Payment licensing
EMI, PI, MSB and equivalents.
InnReg
InnReg is a US fintech compliance consultant, incorporated as InnReg LLC, that helps with money transmission and cryptocurrency licensing models. It is located…
Innovires Legal
Innovires Legal is the brand of the Bulgarian law firm Dimitrova, Cholakov & Partners Ltd., which supports licences for payment and e-money institutions before…
GVZH
GVZH is a Maltese legal and corporate group that works with financial and technology businesses. The company's services are built around Malta as its…
GP Partners
GP Partners is a Polish law firm that advises payment service providers. It offers licensing before the KNF, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority…
Gofaizen & Sherle
Gofaizen & Sherle is an international advisory group supporting crypto, payment and gaming licensing, corporate structuring and AML/KYC. Its related practice…
Gencs Valters Law Firm
Gencs Valters Law Firm is a Baltic law firm that publishes offers on crypto registration and EMI licensing in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Some of its…
fscom
fscom is a financial regulation consultancy with offices in the United Kingdom and Ireland, founded in 2012. It advises on the authorisation of payment and…
Fintheo
Fintheo is a consultant for licensing payment and e-money projects, and it describes support for FCA applications and for answering the regulator's questions…
FinTech Legal Center
FinTech Legal Center is a consultant that helps launch payment, crypto and gaming companies, with a base in Estonia and a European Union focus. Services Four…
FFF Legal
FFF Legal is the brand of Fenech Farrugia Fiott Legal, a Maltese law firm founded in 2009. It advises financial, payment and blockchain projects on licensing…
Eternity Law International
Eternity Law International is a private international consultant on corporate structures and regulated business. The company states that it helps with EMI…
Ellex
Ellex is a Baltic law group that advises payment and e-money institutions, neobanks and other fintech projects. Separate office contacts are given for Estonia…
DLK Legal
DLK Legal is a Polish law firm that supports licensing of national payment institutions and electronic money institutions, known in Poland as KIP and KIPE. The…
DF Advocates
DF Advocates is a Maltese law firm that supports a financial project from setting up the structure to the licence and continuing compliance. In fintech, it…
CSB Group
CSB Group is a Maltese advisory group with a legal and regulatory team for financial institutions. It helps EMI projects with licensing and compliance and…
Cosegic
Cosegic is a financial compliance firm formerly known as Compliancy Services. It was founded in 2003, operates as Cosegic Limited and is registered under…
COBALT
COBALT is a Baltic law group with a dedicated fintech practice. It works in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and supports technology-driven financial companies…
Capital Compliance Experts
Capital Compliance Experts is a US consulting company specialising in money transmitter licensing and regulatory compliance. It supports both obtaining and…
Payment licensing by country
Related subsections
Licences for payment services
Holding client funds, issuing e-money, acquiring card payments or transmitting money is regulated almost everywhere. The right licence depends on what you do with money and where your customers are. This subsection lists law firms and consultants that prepare applications, build the required policies and liaise with regulators.
Main licence types
- EMI (electronic money institution): e-money issuance plus payment services; used by wallet, card and account providers. Common EU choices include Lithuania, Malta, Cyprus and others; the UK has its own regime.
- PI (payment institution): payment services without e-money — acquiring, money remittance, payment initiation.
- Small EMI / small PI: lighter national regimes with volume caps and usually no passporting.
- MSB (Canada) and money transmitter licences (USA): federal registration in Canada; in the US, state-by-state licensing on top of federal MSB registration.
- Payment aggregator licences: for example RBI authorisation for payment aggregators in India, including the cross-border PA-CB category.
What drives cost and timing
Ask advisers for a full picture rather than a headline price:
- minimum own funds and capital requirements;
- local substance: office, resident directors, MLRO and compliance staff;
- safeguarding arrangements with a bank;
- IT, security and outsourcing documentation;
- regulator review time, which varies by country and by quality of the application.
A "cheapest EMI licence" may be the right fit for a pilot but limit access to banks and card schemes later.
Choosing an adviser
- Track record with the specific regulator, not just the country.
- Scope: application only, or also policies, recruitment of key persons, bank introductions and post-licence compliance.
- Fixed fee vs hourly, and what is excluded.
- Ongoing support for reporting and audits.
Related hubs
Combine with company formation, compliance outsourcing and EMI accounts for safeguarding. Popular jurisdictions: UK, Lithuania, Malta, Canada, USA. Not legal advice — post a request to get proposals from firms.