Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the FMA decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a forex license in New Zealand.
The clean-jurisdiction premium, licensed: the FMA's derivatives issuer licence under the Financial Markets Conduct Act - net tangible assets of NZ$1,000,000 or 10% of average revenue (half held in cash), monthly NTA calculations, retail suitability duties and a flag that ranks with the world's most trusted. Small market, outsized stamp.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
New Zealand in brief
A small market with a heavyweight stamp.
New Zealand licenses retail OTC derivatives through the Financial Markets Authority: offering derivatives to retail investors requires a derivatives issuer licence under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, held to standard conditions with real teeth. The prudential core is condition-defined: net tangible assets of the greater of NZ$1,000,000 or 10% of average revenue, maintained at all times with at least half in cash or cash equivalents and the balance in liquid assets - calculated monthly and reported. Around it sit rolling twelve-month cash-flow forecasts reviewed against actuals, regulatory returns covering volumes, clients and complaints, and a suitability condition that obliges issuers to assess whether retail investors can actually understand the product.
Why brokers prize the flag: New Zealand consistently ranks among the world's least corrupt, most trusted jurisdictions, and an FMA licence converts that reputation into commercial standing - with banks, with PSPs, and with clients who read 'FMA-licensed' as a promise kept. The register is deliberately small: the FMA vets thoroughly, polices actively and has censured issuers publicly, which is precisely why the stamp retains value. Entry is a real project - directors of substance, local presence, dispute-resolution scheme membership, FSPR registration, and the realistic timeline runs six to twelve months. We build the file, the people and the New Zealand substance end to end from Auckland.
FMA derivatives issuer licence under the FMC Act: NTA the greater of NZ$1M or 10% of average revenue (50% cash), monthly calculations, 12-month cash-flow forecasts, suitability duty for retail - a small, hard-vetted register.
The trusted-flag premium, earned. Wholesale-only models sit outside licensing. We build the file from Auckland.
The two routes
The retail licence - or the wholesale lane.
The FMC Act splits by audience: the full derivatives issuer licence for retail offers, or the wholesale-only lane outside licensing for professional counterparties. We fix the audience first. It defines everything downstream.
The retail DI licence - or the wholesale lane outside it.
01 - DERIVATIVES ISSUER LICENCE
The retail licence
The full FMA permission: offering OTC derivatives to New Zealand retail investors. NTA-conditioned, suitability-tested, monthly-reported, and carrying the flag's full trust premium.
The full FMA permission: offering OTC derivatives to New Zealand retail investors. NTA-conditioned, suitability-tested, monthly-reported, and carrying the flag's full trust premium.
- ✓Retail OTC derivatives - FX and CFDs
- ✓NTA: NZ$1M or 10% of revenue
- ✓50% of NTA in cash equivalents
- ✓Monthly NTA calculation and reporting
- ✓Retail suitability assessment duty
- ✓The trusted-flag premium, earned
02 - THE WHOLESALE LANE
Professional counterpartiesThe wholesale model
Dealing exclusively with wholesale investors sits outside the licensing requirement. The B2B, liquidity and eligible-counterparty model run from a trusted jurisdiction, with FSPR registration and conduct obligations still applying.
Wholesale investors only: no DI licence needed, FSPR registration and fair dealing still apply. The B2B architecture, engineered.
- ✓Wholesale investors only - no retail
- ✓Outside the DI licensing net
- ✓FSPR registration still required
- ✓Fair-dealing rules still apply
- ✓Natural liquidity-desk architecture
- ✓Upgrade path to the retail licence
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. FMA fees follow its schedule; NTA capital, people and substance are itemised in your quote.
Why New Zealand
Trust as a balance-sheet asset.
New Zealand converts reputation into commercial advantage. For the few licensees its regulator admits.
✓
A world-ranking flag
Consistently among the least corrupt, most trusted jurisdictions on earth. The licence inherits a national brand money cannot buy.Trust as an asset.
✓
Condition-defined prudence
NTA of NZ$1M or 10% of revenue, half in cash, computed monthly. A published formula, not a discretionary negotiation.NTA published, monthly.
✓
A deliberately small register
The FMA vets hard and censures publicly. Scarcity is the stamp's value, and licensed issuers inherit it.Scarcity is the value.
✓
Suitability as moat
The retail suitability condition raised the conduct floor. Operators built for it convert trust into retention the churn shops never see.Conduct as retention.
✓
English law, APAC hours
Common-law certainty in the Asia-Pacific time zone. The trusted-flag alternative to Australia with its own character.Common law, right zone.
✓
Clean-market economics
28% corporate tax, no general capital gains tax and a transparent system. Predictable numbers for a predictable jurisdiction.28%, no general CGT.
How it compares
How New Zealand differs from other routes.
The comparison that matters: fewer licences, harder vetting, and a stamp that trades above its market size.
New Zealand vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  New Zealand | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | FMC Act - FMA DI licence | MiFID desks or offshore |
| Capital | NTA NZ$1M / 10% revenue | Flat tiers typical |
| Register | Small, hard-vetted | Volume registers |
| Timeline | 6-12 months | Weeks offshore, months EU |
Regime
New ZealandFMC Act - FMA DI licence
Other jurisdictionsMiFID desks or offshore
Capital
New ZealandNTA NZ$1M / 10% revenue
Other jurisdictionsFlat tiers typical
Register
New ZealandSmall, hard-vetted
Other jurisdictionsVolume registers
Timeline
New Zealand6-12 months
Other jurisdictionsWeeks offshore, months EU
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | FMA derivatives issuer | 28% CIT | NTA NZ$1M/10%, suitability |
 Australia | ASIC AFSL | 30% · 25% base | NTA A$1M, CFD order |
 Singapore | MAS CMS licence | 17% · exemptions | S$1M-5M base capital |
 United Kingdom | FCA investment firm | 25% CIT · 19% small | MIFIDPRU tiers, CASS |
New ZealandLicense typeFMA derivatives issuer
Taxation28% CIT
RequirementsNTA NZ$1M/10%, suitability
AustraliaLicense typeASIC AFSL
Taxation30% · 25% base
RequirementsNTA A$1M, CFD order
SingaporeLicense typeMAS CMS licence
Taxation17% · exemptions
RequirementsS$1M-5M base capital
United KingdomLicense typeFCA investment firm
Taxation25% CIT · 19% small
RequirementsMIFIDPRU tiers, CASS
Before you apply
Requirements for the New Zealand licence.Requirements for the licence.
The FMA licenses few and examines thoroughly. The checklist below is what a passing application contains.
01
New Zealand company. Locally incorporated with genuine management in New Zealand.
02
Net tangible assets. The greater of NZ$1,000,000 or 10% of average revenue, with 50% in cash equivalents, maintained at all times.
03
Monthly NTA discipline. Calculation, board visibility and reporting machinery from day one.
04
Cash-flow forecasting. Rolling twelve-month projections reviewed monthly against actuals, board-approved.
05
Directors and senior managers of substance. Capability, character and track records the FMA tests individually.
06
FSPR registration. The Financial Service Providers Register entry alongside the licence.
07
Dispute resolution scheme. Membership of an approved scheme for retail clients.
08
Suitability machinery. The retail assessment process engineered into onboarding, not policy paper.
09
Client money arrangements. Handling and safeguarding designed to FMC standards before launch.
10
AML/CFT programme. New Zealand AML law compliance with named officers and audit trails.
01
NZ company, run locally.
02
NTA NZ$1M / 10% revenue.
03
50% cash, monthly maths.
04
12-month cash forecasts.
05
Directors of substance.
06
FSPR registration.
07
Dispute scheme member.
08
Suitability in onboarding.
09
Client money to standard.
10
AML with named officers.
Reflects the FMC Act and the FMA's standard conditions for derivatives issuers as of 2026.FMC Act + FMA standard conditions, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the FMA register.
01
Audience and model
Retail licence or wholesale lane, product set and NTA plan. Fixed in writing before any drafting.Retail or wholesale - fixed.
02
Company and people
New Zealand entity, NTA capital evidenced and the directors the FMA tests individually.NTA evidenced.
03
The application file
Business plan, financial machinery, suitability and client-money architecture. Complete at filing.Complete machinery.
04
FMA review
Question rounds and people assessments answered - 6-12 months realistic end to end.6-12 months realistic.
05
Licence and launch
Register entry, monthly NTA calendar live, dispute scheme active. The trusted flag at work.Monthly calendar on.
Quick facts
RegulatorFMA
FrameworkFMC Act 2013
NTANZ$1M or 10% revenue
Cash portion50% of NTA
NTA reportingMonthly
SuitabilityRetail condition
Wholesale laneOutside licensing
Realistic timeline6-12 months
The FMA licenses few and polices publicly. That scarcity is exactly what the stamp is worth. Arriving complete is the game, and our job.
On the ground in New Zealand
Run from our Auckland office.
Prifinance - New Zealand
Auckland · New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand
01
Company and structure
Incorporation, capital structuring and the corporate layer the FMA expects. Built for the licence from day one.Built for the licence.
02
The FMA file
Business plan, NTA and cash-flow machinery, suitability architecture. Drafted end to end and defended through the rounds.Machinery, not memos.
03
People of substance
Directors and senior managers prepared for the FMA's individual testing. Capability papers and interview readiness as a workstream.Tested-ready.
04
Banking and rails
Introductions to the banks and PSPs that price the trusted flag properly. Sequenced with the licence.Trusted-flag rails.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of forex brokers in New Zealand.
A transparent system with clean edges. Predictable numbers from a predictable jurisdiction.
Corporate tax 28%
The flat company rate - no surcharges, no minimum taxes, no surprises.Flat, no surprises.
No general capital gains tax
New Zealand levies no comprehensive CGT. Disposals and restructurings stay clean in the standard case.Clean edges.
GST 15% - finance exempt
Financial services are GST-exempt supplies; the standard rate touches operating costs, not the dealing book.15% on costs only.
Imputation credits
The imputation system attaches company tax to dividends. Resident shareholders avoid double taxation by design.No double tax design.
Full expensing discipline
A broad-base, low-exemption system. Fewer games, fewer rulings, faster certainty.Fast certainty.
Treaty network 40+
A solid treaty base across the OECD and Asia-Pacific. Group structures above the entity model cleanly.OECD + APAC.
Tax summary
Corporate tax28%
Capital gains taxNone general
GST15% · finance exempt
DividendsImputation system
Tax treaties40+
*Figures as of 2026 per Inland Revenue. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
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.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: New Zealand company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
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 issuer.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
New Zealand · FMA
Launch your forex project in New Zealand with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from incorporation to the derivatives issuer licence, NTA machinery and ongoing compliance - run through our Auckland office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is New Zealand 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.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The New Zealand forex licence: quick answers.
What licence does a forex broker need in New Zealand?+
A derivatives issuer licence from the FMA under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 - required for offering OTC derivatives, including margin FX and CFDs, to New Zealand retail investors.
What capital is required?+
The standard conditions set net tangible assets at the greater of NZ$1,000,000 or 10% of average revenue - maintained at all times, with at least 50% in cash or cash equivalents and the balance in liquid assets, calculated monthly.
What ongoing financial discipline applies?+
Monthly NTA calculations with immediate notification of solvency concerns, rolling twelve-month cash-flow forecasts reviewed against actuals and board-approved, and regulatory returns covering volumes, clients, breaches and complaints.
What is the suitability condition?+
A standard condition requiring issuers to assess whether derivatives are suitable for each retail investor - their ability to understand the product and its risks - before trading. It must live in onboarding machinery, not policy paper.
Is there a wholesale route without the licence?+
Dealing exclusively with wholesale investors sits outside the DI licensing requirement - with FSPR registration and fair-dealing obligations still applying. The B2B lane is real; the boundary must be engineered and kept.
How long does licensing take?+
Realistically 6-12 months - the FMA examines directors, systems and financial machinery in depth, and its register is deliberately small. Completeness and credible people are the levers.
How are New Zealand brokers taxed?+
28% corporate tax, no general capital gains tax, GST-exempt financial services and the imputation system on dividends - with a 40+ treaty network.
What substance does the FMA expect?+
A genuinely governed New Zealand business: resident directors of substance, real premises, dispute-scheme membership, FSPR registration and machinery the regulator can inspect. The flag's trust premium is earned by exactly this.
New Zealand or Australia for the region?+
Australia brings the larger domestic market and ASIC's CFD order; New Zealand brings the trusted-flag premium on a smaller register with condition-defined NTA. Serious regional groups often hold both; we sequence the pair.
Why Prifinance for New Zealand?+
An Auckland presence, NTA and cash-flow machinery built before filing, suitability engineered into onboarding and people prepared for a regulator that tests them - the complete file, first time.
What licence?+
FMA derivatives issuer.
Capital?+
NTA NZ$1M or 10% revenue.
Discipline?+
Monthly NTA + forecasts.
Suitability?+
Retail condition, engineered.
Wholesale?+
Outside licensing, real lane.
How long?+
6-12 months realistic.
Taxes?+
28%; no general CGT.
Substance?+
Real, tested, resident.
Or Australia?+
Trust premium vs market size.
Why you?+
Complete files, first time.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
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Google
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Google
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Google
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Google
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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: which New Zealand route fits your project and what it will cost.
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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 Financial Markets Authority (FMA) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.