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Forex license in Albania: AMF licence for investment services.
A forex license in Albania is a licence from the Albanian Financial Supervisory Authority (Autoriteti i Mbikëqyrjes Financiare, AMF) under Law No. 62/2020 on Capital Markets, which lists CFDs as instruments. Dealing on own account needs ALL 95 million of capital; the AMF decides within 3 months of a complete file. Its register of 24 October 2026 shows no CFD licensee. We prepare the file in Tirana.
Updated · Reviewed by the Prifinance team
Forex license in Albania: CFDs listed in Law No. 62/2020, no CFD licensee yet.
Albania regulates investment services under Law No. 62/2020 on Capital Markets, in force since 1 September 2020 and, by its own footnote, brought partly into line with MiFID II and MiFIR. The instrument list in Art. 3(40) takes in currency derivatives at point (ç) and financial contracts for differences at point (f), but the AMF licence has no forex or CFD category: it names regulated activities (Art. 18(1)(a)). Nor can a CFD market maker rely on the own-account exemption, because Art. 10(2)(ç) leaves market makers out. Any legal person may apply. A non-bank firm, though, must be an Albanian joint-stock company (sh.a.) whose minimum capital is fully paid from legitimate sources (Art. 16(1)(a)). The register is short: on 24 October 2026 the AMF's list of investment-service firms held nine banks and one non-bank licensee limited to Treasury bills, and none had CFDs in scope.
Under Art. 17, dealing on own account needs initial capital of ALL 95 million. Reception, transmission, execution or portfolio management with client financial-instrument accounts needs ALL 16.25 million; reception, transmission, execution or advice without client accounts or custody needs ALL 6.5 million, which professional liability insurance can replace. The AMF charges ALL 5,000 to file and ALL 60,000 to license under Regulation No. 155, in the list in force since 1 January 2022, and Art. 14(5) gives it 3 months from a complete file to decide. Serving only clients abroad from Albania still needs the licence (Art. 2), and unlicensed regulated activity is a criminal offence (Art. 9(2)). A CFD broker would be the first such AMF licensee; until now the AMF's public word on the business has been warnings against unlicensed forex and CFD platforms, from 2017 to 2025.
On paper, Albania licenses forex and CFD brokers as investment firms under Law No. 62/2020, which lists CFDs as instruments. A non-bank firm is an Albanian sh.a., and dealing on own account needs ALL 95 million.
The AMF decides within 3 months of a complete file and charges ALL 5,000 plus ALL 60,000. No licensee on its register of 24 October 2026 had CFDs in scope.
Dealing on own account at ALL 95 million, or agency services for less.
Art. 17 of Law No. 62/2020 sets initial capital by what the firm does with orders and client assets, so the first choice is whether it takes the other side of its clients' trades. Both builds pay the AMF the same ALL 5,000 to file and ALL 60,000 to license.
Dealing on own account at ALL 95 million, or agency services for less.
The investment firm as market maker
A firm that deals on own account or makes a market in CFDs needs the AMF licence for service (c) and initial capital of ALL 95 million, paid up in cash (Arts. 17(4), 54(4)). Its own funds must then stay at or above the higher of that capital and a quarter of the previous year's fixed overheads, or the K-factor requirement where the largest firms reach a higher figure (Regulation No. 6/2023, Arts. 9-10).
A firm that deals on own account or makes a market in CFDs needs the AMF licence for service (c) and initial capital of ALL 95 million, paid up in cash (Arts. 17(4), 54(4)). Its own funds must then stay at or above the higher of that capital and a quarter of the previous year's fixed overheads, or the K-factor requirement where the largest firms reach a higher figure (Regulation No. 6/2023, Arts. 9-10).
- ✓Service (c) - dealing on own account
- ✓ALL 95 million initial capital - Art. 17(4)
- ✓Capital paid up in cash - Art. 54(4)
- ✓Own funds at least a quarter of fixed overheads
- ✓General Director and a board of three
- ✓AMF decision within 3 months
Passing CFD orders on without a book
A firm that receives, transmits and executes CFD orders without dealing on own account needs ALL 16.25 million if it holds and manages client financial-instrument accounts (Art. 17(2)). Without client accounts or custody the figure is ALL 6.5 million, which professional liability insurance of ALL 65 million per claim and ALL 97.5 million a year can replace or top up (Art. 17(3)).
Reception, transmission and execution without a book: ALL 16.25 million with client accounts, ALL 6.5 million without.
- ✓Reception, transmission, execution
- ✓ALL 16.25 million with client accounts
- ✓ALL 6.5 million without accounts or custody
- ✓Or PI cover of ALL 65 million per claim
- ✓Liquid own funds if no client assets
- ✓Own account added later by variation
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. Fee lists are reviewed every year with the AMF budget (Regulation No. 155, Art. 8(3)), so we confirm the current amounts before quoting; the ALL 5,000 filing fee stays with the AMF if it refuses.
Albania's AMF has three months to decide on a complete file.
Albania offers a statutory decision period and AMF fees counted in thousands of lek; against that, no CFD firm is on its register and the AMF can still write CFD rules.
Art. 14(5) of Law No. 62/2020 obliges the AMF to give its decision within 3 months of the file being complete, and the AMF may decide the licence, the qualifying holdings and the board approvals together (Art. 19). A file is complete only once every requirement of the Law and the AMF's bylaws is met.Licence and approvals decided together.
Under Regulation No. 155, in the list in force since 1 January 2022, a licence costs ALL 5,000 to file and ALL 60,000 to grant, with the licensing fee due within 45 days of the decision. Each administrator, board member or key officer costs ALL 20,000 to approve.ALL 5,000 to file, ALL 60,000 to license.
Most licences on the AMF register are marked 'pa afat', without term. An unused one can be revoked: more than 180 days without regulated activity and without AMF approval is a ground (Art. 30(4)(ç)).Revocable after 180 days unused.
The Law covers firms that carry out regulated activities in or from Albania for clients residing outside it (Art. 2). An Albanian firm may open a branch or appoint a tied agent abroad after notifying the AMF, once the foreign regulator confirms (Art. 29).Licence needed; branches abroad after notice.
A retail client can be treated as a professional, a 'qualified client', on written request if it meets two of three tests: 10 transactions a quarter over the previous four quarters, a portfolio above ALL 65 million, or a year in a senior financial-sector position. The firm warns in writing and takes a separate written acknowledgement (Art. 3(16)).Two of three tests, in writing.
On 24 October 2026 no licensee on the AMF register had CFDs in scope, and the AMF's warnings since 2017 have named unlicensed forex and CFD platforms. It has powers to make rules on advertising, market making and client protection (Arts. 7(2), 50), but has made no leverage or negative-balance rule that we can point to.No CFD licensee yet; rules may follow.
How Albania differs from other routes.
Greece and Cyprus license a CFD market maker inside the EU, at €750,000 of IFD capital with a passport to the other 29 EEA states; Greece prices a market-maker application at €17,500, and Cyprus taxes profit at 15%. North Macedonia, outside the EU like Albania, asks €75,000-€500,000 by service set and taxes at a flat 10%. Albania asks ALL 95 million for own-account dealing and ALL 5,000 plus ALL 60,000 in AMF fees; its draw is the 3-month clock, its weak point a register with no CFD licensee yet.
| Feature | Albania | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Own-account capital | ALL 95 million · Art. 17(4) | €750,000 Greece, Cyprus · about €500,000 North Macedonia |
| Application fee | ALL 5,000 filing + ALL 60,000 licensing | €17,500 market-maker set Greece |
| Decision clock | 3 months from a complete file | 6 months Greece · 3-6 months North Macedonia in practice |
| Passport | None · recognition abroad case by case | Other 29 EEA states Greece, Cyprus · none North Macedonia |
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
Albania | AMF investment firm (sh.a.) | Law No. 29/2023 · rates per structure | ALL 95M own account, ALL 5,000 + ALL 60,000 fees |
Greece | HCMC ΑΕΠΕΥ licence | 22% CIT · 5% WHT | IFD €75k-€750k, €17,500 market-maker fee |
North Macedonia | SEC brokerage house | 10% flat | €75k-€500k by services |
Cyprus | CySEC CIF | 15% CIT (2026) | IFD tiers, EU passport |
Albania
Greece
North Macedonia
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Forex license requirements in Albania: what the AMF checks.Albania forex license requirements.
Art. 16 of Law No. 62/2020 lists what a non-bank applicant must prove, and the AMF approves standard documents by regulation (Art. 16(2)).
Reflects Law No. 62/2020 on Capital Markets, AMF Regulation No. 155 on fees (list in force since 1 January 2022) and Regulation No. 6/2023 on capital adequacy, as of October 2026. The AMF's standard application documents under Art. 16(2) are confirmed per case.Law No. 62/2020, AMF Regulations No. 155 and No. 6/2023, as of October 2026.
Official sources
Regulator pages, legal texts and public registers the figures on this page are based on.
- LawLaw No. 62/2020 "On Capital Markets" - AMF English translationamf.gov.al
- FeesAMF - Regulation No. 155 on fees charged to supervised entities (Annex 1, in force 1.1.2022)amf.gov.al
- RegulatorAMF - Regulation on the capital adequacy of the investment firm (Board Decision No. 6 of 26.01.2023)amf.gov.al
- RegisterAMF - Register of licensed firms: securities market, "Shoqëri komisionere"amf.gov.al
- RegulatorAMF - "Kini Kujdes!" investor warningsamf.gov.al
From the capital tier to the AMF's three-month decision.
We set the services, own-account dealing or agency, and the Art. 17 capital tier that follows, then plan own funds under Regulation No. 6/2023 from the 12-month projections.Services, Art. 17 tier, own funds plan.
We register the sh.a., the capital goes in as cash, and we line up the General Director, the independent board and the heads of the key functions.sh.a., cash capital, director, board.
The application goes in with the fit-and-proper evidence, the three-year business plan, the policies and the AML procedures, plus the ALL 5,000 filing fee, which the AMF keeps if it refuses.Plan, policies, AML, ALL 5,000 fee.
The 3-month clock runs once the file is complete. The AMF may rule on the licence, the qualifying holdings and the board approvals in one go (Art. 19).3 months from a complete file.
The ALL 60,000 licensing fee is due within 45 days of the decision. Approved board members take office within 12 months, and a licence left unused for more than 180 days can be revoked.ALL 60,000 within 45 days of the decision.
Art. 14(5) starts the 3-month clock only when every requirement of the Law and the AMF's bylaws is met, and the register has no CFD licensee to measure the process against. We set our timeline per case once the file is complete.
Run from our Tirana office.

Market maker or agency firm, and with it ALL 95 million, ALL 16.25 million or ALL 6.5 million of initial capital, settled before the company is formed.ALL 95, 16.25 or 6.5 million.
The joint-stock company, a General Director who runs it from Albania and a Management Board of at least three independent members, each put to the AMF for approval.Director in Albania, independent board.
Compliance, AML and risk heads who cannot be outsourced, an internal audit function, and the procedure manuals and IT description the file needs.Compliance, AML, risk kept in-house.
Client categorisation under Art. 3(16), the suitability check the AMF's 2018 CFD warning expects of a licensed provider, and marketing that meets Art. 12.Categorisation, suitability, Art. 12 marketing.






Taxation of forex brokers in Albania.
An Albanian investment firm is taxed under Law No. 29/2023 on income tax, in force since 1 January 2024; its corporate tax and dividend withholding are confirmed per structure.
Parliament adopted Law No. 29/2023 'On Income Tax' on 30 March 2023, published in Fletorja Zyrtare No. 70 of 2 May 2023, and it has applied since 1 January 2024 in place of Law No. 8438 of 1998. We confirm the rate for the licensed company before the model is built.In force since 1 January 2024.
The General Directorate of Taxes gives 20 August of the year in which results are approved as the date to declare and pay the tax on dividends, paid out or not. We confirm that date under Law No. 29/2023, with the withholding rate and any treaty relief for a foreign parent, per structure.Rate and due date per structure.
Payments arising in Albania for technical, management, consulting, financial and insurance services carry tax withheld at source, as the General Directorate of Taxes sets out. Group service fees paid by the broker go into the model with that charge.Rate confirmed per structure.
The reduced rates Law No. 29/2023 sets for agrotourism, the automotive sector and agricultural cooperatives, and the software rate that ran to 31 December 2025, do not extend to financial services.Not for financial services.
Regulation No. 155, in the list in force since 1 January 2022, charges supervision at 0.002% of transaction value, outside the regulated market and on the exchange, MTF or OTF alike, and 0.01% of assets under portfolio management. How that base applies to CFD turnover is confirmed with the AMF.0.002% of transaction value, 2022 list.
VAT on brokerage fees and dealing spreads goes into the Albanian model per structure, together with any Pillar Two top-up, which only a group with EUR 750 million of revenue or more can face.Confirmed per structure.
*As of 2026 per Law No. 29/2023 on income tax as summarised by the Ministry of Finance's fiscal bulletin and the General Directorate of Taxes, and AMF Regulation No. 155 on fees. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Builds the application itself: Albanian joint-stock company (sh.a.), AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed broker.
Active across our channels.
Get your forex license in Albania with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the capital tier and the sh.a. to the board approvals, the AMF file and the three-month review - run through our Tirana office.
Get a consultation →Is Albania the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
CFD brokers and the AMF: questions before filing.
Can a CFD broker get an AMF licence in Albania?+
Yes, on paper. Law No. 62/2020 lists financial contracts for differences and currency derivatives as financial instruments (Art. 3(40)), and a market maker needs the AMF licence for dealing on own account. No licensee on the AMF register of 24 October 2026 had CFDs in scope, so the first such file sets the precedent.
How long does a forex license in Albania take?+
Albania's AMF must give its decision within 3 months of a complete file (Art. 14(5) of Law No. 62/2020), and a file counts as complete only when every requirement of the Law and the AMF's bylaws is met. With no CFD licensee on the register yet, we confirm the overall timing per case.
What does a forex license in Albania cost?+
Albania's AMF charges ALL 5,000 to file and ALL 60,000 for the licence, under the fee list in force since 1 January 2022, and ALL 20,000 per approved administrator or board member. Capital is the larger sum: ALL 95 million to deal on own account. Our fees, and any newer AMF fee list, are confirmed in the quote.
Can a foreign broker serve Albanian clients from abroad?+
Not without the AMF. A foreign firm's branch, representative office or tied agent needs prior notification and AMF recognition (Art. 28), and recognition of a foreign licence is discretionary: the AMF 'may but is not obliged' to grant it, weighing reciprocity (Art. 27). Marketing received in Albania is caught too (Art. 12).
Does Albania cap leverage on retail CFDs?+
No Albanian rule that we can point to caps leverage or requires negative balance protection, and the ESMA restriction the AMF republished is an EU measure. The AMF can make rules on advertising, market making and client protection (Arts. 7(2), 50), and its 2018 warning expects a provider to check a client's suitability first.
Who must run an Albanian investment firm?+
A General Director and administrators who work full-time for the firm and direct it from Albania, under a Management Board of at least three members independent of them (Art. 35). The heads of compliance, AML and risk management cannot be outsourced (Art. 39(6)), and the AMF approves board members in advance.
Can an Albanian firm serve only clients abroad?+
Only with the licence. Law No. 62/2020 covers firms that carry out regulated activities in or from Albania for clients residing outside the country (Art. 2); unlicensed activity is a crime under Art. 170(ç) of the Criminal Code, and contracts made without a licence cannot be enforced against the client (Art. 11).
How must an Albanian firm hold client assets?+
In segregated bank accounts where it may hold client assets, with client transaction records kept apart and reconciled (Art. 48(1)); otherwise the assets go to a licensed custodian the client appoints. Trading outside the market the firm belongs to needs the client's prior approval (Art. 59(1)(a)).
Albania or North Macedonia for a Balkan broker?+
North Macedonia, if a flat 10% tax and a 3-6 month horizon matter most: its SEC licenses a brokerage house at €75,000-€500,000 of capital by service set. Albania has a 3-month statutory clock and AMF fees of ALL 5,000 plus ALL 60,000, but asks ALL 95 million to deal on own account and has no CFD licensee yet.
Why Prifinance for Albania?+
Only a complete file starts the AMF's three-month clock in Albania, so we build one in full: the capital tier, the sh.a., its independent board and the in-house control functions. No AMF licensee had CFDs in scope on 24 October 2026, which leaves no peer file to copy; our Tirana office stays with yours through the AMF's questions.
CFDs licensable?+
Yes, on paper; none licensed yet.
How long?+
3 months from a complete file.
Cost?+
ALL 5,000 + ALL 60,000; ALL 95 million capital.
From abroad?+
Only with AMF recognition.
Leverage cap?+
None we can point to.
Who runs it?+
Full-time managers in Albania.
Clients abroad only?+
Still needs the licence.
Client assets?+
Segregated accounts or a custodian.
Or North Macedonia?+
10% tax, 3-6 months; no passport either.
Why you?+
Tirana office, complete file first.
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: whether your CFD model fits an AMF licence in Albania, which capital tier applies and what the file will cost.
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Albanian Financial Supervisory Authority (AMF) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.