Authorisation and compliance for financial firms UK · EU · UAE
We prepare applications for authorisation and change in control, and provide ongoing compliance consulting, for investment firms, payment and electronic money institutions, crypto-asset service providers, FX and CFD brokers and consumer credit firms.
Our offices
London · Limassol · Dubai
Authorisation
Applications for new authorisation, variation of permission and authorisation in new jurisdictions, through to the regulator's decision.
Authorisation 02Compliance consulting
Ongoing compliance for authorised firms: monitoring, reporting, policies, anti-money laundering and regulator engagement.
Compliance consulting 03Consumer credit
Full FCA permission for lenders, debt collectors and administrators, debt counsellors and credit brokers.
Consumer credit 04Buy or sell a firm
The sale and acquisition of authorised firms, in confidence, and the regulator's approval of the change in control.
Buy or sell a firmAuthorisation
Authorisation, from application to decision
We prepare the complete application, submit it to the regulator and manage the case officer's questions through to determination.
Investment firms and MTFs
MiFID II · FCABrokers, dealers, portfolio managers and multilateral trading facilities, including firms offering crypto derivatives.
Learn morePayment institutions and EMIs
PSD2 · EMD2 · FCAAuthorised and small payment and electronic money institutions across the EU and in the UK, with their agents and distributors.
Learn moreCrypto-asset service providers
MiCA · UK crypto-asset regimeCASP authorisation under MiCA, passported across the EU, and FCA authorisation under the UK's new crypto-asset regime.
Learn moreFX and CFD brokers
MiFID II · retail CFD rulesFirms offering CFDs and rolling spot forex to retail and professional clients, across the EU and in the UK.
Learn moreConsumer credit
FCA full permissionFull FCA permission for lenders, debt collectors and administrators, debt counsellors and credit brokers.
Learn moreHow it works
The application process
Each engagement follows the same four stages. The scope, fee and timetable are confirmed in writing before work begins.
- 01
Initial consultation
We review the business model, the permissions required, the management and ownership, and any matters the regulator will need explained. The consultation is provided without charge.
- 02
Scope and fee
We confirm in writing the permissions, jurisdiction, documents, individuals requiring approval, our fee and the regulator's fee.
- 03
Preparation
We prepare the business plan, financial projections, policies and procedures, governance documentation and approved-person applications. The firm approves each document.
- 04
Submission and assessment
We submit the application and prepare responses to the case officer's questions with the firm, through to the regulator's decision.
Compliance consulting
Compliance for authorised firms
We support authorised firms with the systems, controls and reporting their regulator expects, on a retained basis or for specific projects, across the same sectors and jurisdictions.
Compliance monitoring
A risk-based monitoring programme, periodic testing of controls and reports to the board.
Policies and procedures
The compliance manual, policies and procedures, drafted for the firm and kept current.
Regulatory reporting
Preparation and review of regulatory returns, and the controls that support them.
Anti-money laundering
Business-wide risk assessment, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring and support for the MLRO.
Regulatory change
Assessment of new rules and their implementation, including the transition to new regimes.
Regulator engagement
Responses to supervisory requests, preparation for visits and remediation programmes.
Buy or sell a firm
Authorised firms for sale and acquisition
We act for owners selling an authorised firm and for buyers seeking to acquire one, and prepare the change in control application that every such transaction requires.
For owners
Firms for sale
Owners considering a sale register the firm with us in confidence. We prepare the firm for a buyer's regulatory due diligence and introduce buyers only with the owner's agreement.
- Confidential registration
- Regulatory due diligence readiness
- Change in control application
For buyers
Looking to buy
Buyers tell us the permissions, jurisdiction and business they require. We identify suitable firms, review each target's regulatory position and prepare the approval application.
- Search against your requirements
- Regulatory due diligence on the target
- Change in control application
Jurisdictions
Where we work
We act on applications to regulators in the United Kingdom, in every member state of the European Union and in the United Arab Emirates, and coordinate structures that span several jurisdictions.
Multi-jurisdiction
- Applications coordinated across regions
- Group structures and passporting
- Selected offshore jurisdictions
United Kingdom
- Financial Conduct Authority
- The UK crypto-asset regime
- Senior manager approvals
European Union
- Authorisation in any member state
- MiFID II, PSD2, EMD2 and MiCA
- Passporting across the EU and the EEA
United Arab Emirates
- DFSA, Dubai International Financial Centre
- FSRA, Abu Dhabi Global Market
- VARA, Dubai
- Central Bank of the UAE
OfficesLondonLimassolDubai
Our approach
How we work
Regulators assess the quality of an application as closely as the firm behind it. Each engagement is organised accordingly.
Senior-level work
Every engagement is carried out at senior level, from the initial consultation to the regulator's decision.
Fixed fee, agreed in writing
The scope, fee and work plan are set out in a letter of engagement before work begins. The fee changes only if the scope changes.
Delivery on agreed dates
The work plan sets a delivery date for each document. Enquiries receive a written reply, usually within one business day.
Drafted for each firm
Every application is prepared for the specific firm and its business model. The firm reviews and approves each document before submission.
Articles
Regulatory developments
Notes on regulatory changes affecting investment, payment, crypto-asset and trading firms in the UK, the EU and the UAE.
Buying an authorised firm or applying from scratch
Acquiring an authorised firm can be an alternative to applying for a new authorisation, but the regulator still assesses the buyer and its plans. How the two routes compare on approval, timetable and risk, and when a new application is the better choice.
17 October 2026Change of controlFCA change in control: section 178 notices and the assessment period
A person who decides to acquire or increase control of an FCA-authorised firm must notify the FCA and obtain its approval first. Who must notify, the thresholds, the 60-working-day assessment and its interruption, the criteria the FCA applies and the consequences of completing without approval.
17 October 2026Consumer creditFull or limited permission for consumer credit
Limited permission is available only for a defined set of credit activities, mostly carried on by firms whose main business is selling goods or services. The statutory test, the activities that require full permission, and what the difference means for the application and the firm afterwards.
17 October 2026Initial consultation
Speak to us
Please tell us about your firm and your objectives. We reply in writing, usually within one business day. An initial consultation is provided without charge or obligation.
- +44 (0)20 7164 0274
- info@regetus.com
- London · Limassol · Dubai