Licence family
Payment institution (PI)
A payment institution (PI) licence authorises payment services such as money remittance, executing transfers, card acquiring, payment initiation and account information, but not issuing electronic money. In the EU it rests on PSD2, capital ranges from EUR 20,000 to EUR 125,000 depending on the services, and the licence can be passported across the EEA.
Where the PI licence is available
Comparison by country
| Country | Regulator | Min. capital | Statutory time | Passport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | CNB | n/a | 3 mo | Domestic |
| Czech Republic | CNB | n/a | 1 mo | Domestic |
| Czech Republic | CNB | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Estonia | FI | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Estonia | FI | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Georgia | NBG | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Germany | BaFin | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Germany | BaFin | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Ireland | CBI | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Ireland | CBI | n/a | n/a | EU/EEA |
| Latvia | LB | n/a | 0.7 mo | EU/EEA |
| Latvia | LB | n/a | 0.7 mo | EU/EEA |
| Lithuania | LB | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Lithuania | LB | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Luxembourg | CSSF | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Malta | MFSA | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Malta | MFSA | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Netherlands | DNB | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Netherlands | DNB | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Poland | KNF | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Poland | KNF | n/a | 3 mo | Domestic |
| Poland | KNF | n/a | 3 mo | Domestic |
| Singapore | MAS | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Singapore | MAS | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| Slovakia | NBS | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| Spain | BdE | n/a | 3 mo | EU/EEA |
| United Arab Emirates | CBUAE | n/a | 2.8 mo | Domestic |
| United Kingdom | FCA | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| United Kingdom | FCA | n/a | n/a | Domestic |
| United Kingdom | FCA | n/a | 3 mo | Domestic |
Values come from each country's page, where every figure has its source.
Activities this family typically covers
- Cash placement on a payment account
- Cash withdrawal from a payment account
- Execution of payment transactions
- Execution of payment transactions covered by a credit line
- Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions
- Money remittance
- Payment initiation services
- Account information services
- Currency exchange
All licences in this family
- PI · Czech Republic
Account Information Service Provider authorisation (povolení k činnosti správce informací o platebním účtu)
CNB
- PI · Czech Republic
Small-scale Payment Service Provider authorisation (povolení k činnosti poskytovatele platebních služeb malého rozsahu - PPSMR)
CNB
- PI · Czech Republic
Payment Institution licence (povolení k činnosti platební instituce)
CNB
- PI · Estonia
Payment institution operating with an exception
FI
- PI · Estonia
Operating licence as a payment institution
FI
- PI · Georgia
Registration as a Payment Service Provider (PSP) with the National Bank of Georgia
NBG
- PI · Germany
Account information service provider registration (Registrierung als Kontoinformationsdienstleister nach § 34 ZAG)
BaFin
- PI · Germany
Payment institution licence (Erlaubnis zur Erbringung von Zahlungsdiensten nach § 10 ZAG)
BaFin
- PI · Ireland
Account Information Service Provider Registration
CBI
- PI · Ireland
Payment Institution Authorisation
CBI
- PI · Latvia
Registered payment institution
LB
- PI · Latvia
Authorised payment institution licence
LB
- PI · Lithuania
Payment institution licence for restricted activity
LB
- PI · Lithuania
Payment institution licence
LB
- PI · Luxembourg
Payment institution authorisation
CSSF
- PI · Malta
Account information service provider registration
MFSA
- PI · Malta
Payment institution licence
MFSA
- PI · Netherlands
Exempt payment service provider registration (Vrijstelling betaaldienstverlener)
DNB
- PI · Netherlands
Payment institution licence (Vergunning betaalinstelling)
DNB
- PI · Poland
Account Information Service Provider registration (dostawca świadczący wyłącznie usługę dostępu do informacji o rachunku - AISP)
KNF
- PI · Poland
National Payment Institution licence (krajowa instytucja płatnicza - KIP)
KNF
- PI · Poland
Small Payment Institution registration (mała instytucja płatnicza - MIP)
KNF
- PI · Singapore
Major Payment Institution Licence
MAS
- PI · Singapore
Standard Payment Institution Licence
MAS
- PI · Slovakia
Payment institution licence (povolenie na poskytovanie platobných služieb bez obmedzenia rozsahu)
NBS
- PI · Spain
Entidad de pago (EP) / Payment institution authorization
BdE
- PI · United Arab Emirates
Retail Payment Services Licence (Categories I to IV)
CBUAE
- PI · United Kingdom
Registered Account Information Service Provider (RAISP)
FCA
- PI · United Kingdom
Small Payment Institution (SPI) Registration
FCA
- PI · United Kingdom
Authorised Payment Institution (API)
FCA
Last verified 2026-09-24Author Danil Marmysh, Founder & CEO, ProtegraReviewed by Anastasia Sidorenkova, Head of Licensing, ProtegraReport an errorReference information, not legal advice.
Sources
- PSD2 Directive (EU) 2015/2366, Art. 7 (initial capital) · retrieved 2026-09-24
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