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Lithuania EMI License Application Guide: Central Bank Process, Fees and the 3-Month Statutory Review
Lithuania is the EU's EMI/PI licensing hub: official fees of EUR 1,463 (EMI) and EUR 898 (PI), a statutory 3-month review once the file is complete, and EEA passporting.
- Jurisdiction
- Lithuania
- Regulator
- Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas)
- Legal basis
- Law on Electronic Money and Payment Institutions of Lithuania (transposing EMD2/PSD2)
- Verified
- 2026-09-18
Why Lithuania
The Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) is one of the EU licensing authorities most open to fintech; Revolut's early EU license came from here. The appeal rests on three things: a transparent published fee schedule, a codified statutory review period (3 months once the file is complete), and an application process that accepts documents in English. Once licensed, a Lithuanian EMI can passport across the entire EEA like any other EU EMI.
Capital requirements follow the standard EU tiers: EUR 350,000 for an EMI, EUR 20,000 to 125,000 for a PI depending on the services. Lithuania also offers a restricted licence option: no minimum capital and a faster review, but the business may only operate within Lithuania and is subject to volume caps. It suits a path of validating the model first, then upgrading to a full license.
Application Documents and Process
Applications are prepared against the annex checklists in the central bank's licensing rules: Annex 1 for EMIs, Annex 2 for PIs. They cover the business plan, three-year financial projections, governance structure, safeguarding arrangements for customer funds, AML/CFT policies, IT and security descriptions, and fit-and-proper documentation for shareholders and management. Documents must be in Lithuanian or English, foreign-issued documents need an Apostille, and the application can be submitted online with an electronic signature.
Procedurally, the central bank may issue a request for additional documents within 1 to 2 months of acceptance (the review clock pauses while you respond), after which the file, once complete, enters the 3-month statutory review. In practice, the total timeline depends mostly on how many rounds of follow-up requests occur. Getting the safeguarding and AML documents right the first time is the key to a shorter process.
Official Fees
The state fees (paid to the State Tax Inspectorate, STI) are published and transparent: EUR 1,463 for an EMI license, EUR 1,235 for a restricted EMI, EUR 898 for a PI license, EUR 682 for a restricted PI, and EUR 693 for account information services (AIS) only. These are just the government fees; lawyers, compliance consultants and a local team are the main cost items.
Licensed institutions are entered in the Bank of Lithuania's public register and synchronized to the EBA's EUCLID EU-wide register. Both can be checked free of charge.
Official portals and sources
- Bank of Lithuania EMI authorisation guidance (official portal)lb.lt
- Bank of Lithuania PI authorisation guidancelb.lt
- Lithuania EMI license register (official)lb.lt
All links above point to official government, registry, regulator, bank or standards body sites, verified on 2026-09-18.
FAQ
- How much does a Lithuanian EMI license cost in total?
- The government fee is EUR 1,463 for an EMI (EUR 1,235 for a restricted EMI), paid to the State Tax Inspectorate. The real budget items are the EUR 350,000 initial capital, legal and compliance advisory fees, and the cost of genuine local operations, for which there are no official standard figures.
- Can I get the license in 3 months?
- The 3 months is the statutory review period after the file is complete. Before that come document preparation and possibly several rounds of follow-up requests (each pausing the clock), so the overall timeline in practice is usually well beyond 3 months.
- Is the restricted license worth applying for?
- A restricted EMI/PI has no minimum capital and a faster process, but can only operate within Lithuania and cannot passport. It suits validating the business at small scale before applying for a full license. Whether it fits your path depends on your business plan.
Related entries
EMI (electronic money institution) topic pageBrowse licensed institutions in Lithuania
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This site is an information aggregator, not a regulator, and this article is not legal advice. License requirements, fees and timelines change as regulation evolves. Before applying, rely on the regulator's official publications and consult licensed counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.