Lending / consumer credit
A lending or consumer credit licence lets a non-bank company grant loans, usually to consumers, funded from its own capital rather than customer deposits. In the EU the Consumer Credit Directive sets conduct rules, while national law handles the licensing itself. Many countries also regulate buy-now-pay-later, pawn lending and peer-to-peer lending platforms as separate categories.
Where the Credit licence is available
Comparison by country
| Country | Regulator | Min. capital | Statutory time | Passport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | ASIC | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Cyprus | CySEC | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Czech Republic | CNB | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Czech Republic | CNB | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Estonia | FI | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Estonia | FI | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Estonia | FI | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Estonia | FIU | n/a | 2.8 mo | Domestic |
| Estonia | FI | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| France | AMF | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Ireland | CBI | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Italy | CONSOB | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Latvia | LB | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Lithuania | LB | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Lithuania | LB | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Luxembourg | CSSF | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Netherlands | AFM | n/a | 4.2 mo | EU/EEA |
| Poland | KNF | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Poland | KNF | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Slovakia | NBS | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Spain | CNMV | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Spain | BdE | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| United Kingdom | FCA | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
Values come from each country's page, where every figure has its source.
Activities this family typically covers
All licences in this family
- Credit · Australia
Australian credit licence (ACL)
ASIC
- Credit · Cyprus
European Crowdfunding Service Provider authorisation
CySEC
- Credit · Czech Republic
Non-bank Consumer Credit Provider licence
CNB
- Credit · Czech Republic
Crowdfunding Service Provider authorization
Crowdfunding Service Provider authorization under ECSPRCNB
- Credit · Estonia
Operating licence as a credit servicer
FI
- Credit · Estonia
Operating licence as a creditor
FI
- Credit · Estonia
Authorisation as a crowdfunding service provider
Authorisation as a crowdfunding service provider under ECSPRFI
- Credit · Estonia
Authorisation for operating as a financial institution
FIU
- Credit · Estonia
Operating licence as a credit intermediary
FI
- Credit · France
European crowdfunding service provider authorization
AMF
- Credit · Ireland
Crowdfunding Service Provider Authorisation (ECSPR)
CBI
- Credit · Italy
European crowdfunding service provider authorization (ECSPR)
CONSOB
- Credit · Latvia
Crowdfunding service provider authorization
LB
- Credit · Lithuania
Crowdfunding service provider authorization
LB
- Credit · Lithuania
Peer-to-peer lending platform operator
LB
- Credit · Luxembourg
Crowdfunding service provider authorisation
CSSF
- Credit · Netherlands
European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSPR) authorisation
European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSPR) authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503AFM
- Credit · Poland
Crowdfunding Service Provider authorization
Crowdfunding Service Provider authorization under ECSPRKNF
- Credit · Poland
Lending Institution registration
KNF
- Credit · Slovakia
Crowdfunding service provider authorisation
Crowdfunding service provider authorisation under ECSPRNBS
- Credit · Spain
European crowdfunding service provider authorization
CNMV
- Credit · Spain
Specialized lending credit institution authorization
BdE
- Credit · United Kingdom
Consumer Credit Full Permission Authorisation (Part 4A FSMA)
FCA
Sources
- Consumer Credit Directive (EU) 2023/2225 · retrieved 2026-09-24
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