# Establecimiento financiero de crédito (EFC) / Specialized lending credit institution authorization (Spain)

Source page: https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/lending/spain-efc/

The Establecimiento financiero de crédito (EFC) / Specialized lending credit institution authorization is issued by Bank of Spain (BdE) under Directive 2013/36/EU on access to the activity of credit institutions and prudential supervision (CRD IV). It is a national licence: it does not give a passport to other EU/EEA states. The official register lists 22 current holders. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.

## At a glance

| Official name | Establecimiento financiero de crédito (EFC) / Specialized lending credit institution authorization [1] |
| --- | --- |
| Issued by | [Bank of Spain](https://protegra.io/licensing/regulators/banco-de-espana/) |
| Jurisdiction | [Spain](https://protegra.io/licensing/jurisdictions/spain/) |
| Licence family | [Lending / consumer credit](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/lending/) |
| Legal basis | Directive 2013/36/EU on access to the activity of credit institutions and prudential supervision (CRD IV) [2]; Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms (CRR) [3] |
| Passporting | Domestic only |
| Public register | [official register](https://www.bde.es/f/webbe/SGE/regis/ficheros/es/Registro_Entidades.xlsx) [4] |
| Current holders | 22 [4] |

## What it lets you do

- [Lending](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/credit-granting/)
- [Consumer credit](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/consumer-credit/)

- **Lending.** Granting loans, including consumer credit, mortgage credit, factoring and financing of commercial transactions.
- **Consumer credit.** Granting or promising credit to consumers, including buy-now-pay-later, subject to consumer protection rules on information, creditworthiness and withdrawal.

## Where it is valid

_Valid in Spain._

## Buying a company that already holds it

**Prior notification with an objection period.** Any natural or legal person intending to acquire or increase, directly or indirectly, a qualifying holding reaching or exceeding 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% of the share capital or voting rights, or to acquire control of an electronic money institution, payment institution, or credit financial establishment, must submit prior notification to Banco de España under Procedure ES_BDE_C056_P247 (or ES_BDE_C056_P114 for banks). Banco de España assesses acquirer reputation, financial soundness, and AML/CFT risks within a statutory maximum period of 60 working days from written acknowledgement of receipt. Closing without non-opposition suspends voting rights and triggers administrative penalties under Ley 10/2014 and Real Decreto 736/2019. [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. [boe.es: act](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2015-4607): 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. [bde.es: Registro Entidades.xlsx](https://www.bde.es/f/webbe/SGE/regis/ficheros/es/Registro_Entidades.xlsx): retrieved 2026-09-24
5. [sedeelectronica.bde.es: adquisicion participaciones significativas establecimientos](https://sedeelectronica.bde.es/sede/es/tramites/adquisicion-participaciones-significativas-establecimientos-p247.html): 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.