Obtaining an AEMI license in Lithuania

In today’s world, electronic money is becoming more and more popular, opening wide opportunities for financial transactions.

Lithuania, as a member of the European Union, offers a regulatory framework for companies wishing to carry out electronic money transactions and investment activities within its territory.

One of the key elements for carrying out such transactions is obtaining an AEMI (Authorised Electronic Money Institution) license.

What is an AEMI license?

An AEMI license is a permit issued by the Bank of Lithuania that gives companies the right to carry out electronic money transactions and investment activities. This license is mandatory for those who plan to conduct financial services in Lithuania.

Obtaining an AEMI license requires a company to meet a number of requirements set by regulatory authorities.

Some of these requirements include:

• Confirmation of the company’s financial stability and capital adequacy.
• Carrying out a documentary check of the founders and managers of the company.
• Development and implementation of appropriate policies and procedures for the detection and prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.
• Ensuring compliance with security and personal data protection standards.

The process of obtaining an AEMI license can be complex and time-consuming, but includes the following basic steps:

• Preparation of documentation. The company must collect and prepare all necessary documentation, including articles of association, financial statements, policies and procedures.
• Application submission. An application for obtaining an AEMI license is submitted to the Bank of Lithuania together with all necessary documentation.
• Consideration of the application. The Bank of Lithuania conducts a thorough analysis of the application and accompanying documents from 6 to 12 months in order to determine the company’s compliance with all requirements.
• Conducting an interview. In case of a positive decision on the application, an interview with representatives of the Bank of Lithuania may be scheduled.
• Obtaining a license. After successfully passing all stages of the process, the company receives an AEMI license and can start conducting electronic money transactions and investment activities.

Obtaining an AEMI license in Lithuania has a number of advantages for companies, including:

• Ability to carry out transactions with electronic money within the framework of the European Union.
• Access to a wide market of financial services.
• Support and oversight from regulatory authorities, which helps increase customer confidence.

Obtaining an AEMI license in Lithuania can be difficult for several reasons:

• Strict capital requirements. To obtain a license, the company must have a sufficiently large amount of capital, which can amount to a significant amount (300-400 thousand). This makes the process of obtaining a license expensive and requires serious financial efforts on the part of the applicant.
• Complexity of the application process. The process of obtaining an AEMI license involves submitting extensive documentation and responding to numerous requests from the regulatory body. This process can be difficult due to the large number of requirements and the need for careful planning and preparation.
• Strict security and compliance requirements. Regulatory authorities place high demands on security and personal data protection systems for companies that receive an AEMI license. This means that the company must have a high level of technical knowledge and ensure compliance with all security standards, which can be a challenge for some organizations.
• The need to pass a thorough inspection. Companies applying for an AEMI license must undergo a thorough regulatory review. This may include verification of financial stability, verification of founders and managers of the company, as well as risk assessment.
• A long period of obtaining a license. The process of obtaining an AEMI license can take a considerable amount of time, as the regulatory authorities conduct a detailed analysis of the submitted documentation and respond to numerous requests from the applicant. This can lead to delays in business launch and loss of market opportunities.

Obtaining an AEMI license in Lithuania is an important step for companies that plan to carry out transactions with electronic money and investment activities within the European Union.

This process requires companies to make serious efforts, financial expenses and compliance with high standards of security and regulatory control.

Despite the complexity of the process, the advantages provided by the license can significantly increase the company’s competitiveness in the financial services market.