Crypto-asset service provider licence under MiCA (Slovakia)
The Crypto-Asset Service Provider licence in Slovakia is issued by the National Bank of Slovakia under EU MiCA and Act No. 248/2024 Coll. It permits crypto custody, exchange, trading platforms, and advice with EEA-wide passporting. Authorisation requires EUR 50,000 to EUR 150,000 capital, Slovak corporate substance, and fees of EUR 1,700 to EUR 3,400, taking 40 working days after application completeness.
At a glance
| Official name | Crypto-asset service provider licence under MiCA1 |
|---|---|
| Local name | Povolenie na činnosť poskytovateľa služieb kryptoaktív |
| Also known as | CASP · CASP authorisation under MiCA · MiCA CASP licence · Slovak CASP licence · NBS CASP licence |
| Issued by | National Bank of Slovakia |
| Jurisdiction | Slovakia |
| Licence family | Crypto-asset service provider (MiCA CASP) |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA), Art. 59, 62, 632 Act No 248/2024 on certain obligations and powers in the field of crypto-assets (and amending certain laws)3 |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available: Crypto-asset service providers authorised in Slovakia by the National Bank of Slovakia can passport their services across all 30 EU and EEA member states on a freedom of services or branch establishment basis following notification under MiCA Article 65.2 |
| Minimum capital | EUR 50,0002 |
| Application fee | EUR 1,7004 |
| Annual fee | 0.1000% of assets, min. EUR 1,0005 |
| Statutory decision time | 40 working days from complete application under MiCA Art. 63(7) (plus 25 working days completeness check)6 |
| Public register | official register1 |
| Current holders | 61 |
What it lets you do
| Custody and administration of crypto-assets | Safekeeping or controlling crypto-assets, or the means of access to them such as private keys, on behalf of clients. |
|---|---|
| Operating a crypto-asset trading platform | Managing a multilateral system that brings together buying and selling interests in crypto-assets so that contracts are concluded. |
| Exchange of crypto-assets for funds | Buying or selling crypto-assets against fiat money using the provider's own capital. |
| Exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets | Concluding contracts with clients to swap one crypto-asset for another using the provider's own capital. |
| Execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients | Concluding agreements to buy or sell crypto-assets on behalf of clients, including subscribing to offers. |
| Placing of crypto-assets | Marketing crypto-assets to purchasers on behalf of or for the account of the offeror or a related party. |
| Reception and transmission of orders for crypto-assets | Receiving a client's order to buy or sell crypto-assets and passing it to a third party for execution. |
| Advice on crypto-assets | Giving personalised recommendations to a client about transactions in crypto-assets or the use of crypto-asset services. |
| Portfolio management of crypto-assets | Managing portfolios that include crypto-assets on a discretionary, client-by-client basis under a mandate. |
| Transfer services for crypto-assets | Moving crypto-assets on behalf of a client from one distributed-ledger address or account to another. |
Where it is valid
Requirements
| Requirement | What is needed | Legal reference |
|---|---|---|
| Capital and people assessed | ||
| Minimum capital | EUR 50,0002 | |
| Ongoing own funds | Ongoing own funds must at all times equal or exceed the higher of the permanent minimum initial capital requirement (EUR 50,000, EUR 125,000, or EUR 150,000) or one quarter (25%) of the fixed overheads of the preceding year. Capital must consist of Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) items under CRR Articles 26-30, or be partly covered by an eligible professional indemnity insurance policy under Article 67(4).2 | MiCA Article 67(1) CRR Articles 26-30 Article 67(4) |
| Who is assessed | The National Bank of Slovakia assesses the fitness, propriety, integrity, and good repute of all members of the management body (statutory representatives, executive directors, supervisory board members), key function holders (Compliance Officer, MLRO, Risk Officer, Chief Information Security Officer), and all natural or legal persons holding qualifying holdings of 10% or more of capital or voting rights, or exercising significant influence, including intermediate and ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs). Assessment examines criminal background, commercial reputation, professional competence, financial soundness, and absence of money laundering suspicions under MiCA Article 68 and Act No. 248/2024 Coll.7 | MiCA Article 68 |
| Substance and people | ||
| Registered office and effective management in Slovakia | An applicant must be incorporated as a Slovak legal entity (a.s., s.r.o., j.s.a., or SE) having its registered office in Slovakia where it carries out at least part of its crypto-asset services, and its place of effective management within the EU, with at least one executive director resident in the EU. NBS strictly prohibits nominee arrangements and letterbox entities.7 | MiCA Article 59(2) |
| Fit and proper management body and governance | Members of the management body must be of sufficiently good repute and possess appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience to manage the CASP under MiCA Article 68(1) and Act No. 248/2024 Coll. NBS vets their competence, integrity, criminal background, and sufficient time commitment during licensing.7 | MiCA Article 68(1) |
| AML/CFT compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer | And MiCA Article 62(1)(l), CASPs are obliged entities (povinné osoby) and must establish robust anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing controls, designate an MLRO / Compliance Officer, implement customer due diligence (CDD/EDD), apply the Travel Rule under Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 (TFR), and report unusual business operations to the Financial Intelligence Unit (Finančná spravodajská jednotka).7 | MiCA Article 62(1)(l) |
| Safeguarding and segregation of client crypto-assets and funds | Client funds must be segregated from proprietary capital in dedicated, clearly designated ad-hoc client bank accounts, and client crypto-assets must be held in segregated custody addresses. Client assets do not form part of the CASP's estate and are legally protected from insolvency claims or execution against the provider.7 | MiCA Article 70 |
| ICT operational resilience and cybersecurity (DORA) | MiCA Article 68(6), and Act No. 248/2024 Coll., CASPs must maintain a comprehensive ICT risk management framework, business continuity and disaster recovery arrangements, digital operational resilience testing, and major ICT incident reporting to NBS.8 | MiCA Article 68(6) |
| Mandatory statutory annual audit | Under Act No. 248/2024 Coll. and Slovak accounting legislation (Act No. 431/2002 Coll.), CASPs must have their annual financial statements and client asset safeguarding arrangements verified by an independent certified statutory auditor and submit audited financial statements and auditor reports to NBS.3 | |
| Operational substance and controlled outsourcing | Core decision-making functions (compliance, AML/CFT oversight, and risk management) cannot be fully outsourced. CASPs must maintain active operational substance and effective managerial control within Slovakia, preventing the creation of empty shell undertakings.7 | MiCA Article 73 |
| Conditions to keep the licence | ||
| Activity commencement deadline | NBS may withdraw the authorisation if the CASP does not make use of it within 12 months of the date on which the authorisation was granted.2 | MiCA Article 64(1)(a) |
| Dormancy revocation | NBS may withdraw authorisation if the CASP has expressly renounced it or has not provided crypto-asset services for nine consecutive months.2 | MiCA Article 64(1)(b) |
| Segregation and insolvency protection of client assets | Client crypto-assets, private keys, and client funds must be segregated from proprietary assets, cannot be used for the provider's own account, and do not fall into the CASP's bankruptcy estate upon insolvency.7 | MiCA Article 70 |
| Prohibition of proprietary trading on operated platforms | Operators of crypto-asset trading platforms are prohibited from dealing on own account on the trading platforms they operate, even where authorised for exchange services.2 | MiCA Article 76(5) |
| No interest on asset-referenced or e-money tokens | A CASP must not grant interest, or any other benefit tied to how long a client holds the tokens, on asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens.2 | MiCA Articles 40(2) and 50(2) |
| Market abuse prevention and detection | CASPs must establish and maintain effective systems and procedures to prevent and detect insider dealing and market manipulation, reporting suspicious orders or transactions to NBS without delay.2 | Articles 88-92) |
| Periodic supervisory and statistical reporting | Under Act No. 248/2024 Coll. and Act No. 747/2004 Coll., CASPs must regularly provide NBS with information required to assess compliance with prudential and capital adequacy requirements via the NBS Statistics Collection Portal.7 | |
Cost
How long it takes
Statutory: 40 working days from complete application under MiCA Art. 63(7) (plus 25 working days completeness check)6. 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
The CASP authorisation is granted specifically to the authorized corporate legal entity (a.s., s.r.o., j.s.a., or SE) and cannot be assigned, sold, or transferred to another company. Any change of ownership or business acquisition must occur through a corporate share transaction (share deal) in the licensed entity, subject to prior notification to NBS and qualifying holding assessment under MiCA Articles 83-84 and Act No. 248/2024 Coll. An asset deal requires the acquiring entity to apply for and obtain its own separate CASP authorisation from NBS.7
Prior notification with an objection period. Under MiCA Article 83 and Act No. 248/2024 Coll., any natural or legal person proposing to acquire or increase a qualifying holding in a Slovak CASP reaching or exceeding 20%, 30%, or 50% of voting rights or capital, or making the CASP a subsidiary, must give prior written notification to the National Bank of Slovakia. NBS acknowledges receipt within 2 working days and assesses the acquirer within a statutory 60-working-day period (interruptible once by up to 20 working days for supplementary information, or 30 working days for non-EU acquirers) under MiCA Article 84. If NBS does not object in writing before the assessment period expires, the acquisition is deemed approved. NBS charges a statutory fee of EUR 600 for assessing the acquisition of a qualifying holding under Item 3(b) of Decree No. 5/2021 as amended by Decree No. 8/2024.4
Ready-made companies holding this licence: see verified positions.
CASP in other countries
| Country | Licence | Regulator | Min. capital | Application fee | Statutory time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Notification by financial entities providing crypto-asset servicesNotification by financial entities providing crypto-asset services under MiCAR Article 60 | CySEC | n/a | EUR 10,000 | ~1.8 mo |
| Cyprus | Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorisationCrypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorisation under MiCAR Article 63 | CySEC | EUR 50,000 | EUR 5,000 | ~1.8 mo |
| Czech Republic | Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorisationCrypto-Asset Service Provider authorisation under MiCA and Act No. 31/2025 Coll. | CNB | EUR 50,000 | CZK 20,000 | ~3 mo |
| Estonia | Authorisation to operate as a crypto-asset service providerAuthorisation to operate as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA | FI | n/a | EUR 3,000 | ~3.9 mo |
| France | Crypto-asset service provider authorizationCrypto-asset service provider authorization under EU MiCA Regulation | AMF | n/a | n/a | ~1.8 mo |
| Germany | Crypto-asset service provider licence | BaFin | n/a | n/a | ~1.8 mo |
| Ireland | Crypto-Asset Service Provider Authorisation | CBI | n/a | n/a | ~1.8 mo |
| Italy | Crypto-asset service provider (CASP) authorization | CONSOB | n/a | EUR 20,000 | ~1.8 mo |
| Latvia | Crypto-asset service provider licenceCrypto-asset service provider licence under MiCA | LB | EUR 50,000 | EUR 2,500 | ~3 mo |
| Lithuania | Crypto-asset service provider licence | LB | EUR 50,000 | EUR 2,425 | ~3 mo |
| Luxembourg | Crypto-asset service provider authorisationCrypto-asset service provider authorisation under MiCA Regulation | CSSF | n/a | EUR 30,000 | ~1.8 mo |
| Malta | Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorisationCrypto-Asset Service Provider authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 | MFSA | EUR 50,000 | EUR 10,000 | ~1.8 mo |
| Netherlands | Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorisationCrypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA) | AFM | EUR 50,000 | EUR 200 | ~3 mo |
| Poland | Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorizationCrypto-Asset Service Provider authorization under MiCA | KNF | EUR 50,000 | n/a | ~3 mo |
| Slovakia | Crypto-asset service provider licenceCrypto-asset service provider licence under MiCA | NBS | EUR 50,000 | EUR 1,700 | ~3 mo |
| Spain | Crypto-asset service provider authorization | CNMV | n/a | n/a | ~1.8 mo |
Values come from each licence's page, where every figure has its source.
Laws behind it
- Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2023/1114
Getting this licence
Protegra handles this licence end to end: CASP license in Slovakia: process, timeline and our fee.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Slovak-authorised CASP passport its crypto-asset services across the European Union?
Yes. Under MiCA Article 65, a CASP authorised by the National Bank of Slovakia can passport its crypto services across all 30 EU and EEA member states on a freedom of services or branch establishment basis. The CASP submits a cross-border notification to NBS detailing target jurisdictions and planned services, which NBS communicates to host competent authorities within 10 working days.
What minimum capital is required for a CASP licence in Slovakia?
Initial capital under MiCA Article 67 and Annex IV is tiered by service scope: EUR 50,000 for Class 1 (reception/transmission, order execution, placing, advice, portfolio management, transfer); EUR 125,000 for Class 2 (custody or exchange services); and EUR 150,000 for Class 3 (operating a trading platform). CASPs must continuously maintain own funds exceeding the higher of initial capital or 25% of annual fixed overheads.
What statutory fees does the National Bank of Slovakia charge for a MiCA CASP licence?
Under NBS Decree No. 5/2021 as amended by Decree No. 8/2024, NBS charges a one-off administrative application fee tiered by service scope: EUR 1,700 for Class 1 services, EUR 2,500 for Class 2 services, and EUR 3,400 for Class 3 platforms. Supervised CASPs also pay an annual supervisory contribution of 0.1000% of assets, minimum EUR 1,000, under Section 40(2) of Act No. 747/2004 Coll.
How long does the National Bank of Slovakia take to process a CASP licence application?
Under MiCA Article 63, the licensing procedure follows a two-stage statutory timetable: NBS conducts a completeness assessment within 25 working days of submission, followed by a substantive assessment within 40 working days of receipt of a complete application. If additional information or document rectifications are required, NBS pauses the assessment, extending the practical review timeline beyond the statutory 65 working days.
What substance and governance requirements apply to CASPs in Slovakia?
Under MiCA and Slovak Act No. 248/2024 Coll., applicants must incorporate as a Slovak company (a.s., s.r.o., j.s.a., or SE) with registered office and effective management in Slovakia, including at least one EU-resident executive director. Nominee arrangements and shell setups are prohibited. CASPs must maintain local fit-and-proper governance, a dedicated MLRO, client asset segregation, DORA-compliant ICT systems, and an annual statutory audit.
How are changes of control regulated for a Slovak CASP?
The licence is tied to the company and cannot be assigned; transactions must proceed as corporate share deals. Under MiCA Article 83 and Act No. 248/2024 Coll., acquiring or increasing a qualifying holding reaching or crossing 20%, 30%, or 50% requires prior notification to NBS. NBS conducts a 60-working-day assessment, subject to an administrative assessment fee of EUR 600 under Decree No. 5/2021.
Sources
- subjekty.nbs.sk · retrieved 2026-09-24
- EUR-Lex: CELEX 32023R1114 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- Slovak legislation (Slov-Lex): 248 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- nbs.sk: stiahnut · retrieved 2026-09-24
- nbs.sk: stiahnut · retrieved 2026-09-24
- nbs.sk: mica zakon a dalsie dolezite krypto novinky z pohladu nbs · retrieved 2026-09-24
- nbs.sk: priprava a podanie ziadosti · retrieved 2026-09-24
- EUR-Lex: CELEX 32022R2554 · retrieved 2026-09-24
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