Grow your crypto venture internationally with AMS Europe — a trusted partner for obtaining and maintaining a crypto license in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.
A clear regulatory path — from idea to approval
Crypto regulation differs sharply from country to country: a crypto license in Europe runs under the unified MiCA regime, Dubai licenses by activity through a dedicated regulator, Singapore applies one of the world's strictest reviews, and parts of Latin America still let you launch before licensing arrives. We translate that patchwork into a structured roadmap — company setup, compliance documentation, regulator communication — and manage the process end to end.
A license — or a properly structured compliant entity — turns regulatory risk into a defined set of duties, instead of an open question hanging over the business.
Banks, EMIs and processors onboard regulated companies first. The jurisdiction on your certificate often decides which accounts open at all.
MiCA passports you across the EU; a MAS or VARA permit signals credibility to institutional partners; app stores and exchanges increasingly require formal authorisation.
Users, investors and counterparties check your regulatory status before they check your product.
Formation, licensing, AML/CFT, accounting and banking — one agreement, one team.
Files built on your real token flows — made to survive the regulator’s follow-up rounds.
Account strategy starts during licensing, aimed at banks that actually onboard crypto.
Every jurisdiction we cover can be handled without travel.
Monitoring, reporting, audits and regulatory tracking after approval.
Written budget before you sign: our fee, state costs and capital, itemised.
The requirements for a crypto license in Europe and beyond are broadly similar. What varies is the level of regulatory scrutiny. Below are the core obligations every applicant must meet — and the areas where expectations are more demanding:
A local entity with paid-in capital, and the range is wide: €50,000–150,000 under MiCA depending on the services licensed, €25,000–375,000 in Dubai depending on activity, no statutory minimum in Canada. Wherever you apply, the capital must come from provable, legitimate sources.
Directors and key officers with relevant crypto or finance experience and a clean record. MAS and VARA interview key people; EU regulators assess fit-and-proper files in writing.
A complete AML/CFT framework with an appointed AML Officer and MLRO and trained staff. Under MiCA this is the part of the file that draws the most follow-up questions; in Dubai and Singapore it is tested against activity-specific rulebooks.
Adequate own funds and reserves, together with realistic financial projections demonstrating the business’s ability to remain financially viable during its initial years. These projections are subject to detailed regulatory scrutiny and scenario analysis.
A secure environment for client data and funds: encryption, access control, regular IT audits. The EU and Singapore additionally expect documented technology-risk management.
Licensing is not a one-off cost: depending on the jurisdiction, renewal, supervision and audit fees continue throughout the life of the license.
We map your model against regulated activities and compare the realistic options.
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We set up the local entity in whichever jurisdiction you choose — fully remotely, or with you present in person if you prefer.
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We prepare the complete application file and stress-test it internally before submission.
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We file the application and stay in the dialogue through every round of questions.
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The company moves from applicant to supervised operator.
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We keep the license valid long after approval.
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The right base depends on your clients, banking needs and budget — and that is the first question we answer.
We compare the realistic options — timelines, budgets and banking prospects — within a few days. No commitments, just a clear recommendation.
There is no universal answer — it depends on where your clients are. If they are in the EU, the choice is between the Czech Republic (ČNB) and Lithuania (Bank of Lithuania): both are MiCA licenses, and both passport across the Union. Outside the EU there is no passporting, so you trade it for something else — credibility with Dubai’s VARA or Singapore’s MAS, speed with a Swiss SRO or a Canadian FINTRAC registration, or the lowest cost of entry with El Salvador and Panama.
The budget has three parts: share capital, state fees, and advisory costs. Under MiCA the capital requirement depends on the services you are licensed for — €50,000 for brokerage and advisory, €125,000 for custody and exchange, €150,000 for a trading platform — and firms must hold the higher of that floor or a quarter of their annual fixed overheads. The rest depends on the jurisdiction and the scope of your application. We give a written, itemised budget before you sign. For a detailed example, see our breakdown of the Czech license costs.
Realistically, 3–12 months from engagement to approval. Preparing a strong application file takes the first weeks; the rest depends on the regulator’s question rounds — each round adds time, which is why we stress-test the file before submission. Simpler non-EU routes are faster: the Swiss SRO route takes 2–3 months and a Canadian MSB registration 2–4 months, while a ready-made company in El Salvador transfers in weeks.
Yes. A mailbox company will not pass: EU regulators expect real substance in the country of licensing — a physical office, local management involvement, and key compliance roles such as the AML Officer actually staffed, not just named on paper. The exact scope differs by country and by the activities you apply for, and we plan the required substance into your budget from the start.
Panama (a compliant structure from €4,500, since no license is required yet) and El Salvador (ready-made licensed companies) carry the lowest entry costs. Canada’s MSB registration is the least expensive full licensing route among major markets.
A ready-made licensed company in El Salvador transfers within weeks. Among new applications, the Swiss SRO route (2–3 months) and Canada’s MSB registration (2–4 months) are the quickest we offer.
Yes — since MiCA took full effect, providing crypto-asset services to EU clients requires CASP authorisation from an EU member state. One national license passports across all 27 countries, which is why the Czech Republic and Lithuania are our primary EU routes.
That is exactly where we start. At the first consultation we map your token flows, clients and budget against the realistic options and recommend one route — including, honestly, when a cheaper or faster jurisdiction serves you better than a prestigious one.