Buy an EMI Licensed Company | E-money Institution for Sale

What the licence allows

Issue electronic money, for example prepaid cards, e-wallets and stored balances.
Provide payment services such as account-to-account transfers, card issuing and acquiring.
Passport services across the EEA when the licence was granted in an EEA state, or operate in the UK under the UK e-money regime when authorised there.

Who usually buys one

Fintechs that want to issue cards or wallets without relying on a partner's licence.
Payment groups that want a regulated entity in a specific jurisdiction.
Platforms and marketplaces that want to hold customer funds under their own authorisation.

Buying an existing company or applying new

	Buy existing	Apply new
Time to operate	Depends on the regulator's change-of-control review	A full authorisation process, often a year or longer
Track record	Existing licence, policies and sometimes live banking	None; you build everything
Main risk	Hidden liabilities and past compliance issues	Refusal or delay of the application
Regulator involvement	Approval of the new owners and controllers	Full assessment of business plan, capital and management

What to check before you buy

Licence status on the regulator's public register, and any conditions attached to it.
Safeguarding arrangements for customer funds and the latest audit.
Own funds against the regulatory capital requirement.
Complaints, regulator correspondence and any open investigations.
Banking relationships and whether they survive a change of ownership.
Key staff such as the MLRO, compliance officer and directors, and whether they stay on.

Every sale is subject to regulator approval of the new owners. Timelines are set by the regulator and are not guaranteed.

Questions about EMI companies

What is the difference between an EMI and an API?

An EMI may issue electronic money and provide payment services. An authorised payment institution provides payment services but does not issue e-money.

Do I need regulator approval to buy an EMI company?

Yes. Acquiring a controlling stake in an authorised firm normally requires the regulator's prior approval or notification, and the buyer is assessed as a controller.

Is buying an EMI faster than applying?

It often is, but the change-of-control review has its own statutory timetable, and the regulator can extend it if it asks for more information.

What is a small EMI (SEMI)?

A small e-money institution is a restricted category with lower thresholds and lighter requirements, available in some regimes. It is limited in the volume it can handle.

Buy an e-money institution (EMI) company