Regulatory Advisory for Fintech Companies in Lithuania
AT A GLANCE
- Regulatory advisory covers the full lifecycle of a fintech licence — from selecting the correct regulatory pathway through to application submission, Bank of Lithuania review management, and ongoing post-licence supervisory compliance.
- Lithuania is the leading EU fintech licensing jurisdiction — but an accessible regulator does not mean an uncomplicated one. Preparation, completeness, and credibility determine how quickly an application moves through the review process.
- We provide regulatory advisory across the principal financial authorisation frameworks in Lithuania, including Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs), Payment Institutions (PIs), Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) under MiCA, investment firms under MiFID II, and European Crowdfunding Service Providers (ECSPs). Lithuania’s former national VASP registration regime no longer provides authorisation for regulated crypto-asset services as of 1 January 2026.
- Our regulatory advisory team has direct experience managing Bank of Lithuania licence applications — including pre-application meetings, query responses, and post-approval condition management.
- Regulatory advisory is available as a standalone engagement or as part of a full-service fintech setup covering company registration, compliance, legal, and accounting.
Regulatory advisory means guiding a fintech company through the Lithuanian and EU regulatory landscape — determining the correct licence for the business model, preparing the application package, managing the Bank of Lithuania review process, and maintaining compliance with licence conditions after authorisation is granted. We advise companies at every stage: pre-application strategy, full application preparation and submission, responding to Bank of Lithuania queries during review, and ongoing post-licence regulatory compliance. Our advisory is grounded in direct experience with the Bank of Lithuania’s process — not applied from general EU regulatory knowledge.
What Regulatory Advisory Covers
Regulatory advisory is not a single service — it is a continuous engagement that evolves as the company moves through different stages of its regulatory lifecycle. For a new fintech company, advisory begins before any documents are drafted: with the question of which licence is the right one for the intended business model. That initial question has a material impact on timeline, capital requirements, governance structure, and the entire application process. Getting it wrong at the start costs months.
For a company already in the application process, regulatory advisory means managing the relationship with the Bank of Lithuania: responding to information requests accurately and promptly, coordinating between the legal, compliance, and accounting teams to ensure consistency across all submitted documents, and maintaining momentum through a review process that involves multiple Bank of Lithuania departments assessing different aspects of the application simultaneously.
For a licensed entity, regulatory advisory shifts to post-licence compliance management: monitoring licence conditions, advising on the regulatory impact of business changes, preparing periodic submissions, and ensuring the company is ready for supervisory examination. Regulatory advisory at this stage is the difference between a company that is technically licensed and one that operates its licence confidently.
Licence Selection: Choosing the Right Regulatory Pathway
The first and most important regulatory advisory decision is which licence to apply for. Lithuanian fintech regulation covers multiple frameworks — each with different capital requirements, governance obligations, permitted activities, and application timelines. Choosing the wrong one — either too narrow for the intended activities or unnecessarily broad — creates problems that are expensive to correct after the application is submitted.
EMI vs. Payment Institution: the most common decision
The Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence and the Payment Institution (PI) licence are the two most frequently applied-for licences in Lithuania. The key distinction is whether the company will issue electronic money — that is, store monetary value on behalf of clients in e-wallets, prepaid accounts, or stored-value instruments. If yes, an EMI licence is required. If the company processes payments without storing value, a PI licence may be sufficient. The minimum initial capital requirement for a fully authorised Electronic Money Institution (EMI) is EUR 350,000. For a Payment Institution (PI), the minimum initial capital is EUR 20,000, EUR 50,000 or EUR 125,000, depending on the payment services provided. Payment institutions providing acquiring services generally require initial capital of at least EUR 125,000, rather than EUR 250,000. Both EMIs and PIs must also satisfy the applicable ongoing own funds requirements. Restricted EMI and PI licences are subject to separate requirements and do not provide the same EU/EEA passporting rights as full authorisations.
MiCA CASP authorisation
The EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) took full effect in December 2024 and replaced the VASP registration framework for crypto-asset service providers operating in the EU. Under MiCA, a company providing crypto exchange, custody, brokerage, or portfolio management services to EU clients must be authorised by a national competent authority — in Lithuania, the Bank of Lithuania. Under Article 67 and Annex IV of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA), the permanent minimum capital requirements for Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) are EUR 50,000, EUR 125,000 or EUR 150,000, depending on the services authorised. Class 1 services, including execution of orders, investment advice and portfolio management relating to crypto-assets, generally require EUR 50,000. Class 2 services, including custody and administration of crypto-assets and exchange services, generally require EUR 125,000. Class 3 services, including operation of a crypto-asset trading platform, generally require EUR 150,000. CASPs must maintain prudential safeguards equal to at least the higher of the relevant minimum capital amount or one quarter of their fixed overheads, calculated under MiCA. A crypto-asset white paper is not a universal requirement for CASP authorisation. White paper obligations arise separately for qualifying crypto-asset offerings and admissions to trading.
Investment firm licence under MiFID II
A company providing investment services — forex trading, CFD execution, investment advice, or portfolio management — requires an investment firm licence under MiFID II. Lithuania issues these through the Bank of Lithuania. The capital requirements range from €75,000 to €750,000 depending on the scope of services. Investment firm applications are more complex than EMI or PI applications — they require a more detailed business plan, a broader governance framework, and demonstrated expertise in investment services compliance. We prepare investment firm applications for companies entering the Lithuanian market from non-EU jurisdictions where equivalent authorisation may not be available.
VASP registration — transitional pathway to MiCA
Before MiCA, Lithuanian virtual currency exchange operators and custodial wallet operators operated under a national registration regime, with relevant company information recorded through the Centre of Registers and AML/CFT supervision performed by the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT). Lithuania’s MiCA transitional period ended on 31 December 2025. Since 1 January 2026, previous VASP registration no longer permits companies to provide regulated crypto-asset services. New and existing businesses must generally obtain CASP authorisation from the Bank of Lithuania before providing services covered by MiCA, unless another applicable authorisation or notification procedure is available. We assist with CASP authorisation applications and regulatory compliance assessments.
| Licence | Permitted Activities | Min. Capital | Approx. Application Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMI Licence | E-money issuance, payment services, e-wallets | €350,000 | 10–14 months total |
| Payment Institution | Payment processing, money remittance, payment initiation, acquiring and other authorised payment services | EUR 20,000, EUR 50,000 or EUR 125,000, depending on the regulated activities | Indicative preparation and authorisation period: 8–12 months, subject to the completeness of the application and the Bank of Lithuania’s supervisory assessment. |
| MiCA CASP Authorisation | Crypto exchange, custody, brokerage, advisory | €50,000–€150,000 | 8–14 months total |
| Investment Firm (MiFID II) | Forex, CFD, investment advice, portfolio management | €75,000–€750,000 | 12–18 months total |
| European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSP) Authorisation | Qualifying investment-based and lending-based crowdfunding services under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 | Prudential safeguards equal to at least the higher of EUR 25,000 or one quarter of the preceding year’s fixed overheads, subject to statutory exemptions | Indicative preparation and authorisation period: 8–12 months, depending on the application and regulatory review. Eligible safeguards may take the form of own funds, qualifying insurance or comparable guarantees, or a permitted combination. |
| CASP Authorisation under MiCA | Regulated crypto-asset exchange, custody, trading, brokerage, advisory and other authorised services | EUR 50,000, EUR 125,000 or EUR 150,000 in permanent minimum capital requirements, depending on the authorised services, together with applicable ongoing prudential safeguards | Subject to the authorisation procedure established by Articles 62 and 63 of MiCA. National VASP registration no longer provides authorisation to conduct regulated crypto-asset services in Lithuania. |
The Bank of Lithuania Application Process
The Bank of Lithuania’s licence application process follows a defined sequence. Understanding each stage — and the specific risks at each — is the foundation of effective regulatory advisory. The single most impactful variable in application timeline is preparation quality: a complete, consistent, and credible application moves through the process significantly faster than one that requires supplementary information.
MiCA and Crypto Regulatory Advisory
The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation represents the most significant change to the European crypto regulatory landscape since the asset class emerged. For Lithuanian crypto businesses, MiCA creates both a compliance obligation and a commercial opportunity — an EU-wide operating licence accessible through a single Lithuanian authorisation. We provide specialist MiCA advisory covering classification, application preparation, and ongoing compliance.
MiCA classification — what type of CASP are you
MiCA defines crypto-asset services across multiple categories, each with different capital requirements and operational obligations. A company that operates a crypto exchange (buying and selling crypto assets against fiat or other crypto assets) is classified differently from one that provides custody, portfolio management, or investment advice in crypto assets. Many crypto businesses provide multiple services — which means multiple MiCA classifications apply simultaneously. We assess the full scope of a company’s activities and confirm the correct MiCA classification profile before any application work begins.
The MiCA white paper
MiCA distinguishes between authorisation requirements for Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) and white paper obligations relating to offers to the public or admission to trading of crypto-assets. A CASP applying for authorisation under Article 62 is not universally required to prepare or publish a crypto-asset white paper merely because it intends to provide regulated services. White paper requirements arise under the relevant provisions of MiCA depending on the category of crypto-asset, the nature of the offer or admission to trading and applicable exemptions. Where a white paper is required, its content, notification, publication and approval requirements depend on the relevant crypto-asset category. The white paper should not be described as a mandatory marketing document for every CASP applicant. We prepare MiCA-compliant white papers and manage the Bank of Lithuania filing process.
VASP to MiCA transition
Lithuanian companies registered as VASPs before the MiCA transition window have a defined pathway to full MiCA authorisation. The transitional period allows existing VASPs to continue operating while they prepare and submit their MiCA application. Companies that miss the transition window lose their right to operate under the VASP framework and must obtain full MiCA authorisation before resuming services. We manage the complete VASP-to-MiCA transition — assessing readiness, preparing the full MiCA application, and managing the Bank of Lithuania review process.
The maximum transitional period permitted under MiCA ended on 1 July 2026, but Member States were permitted to establish shorter national transitional periods. Lithuania’s transitional period ended on 31 December 2025. Since 1 January 2026, previously registered Lithuanian VASPs without the required MiCA authorisation have generally been prohibited from continuing regulated crypto-asset services. Submission of a CASP application alone does not grant permission to operate after the expiry of the applicable transitional period. Businesses seeking to provide regulated crypto-asset services in Lithuania must obtain the necessary authorisation or qualify for an applicable alternative regulatory route.













