Six regulated licence pathways
JK GLOBAL coordinates offshore financial licence applications, including company setup, governance, compliance frameworks, application evidence and banking readiness.
Compare by country
Payment licensing covers regulated services that move, receive, safeguard or issue value for customers and merchants. The correct route depends on the payment product, customer location, flow of funds and whether the business issues electronic money.
Payment institutions may provide remittance, merchant acquiring, account issuance, payment initiation, stored-value or e-money services. Each permission has its own capital, safeguarding, governance and technology expectations.
A licence comparison should therefore begin with a complete funds-flow map and a clear description of which entity receives customer money, which partners execute payments and where customers are located.
Australia
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Australia AFS Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Australia. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Bahamas
Central Bank of The Bahamas
Bahamas PSP Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Bahamas. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Brazil
Central Bank of Brazil
Brazil PSP Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Brazil. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Canada
FINTRAC
A business carrying on covered money-service activities in Canada may need to register with FINTRAC before operating. This is an AML registration rather than a regulatory endorsement or financial-services licence, and it brings ongoing compliance-program, client-identification, record-keeping and reporting duties.
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Czech Republic
Czech National Bank
Czech EMI Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Czech Republic. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Hong Kong
Customs and Excise Department
Hong Kong Money Service Operator Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Hong Kong. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Hong Kong
Registrar of Money Lenders
Hong Kong Money Lenders Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Hong Kong. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Labuan, Malaysia
Labuan Financial Services Authority
Labuan Payment System Operator Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Labuan, Malaysia. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Latvia
Bank of Latvia
Latvia EMI Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Latvia. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Lithuania
Bank of Lithuania
Lithuania Payment Institution Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Lithuania. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Lithuania
Bank of Lithuania
Lithuania EMI Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Lithuania. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Liechtenstein
Financial Market Authority Liechtenstein (FMA)
Liechtenstein Investment Fund Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Liechtenstein. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Malta
Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)
Malta EMI Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Malta. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Malaysia
Bank Negara Malaysia
Malaysia EMI Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Malaysia. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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New Zealand
Financial Service Providers Register
New Zealand Financial Service Provider Registration is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with New Zealand. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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United States — New York
New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS)
New York Virtual Currency Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with United States — New York. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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United States — New York
New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS)
New York Money Transmitter Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with United States — New York. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Nigeria
Central Bank of Nigeria
Nigeria Payment Service Provider Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Nigeria. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Poland
Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF)
Poland EMI Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with Poland. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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Singapore
Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
A Major Payment Institution licence is relevant where a Singapore payment business plans to provide regulated payment services beyond the thresholds available to smaller operators. The application must connect the proposed services, transaction flows, safeguarding, technology, outsourcing and governance into one credible operating model.
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United Arab Emirates
Central Bank of the UAE
UAE Money Exchange Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with United Arab Emirates. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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United Arab Emirates
Central Bank of the UAE
UAE Money Services Provider Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with United Arab Emirates. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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United Kingdom
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
UK EMI Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with United Kingdom. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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United Kingdom
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
UK Payment Institution Licence is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with United Kingdom. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
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United States
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
USA MSB Registration is a jurisdiction-specific authorisation or registration route for firms planning regulated activities connected with United States. The exact permission depends on the product, customer type, transaction flow and target markets. Current legal classification and regulator expectations should be confirmed before incorporation or filing.
View Detailed GuideApplication method
Map products, customers, contractual roles, assets and transaction flows before selecting a licence.
Compare market access, substance, people, capital, banking, technology and ongoing obligations.
Align the entity, ownership, governance, business plan, policies, systems and financial model.
Coordinate filings, interviews, regulator questions, evidence updates and third-party workstreams.
Complete operating readiness and maintain reporting, audits, renewals, training and change notifications.
Common questions
There is no universally easiest jurisdiction. Suitability depends on the exact activity, customers, target markets, owners, available capital, management team, banking and ability to maintain local substance.
Usually not unless the regulator expressly grants operating permission. Incorporation, preliminary approval, registration and a full licence are different milestones and must not be treated as equivalent.
No. Requirements and review periods change by permission scope, risk profile, completeness of evidence and regulatory workload. Current rules should be checked before the project is scoped.
Common obligations include regulatory reporting, audits, capital or liquidity monitoring, policy reviews, staff training, complaints, AML testing, renewals and advance notice or approval for material changes.