Payment institution authorisation (Luxembourg)
The Payment institution authorisation is issued by Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) under Law of 10 November 2009 on payment services. It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The official register lists 29 current holders. The legal decision period is 3 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall. The application fee is EUR 30,000. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.
At a glance
| Official name | Payment institution authorisation1 |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier |
| Jurisdiction | Luxembourg |
| Licence family | Payment institution (PI) |
| Legal basis | Law of 10 November 2009 on payment services2 Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market (PSD2)3 |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Application fee | EUR 30,0004 |
| Annual fee | EUR 30,0004 |
| Statutory decision time | 3 months from receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall2 |
| Public register | official register5 |
| Current holders | 295 |
What it lets you do
- Execution of payment transactions
- Money remittance
- Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions
- Payment initiation services
- Account information services
- 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 receipt of a complete application, maximum 12 months overall2. 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. Acquisition or disposal of qualifying holdings reaching or crossing 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% of capital or voting rights, or causing an entity to become a subsidiary, requires prior written notification to the CSSF. The CSSF conducts a prudential assessment of acquirer suitability, reputation, financial soundness, and AML risk within 60 working days (interruptible once by up to 20 working days, or 30 working days for non-EU acquirers) under Articles 18 and 18-1 of the Law of 5 April 1993, Article 12 of the Law of 10 November 2009, Article 83 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA), and Circular CSSF 17/669 adopting the Joint ESA Guidelines.6
Laws behind it
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market: Directive (EU) 2015/2366
Sources
- cssf.lu: authorisation procedure payment institution or electronic mo · retrieved 2026-09-24
- cssf.lu: law of 10 november 2009 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32015L2366) · retrieved 2026-09-24
- cssf.lu: GDR 231222 CSSF fees (PDF) · retrieved 2026-09-24
- searchentities.apps.cssf.lu: entite · retrieved 2026-09-24
- cssf.lu: circular cssf 17 669 · retrieved 2026-09-24
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