# Credit institution licence (Malta)

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

The Credit institution licence is issued by Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) under Banking Act (Cap. 371). It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The legal decision period is 6 months from receipt of a complete application, and in any event within 12 months of its receipt. The application fee is EUR 35,000. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.

## At a glance

| Official name | Credit institution licence [1] |
| --- | --- |
| Issued by | [Malta Financial Services Authority](https://protegra.io/licensing/regulators/mfsa-malta/) |
| Jurisdiction | [Malta](https://protegra.io/licensing/jurisdictions/malta/) |
| Licence family | [Bank / credit institution](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/bank/) |
| Legal basis | Banking Act (Cap. 371) [1]; 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 35,000 [4] |
| Annual fee | 0.024% of institution-level deposits (minimum EUR 60,000, maximum EUR 1,700,000) [4] |
| Statutory decision time | 6 months from receipt of a complete application, and in any event within 12 months of its receipt [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 Malta (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, and in any event within 12 months of its receipt [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 approval required.** Acquiring or increasing a qualifying holding needs the MFSA's prior approval. For payment and e-money institutions the Financial Institutions Act sets the thresholds at 20%, 30% and 50%; for banks the Banking Act adds a 60-working-day assessment period that can be extended. [5]

## 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. [legislation.mt: 68b000f8d91e4409089afa3f](https://legislation.mt/getpdf/68b000f8d91e4409089afa3f): 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. [legislation.mt: 69dcdc9839731123744423fc](https://legislation.mt/getpdf/69dcdc9839731123744423fc): retrieved 2026-09-24
5. [legislation.mt: 683418610db9942428cf9d49](https://legislation.mt/getpdf/683418610db9942428cf9d49): 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.