Bank of Spain (BdE): register, licences and requirements
The Bank of Spain (Banco de España, BdE) is Spain's central bank and national competent banking authority within the Eurosystem and the Single Supervisory Mechanism. Established in 1782, it supervises and licenses credit institutions, payment institutions, electronic money institutions, and MiCA stablecoin issuers (ART/EMT). As of September 2026, BdE supervises 12 active domestic electronic money institutions, 55 payment institutions, and 42 commercial banks.
How to check a firm on the BdE register
The public register at app.bde.es/rbe_spa allows searching financial entities by registered name, Banco de España registration code (Código BE), tax identification number (NIF/CIF), or LEI. Active entries display the registered trade name, official entity code, incorporation date, headquarters address, authorized payment/banking activities, passporting status across EU member states, and current registration standing.14
- Official online register search tool for supervised institutions and entities4
- Official register of payment institutions and electronic money institutions (full dataset)10
- Official register of credit institutions (banks, savings banks, credit cooperatives, and branches)11
- Master register of all financial institutions supervised by Banco de España12
- Pre-MiCA registry of virtual currency exchange and custodial wallet providers (closed 2026-07-01)13
At a glance
| Official name | Bank of Spain (Banco de España) |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Spain |
| Type | Central bank |
| Headquarters | Madrid1 |
| Founded | 17822 |
| Website | bde.es3 |
| Public register | Official public register4 |
| Licence types in the Atlas | 5 |
What BdE supervises
Banco de España is Spain's national central bank and banking supervisor, operating as an integral part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the Eurosystem's Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). It supervises the solvency, conduct, and resilience of credit institutions, payment institutions, electronic money institutions, and specialized lenders to safeguard financial stability and market transparency.15
- Credit institutions (commercial banks, savings banks, and credit cooperatives) in coordination with the ECB under the SSM15
- Electronic money institutions (Entidades de Dinero Electrónico - EDE) and their cross-border branches8
- Payment institutions (Entidades de Pago - EP), exempt payment institutions, and account information service providers (AISP)5
- Issuers of asset-referenced tokens (ART) and e-money tokens (EMT) under Titles III and IV of EU MiCA Regulation16
- Specialized credit financial establishments (Establecimientos Financieros de Crédito - EFC) and currency exchange bureaux17
Licences BdE issues
- Bank · Spain
Entidad de crédito (Banco) / Commercial bank licence
- EMI · Spain
Entidad de dinero electrónico (EDE) / Electronic money institution authorization
- Credit · Spain
Establecimiento financiero de crédito (EFC) / Specialized lending credit institution authorization
- PI · Spain
Entidad de pago (EP) / Payment institution authorization
- EMT/ART · Spain
Emisor de fichas de dinero electrónico (EMT) y de fichas referenciadas a activos (ART) bajo MiCA / MiCA EMT and ART token issuer authorization
Lesser-known services for applicants
Pre-application meeting / pre-assessment
Banco de España offers a formal pre-application process (trámite de presolicitud) for payment institutions and electronic money institutions free of charge. Applicants submit a standardized preliminary questionnaire and business plan through the Sede Electrónica without criminal records. Banco de España then contacts the project promoters to hold an exploratory preliminary meeting evaluating project maturity, resources, and regulatory perimeter before formal filing.5
Innovation hub
Banco de España operates dedicated innovation channels through its Division of Innovation in Payment Media and Infrastructures (División de Innovación en Medios e Infraestructuras de Pago), including informal query desks on technological innovation and sectorial financial regulations to provide informal, non-binding supervisory orientation to fintech promoters.6
Regulatory sandbox
Spain's financial sandbox operates on a statutory basis under Ley 7/2020 with semiannual cohort application windows managed through the Sede of the General Secretariat of the Treasury (SGTFI). Once admitted, promoters sign an individual testing protocol with Banco de España, conduct pilot testing under designated supervisory monitors with civil liability protections, and can benefit from a fast-track statutory licensing gateway under Article 18.6
Application portal: Sede Electrónica del Banco de España (sedeelectronica.bde.es), supporting digital filing of licensing dossiers, pre-applications, structural modifications, and qualifying holdings using Spanish electronic ID, FNMT digital certificates, or Cl@ve.7
Fee schedule: Banco de España charges EUR 0 for licensing applications and ongoing supervision; under Spanish banking and payment law, administrative licensing procedures do not generate any administrative fee ('no devengan tasa alguna') and are funded via Banco de España's statutory institutional budget under Ley 13/1994.5
Compare with other regulators: pre-application meetings · sandboxes and innovation hubs.
Statistics
- 12 active electronic money institutions (EDE) and 10 active Spanish branches of EU EMIs registered (official register, 2026-09-24)10
- 55 active payment institutions (EP), 14 active exempt payment institutions under Art. 14 RDL 19/2018, and 5 account information service providers (AISP) registered (official register, 2026-09-24)10
- 42 active commercial banks, 2 active savings banks, 60 active credit cooperatives, and 78 active branches of EU credit institutions registered (official register, 2026-09-24)11
- 22 active specialized credit financial establishments (EFC) and 8 EFCs authorized as payment institutions registered (official register, 2026-09-24)12
- 137 legacy virtual currency exchange and wallet custody entities formally closed and deregistered on 2026-07-01 upon full expiration of Spain's MiCA transitional window (official register, 2026-09-24)13
Fees and timelines
| Licence | Fee | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Entidad de dinero electrónico (EDE) / Electronic money institution authorization | application | EUR 0 (The application and licensing procedure does not accrue any statutory fee)8 |
| Entidad de dinero electrónico (EDE) / Electronic money institution authorization | annual | EUR 0 (Banco de España does not levy annual supervisory fees on domestic EMIs)8 |
| Entidad de pago (EP) / Payment institution authorization | application | EUR 0 (The application and licensing procedure does not accrue any statutory fee)5 |
| Entidad de pago (EP) / Payment institution authorization | annual | EUR 0 (Banco de España does not levy annual supervisory fees on domestic PIs)5 |
| Entidad de crédito (Banco) / Commercial bank licence | application | EUR 0 national fee (Credit institution licensing instruction by Banco de España does not accrue a national administrative fee; significant institutions pay ECB supervisory levies)9 |
| Licence | Statutory deadline | Observed |
|---|---|---|
| Entidad de dinero electrónico (EDE) / Electronic money institution authorization | 3 months from receipt of a complete application (maximum 12 months from initial filing; failure to notify within the statutory deadline implies administrative denial)8 | not published |
| Entidad de pago (EP) / Payment institution authorization | 3 months from receipt of a complete application (maximum 12 months from initial filing; silence implies rejection)5 | not published |
| Entidad de crédito (Banco) / Commercial bank licence | 6 months from receipt of a complete application (or within 12 months from initial filing; silence implies rejection)9 | not published |
Changing the owner of a licensed firm
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 736/2019.17
Buying a company that already holds one of these licences is often faster than applying. See ready-made licensed companies · emoney payments.
Laws BdE applies
- Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2023/1114
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market: Directive (EU) 2015/2366
- Directive 2009/110/EC on the taking up, pursuit and prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions: Directive 2009/110/EC
- Digital Operational Resilience Act: Regulation (EU) 2022/2554
- Capital Requirements Directive: Directive 2013/36/EU
- Capital Requirements Regulation: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013
- Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (as amended by the fifth, 2018/843): Directive (EU) 2015/849
- Transfer of Funds Regulation (travel rule): Regulation (EU) 2023/1113
Recent and upcoming changes
- 2026-07-01: Expiration of Spain's national MiCA transitional regime; all 137 entries in Banco de España's legacy AML cryptocurrency register were formally deregistered (marked BAJA), establishing CNMV as the exclusive CASP supervisor while Banco de España retains prudential supervision over ART and EMT issuers.13
- 2025-01-17: Full entry into application of the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA, Regulation (EU) 2022/2554), establishing mandatory ICT risk management and major incident notification obligations for all banks, payment institutions, and EMIs supervised by Banco de España.18
- 2024-09-06: Appointment of José Luis Escrivá as Governor of the Bank of Spain, succeeding Pablo Hernández de Cos, alongside Deputy Governor Soledad Núñez.1
- 2024-06-30: Entry into force of MiCA Titles III and IV, designating Banco de España as the National Competent Authority for authorising and supervising issuers of asset-referenced tokens (ART) and electronic money tokens (EMT) in Spain under Additional Provision 23 of Ley 10/2014.16
Contacts and public register
Address: Calle de Alcalá, 48, 28014 Madrid, Spain1
Website: bde.es3
Check whether a firm is licensed: official register4 · official register10 · official register11 · official register12 · official register13.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Bank of Spain charge application or supervisory fees for payment and e-money institutions?
No. Unlike securities regulators or many European peers, the Bank of Spain charges no administrative fees or tariffs for licensing or supervising payment institutions (EP) or electronic money institutions (EDE). The licensing process is completely free of charge, with no statutory deposits required. The central bank's supervisory activities are funded through its own institutional budget under Ley 13/1994.
What is the role of Banco de España under EU MiCA compared to CNMV?
Under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA), supervisory responsibilities in Spain are divided. The CNMV acts as the general competent authority supervising crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) and market abuse. Meanwhile, Banco de España is the exclusive competent authority supervising, inspecting, and sanctioning issuers of asset-referenced tokens (ART) under Title III and e-money tokens (EMT) under Title IV pursuant to Ley 10/2014.
How does Banco de España support fintech applicants through pre-application?
Banco de España maintains a structured, free pre-application procedure (presolicitud) for payment institutions and electronic money institutions. Prospective founders submit an initial project form and business plan via the central bank's Sede Electrónica. The supervisory team reviews the project and organizes preliminary bilateral meetings to assess project maturity, human and financial resources, and regulatory perimeter issues before formal filing.
What is Spain's financial sandbox and how does Banco de España participate?
Governed by Ley 7/2020, Spain's financial regulatory sandbox operates as a statutory testing space administered jointly by Banco de España, CNMV, and DGSFP under the Treasury. Projects apply during semiannual windows. Admitted innovators sign custom testing protocols with Banco de España, test under supervisory oversight with consumer liability protections, and may benefit from a fast-track statutory licensing gateway under Article 18.
What are the statutory licensing timelines for payment and e-money institutions at Banco de España?
Under Spanish law (Real Decreto-ley 19/2018 for payment institutions and Real Decreto 778/2012 for e-money institutions), the statutory decision deadline is 3 months from the date the application dossier is deemed complete. If incomplete, the review clock is suspended while additional information is requested. By law, lack of a decision within the statutory deadline constitutes administrative denial.
What approvals are required to acquire a qualifying holding in a Spanish financial institution?
Under Ley 10/2014 and Real Decreto 736/2019, any party intending to acquire or increase a qualifying holding reaching or crossing 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% in a credit institution, payment institution, or e-money institution must submit prior notification to Banco de España. The regulator evaluates acquirer suitability, reputation, and financial soundness within a statutory period of 60 working days.
Sources
- bde.es: contacto · retrieved 2026-09-24
- bde.es: historia del banco · retrieved 2026-09-24
- bde.es · retrieved 2026-09-24
- app.bde.es: rbe spa · retrieved 2026-09-24
- sedeelectronica.bde.es: autorizacion entidades pago p212 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- bde.es: FAQ (PDF) · retrieved 2026-09-24
- sedeelectronica.bde.es: tramites con registro electronico · retrieved 2026-09-24
- sedeelectronica.bde.es: autorizacion entidades dinero electronico p221 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- boe.es: act · retrieved 2026-09-24
- bde.es: Registro ServicioPagos.xlsx · retrieved 2026-09-24
- bde.es: Registro EntCredito.xlsx · retrieved 2026-09-24
- bde.es: Registro Entidades.xlsx · retrieved 2026-09-24
- bde.es: registro CMV SCMV CMC SCMC.xlsx · retrieved 2026-09-24
- app.bde.es: app.config.json · retrieved 2026-09-24
- bde.es: objetivos basicos supervision · retrieved 2026-09-24
- sedeelectronica.bde.es: aplicacion del reglamento relativo a los mercados de criptoa · retrieved 2026-09-24
- sedeelectronica.bde.es: adquisicion participaciones significativas establecimientos · retrieved 2026-09-24
- eur-lex.europa.eu: HTML (32022R2554) · retrieved 2026-09-24
Applying to BdE, or buying a firm it licenses?
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.