Investment Firm licence (Czech Republic)
The Investment Firm licence (povolení k činnosti obchodníka s cennými papíry - OCP) is issued by Czech National Bank (CNB) under Act No. 240/2013 Coll. on Management Companies and Investment Funds. It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The official register lists 43 current holders. The legal decision period is 6 months from receipt of a complete application. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.
At a glance
| Official name | Investment Firm licence1 |
|---|---|
| Local name | povolení k činnosti obchodníka s cennými papíry - OCP |
| Also known as | OCP · Czech securities dealer licence · CNB investment firm licence |
| Issued by | Czech National Bank |
| Jurisdiction | Czech Republic |
| Licence family | Investment firm / broker-dealer |
| Legal basis | Act No. 240/2013 Coll. on Management Companies and Investment Funds2 Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments (MiFID II)3 Directive 2011/61/EU on Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMD)4 |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Application fee | CZK 20,000 to CZK 100,000 depending on scope of investment services5 |
| Statutory decision time | 6 months from receipt of a complete application3 |
| Public register | official register6 |
| Current holders | 436 |
What it lets you do
| Reception and transmission of orders | Receiving client orders in financial instruments and passing them to another firm for execution. |
|---|---|
| Execution of orders on behalf of clients | Concluding agreements to buy or sell financial instruments on behalf of clients. |
| Dealing on own account | Trading financial instruments against proprietary capital, which includes acting as counterparty to client trades. |
| Portfolio management | Managing client portfolios that include financial instruments on a discretionary, client-by-client basis. |
| Investment advice | Giving personal recommendations to a client about one or more transactions in financial instruments. |
| Underwriting or placing on a firm commitment basis | Guaranteeing the sale of an issue of financial instruments by committing to buy what is not sold to investors. |
| Placing without a firm commitment | Placing financial instruments with investors on a best-efforts basis, without guaranteeing the sale. |
| Operating a multilateral trading facility (MTF) | Running a multilateral system, other than a regulated market, that matches third-party interests in financial instruments under non-discretionary rules. |
| Operating an organised trading facility (OTF) | Running a multilateral system for non-equity instruments where the operator exercises discretion over order execution. |
| Safekeeping and administration of financial instruments | Holding financial instruments for clients and related services such as cash and collateral management, as an ancillary service. |
| CFD and forex brokerage | Offering retail and professional clients contracts for difference and rolling spot forex, usually as dealing on own account or order execution. |
Where it is valid
Cost
How long it takes
Statutory: 6 months from receipt of a complete application3. 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. Under Section 18 of the Payment Systems Act (Act No. 370/2017 Coll.), any person or persons acting in concert intending to acquire, dispose of, or increase a qualifying holding in a payment institution or electronic money institution reaching or exceeding 20%, 30%, or 50% of voting rights or capital, or become the controlling person, must notify the CNB in advance via electronic filing. The CNB assesses the trustworthiness and suitability of the proposed acquirer within a statutory 60-working-day window and may initiate proceedings to issue a formal objection (vyslovení nesouhlasu). In the absence of an objection or upon affirmative notification, the acquisition may proceed. Acquiring qualifying holdings in breach of notification or objection leads to statutory forfeiture of voting rights. In contrast, for banks and investment firms under Act No. 21/1992 Coll. and Act No. 256/2004 Coll., prior approval (předchozí souhlas) is required subject to a CZK 20,000 fee under Item 66 of Act No. 634/2004 Coll. Small-scale providers (PPSMR/VEPMR) are exempt from change-of-control clearance.7
IF in other countries
| Country | Licence | Regulator | Min. capital | Application fee | Statutory time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) | Investment firm licenceFinancial Services Permission for Dealing in Investments as Principal (Category 2) | FSRA | n/a | USD 40,000 | n/a |
| Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) | Investment firm licenceFinancial Services Permission for Dealing in Investments as Agent or Matched Principal (Category 3A) | FSRA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) | Investment firm licenceFinancial Services Permission for Advising on Investments or Arranging Deals in Investments (Category 4) | FSRA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Australia | Australian financial services licence (AFSL) | ASIC | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Bermuda | Investment Business LicenceInvestment Business Licence (standard licence, under the Investment Business Act 2003) | BMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| British Virgin Islands | Investment Business LicenceInvestment Business Licence (Categories 1-4: dealing, managing, advising, custody/administration of investments) | BVI FSC | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Cayman Islands | Securities Investment Business Licence / Registered Person | CIMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Cyprus | Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) authorisation | CySEC | n/a | EUR 7,000 | ~6 mo |
| Czech Republic | Investment Firm licence | CNB | n/a | CZK 20,000 | ~6 mo |
| Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) | Investment firm licenceFinancial Services Permission for Dealing in Investments as Principal (Category 2) | DFSA | n/a | USD 40,000 | n/a |
| Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) | Investment firm licenceFinancial Services Permission for Dealing in Investments as Agent or Operating an Alternative Trading System (Category 3A) | DFSA | n/a | USD 25,000 | n/a |
| Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) | Investment firm licenceFinancial Services Permission for Advising on Financial Products or Arranging Deals in Investments (Category 4) | DFSA | n/a | USD 15,000 | n/a |
| Estonia | Authorisation as an investment firm | FI | n/a | EUR 3,000 | ~2 mo |
| France | Financial investment adviser status | AMF | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Germany | Investment firm licence | BaFin | n/a | EUR 6,336 | ~6 mo |
| Hong Kong | Type 1 Licence for Dealing in Securities | SFC | n/a | HKD 4,740 | ~3.5 mo |
| Hong Kong | Type 2 Licence for Dealing in Futures Contracts | SFC | n/a | HKD 4,740 | ~3.5 mo |
| Hong Kong | Type 4 Licence for Advising on Securities | SFC | n/a | HKD 4,740 | ~3.5 mo |
| Hong Kong | Type 6 Licence for Advising on Corporate Finance | SFC | n/a | HKD 4,740 | ~3.5 mo |
| Hong Kong | Type 7 Licence for Providing Automated Trading Services | SFC | n/a | HKD 4,740 | ~3.5 mo |
| Ireland | Investment Firm Authorisation (MiFID II) | CBI | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Italy | Investment firm licence (SIM) | CONSOB | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Latvia | Investment firm licence | LB | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lithuania | Financial brokerage firm licence | LB | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Luxembourg | Investment firm authorisation | CSSF | n/a | EUR 50,000 | ~6 mo |
| Malaysia (Labuan) | Securities Licensee licenceSecurities Licensee licence (dealing in / advising on securities) | Labuan FSA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Malta | Investment services licence (Category 1, 2, or 3) | MFSA | n/a | EUR 7,250 | ~6 mo |
| Mauritius | Investment Adviser Licence | FSC | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Mauritius | Investment Dealer Licence | FSC | n/a | USD 500 | ~0.5 mo |
| Netherlands | Investment firm licenceInvestment firm licence (Vergunning beleggingsonderneming) under Wft Article 2:96 and MiFID II | AFM | n/a | EUR 200 | ~3 mo |
| Poland | Brokerage House licence (dom maklerski) | KNF | n/a | EUR 4,500 | ~2 mo |
| Seychelles | Securities Dealer's Licence | FSA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Singapore | Capital Markets Services (CMS) Licence | MAS | n/a | SGD 1,000 | n/a |
| Slovakia | Investment firm licence | NBS | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| South Africa | Financial Services Provider licence - Category IFinancial Services Provider licence - Category I (advice and/or intermediary services, non-discretionary, incl. crypto assets) | FSCA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| South Africa | Financial Services Provider licence - Category II (discretionary FSP) | FSCA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| South Africa | Over-the-Counter Derivative Provider (ODP) authorisationOver-the-Counter Derivative Provider (ODP) authorisation under the Financial Markets Act | FSCA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Spain | AV) investment firm licence | CNMV | n/a | EUR 10,000 | ~6 mo |
| Spain | Empresa de Asesoramiento Financiero (EAF) licence | CNMV | n/a | EUR 1,000 | ~6 mo |
| Switzerland | Portfolio manager licence | FINMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Switzerland | Securities firm licence | FINMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| United Kingdom | MIFIDPRU Investment Firm Authorisation (Part 4A FSMA) | FCA | n/a | GBP 2,820 | ~6 mo |
Values come from each licence's page, where every figure has its source.
Laws behind it
- Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments: Directive 2014/65/EU
- Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive: Directive 2011/61/EU
Sources
- cnb.cz: licensing and approval proceedings · retrieved 2026-09-24
- Czech legislation (Zákony pro lidi): 2013 240 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- EUR-Lex: CELEX 32014L0065 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- EUR-Lex: CELEX 32011L0061 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- Czech legislation (Zákony pro lidi): 2004 634 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- cnb.cz: fms 2024 (PDF) · retrieved 2026-09-24
- Czech legislation (Zákony pro lidi): 2017 370 · retrieved 2026-09-24
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