Fintech Licensing & Compliance

Fintech Licensing & Compliance

Securing the licence, building the compliance framework the regulator expects, and designing the systems that make it work in production — as one continuous engagement.

Discuss Your Licence
LicensingDigital asset, e-money, PSP, MTO
FrameworkAML/CFT, KYC/KYB, monitoring
CoverageThailand, UAE & the Pacific

Three Services, One Continuous Engagement

Most providers do one of these three well and hand you the other two. That is where projects fail: a licence granted on the strength of a policy the business cannot actually operate, or a system built without reference to the conditions the regulator imposed. We run all three as a single workstream.

1

Licensing & Regulator Liaison

  • Business and licence-category assessment
  • Licensing strategy and application planning
  • Business model and regulatory gap analysis
  • Preparation of the full application dossier
  • Consultation and liaison with the regulator
  • Readiness for regulatory inspection and go-live

Advice and execution on licence applications, run efficiently and without surprises.

2

Policy & Compliance Framework

  • AML/CFT policy and procedures
  • KYC / KYB / CDD / EDD framework
  • Transaction monitoring and sanctions screening
  • Risk management and internal controls
  • Compliance and governance framework
  • Outsourcing and business continuity planning
  • Regulatory reporting policy and procedures
  • Operating manuals aligned to the applicable rules

A complete policy set that satisfies the regulator and that your team can actually follow.

3

Fintech Systems Design

  • KYC / KYB and customer onboarding design
  • Transaction monitoring design
  • Sanctions and watchlist screening
  • Customer risk rating and risk scoring
  • Alert and case management workflow
  • Approval and compliance workflow
  • Regulatory reporting and automation
  • System requirements and compliance rules

Compliance systems connected to real operations, ready to run and built to scale.

Key Takeaway: Regulators increasingly test whether a firm’s written framework matches what its systems actually do. A policy set that cannot be evidenced in the platform is a finding waiting to happen at the first inspection.

Jurisdictions We Cover

Licensing strategy is rarely a single-country question. Clients choose a jurisdiction for market access, capital requirements, timelines and banking, then need the same standard of framework applied consistently across the group.

RegionRegulatorsFocus
ThailandBOT (Bank of Thailand), SEC, AMLO, ETDA, PDPC and other relevant agenciesLocal regulatory expertise combined with international standards
Middle East / DubaiVARA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, SCALicence applications and compliance framework build-out
MicronesiaFSM FSA, RMI CIMA, Palau FSCCross-border payments and financial services structures
PolynesiaFSC Fiji, FSPF Samoa, FSC TongaLicensing with compliance and governance design
MelanesiaVFSC Vanuatu, FSC Solomon Islands, FSA PNGAML/CFT framework and market entry support

Businesses We Act For

BanksFintech companiesPayment service providers (PSP)Payment gatewaysE-money issuersRemittance businessesMoney transfer operators (MTO)Money changersDigital asset businessesOffshore banking licence holders

Licence Categories

The right licence category is a commercial decision as much as a legal one. Applying for more than the business model needs invites capital and governance requirements you cannot meet; applying for less leaves activities unlicensed.

Key Takeaway: Scope the licence to the business model, then design the framework and the system to the licence conditions. Working in the other order is the most common and most expensive mistake in this sector.

International Corporate & Governance Structure

Group Holding Structures

Experience designing international shareholding structures, including BVI holding company frameworks and cross-border governance.

Governance Design

Board, committee and reporting structures appropriate to the licence and proportionate to the risk profile.

Oversight & Risk Control

Support for ongoing supervision, control testing and management information that stands up to inspection.

Multi-Jurisdiction Compliance

One framework, applied consistently, mapped to the specific requirements of each licensing jurisdiction.

How an Engagement Runs

  1. Model and jurisdiction review. We map your business model to licence categories across candidate jurisdictions and set out capital, timeline and substance requirements.
  2. Gap analysis. What exists today against what the chosen regulator will expect, covering documents, governance, systems and personnel.
  3. Application build. Dossier preparation, policy suite drafting and regulator liaison through the review and question rounds.
  4. Systems design. Onboarding, monitoring, screening, risk scoring, case management and reporting specified as compliance rules your developers can implement.
  5. Inspection readiness and go-live. Dry-run testing, evidence packs, staff briefing and ongoing support once you are operating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which jurisdiction should we license in?
It depends on your target market, the customer types you will onboard, your capital position and your banking requirements. A licence that is quick to obtain but hard to bank is not a commercial win. We assess candidate jurisdictions against your model and set out the trade-offs before you commit.
Can you write policies without building the systems?
Yes, and clients often start there. However, we recommend at minimum that the policy set is written against a defined system design. Regulators increasingly test whether written procedures match what the platform actually does, and a mismatch is one of the most common inspection findings.
Do you handle digital asset licensing?
Yes, across exchange, brokerage, dealing and custody models, in Thailand and in the other jurisdictions listed above. Digital asset regimes vary widely, and requirements around custody, segregation, disclosure and capital are where applications most often stall.

Framework and systems questions

What does a compliance framework actually include?
At minimum: AML/CFT policy and procedures, a KYC/KYB/CDD/EDD framework, transaction monitoring and sanctions screening rules, customer risk rating methodology, internal controls, a governance and compliance framework, outsourcing and business continuity arrangements, and regulatory reporting procedures — supported by operating manuals your staff can follow.
Do you work with our existing technology vendors?
Yes. We usually act as the compliance authority in the build: we define the rules, thresholds, risk scoring logic, alert handling and reporting outputs, and work alongside your in-house team or vendor to implement them. We do not require you to change platform.
Can you support us after the licence is granted?
Yes. Ongoing support covers regulatory reporting, framework updates as rules change, control testing, remediation of inspection findings, and additional licence applications as the business expands into new products or jurisdictions.
How long does a licence application take?
It varies substantially by jurisdiction and licence category, and depends heavily on how complete the initial submission is. The single largest driver of delay is an application filed before the governance, policy and systems evidence is ready. We front-load that work precisely to compress the regulator’s review.

Planning a Licence Application or a Compliance Build?

Tell us your business model and target markets. We will map it to the right licence categories, set out the realistic timeline and capital requirements, and scope the framework and systems work needed to get you authorised and operating.

Discuss Your Licence