Payment Institution licence (Czech Republic)
The Payment Institution licence (povolení k činnosti platební instituce) is issued by Czech National Bank (CNB) under Act No. 370/2017 Coll. on Payment Systems. It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The official register lists 26 current holders. The legal decision period is 3 months from commencement of proceedings / complete application. The application fee is CZK 50,000. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.
At a glance
| Official name | Payment Institution licence1 |
|---|---|
| Local name | povolení k činnosti platební instituce |
| Also known as | PI · platební instituce · Czech payment institution licence · Czech PI licence · CNB payment institution licence |
| Issued by | Czech National Bank |
| Jurisdiction | Czech Republic |
| Licence family | Payment institution (PI) |
| Legal basis | Act No. 370/2017 Coll. on Payment Systems2 Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market (PSD2)3 |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Application fee | CZK 50,0004 |
| Statutory decision time | 3 months from commencement of proceedings / complete application2 |
| Public register | official register5 |
| Current holders | 265 |
What it lets you do
| Execution of payment transactions | Executing direct debits, card payments and credit transfers, including standing orders, from a payment account. |
|---|---|
| Money remittance | Receiving funds from a payer solely to transfer them to a payee or another provider, without opening payment accounts. |
| Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions | Issuing cards or other payment instruments to payers, and acquiring card and other payment transactions for merchants. |
| Payment initiation services | Initiating a payment order at the user's request from an account held with another provider, as in open banking. |
| Account information services | Providing consolidated online information on one or more payment accounts the user holds with other providers. |
Where it is valid
Cost
How long it takes
Statutory: 3 months from commencement of proceedings / complete application2. 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.2
PI in other countries
| Country | Licence | Regulator | Min. capital | Application fee | Statutory time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | Account Information Service Provider authorisation | CNB | n/a | CZK 25,000 | ~3 mo |
| Czech Republic | Small-scale Payment Service Provider authorisation | CNB | n/a | CZK 10,000 | ~1 mo |
| Czech Republic | Payment Institution licence | CNB | n/a | CZK 50,000 | ~3 mo |
| Estonia | Payment institution operating with an exception | FI | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Estonia | Operating licence as a payment institution | FI | n/a | EUR 3,000 | ~3 mo |
| Georgia | Payment institution licenceRegistration as a Payment Service Provider (PSP) with the National Bank of Georgia | NBG | n/a | GEL 5,000 | n/a |
| Germany | Account information service provider registration | BaFin | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Germany | Payment institution licence | BaFin | n/a | EUR 13,523 | ~3 mo |
| Ireland | Payment Institution Authorisation | CBI | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Latvia | Registered payment institution | LB | n/a | EUR 2,500 | ~1.7 mo |
| Latvia | Authorised payment institution licence | LB | n/a | EUR 5,000 | ~3.7 mo |
| Lithuania | Payment institution licence for restricted activity | LB | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lithuania | Payment institution licence | LB | n/a | EUR 898 | ~3 mo |
| Luxembourg | Payment institution authorisation | CSSF | n/a | EUR 30,000 | ~3 mo |
| Malta | Account information service provider registration | MFSA | n/a | EUR 1,000 | n/a |
| Malta | Payment institution licence | MFSA | n/a | EUR 10,000 | ~3 mo |
| Netherlands | Payment institution licencePayment institution licence (Vergunning betaalinstelling) | DNB | n/a | EUR 6,800 | ~3 mo |
| Poland | Account Information Service Provider registration | KNF | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Poland | National Payment Institution licence | KNF | n/a | EUR 1,250 | ~3 mo |
| Poland | Small Payment Institution registration | KNF | n/a | PLN 616 | ~3 mo |
| Singapore | Major Payment Institution Licence | MAS | n/a | SGD 1,500 | n/a |
| Singapore | Standard Payment Institution Licence | MAS | n/a | SGD 1,000 | n/a |
| Slovakia | Payment institution licence | NBS | n/a | n/a | ~3 mo |
| Spain | Payment institution authorization | BdE | n/a | n/a | ~3 mo |
| United Arab Emirates | Retail Payment Services Licence (Categories I to IV) | CBUAE | n/a | n/a | ~2.8 mo |
| United Kingdom | Registered Account Information Service Provider (RAISP) | FCA | n/a | GBP 1,130 | n/a |
| United Kingdom | Small Payment Institution (SPI) Registration | FCA | n/a | GBP 1,130 | n/a |
| United Kingdom | Authorised Payment Institution (API) | FCA | n/a | GBP 5,640 | ~3 mo |
Values come from each licence's page, where every figure has its source.
Laws behind it
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market: Directive (EU) 2015/2366
Sources
- cnb.cz: licensing and approval proceedings payment institutions · retrieved 2026-09-24
- Czech legislation (Zákony pro lidi): 2017 370 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- EUR-Lex: CELEX 32015L2366 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- Czech legislation (Zákony pro lidi): 2004 634 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- cnb.cz: fms 2024 (PDF) · retrieved 2026-09-24
Want the PI licence in Czech Republic?
Tell us your business model and target markets. We check the fit before you spend on an application, then handle the licence end to end.
A free preliminary assessment: we check your business model against the licence before you spend on an application. We handle this licence and any other fintech licence, including jurisdictions the Atlas does not cover yet.