5] |
| Annual fee | Variable supervisory fee based on annual balance sheet assets [6] |
| Statutory decision time | 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall [2] |
| Public register | [official register](https://www.lb.lt/en/sfi-financial-market-participants?business_form=110&market=1) [1] |
| Current holders | 8 [1] |

## 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 Lithuania (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: 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall [2]. 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](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. [lb.lt: sfi financial market participants](https://www.lb.lt/en/sfi-financial-market-participants?business_form=110&market=1): retrieved 2026-09-24
2. [e-seimas.lrs.lt: 9ba20892227e11e6acbed8d454428fb7](https://e-seimas.lrs.lt/rs/legalact/TAD/9ba20892227e11e6acbed8d454428fb7/): 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. [web.archive.org: authorisation of banks](https://web.archive.org/web/20250523205342/https://www.lb.lt/en/authorisation-of-banks): retrieved 2026-09-24
6. [ecovis.lt: specialized banks](https://ecovis.lt/fintech/specialized-banks/): 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.