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 FCA decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get an investment license in England.
The City's own permission: FCA authorisation under FSMA for the full investment spectrum - advising, arranging, portfolio management, dealing and custody - with MIFIDPRU own-funds floors from £75,000 to £750,000 by model, SM&CR-tested people, and the counterparty standing only London confers. The licence wealth actually answers to.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
England in brief
The licence at the centre of world finance.
England regulates investment business through a single gate: authorisation by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Financial Services and Markets Act, with permissions assembled to the model - investment advice, arranging deals, discretionary portfolio management, dealing as agent or principal, and safeguarding of client assets. Prudential requirements follow the IFPR: MIFIDPRU own-funds floors of £75,000 for advisers and arrangers that hold no client money, £150,000 where client money or assets are held, and £750,000 for dealing on own account - with K-factor and fixed-overheads computations layered above, and the CASS client-asset regime as the operational backbone wherever custody or client money appears.
What the licence buys is the address: London remains the world's premier cross-border financial centre - the deepest pools of institutional capital, wealth management and advisory talent, and a counterparty community that treats FCA authorisation as the default of seriousness. The FCA prices that standing in diligence: the Senior Managers and Certification Regime vets individuals personally, business models are interrogated line by line, and the realistic authorisation timeline runs nine to fifteen months. For asset managers, advisory houses, brokerages and family-office platforms that need the strongest possible stamp, there is no substitute. We run the file from our own office at 7 Bell Yard - in the supervisor's city, for the market that defines the industry.
FCA authorisation under FSMA for the investment spectrum - advice, arranging, management, dealing, custody: MIFIDPRU £75k/£150k/£750k, SM&CR-vetted people, CASS where client assets appear.
The global benchmark stamp from the world's premier financial centre. Filed from our own London office.
The permission spectrum
Advisory and arranging - through to dealing.
FCA permissions are modular: the advisory-and-arranging firm at £75,000, the manager holding client assets at £150,000, the dealer at £750,000. We fix the permission set first. It drives capital, CASS and people.
Advisory and management tiers - or the full dealing firm.
01 - ADVISE · ARRANGE · MANAGE
The advisory and management firm
The wealth-side permissions: investment advice, arranging and discretionary management - £75,000 own funds without client money, £150,000 with CASS-held assets, SM&CR people throughout.
The wealth-side permissions: investment advice, arranging and discretionary management - £75,000 own funds without client money, £150,000 with CASS-held assets, SM&CR people throughout.
- ✓Investment advice and arranging
- ✓Discretionary portfolio management
- ✓£75,000 - no client money held
- ✓£150,000 - with client assets · CASS
- ✓SM&CR senior managers vetted
- ✓The wealth industry's core permissions
02 - DEALING · FULL SCOPE
£750,000 own fundsThe dealing firm
The full-scope house: dealing as principal alongside management and advice - £750,000 own funds, K-factor capital, best-execution machinery and the complete CASS stack for a market-facing balance sheet.
Dealing as principal at £750k own funds: K-factors, best execution, full CASS. The City's complete permission.
- ✓Dealing as agent and principal
- ✓£750,000 own-funds floor
- ✓K-factor + fixed-overheads capital
- ✓Best execution and conflicts machinery
- ✓Full CASS custody architecture
- ✓The City's complete permission
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. FCA fees follow its schedule; capital, PII and SM&CR preparation are itemised in your quote.
Why England
The default address of serious money.
London charges the most diligence in Europe, and returns the one stamp every allocator recognises without explanation.
✓
The premier financial centre
The deepest cross-border capital pools, the densest advisory talent and the counterparties every mandate eventually meets - all local.Capital and talent, local.
✓
Modular, priced permissions
£75k advisory, £150k with client assets, £750k dealing. MIFIDPRU matches capital to what the firm actually does.Capital fits the model.
✓
SM&CR as a quality mark
Individually vetted senior managers turn the register into a who's-who. Passing it is a credential clients price.A vetted who's-who.
✓
CASS - custody clients trust
The client-asset regime is the standard institutional allocators cite by name. Compliance that converts into mandates.Cited by allocators.
✓
A common-law home
English law is the world's chosen law of finance. The licence sits where the contracts already live.Where contracts live.
✓
Our own London office
Prifinance files from 7 Bell Yard. The team that drafts your application works in the supervisor's city.7 Bell Yard files it.
How it compares
How England differs from other routes.
The comparison, side by side: the longest file and the strongest stamp - priced accordingly.
England vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  England | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | FSMA · MIFIDPRU - FCA | EU MiFID or offshore |
| Own funds | £75k-£750k by model | €75k-€750k EU tiers |
| Standing | The global benchmark | Regional to none |
| Timeline | 9-15 months | 4-12 months elsewhere |
Regime
EnglandFSMA · MIFIDPRU - FCA
Other jurisdictionsEU MiFID or offshore
Own funds
England£75k-£750k by model
Other jurisdictions€75k-€750k EU tiers
Standing
EnglandThe global benchmark
Other jurisdictionsRegional to none
Timeline
England9-15 months
Other jurisdictions4-12 months elsewhere
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | FCA investment firm | 25% CIT · 19% small | MIFIDPRU tiers, SM&CR, CASS |
 Cyprus | CySEC CIF | 12.5% · 15% large | IFD €75k-€750k, EU passport |
 Lithuania | FBF licence - LB | 16% CIT | IFD tiers, single regulator |
 Estonia | Investment firm - FI | 0% retained · 22/78 | IFD tiers, statutory clock |
EnglandLicense typeFCA investment firm
Taxation25% CIT · 19% small
RequirementsMIFIDPRU tiers, SM&CR, CASS
CyprusLicense typeCySEC CIF
Taxation12.5% · 15% large
RequirementsIFD €75k-€750k, EU passport
LithuaniaLicense typeFBF licence - LB
Taxation16% CIT
RequirementsIFD tiers, single regulator
EstoniaLicense typeInvestment firm - FI
Taxation0% retained · 22/78
RequirementsIFD tiers, statutory clock
Before you apply
Requirements for FCA authorisation.Requirements for authorisation.
The FCA authorises businesses it has read completely and people it has tested individually. The checklist below is what a passing application contains.
01
UK company. With mind and management genuinely in the United Kingdom.
02
Permission set. Advice, arranging, managing, dealing and custody mapped precisely to the business plan.
03
Own funds - £75,000, £150,000 or £750,000 by model, with K-factor and fixed-overheads projections.
04
SM&CR people. Senior managers with clean, demonstrable records, prepared for individual vetting.
05
Transparent ownership. Controllers assessed to UBO level.
06
Regulatory business plan. The client base, mandate economics and three-year financials the FCA interrogates.
07
CASS arrangements. Client money and asset protections designed before launch where permissions require them.
08
Conflicts and best execution. Policies that survive supervision of a market-facing firm.
09
AML/CFT framework. UK-standard KYC and monitoring with a resident MLRO.
10
Substance. Offices, executives and operations the FCA can visit.
01
UK company, run locally.
02
Permission set mapped.
03
Own funds per tier.
04
SM&CR people prepared.
05
Controllers to UBO.
06
Interrogable business plan.
07
CASS designed where needed.
08
Conflicts policies that survive.
09
AML with resident MLRO.
10
Substance to visit.
Reflects FSMA, MIFIDPRU and CASS as of 2026.FSMA + MIFIDPRU + CASS, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the FS register.
01
Permissions and strategy
The exact permission set, capital tier and CASS scope. Fixed in writing before any drafting.Set and tier fixed.
02
Company and people
UK entity, capital evidence and the senior managers the FCA vets individually.SM&CR-ready.
03
The application file
Business plan, prudential models and policies. Complete at filing, because the FCA reads everything.Complete. FCA reads all.
04
FCA review
Question rounds and SM&CR interviews answered - 9-15 months realistic end to end.9-15 months realistic.
05
Authorisation and launch
Register entry, CASS audit calendar, banking live. The benchmark stamp at work.Register, CASS, live.
Quick facts
RegulatorFCA
Advisory tier£75,000
With client assets£150,000
Dealing tier£750,000
PeopleSM&CR vetted
Client assetsCASS regime
Realistic timeline9-15 months
Our presenceOwn London office
The FCA authorises models it understands and people it has met. Arriving complete on both is the entire game, and our job.
On the ground in London
Licensed from the city we work in.
Prifinance - United Kingdom
London · 7 Bell Yard
7 Bell Yard, London
01
UK company formation
Incorporation and capital structured for the permission set. Built for authorisation from day one.Built for the permission.
02
The FCA file
Business plan, MIFIDPRU models and CASS architecture drafted by our London team, and defended through the rounds.Drafted in the City.
03
SM&CR preparation
Senior managers prepared for vetting. Statements of responsibility and interview readiness run as a dedicated workstream.A dedicated workstream.
04
Substance and people
Resident executives, compliance and MLRO hired from the world's deepest financial talent pool - from our own office.The deepest talent pool.
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
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in England.
Developed-market rates for the market that justifies them. With the reliefs that matter to a build-out.
Corporate tax 25% · 19%
The 25% main rate with a 19% small-profits band and marginal relief between. Early-stage firms typically start below the headline.Marginal relief between.
VAT-exempt finance
Core investment services are VAT-exempt; the 20% standard rate touches overheads, not mandates.20% on overheads only.
No dividend withholding
Outbound dividends leave without UK withholding. Structurally clean above the licensed entity.Clean above.
Management-fee clarity
Fee and performance-fee structures run on settled law. The tax treatment of the industry's economics is known territory.Settled law.
R&D and build-out relief
Platform and technology investment claims the merged R&D credit. Real money back on infrastructure.Build-out pays back.
Treaty network 130+
The world's deepest treaty network above the licence. Group structures model cleanly.Deepest network.
Tax summary
Corporate tax25% · 19% small
VAT on servicesExempt core
Dividend withholdingNone
R&D reliefMerged credit
Tax treaties130+
*Figures as of 2026 per HMRC. 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: UK 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, authorised firm.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
England · FCA
Launch your investment firm in England with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from incorporation to FCA authorisation, SM&CR and CASS - from our own London office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is England 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 England investment licence - what clients ask.
What licence does an investment firm need in England?+
FCA authorisation under FSMA, with permissions assembled to the model - investment advice, arranging, discretionary management, dealing as agent or principal, and safeguarding of client assets where custody applies.
What capital does the FCA require?+
MIFIDPRU own-funds floors: £75,000 for advisers and arrangers without client money, £150,000 where client money or assets are held, £750,000 for dealing on own account - with K-factor and fixed-overheads requirements above the floors.
Who are senior managers and why do they matter?+
The SM&CR's individually accountable executives - vetted personally by the FCA with statements of responsibility. Credible, prepared senior managers are the single biggest determinant of authorisation speed.
What is CASS?+
The UK client-asset regime: segregation, reconciliation and audit of client money and custody assets. Where your permissions touch client assets, CASS is the operational backbone, and the credential institutional clients look for first.
How long does authorisation take?+
Realistically 9-15 months - the FCA reads the complete file, interrogates the model and interviews the people. Completeness and prepared senior managers are the levers; both are our job.
Can the firm passport into the EU?+
No - EU passporting ended with Brexit. UK-authorised firms serve the UK and global clients; EU-facing business needs an EU MiFID licence (a CySEC CIF or Baltic firm pairs naturally), and we sequence the two.
How are English investment firms taxed?+
25% corporation tax with the 19% small-profits band, VAT-exempt core services, no dividend withholding and the world's deepest treaty network above the entity.
What substance does the FCA expect?+
A firm genuinely run from the UK: resident senior managers, real premises, compliance and MLRO ownership and operations the supervisor can visit. The register does not carry shells.
England or an EU licence for a new manager?+
England buys the global benchmark and London's client base at the longest timeline; the EU tiers (Cyprus, Lithuania, Estonia) license faster with the passport. Cross-border groups increasingly hold both - we model the sequence.
Why Prifinance for England?+
Our own office at 7 Bell Yard, SM&CR preparation as a dedicated workstream, MIFIDPRU and CASS engineering done before filing - the strongest stamp, earned properly.
What licence?+
FCA authorisation - by permission.
Capital?+
£75k/£150k/£750k.
People?+
SM&CR, individually vetted.
CASS?+
Client-asset backbone.
How long?+
9-15 months realistic.
EU passport?+
No - pair an EU firm.
Taxes?+
25%/19%; no dividend WHT.
Substance?+
Real, visitable.
Or the EU?+
Benchmark vs speed - both.
Why you?+
The City is home ground.
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
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Google
Start today
One message away from your English investment licence.
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 English route fits your project and what it will cost.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
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 Conduct Authority (FCA) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.