One EU licence to serve clients across all 30 EEA countries. Fixed package price, one team from company setup to approval.
From business model to licence
The most expensive mistake in a payment project is applying for the wrong licence. Wallets and prepaid cards need an e-money licence. Payouts, card acquiring and money transfers usually need a payment institution licence. A one-country launch with modest volumes can start with a small licence and upgrade later.
One full licence covers all 30 EEA countries. We match the licence and the country to your model, set up the company, prepare the compliance documents and the regulator's file, and stay with you until the decision.
Full licences passport to all 30 EEA countries. Small licences work only in the country that issues them and usually need no initial capital.
Wallets, stored-value accounts or prepaid cards. An EMI covers the EEA; an sEMI covers one country.
Card acquiring, payouts or payment accounts without stored value. A PI licence covers this across the EEA.
Remittance without payment accounts. The lightest PI: €20,000 initial capital, valid across the EEA.
Up to €3 million a month, one EU market. An SPI usually needs no initial capital; upgrade to a PI later.
Describe your product, target markets and expected volumes. We will confirm the licence type, capital and a realistic timeline before you commit.
A short review of your business model with a clear recommendation.
For full licences, initial capital is fixed by EU law and must be in place when the licence is granted.
The regulator checks that your AML/CFT framework fits your actual product and clients, not a template.
The people who run and own the company are reviewed as closely as the documents.
You show how the service will run safely from day one.
Typical timeline: 3–6 months for a small licence, 6–12 months for an EMI or PI. Full licences then passport to the EEA.
Timeline: 1–2 weeks
We review your product, markets and volumes, confirm the licence type and the country, and list what the regulator will expect.
You get: Scope note with the licence type, EU passport plan and the regulator’s requirements for your model.
Timeline: 2–4 weeks
We set up the EU company or adapt an existing one, plan capital and ownership, and line up key people.
You get: Registered company, ownership and capital plan, key people named.
Timeline: 4–8 weeks
Business plan, financial projections, AML/CFT documents, governance and IT policies, all consistent with each other.
You get: Complete licence file: programme of operations, 3-year projections, AML/CFT, governance and IT policies.
Timeline: 1–4 months for small licences, 3–6 months for EMI and PI
We file the application, answer the regulator’s questions and update documents until the decision.
You get: The licence decision and entry in the public register.
Timeline: ongoing
Reporting, AML officer support and EU passporting notifications for full licences.
You get: Passporting notifications to the EEA countries you target, plus reporting and AML support.
A payment provider now serves clients in 27 EU/EEA countries under one Czech licence.
Read the case
Leads payment and e-money licensing projects at AMS, from licence choice to the regulator’s decision.
Book a callTell us what you are building. Our reply covers:
Share your model, target EU markets and expected volumes.
An EMI can issue electronic money: stored value that clients keep in wallets or prepaid products. A PI provides payment services such as acquiring, payouts and money transfers, but cannot issue e-money. Both work across the EEA. An EMI needs €350,000 initial capital, and a PI needs €20,000–125,000 depending on its services.
When you serve one country and stay within the limits. Under EU rules, the cap is €3 million in payments a month for an SPI and €5 million of e-money in circulation for an sEMI; some countries set lower caps. A small licence needs a smaller file and, in most countries, no initial capital. Not every EU country offers small licences. Safeguarding and AML rules still apply.
Capital and core rules come from EU directives (PSD2 and EMD2), so they are the same everywhere: €350,000 for an EMI, €20,000–125,000 for a PI. What differs is the regulator, its workload and the cost of local presence. Our main route today is the Czech Republic, where filing with the Czech National Bank is fully electronic. We are adding other EU jurisdictions and will compare them for your model.
Yes, with a full EMI or PI licence. After approval, your home regulator notifies the regulator in each target country, and you can serve clients there without a separate licence. Small licences do not have this right.
Under the EU Payment Services Directive, the regulator must decide within 3 months of receiving a complete application. The clock stops whenever it asks for more information, so a complete and consistent file is the fastest route. End to end, plan 3–6 months for a small licence and 6–12 months for an EMI or PI.
For a full licence, yes: EU rules require the head office to be in the same country as the registered office, with real management there. Small licences can sometimes work through a local branch of a company from another EU country. In every case the regulator expects real operations, not a mailing address. We help plan the local set-up and find the people.
Our package for a new EMI or PI is €54,000–64,000 and covers the full preparation up to the licence decision. Small licences start from €32,000 for an SPI and €36,000 for an sEMI. Initial capital, regulator fees and running costs such as staff and office come on top.
Sometimes. We occasionally have ready-made companies with payment or e-money licences, and the list changes. A change of owner still needs the regulator’s approval, so ask us for the current list and the steps before you plan around it.