Netherlands
Poland
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SwedenNikolai 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 NBS licence, including banking and payment rails.
Forex license in Slovakia: NBS securities-dealer licence.
A forex license in Slovakia is a Národná banka Slovenska (NBS) licence for an obchodník s cennými papiermi (o.c.p.), a joint-stock securities dealer. A market maker needs €750,000 of initial capital and pays a €3,400 fee, and the NBS decides within six months of a complete file. Client money on the balance sheet raises the annual levy of 0.1% of total assets. We build the file in Bratislava.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated · Reviewed by the Prifinance team
Slovakia in brief
Forex license in Slovakia: €3,400 to file, then charges that grow with the business.
In Slovakia a forex or CFD broker is an obchodník s cennými papiermi, a securities dealer licensed by Národná banka Slovenska (NBS) under §§ 54-55 of Act No. 566/2001 Coll. on securities and investment services (zákon o cenných papieroch), the Securities Act. No separate forex licence exists. CFDs (finančné rozdielové zmluvy) are financial instruments under § 5(1)(i) and currency derivatives fall under § 5(1)(d); a market maker lists dealing on own account, § 6(1)(c), usually beside reception and transmission (a), execution (b) and the ancillary safekeeping and foreign-exchange services of § 6(2)(a) and (d). The dealer is a joint-stock company with its registered office in Slovakia. Initial capital follows IFD Art. 9: €750,000 for dealing on own account, €150,000 for a dealer holding client money, €75,000 for one that may hold neither client money nor instruments. The NBS decides within six months of a complete application.
Getting in is cheap. NBS decree No. 5/2021, as amended by decree No. 8/2024 from 1 January 2025, charges €3,400 for a licence in the €750,000 tier and €1,700 or €1,000 below it. Staying in costs more as the dealer grows. NBS Decision No. 5/2025 sets the 2026 contribution of a non-bank dealer at 0.1% of total assets, at least €1,000, and counts the assets of others that the dealer uses for supervised activities, so client money on the balance sheet raises the bill. Act No. 279/2024 Coll. on the financial transaction tax takes 0.4% of each debit, capped at €40, and leaves a market maker's own-funds payments linked to dealing on own account inside the tax. Corporate tax follows revenue bands, and once revenue passes €5 million the whole tax base is taxed at 24%.
An NBS licence for an obchodník s cennými papiermi under Act No. 566/2001 Coll.: a joint-stock company, IFD capital €75k/€150k/€750k, a €3,400 fee for dealing on own account, six months from a complete file.
Afterwards the costs scale: a levy of 0.1% of total assets that counts client assets the dealer uses, a 0.4% tax on own-account payments, capped at €40 each, and 24% corporate tax once revenue passes €5 million.
The two routes
One NBS licence, two ways to run a CFD book.
The Securities Act has one dealer licence, and the services listed in it set the capital tier and the NBS fee. A CFD market maker sits in the top tier. An agency dealer that never trades against its clients sits one or two tiers lower, and we fix the tier before the a.s. is capitalised.
Market maker at €750,000 and €3,400 - or agency at €75k-€150k.
01 - DEALING ON OWN ACCOUNT · § 6(1)(c)
The market-maker o.c.p.
A Slovak market maker holds dealing on own account under § 6(1)(c) of the Securities Act, normally with order reception, execution, safekeeping and FX services. Capital: €750,000. NBS fee: €3,400. Payments from its own-funds account linked to that dealing carry the 0.4% transaction tax, so we price the tax into the hedging budget before launch.
A Slovak market maker holds dealing on own account under § 6(1)(c) of the Securities Act, normally with order reception, execution, safekeeping and FX services. Capital: €750,000. NBS fee: €3,400. Payments from its own-funds account linked to that dealing carry the 0.4% transaction tax, so we price the tax into the hedging budget before launch.
- ✓Dealing on own account - § 6(1)(c)
- ✓€750,000 initial capital, IFR class 2
- ✓NBS licence fee €3,400
- ✓NBS consent for each board member
- ✓GFI membership as a licence condition
- ✓Retail CFDs under NBS Decision No. 17/2019
02 - AGENCY · § 6(1)(a) AND (b)
€75k-€150k · fee €1,000-€1,700The agency o.c.p.
A Slovak agency dealer receives, transmits and executes client orders and keeps no book of its own. It needs €150,000 of capital and pays a €1,700 fee where it holds client money, or €75,000 and €1,000 where it may hold neither money nor instruments. Adding dealing on own account later is a €350 change at the NBS, with the capital raised to €750,000.
Client orders received and executed, no own book; fee €1,000-€1,700.
- ✓Reception and transmission - § 6(1)(a)
- ✓Execution of client orders - § 6(1)(b)
- ✓€150,000 with client money, fee €1,700
- ✓€75,000 without, fee €1,000
- ✓Client-money account kept FTT-exempt
- ✓€350 per investment service added later
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. NBS fees follow decree No. 5/2021 as amended by No. 8/2024; the NBS levy, owed from the sixth calendar month after the licence month, and the GFI contributions are itemised in the quote.
Why Slovakia
An NBS licence for €3,400, with running costs to model first.
Slovakia sells a euro-area MiFID II licence for a small fee; the last two points below are the costs that come with it.
✓
€3,400 for the dealing licence
NBS decree No. 5/2021, in its version in force since 1 January 2025, prices a licence in the €750,000 tier at €3,400. The agency tiers pay €1,700 and €1,000, and a foreign dealer's branch licensed under § 56(1) pays €3,400.The full dealing licence, decree 5/2021.
✓
One authority from licence to levy
Národná banka Slovenska is the competent authority under § 135 of the Securities Act, and its financial-market supervision unit decides at first instance (§ 29 of Act No. 747/2004 Coll.). The same NBS sets the fees, the annual levy and the retail CFD rules.NBS licenses, supervises, sets the levy.
✓
Passport into the other 29 EEA states
A Slovak o.c.p. reaches the rest of the EEA by notifying the NBS, which forwards a services notification within one month (MiFID II Art. 34). A branch abroad takes up to three months at the NBS and two at the host supervisor (Art. 35).Into the other 29 EEA states.
✓
Small fees for later changes
After the licence the NBS charges €350 to add an investment service, €200 for an ancillary service and €70 for other changes. Its prior consent costs €40 for each new board member and €350 for a qualifying holding.€40 to €350 for most consents.
✓
A levy on the balance sheet
For 2026 a non-bank dealer pays the NBS 0.1% of total assets, at least €1,000, in four instalments due by 20 January, April, July and October. Client assets that the dealer uses count in the base, so client margin held on the balance sheet is levied too.0.1% of total assets, client assets included.
✓
Own-account payments are taxed
Since 2025 the financial transaction tax has taken 0.4% of each debit from a company's accounts, at most €40. A dealer's client-money account used only for client trades is exempt. Its own-funds payments linked to dealing on own account are not.0.4% on own-account payments, max €40.
How it compares
How Slovakia differs from other routes.
Against its neighbours Slovakia is cheap to enter, and its running costs follow the size of the balance sheet: the NBS fee is about a third of Austria's €10,000, while neither the ČNB in Czechia nor the FMA in Austria levies a dealer on its total assets.
Slovakia vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Slovakia | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Licence fee, dealing tier | €3,400 · NBS decree 5/2021 | €10,000 Austria · HUF 2,700,000 Hungary |
| Annual supervision | 0.1% of total assets, min €1,000 | None in Czechia · FMA share from €1,000 |
| Statutory clock | 6 months, complete application | 3 months Hungary · 6 months Czechia, Austria |
| Corporate tax | 21% · 24% above €5m revenue | 9% Hungary · 21% Czechia · 23% Austria |
Licence fee, dealing tier
Slovakia€3,400 · NBS decree 5/2021
Other jurisdictions€10,000 Austria · HUF 2,700,000 Hungary
Annual supervision
Slovakia0.1% of total assets, min €1,000
Other jurisdictionsNone in Czechia · FMA share from €1,000
Statutory clock
Slovakia6 months, complete application
Other jurisdictions3 months Hungary · 6 months Czechia, Austria
Corporate tax
Slovakia21% · 24% above €5m revenue
Other jurisdictions9% Hungary · 21% Czechia · 23% Austria
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovakia | NBS securities dealer (o.c.p.) | 21% CIT · 24% above €5m revenue | IFD €75k-€750k, €3,400 fee, a.s. only |
 Czechia | ČNB investment firm (OCP) | 21% CIT · 15% WHT | IFD €75k-€750k, no annual levy |
 Hungary | MNB investment firm | 9% CIT · local tax up to 2% | IFD €75k-€750k, 3-month clock |
 Austria | FMA Wertpapierfirma - § 3 WAG 2018 | 23% CIT · 24% above €1m (2028) | IFD €75k-€750k, €10,000 fee, 2 managers |
SlovakiaLicense typeNBS securities dealer (o.c.p.)
Taxation21% CIT · 24% above €5m revenue
RequirementsIFD €75k-€750k, €3,400 fee, a.s. only
CzechiaLicense typeČNB investment firm (OCP)
Taxation21% CIT · 15% WHT
RequirementsIFD €75k-€750k, no annual levy
HungaryLicense typeMNB investment firm
Taxation9% CIT · local tax up to 2%
RequirementsIFD €75k-€750k, 3-month clock
AustriaLicense typeFMA Wertpapierfirma - § 3 WAG 2018
Taxation23% CIT · 24% above €1m (2028)
RequirementsIFD €75k-€750k, €10,000 fee, 2 managers
European Union
Forex licences in neighbouring jurisdictions
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Before you apply
Forex license requirements in Slovakia: what the NBS checks.Slovakia forex license requirements.
The Securities Act, the NBS fee decree and the EU texts behind them define the file. A dealing-on-own-account application to the NBS contains the ten items below.
01
Joint-stock company - an akciová spoločnosť with its registered office in Slovakia; the founders or the company itself file the application, and Slovak dealers trade under names ending 'o.c.p., a.s.'.
02
Initial capital - €750,000 for dealing on own account, €150,000 with client money, €75,000 with neither, made up of own funds as the IFR defines them and never below that floor afterwards (IFR Art. 14).
03
Licence scope - § 6(1)(c) for the dealing book, § 6(1)(a) and (b) for order flow, and the ancillary services of § 6(2)(a) and (d), each named in the application.
04
Board of directors - every proposed member of the predstavenstvo cleared in advance by the NBS at €40 a person, with at least two people effectively directing the business (MiFID II Art. 9(6)).
05
Qualifying shareholders - NBS prior consent under § 70(1)(a) to take a qualifying holding or raise it to 20%, 30%, 50% or control, at €350 per consent.
06
Application fee - €3,400 for the €750,000 tier, paid to the NBS fee account with the company's identification number (IČO) as the variable symbol.
07
Investor compensation - membership of the Garančný fond investícií (GFI), set up by §§ 80-98 of the Securities Act and supervised by the NBS; investment firms appoint four of the nine members of its council.
08
Client money - segregated under MiFID II Art. 16(8)-(10) on an account used only for client trades, which keeps its payments inside the exemption of § 4(2)(ad) of Act No. 279/2024 Coll.
09
Retail CFD terms - NBS Decision No. 17/2019 for clients in or from Slovakia: 30:1 on major currency pairs down to 2:1 on crypto, close-out at 50% of margin, negative balance protection, no bonuses.
10
AML/CFT - a programme under Act No. 297/2008 Coll., rewritten before Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 (AMLR) applies on 10 July 2027.
01
Joint-stock company, seat in Slovakia.
02
Capital per IFD tier.
03
Scope by § 6 letter.
04
Board members cleared by the NBS.
05
Qualifying holders consented.
06
€3,400 fee to the NBS.
07
GFI membership.
08
Client money on an exempt account.
09
NBS CFD decision built in.
10
AML under Act No. 297/2008.
Reflects Act No. 566/2001 Coll. as consolidated in 2025-2026, NBS decree No. 5/2021 as amended and NBS Decision No. 5/2025. A further amendment to the Securities Act applies from 5 December 2026; we check it, and the current wording of §§ 54-55, against the file before filing.Securities Act + NBS decree 5/2021 + Decision 5/2025, as of October 2026.
Verify it yourself
Official sources
Regulator pages, legal texts and public registers the figures on this page are based on.
- LawAct No. 566/2001 Coll. on securities and investment services - Slov-Lexslov-lex.sk
- FeesNBS - Fees and annual contributions of supervised entitiesnbs.sk
- RegisterNBS - Register of supervised financial-market entitiessubjekty.nbs.sk
- RegulatorNBS - Investment Guarantee Fundnbs.sk
- RegulatorNBS - CFD product intervention decision No. 17/2019nbs.sk
How it works
From the a.s. to the NBS licence decision.
01
Model and tier
Market maker or agency, client money or none: the answers fix the capital tier, the NBS fee and the account design, so they are settled in writing first.Capital, fee and accounts fixed.
02
Company and people
The a.s. is formed and capitalised, and the board members and qualifying shareholders are prepared for the NBS's consent.a.s. formed, board prepared.
03
Filing with the NBS
The application goes in with the €3,400 fee paid, the services listed by § 6 letter and the IFR model attached.Application plus €3,400 fee.
04
Review to completeness
NBS questions answered until the file is complete. From that day the Securities Act gives the NBS six months.Complete file starts six months.
05
Licence and first levy
Licence granted, GFI membership live, passports notified. The 0.1% levy is owed from the sixth calendar month after the licence month, on assets counted at the end of the fourth.GFI, passports, levy from month six.
Quick facts
RegulatorNBS
ActNo. 566/2001 Coll.
Licenseeo.c.p., a.s.
Own account€750,000
With client money€150,000
NBS fee, top tier€3,400
Statutory decision6 months, complete file
Our planning range9-12 months
The six-month clock starts only with a complete application, and the company and the capital come before it, with each board member's NBS consent requested in the same file. We plan for 9-12 months from the first draft to the NBS licence.
On the ground in Slovakia
Run from our Bratislava office.
Prifinance - Slovakia
Bratislava · Slovakia
Bratislava, Slovakia
01
The a.s. and its board
A Slovak joint-stock company formed for the licence, its capital paid in, and each proposed board member's NBS consent requested with the application.Formed, capitalised, board consents filed.
02
The NBS application
Business plan, scope under § 6 of the Securities Act, IFR capital model and internal rules, drafted by us and carried through the NBS's questions until the file is complete.Drafted and answered to completeness.
03
Payment-account design
Client-money and own-funds accounts laid out so the transaction-tax exemption holds where the law grants it, and the NBS levy forecast from the planned balance sheet.Client money kept FTT-exempt.
04
GFI and passports
GFI membership arranged before the licence is granted, as MiFID II makes it a condition, then one NBS notification for each EEA state the dealer will serve.Membership, then EEA notifications.
We also have offices in
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Gedimino pr. 2
Dubai
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33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
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Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
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Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
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Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of forex brokers in Slovakia.
Slovak corporate tax is banded by revenue, payments have carried their own tax since 2025, and dealing in futures and options is VAT-exempt.
21% up to €5 million of revenue
§ 15(b)(1) of Act No. 595/2003 Coll. taxes a company at 21% where taxable revenue is above €100,000 and at most €5,000,000, for tax periods starting on or after 1 January 2025.Revenue €100k-€5m.
24% above €5 million
Revenue above €5,000,000 moves the whole tax base to 24%. The band follows revenue, not profit, so a broker with high turnover and thin margins can still pay the top rate.Above €5m, whole base.
10% for the smallest
A company whose taxable revenue stays at or below €100,000 pays 10%, the rate a small service company inside a broker group may reach.Revenue up to €100k.
Transaction tax on debits
Act No. 279/2024 Coll. charges 0.4% of each debit from a company's account, capped at €40 a transaction, and 0.8% of cash withdrawals without a cap. The Slovak bank withholds it monthly; since 2026 accounts held abroad are taxed too.0.4% per debit, max €40.
What the exemption covers
§ 4(2)(ad) exempts payments from an account holding client funds that is used only for client trades. § 4(2)(e) exempts a dealer's client-related payments but excludes payments from its own-funds account linked to dealing on own account.Client accounts yes, own-account no.
VAT-exempt dealing
§ 39 of Act No. 222/2004 Coll. exempts dealing on own or a client's account in futures and options, currency and interest-rate deals included, and securities business with its intermediation; custody and management of securities are not exempt.§ 39 VAT Act.
Tax summary
Corporate tax21% · 24% above €5m revenue
Small-revenue band10% up to €100,000
Transaction tax0.4% per debit, max €40
VAT on dealingExempt · § 39 VAT Act
Dividends to a foreign parentConfirmed per structure
*As of 2026 per Act No. 595/2003 Coll., Act No. 279/2024 Coll. and Act No. 222/2004 Coll. 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: Slovak joint-stock company (a.s.), 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 broker.
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Slovakia · NBS
Get your forex license in Slovakia with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the a.s. and its board consents to the NBS licence, GFI membership and the passport notifications - run through our Bratislava office.
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Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The NBS securities-dealer licence, question by question.
What licence does a forex broker need in Slovakia?+
An NBS licence as an obchodník s cennými papiermi, the Slovak securities dealer, under Act No. 566/2001 Coll.; there is no separate forex or CFD licence. CFDs are financial instruments under § 5(1)(i), and a market maker's licence lists dealing on own account under § 6(1)(c).
How much capital does the NBS require?+
€750,000 where the dealer trades on own account, €150,000 where it holds client money, €75,000 where it may hold neither. Above that floor the IFR applies: a market maker is a class-2 firm and holds the highest of a quarter of fixed overheads, the permanent minimum and the K-factor requirement.
What does a forex license in Slovakia cost?+
The NBS fee is €3,400 for the €750,000 tier, €1,700 for €150,000 and €1,000 for €75,000, under decree No. 5/2021 as amended by No. 8/2024. Capital comes on top, then the annual levy of 0.1% of total assets, at least €1,000; GFI contributions are confirmed in the quote.
How long does a forex license in Slovakia take?+
The NBS has six months from a complete application, the MiFID II Art. 7(3) clock as the Securities Act carries it. The a.s. and the capital come first and the board consents run with the file, so we plan for 9-12 months end to end.
Why does client money raise the NBS levy?+
Because NBS Decision No. 5/2025 counts the assets of others that a dealer uses, even partly, for supervised activities into the 0.1% base. A new licensee counts its assets at the end of the fourth month after the licence and reports them by the 20th day of the fifth. The 2027 rate comes in a separate NBS decision, which we check before quoting.
Does Slovakia's transaction tax apply to a broker?+
Yes, in part: Act No. 279/2024 Coll. takes 0.4% of each debit from a Slovak company's account, at most €40, and 0.8% of cash withdrawals. Client-money accounts used only for client trades are exempt; a market maker's own-funds payments linked to dealing on own account are not, so hedging flows pay it.
What retail CFD rules apply in Slovakia?+
NBS Decision No. 17/2019, final on 3 September 2019, governs CFDs sold to retail clients in or from Slovakia: 30:1 on major currency pairs down to 2:1 on crypto, close-out at 50% of required margin, negative balance protection and no bonuses. NBS decision No. 261/2019 Coll., final on 20 August 2019, bans binary options for retail clients.
How are Slovak brokers taxed?+
By revenue band: 10% up to €100,000 of taxable revenue, 21% up to €5 million, 24% above, always on the whole tax base. Dealing in futures and options, currency deals included, is VAT-exempt under § 39 of Act No. 222/2004 Coll.; dividends to a foreign parent are confirmed per structure.
Slovakia or Czechia for a CFD market maker?+
Czechia, if running costs and corporate form decide: the ČNB charges no annual levy where the NBS takes 0.1% of total assets, Czech tax is 21% against Slovakia's 24% above €5 million of revenue, and a Czech dealer may be an s.r.o. On Slovakia's side: the euro and a fixed €3,400 fee. We model both on your balance sheet.
Why Prifinance for Slovakia?+
We run the file from our Bratislava office: the a.s. and its board consents, the NBS application, GFI membership and an account map that keeps client money inside the transaction-tax exemption. Before you commit capital, we model the NBS levy on your planned balance sheet.
What licence?+
NBS securities dealer, Act 566/2001.
Capital?+
€75k/€150k/€750k by tier.
Cost?+
€3,400 NBS fee; levy from €1,000.
How long?+
6 months statutory; 9-12 planned.
Levy and client money?+
Client assets used count in the base.
Transaction tax?+
0.4% on own-account payments, max €40.
Retail CFDs?+
NBS Decision 17/2019, 30:1 to 2:1.
Taxes?+
10%/21%/24% by revenue.
Vs Czechia?+
No ČNB levy there; euro here.
Why you?+
Bratislava office, levy modelled first.
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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 National Bank of Slovakia (Národná banka Slovenska, NBS) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.