Financial Services Authority (Seychelles) (FSA): register, licences and requirements
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is Seychelles' non-bank financial regulator, set up under the Financial Services Authority Act 2013. It licenses securities dealers and exchanges, fund administrators, international corporate service providers, insurers and gambling operators, and, since the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024, crypto wallet, exchange, broking and investment-provider firms; its VASP register currently lists 9 firms under assessment.
How to check a firm on the FSA register
Each register is a browsable, tabbed list of licensee company names grouped by activity (e.g. Securities Dealer, Securities Exchange, ICSP), not a licence-number search tool. An active entry shows the company name and, for most tabs, a registered address; the VASP register additionally shows an 'Assessment' or licensed status and the date the application was accepted.10
- Capital markets: securities dealers, dealer representatives and securities exchanges3
- Fiduciary licensees: International Corporate Service Providers (ICSP), Fiduciary Service Providers (FSP), Trustee Service Providers (TSP)9
- Virtual Asset Service Providers licensed or in assessment under the VASP Act 202410
- Participants admitted to the FSA regulatory sandbox6
At a glance
| Official name | Financial Services Authority (Seychelles) (Financial Services Authority) |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Seychelles |
| Type | Integrated financial regulator |
| Headquarters | Victoria, Mahé1 |
| Founded | 20142 |
| Website | fsaseychelles.sc1 |
| Public register | Official public register3 |
| Licence types in the Atlas | 4 |
What FSA supervises
The FSA is Seychelles' autonomous non-bank financial regulator: it licenses, supervises and enforces standards on financial services businesses carried on in or from Seychelles, administers company/trust/foundation registry legislation, and takes action against unauthorised financial services activity.2
- Securities dealers, dealer representatives and securities exchanges (capital markets)3
- Mutual funds and hedge funds, including fund administrators11
- Fiduciary services: international corporate service providers, foundation and trustee service providers, IBC/foundation/trust/limited-partnership registries9
- Virtual asset service providers (wallet, exchange, broking and investment-provider activities) under the VASP Act 202410
- Insurance, gambling, hire-purchase/credit-sale businesses and the International Trade Zone1
Licences FSA issues
- FM · Seychelles
Fund Administrator's Licence (and Restricted Fund Administrator's Licence) under the Mutual Fund and Hedge Fund Act 2008
- IF · Seychelles
Securities Dealer's Licence (full or restricted)
- TCSP · Seychelles
International Corporate Service Provider (ICSP) Licence under the International Corporate Service Providers Act 2003
- VASP · Seychelles
Virtual Asset Service Provider Licence / Registration (Wallet Provider, Exchange, Broking, Investment Provider) under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024
Lesser-known services for applicants
Pre-application meeting / pre-assessment
FSA's own application guidance describes only the formal route: obtain the form/guidelines, complete it, pay the application fee, and submit the physical dossier to the Chief Executive Officer by hand or post. No separate pre-application meeting, pre-assessment, or informal-review service is described.4
Innovation hub
No dedicated 'innovation hub' page or service was found on fsaseychelles.sc; the FSA's fintech-facing tools appear limited to the regulatory sandbox and its guidelines.5
Regulatory sandbox
FSA runs a regulatory sandbox for testing innovative financial products/services, supported by a published 'Regulatory Sandbox Exemptions Guidelines for Applicants' document. As of today the public sandbox page lists one participant, SECDEX Digital Custodian Limited, offering digital asset and custodial services from Providence, Mahé.6
Compare with other regulators: pre-application meetings · sandboxes and innovation hubs.
Statistics
- 9 virtual asset service providers listed on the FSA VASP register, all in 'Assessment' status pending a licensing decision (2026-09-24)10
- 2 securities exchanges licensed: MERJ Exchange Limited and SECDEX Exchange Limited (2026-09-24)3
- 1 participant admitted to the FSA regulatory sandbox: SECDEX Digital Custodian Limited (2026-09-24)6
Fees and timelines
| Licence | Fee | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Asset Service Provider Licence / Registration (Wallet Provider, Exchange, Broking, Investment Provider) under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024 | application | SCR 75,000 (licence application); SCR 22,500 (registration application)7 |
| Virtual Asset Service Provider Licence / Registration (Wallet Provider, Exchange, Broking, Investment Provider) under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024 | annual | SCR 75,000 base fee, plus an activity fee per licensed category: SCR 300,000 (Virtual Asset Wallet Provider), SCR 375,000 (Virtual Asset Exchange), SCR 150,000 (Virtual Asset Broking), SCR 75,000 (Virtual Asset Investment Provider); fees for multiple activities are additive7 |
| Securities Dealer's Licence (full or restricted) | annual | USD 6,000 fixed annual licence fee from 2026 (due 31 January each year); for 2025 the fee was pro-rated by grant quarter from USD 3,250 to USD 6,0008 |
Changing the owner of a licensed firm
.
Buying a company that already holds one of these licences is often faster than applying. See ready-made licensed companies · investment brokerage.
Laws FSA applies
- Securities Act: Act 8 of 2007 (Cap. 208)
Recent and upcoming changes
- 2024-09-01: Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024 came into force, creating licence/registration categories for virtual asset wallet, exchange, broking and investment-provider services; operators already active had to apply by 2024-12-31 to continue operating pending a decision.10
- 2025-01-01: Securities (Amendment) Act 2024 and related Forms and Fees, conduct-of-business, advertisement and financial-statement regulations took effect for Securities Dealers.8
- 2026-01-01: Securities Dealer annual licence fee became a fixed USD 6,000 per year, replacing the 2025 pro-rated quarterly fee (USD 3,250-6,000), per FSA Circular No. 1 of 2025.8
Contacts and public register
Address: Bois De Rose Avenue, P.O. Box 991, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles1
Website: fsaseychelles.sc1
Check whether a firm is licensed: official register3 · official register9 · official register10 · official register6.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Seychelles regulate?
FSA is Seychelles' autonomous non-bank financial regulator, covering securities dealers and exchanges, fund administrators, international corporate service providers, insurance, gambling, and, since 2024, virtual asset service providers. It also administers company, trust and foundation registry legislation and can act against unlicensed financial business.
How do I check if a company is licensed by FSA Seychelles?
FSA publishes browsable registers on fsaseychelles.sc by category (Securities Dealer, Securities Exchange, ICSP/FSP/TSP, licensed VASPs, sandbox participants). These list company names and, for VASPs, an approval date and status; there is no public licence-number lookup, so matching is by company name.
What is a Seychelles VASP licence and what does it cost?
Since the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024, wallet, exchange, broking and investment-provider crypto firms need an FSA licence or registration. The application fee is SCR 75,000 (SCR 22,500 for registration), with an annual base fee of SCR 75,000 plus an activity fee up to SCR 375,000 for exchanges.
Does FSA Seychelles have a fintech regulatory sandbox?
Yes. FSA runs a regulatory sandbox with published exemption guidelines for applicants, letting firms test innovative financial products under supervision. As of September 2026 the public sandbox page lists one participant, SECDEX Digital Custodian Limited, for digital asset custody.
How much does a Seychelles Securities Dealer licence cost to maintain?
From 2026 the annual licence fee for a Securities Dealer is a fixed USD 6,000, due by 31 January each year, replacing a 2025 pro-rated fee of USD 3,250-6,000 depending on grant date. The exact current application fee could not be confirmed from a readable primary source this session.
When did Seychelles start regulating crypto businesses?
The Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024 took effect on 1 September 2024. Firms already offering virtual asset services had to apply for a licence or registration by 31 December 2024 to continue operating while their application was assessed.
Sources
- fsaseychelles.sc · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: who we are · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: capital markets · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: applying for a license · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: fintech · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: regulatory sandbox · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: faqs · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fivecomply.com: fsa seychelles circular no 1 of 2025 key updates on securiti · secondary · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: fiduciary · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: licensed vasps · retrieved 2026-09-24
- fsaseychelles.sc: legislations · retrieved 2026-09-24
Applying to FSA, 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.