Payment Institution Authorisation (Ireland)
The Payment Institution Authorisation is issued by Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) under European Union (Payment Services) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 6/2018). It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The application fee is EUR 0 (No application fee). Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.
At a glance
| Official name | Payment Institution Authorisation1 |
|---|---|
| Also known as | PI · Irish payment institution licence · Irish PI authorisation · Central Bank of Ireland payment institution authorisation · CBI payment institution licence |
| Issued by | Central Bank of Ireland |
| Jurisdiction | Ireland |
| Licence family | Payment institution (PI) |
| Legal basis | European Union (Payment Services) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 6/2018)2 Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market (PSD2)3 |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Application fee | EUR 0 (No application fee)1 |
| Annual fee | Minimum levy of EUR 6,625 plus a variable levy based on the firm's share of all transactions processed (Category N, S.I. No. 348/2026)4 |
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
Buying a company that already holds it
Prior notification with an objection period. Direct or indirect acquisition or disposal of qualifying holdings reaching or crossing 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% of capital or voting rights, or resulting in the firm becoming a subsidiary, requires prior written notification to the Central Bank of Ireland; failure to notify renders the acquisition null and void. The Central Bank conducts a statutory assessment within 60 working days of complete acknowledgment (pausable once for 20 working days for EU acquirers or 30 working days for non-EU acquirers) evaluating acquirer reputation, financial soundness, and AML/CFT risks under the European Union (Payment Services) Regulations 2018, E-Money Regulations 2011, and MiFID Regulations 2017.5
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.
Variants of this licence
Laws behind it
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market: Directive (EU) 2015/2366
Sources
- centralbank.ie: payment authorisation · retrieved 2026-09-24
- irishstatutebook.ie: print · retrieved 2026-09-24
- EUR-Lex: CELEX 32015L2366 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- irishstatutebook.ie: print · retrieved 2026-09-24
- centralbank.ie: notification process for proposed acquisitions of qualifying · retrieved 2026-09-24
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