European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSPR) authorisation (Netherlands)
The European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSPR) authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 is issued by Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 on European crowdfunding service providers (ECSPR). It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The legal decision period is 25 working days completeness assessment from receipt, followed by 3 months decision period once complete (Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 Art. 12(8)).
At a glance
| Official name | European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSPR) authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2020/15031 |
|---|---|
| Also known as | ECSP · ECSPR authorisation · Dutch crowdfunding licence · Dutch ECSP licence · Dutch crowdfunding service provider authorisation · AFM crowdfunding licence |
| Issued by | Authority for the Financial Markets |
| Jurisdiction | Netherlands |
| Licence family | Lending / consumer credit |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 on European crowdfunding service providers for business (ECSPR)2 |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Application fee | EUR 200 per hour worked by the AFM, with a statutory maximum cap of EUR 75,000 for ECSPR authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 Art. 12 (Bbft 2019 Bijlage 2, code EU.A1.07); plus EUR 700 integrity and EUR 2,900 suitability assessment per board member / 20%+ qualifying shareholder1 |
| Annual fee | Base supervisory levy plus variable component under the Regeling bekostiging financieel toezicht 2026 and Wbft 20193 |
| Statutory decision time | 25 working days completeness assessment from receipt, followed by 3 months decision period once complete (Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 Art. 12(8))1 |
What it lets you do
| Crowdfunding services | Matching business funding interests of investors and project owners through a platform, by facilitating loans or placing securities. |
|---|
Where it is valid
Cost
How long it takes
Statutory: 25 working days completeness assessment from receipt, followed by 3 months decision period once complete (Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 Art. 12(8))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. In the Netherlands' Twin Peaks supervisory architecture, change of control and qualifying holdings (gekwalificeerde deelnemingen) are strictly regulated. Any natural or legal person proposing to acquire, increase, or divest a qualifying holding, defined as a direct or indirect holding of at least 10%, 20%, 33% (or 30%), or 50% of voting rights or capital, or the ability to exercise significant influence/control, in an investment firm or fund manager governed by the Wft must obtain a prior Declaration of No Objection (Verklaring van geen bezwaar - VVGB) from De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) under Wft Article 3:95, with DNB consulting the AFM on conduct-of-business aspects. For crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA Article 83), proposed acquisitions of qualifying holdings require prior assessment and approval by the competent supervisor (AFM charges EUR 2,400 per assessment under Bbft 2019 code EU.D1.07). The statutory assessment period is 60 working days from written acknowledgement of receipt of a complete filing, interruptible once by up to 20 or 30 working days if additional information is required from the proposed acquirer.4
Credit in other countries
| Country | Licence | Regulator | Min. capital | Application fee | Statutory time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian credit licence (ACL) | ASIC | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Cyprus | European Crowdfunding Service Provider authorisation | CySEC | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Czech Republic | Non-bank Consumer Credit Provider licence | CNB | n/a | CZK 50,000 | n/a |
| Czech Republic | Crowdfunding Service Provider authorizationCrowdfunding Service Provider authorization under ECSPR | CNB | n/a | CZK 20,000 | ~3 mo |
| Estonia | Operating licence as a credit servicer | FI | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Estonia | Operating licence as a creditor | FI | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Estonia | Authorisation as a crowdfunding service providerAuthorisation as a crowdfunding service provider under ECSPR | FI | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Estonia | Authorisation for operating as a financial institution | FIU | n/a | EUR 3,300 | ~2.8 mo |
| Estonia | Operating licence as a credit intermediary | FI | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| France | European crowdfunding service provider authorization | AMF | n/a | n/a | ~3 mo |
| Ireland | Crowdfunding Service Provider Authorisation (ECSPR) | CBI | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Italy | European crowdfunding service provider authorization (ECSPR) | CONSOB | n/a | n/a | ~3 mo |
| Latvia | Crowdfunding service provider authorization | LB | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lithuania | Crowdfunding service provider authorization | LB | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lithuania | Peer-to-peer lending platform operator | LB | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Luxembourg | Crowdfunding service provider authorisation | CSSF | n/a | EUR 30,000 | n/a |
| Netherlands | European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSPR) authorisationEuropean Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSPR) authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 | AFM | n/a | EUR 200 | ~4.2 mo |
| Poland | Crowdfunding Service Provider authorizationCrowdfunding Service Provider authorization under ECSPR | KNF | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Poland | Lending Institution registration | KNF | n/a | PLN 616 | n/a |
| Slovakia | Crowdfunding service provider authorisationCrowdfunding service provider authorisation under ECSPR | NBS | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Spain | European crowdfunding service provider authorization | CNMV | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Spain | Specialized lending credit institution authorization | BdE | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| United Kingdom | Consumer Credit Full Permission Authorisation (Part 4A FSMA) | FCA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Values come from each licence's page, where every figure has its source.
Laws behind it
- European Crowdfunding Service Providers Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2020/1503
Sources
- afm.nl: vergunning aanvragen · retrieved 2026-09-24
- EUR-Lex: CELEX 32020R1503 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- wetten.overheid.nl: BWBR0041548 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- wetten.overheid.nl: BWBR0020368 · retrieved 2026-09-24
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