# Credit institution authorisation (Luxembourg)

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

The Credit institution authorisation is issued by Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) under Directive 2013/36/EU on access to the activity of credit institutions and the prudential supervision of credit institutions and investment firms (CRD IV). It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The official register lists 118 current holders. The legal decision period is 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall.

## At a glance

| Official name | Credit institution authorisation [1] |
| --- | --- |
| Issued by | [Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier](https://protegra.io/licensing/regulators/cssf-luxembourg/) |
| Jurisdiction | [Luxembourg](https://protegra.io/licensing/jurisdictions/luxembourg/) |
| Licence family | [Bank / credit institution](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/) |
| Legal basis | Directive 2013/36/EU on access to the activity of credit institutions and the prudential supervision of credit institutions and investment firms (CRD IV) [2]; Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms (CRR) [3] |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Application fee | EUR 75,000 [4] |
| Annual fee | EUR 116,500 [4] |
| Statutory decision time | 6 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall [1] |
| Public register | [official register](https://searchentities.apps.cssf.lu/search-entities-api/api/v1/entite?page=0&size=5&st=advanced&entType=B) [5] |
| Current holders | 118 [5] |

## 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 Luxembourg (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 [1]. 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 causing an entity to become a subsidiary, requires prior written notification to the CSSF. The CSSF conducts a prudential assessment of acquirer suitability, reputation, financial soundness, and AML risk within 60 working days (interruptible once by up to 20 working days, or 30 working days for non-EU acquirers) under Articles 18 and 18-1 of the Law of 5 April 1993, Article 12 of the Law of 10 November 2009, Article 83 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA), and Circular CSSF 17/669 adopting the Joint ESA Guidelines. [6]

## 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. [cssf.lu: law of 5 april 1993](https://www.cssf.lu/en/Document/law-of-5-april-1993/): retrieved 2026-09-24
2. [eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32013L0036)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32013L0036): retrieved 2026-09-24
3. [eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32013R0575)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32013R0575): retrieved 2026-09-24
4. [cssf.lu: GDR 231222 CSSF fees (PDF)](https://www.cssf.lu/wp-content/uploads/GDR_231222_CSSF_fees.pdf): retrieved 2026-09-24
5. [searchentities.apps.cssf.lu: entite](https://searchentities.apps.cssf.lu/search-entities-api/api/v1/entite?page=0&size=5&st=advanced&entType=B): retrieved 2026-09-24
6. [cssf.lu: circular cssf 17 669](https://www.cssf.lu/en/Document/circular-cssf-17-669/): 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.