Services / 01
VARA, VASP, EMI and payment licensing in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Hong Kong
Licensing
Virtual asset, payment, e-money, financial services and fund management licences in the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong, and VASP licensing in the EU under MiCA and the BVI, and company formation and structuring for virtual asset businesses in Costa Rica and Panama. We pick the regime that fits the business model, then build and run the application.
The licence decides the structure.
We design the group around the licensed entity from day one, so you are not restructuring after approval.
Virtual assets: 971 VARA, ADGM FSRA, DFSA / 65 MAS DPT / 852 SFC VATP / EU MiCA CASP / 284 BVI FSC. EMI and payments: 971 CBUAE, ADGM FSRA, DFSA / 65 MAS PSA / 852 HKMA SVF. Financial services: 971 DFSA, ADGM FSRA / 65 MAS / 852 SFC. Funds: 971 DIFC and ADGM funds / 65 MAS CMS, VCC / 852 SFC Type 9, OFC, LPF.
The regulators and regimes named on this page, by jurisdiction and licence area. VARA, Dubai, marked.
Crypto and VASP licences: VARA, MiCA, BVI and more
Exchange, broker-dealer, custody, lending and advisory activity in virtual assets. Each jurisdiction draws the lines differently, and a group often needs more than one licence.
What we do
- Activity mapping to licence categories in each centre
- Group structure around the licensed entity
- Rulebook-aligned policies and procedures
- Application, regulator meetings and conditions
- Post-licence compliance set-up
EMI and payment service licences
Stored value, e-money, payment accounts, remittance and merchant acquiring. The right licence depends on what you hold, move and settle, and for whom.
What we do
- Map the activity to the regime and licence category
- Business plan and financial projections for the regulator
- Safeguarding, AML, outsourcing and technology risk policies
- Application drafting, submission and regulator questions
- Capital, substance and key person readiness
Banking and financial services
Advisory, arranging, dealing and custody businesses, and the banking relationships that have to work alongside the licence.
What we do
- Licence scope and category selection
- Regulatory business plan and governance
- Bank onboarding readiness pack
- Approved persons and key function holders
Fund setup and fund manager licences
Fund manager licences and the vehicles they manage, from first close to ongoing administration.
What we do
- Manager licensing and vehicle selection
- Fund documents coordinated with your counsel
- Administrator, auditor and custodian appointments
- Ongoing regulatory reporting set-up
Example
One VASP group, three licences
A holding company in ADGM owns the VARA-licensed operating company in Dubai, a MiCA-authorised CASP for the EU and a BVI-registered VASP for other markets. The route shows the lead licence.
Illustrative only.
FAQ / Questions
Questions we are asked.
Which regulator licenses crypto businesses in the UAE?
It depends where the business sits. VARA licenses virtual asset activity in Dubai, including its free zones except DIFC. The FSRA regulates ADGM and the DFSA regulates DIFC. Some activities also involve the Central Bank or the SCA at federal level.
Do I need an EMI or payment licence in the UAE?
If you hold customer funds, issue stored value, provide payment accounts or process payments in the UAE, you are likely to need a licence from the Central Bank of the UAE, or from the FSRA or DFSA if you operate in ADGM or DIFC. We map your flow of funds to the right regime before anything is filed.
Can one group hold licences in the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong?
Yes, and many do. The group structure has to be designed so each licensed entity meets its own regulator’s rules on ownership, substance and control.
Do you help with MiCA and offshore VASP licences?
Yes. Under MiCA, a crypto-asset service provider is authorised by one EU national regulator and can then offer its services across the EU. We also handle VASP registration in the British Virgin Islands and company formation for virtual asset businesses in Costa Rica and Panama, and help decide which combination of jurisdictions fits the business.
What does a licence application involve?
A regulatory business plan, financial projections, policies such as AML, safeguarding and technology risk, fit and proper documents for owners and key individuals, and a period of regulator questions and conditions before approval.
Bring us the complicated one.
Tell us what you are building, where, and what stands in the way. A principal replies, not a sales desk.