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 Finansinspektionen decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a payment license in Sweden.
The country that stopped carrying cash licenses its payment firms through Finansinspektionen: a payment-institution licence under the Payment Services Act or an e-money licence under the Electronic Money Act, PSD2 capital from €20,000, a three-month decision clock in the statute, a SEK 405,000 application fee printed on FI's tariff - and an EU passport from the home of Swish and Klarna.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Sweden in brief
Two acts, one tariff, a market that pays by phone.
Sweden licenses payments under two statutes: the Payment Services Act, Lag (2010:751) om betaltjänster, for payment institutions, and the Electronic Money Act, Lag (2011:755), for e-money institutions. Finansinspektionen grants both. The capital figures are PSD2's, written into chapter 3: €20,000 for money remittance, €50,000 for payment initiation, €125,000 for the account, transfer, card and acquiring services, and €350,000 for an e-money institution whose own funds then run at 2% of outstanding e-money. Chapter 2, section 9 sets the clock - FI must decide within three months of a complete application - and chapter 3, section 7 sets the safeguarding: customer funds kept apart from the institution's own, or covered by insurance or a guarantee from an insurer or credit institution outside the group. Firms below a monthly average of €3 million in payment transactions may apply to be registered rather than licensed, for Sweden only.
FI publishes its tariff. A payment-institution or e-money licence application costs SEK 405,000; registration as a payment service provider SEK 232,500 for a company; an extension of services SEK 52,500; each ownership assessment SEK 33,000; each agent SEK 33,000. What the licence opens is ten and a half million people who pay by Swish and card and use cash in a small fraction of purchases, a fintech sector that produced Klarna, iZettle and Trustly, and the EU passport into every EEA state. Corporate tax is 20.6%, VAT 25% with payment services exempt, and no withholding on dividends to EU parents in the ordinary case. FI is thorough - its management and ownership assessments are the slow part of most files - and it reads a business plan as a supervisor. We build the file to that reading from our Nordic desk in Tallinn.
FI licenses payment institutions (Lag 2010:751) and e-money institutions (Lag 2011:755). Capital €20k / €50k / €125k, EMI €350k with 2% ongoing. Safeguarding by segregation or insurance (3 kap. 7 §). Decision three months from a complete file; fee SEK 405,000, owners and agents SEK 33,000 each.
Swish country: 10.5 million near-cashless people, Klarna's home, an EU passport. Registered route below €3M a month, Sweden only. 20.6% tax, VAT 25%. We file from our Nordic desk.
The two routes
Payment institution - or e-money institution.
Two acts, one regulator, one tariff: the payment institution for moving money, the e-money institution for also issuing it. Both cost SEK 405,000 to apply, both decide in three months, both passport. We fix the route first, then build once.
PI for moving money - EMI for also issuing it.
01 - PAYMENT INSTITUTION
PI licence · Lag 2010:751
The licence for acquiring, transfers, remittance, payment initiation and account information without issuing e-money - capital from €20,000 to €125,000 by service, safeguarding under chapter 3 section 7, and the registered route below €3 million a month for Sweden only.
The licence for acquiring, transfers, remittance, payment initiation and account information without issuing e-money - capital from €20,000 to €125,000 by service, safeguarding under chapter 3 section 7, and the registered route below €3 million a month for Sweden only.
- ✓Other payment services: €125,000 initial capital
- ✓Money remittance: €20,000
- ✓Payment initiation: €50,000
- ✓Registered provider: ≤ €3M/month · SEK 232,500 · no passport
- ✓Application fee SEK 405,000
- ✓Decision within three months of a complete file
02 - E-MONEY INSTITUTION
Wallets and issuance - FIEMI licence · Lag 2011:755
Everything the payment institution does plus e-money issuance - €350,000 initial capital, own funds at 2% of outstanding e-money, the same three-month clock and fee, and the EU passport.
EMI: issuance plus the full service list; €350,000 capital; 2% ongoing; same fee and clock; EU passport.
- ✓E-money issuance and redemption
- ✓The full payment-service list
- ✓Initial capital €350,000
- ✓Own funds 2% of outstanding e-money
- ✓Application fee SEK 405,000
- ✓EU passport by notification
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. Capital sits in chapter 3 of each act and the fees on FI's published tariff; the file cost, safeguarding set-up and substance are itemised in your quote.
Why Sweden
The world's most cashless market, on a published tariff.
A statutory clock, a tariff you can read, and a population that already pays the way your product works.
✓
Three months, in the act
Chapter 2 section 9 obliges FI to decide within three months of a complete application - a deadline in the statute rather than a service target.In the act, from a complete file.
✓
A tariff, not a quote
SEK 405,000 for the licence, SEK 33,000 per owner assessment, SEK 33,000 per agent - published by FI so the regulatory budget is known before the first meeting.SEK 405,000 · owners 33,000.
✓
Swish country
Eight million Swedes pay by Swish, cash is used in a small minority of purchases, and card acceptance is near universal - a payment licence serves habits already formed.Eight million users, little cash.
✓
Klarna's home
Klarna, iZettle, Trustly and Tink grew up here; the banks, auditors and engineers that a licensed institution needs are in Stockholm already.Banks, auditors, engineers in place.
✓
A registered first step
Below €3 million a month, registration rather than licensing - a domestic start for a business that will grow into the full licence.Under €3M/month, Sweden only.
✓
An EU passport
A full FI licence notifies into every EU and EEA state - one authorisation, twenty-nine markets, from a home state with a spotless supervisory reputation.Twenty-nine markets by notification.
How it compares
How Sweden differs from other EU routes.
Sweden trades a higher fee and a thorough regulator for the most digital customer base in Europe. The honest comparison is below.
Sweden vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Sweden | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Decision clock | 3 months - in the act | Longer or unpublished |
| Application fee | SEK 405,000 - on the tariff | Lower, or unpublished |
| Market | 10.5M, near-cashless | Cash-heavier |
| Registered route | ≤ €3M/month, Sweden only | Often absent |
Decision clock
Sweden3 months - in the act
Other jurisdictionsLonger or unpublished
Application fee
SwedenSEK 405,000 - on the tariff
Other jurisdictionsLower, or unpublished
Market
Sweden10.5M, near-cashless
Other jurisdictionsCash-heavier
Registered route
Sweden≤ €3M/month, Sweden only
Other jurisdictionsOften absent
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | PI / EMI (FI) | 20.6% CIT | €125k PI · €350k EMI · fee SEK 405,000 |
 Finland | PI / EMI (FIN-FSA) | 20% CIT | €125k PI · €350k EMI · fee €6,550 |
 Lithuania | PI / EMI (Bank of Lithuania) | 17% CIT | €125k PI · €350k EMI |
 Netherlands | PI / EMI (DNB) | 19% / 25.8% | €125k PI · €350k EMI · fee €10,400 |
SwedenLicense typePI / EMI (FI)
Taxation20.6% CIT
Requirements€125k PI · €350k EMI · fee SEK 405,000
FinlandLicense typePI / EMI (FIN-FSA)
Taxation20% CIT
Requirements€125k PI · €350k EMI · fee €6,550
LithuaniaLicense typePI / EMI (Bank of Lithuania)
Taxation17% CIT
Requirements€125k PI · €350k EMI
NetherlandsLicense typePI / EMI (DNB)
Taxation19% / 25.8%
Requirements€125k PI · €350k EMI · fee €10,400
Before you apply
Requirements for the FI licence.Requirements for the licence.
FI publishes its application guidance and regulations, FFFS 2010:3 among them; the craft is a file that answers them as a supervisor reads them. The checklist below is what a passing application contains.
01
A Swedish limited company, an AB, with its head office in Sweden - filing through FI's application system.
02
Initial capital under chapter 3: €20,000, €50,000 or €125,000 by service, €350,000 for an e-money institution - paid in and evidenced in the application.
03
A board and managing director who pass FI's management assessment for experience and suitability, with enough of them resident to run the business from Sweden.
04
Ownership assessment for every qualifying holder of 10% or more - SEK 33,000 each, with source of wealth and funds documented to the ultimate beneficial owner.
05
Safeguarding under chapter 3 section 7: segregated client funds, or insurance or a guarantee from an insurer or credit institution outside your group.
06
A business plan with three years of projections a supervisor can stress - volumes, own funds under method A, B or C or 2% of e-money, liquidity and the capital plan.
07
Governance, internal control, risk management and outsourcing arrangements to FI's regulations, with ICT risk management under DORA.
08
AML/CFT framework under the Swedish Money Laundering Act: customer due diligence, monitoring, reporting to the Financial Intelligence Unit and a resident compliance function.
09
Professional indemnity insurance where payment initiation or account information services are offered.
10
The application fee - SEK 405,000 for the licence, SEK 232,500 for registration - paid on filing.
01
Swedish AB, head office in Sweden.
02
Capital per chapter 3 - €125k PI, €350k EMI.
03
Board and MD assessed by FI.
04
Owner assessment ≥ 10% - SEK 33,000 each.
05
Safeguarding: segregation or insurance.
06
Three-year plan a supervisor can stress.
07
Governance, outsourcing, DORA.
08
AML with resident function (FIU).
09
PII for PIS/AIS.
10
Fee SEK 405,000 on filing.
Reflects Lag (2010:751) om betaltjänster (chapter 2 sections 3 and 9, chapter 3 sections 1 and 7), Lag (2011:755) om elektroniska pengar (chapter 2 section 8, chapter 3 sections 1, 3 and 7) and FI's fee tariff for 2026.Lag 2010:751 (2 kap. 3, 9 §§; 3 kap. 1, 7 §§), Lag 2011:755, FI tariff 2026.
How it works
From first call to the FI register.
01
Route and strategy
PI, EMI or registration; service list and safeguarding method - the route and budget fixed in writing.PI, EMI or registration - in writing.
02
Swedish company and people
AB incorporation, capital evidence and the board, managing director and owners FI will assess.AB, capital, assessed board and owners.
03
The application file
Every section of FI's guidance answered before filing, because the three-month clock starts at completeness.Complete starts the three-month clock.
04
FI review
Three months by statute from a complete file - plan on six to twelve months end to end, with management and ownership assessment the slow part.Three months statutory; 6-12 months total.
05
Licence and launch
Register entry, safeguarding live, passport notifications filed - and the reporting calendar running.Registered, safeguarded, passported.
Quick facts
RegulatorFinansinspektionen
LawLag 2010:751 · 2011:755
Capital PI€20k · €50k · €125k
Capital EMI€350,000 · 2% ongoing
Application feeSEK 405,000
Decision clock3 months statutory
Registered route≤ €3M/month · SEK 232,500
Corporate tax20.6% · VAT 25%
Everything that costs money here is published - capital, tariff, clock. The file that matches FI's guidance line by line is the entire game, and our job.
Your Sweden desk
Run from our Nordic desk.
Prifinance - Nordic & Baltic desk
Tallinn (HQ) · coordinating Swedish mandates
Roseni 13, Tallinn
01
Swedish company formation
AB incorporation, capital to the chapter 3 figure and the corporate layer FI expects - structured for the licence from day one.AB, capital, corporate layer.
02
The FI file
Business plan, own-funds model, safeguarding design, governance and AML policies to FI's guidance - drafted by us and defended through the question rounds.Guidance answered line by line.
03
Management and ownership assessment
Suitability files for every board member, managing director and qualifying holder, prepared for FI's assessment so the people pass with the paper.Management and owners pass with the paper.
04
Substance in Sweden
Resident management, a compliance function and real premises in Stockholm - the head office the act requires, staffed from one of Europe's deepest fintech talent pools.Stockholm management, real premises.
We also have offices in
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
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 payment companies in Sweden.
A flat 20.6% corporate rate, VAT exemption for payment services, no withholding on most outbound dividends and a Nordic cost base that prices below London and Amsterdam.
Corporate tax 20.6%
One flat rate on a payment institution's fee and margin income - below the EU average and without local surcharges.Flat, no surcharges.
VAT 25%
The standard rate; payment and e-money services are exempt under the financial-services exemption - the fee mix is mapped before launch to protect input VAT where it matters.Payments exempt.
No dividend withholding to EU parents
Dividends to qualifying EU and treaty parents leave without withholding in the ordinary case - group structures are modelled with the licence.To EU and treaty parents.
Participation exemption
Dividends and capital gains on business-related shares are exempt - the reason Swedish holding companies work for Nordic groups.Business-related shares.
Expert tax relief
Qualifying foreign experts and key staff pay tax on 75% of salary for their first years - relevant when the compliance and engineering team relocates.25% of salary exempt.
Treaties
Around eighty tax treaties and the EU directives - outbound flows are planned, not discovered.Planned, not discovered.
Tax summary
Corporate tax20.6%
VAT25% · payments exempt
Dividend withholding0% to EU/treaty parents
Participation exemptionBusiness-related shares
Expert tax relief25% of salary exempt
Tax treaties80+
*Figures as of 2026 per Skatteverket. Expert-relief eligibility is assessed per employee.
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: Swedish AB, 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 institution.
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Sweden · Finansinspektionen
Launch your payment project in Sweden with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from AB incorporation to the FI licence, safeguarding design, passporting and ongoing compliance.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Sweden 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 Swedish payment licence, answered.
What licence does a payment business need in Sweden?+
A licence from Finansinspektionen - as a payment institution under the Payment Services Act, Lag (2010:751), for moving money, or an e-money institution under the Electronic Money Act, Lag (2011:755), for also issuing it. Below €3 million a month, registration as a payment service provider is available for Sweden only.
How much capital is required?+
Chapter 3 of each act carries PSD2's figures: €20,000 for money remittance only, €50,000 for payment initiation only, €125,000 for the other payment services, and €350,000 for an e-money institution, whose own funds then run at 2% of average outstanding e-money.
What does the application cost?+
FI's tariff: SEK 405,000 for a payment-institution or e-money licence, SEK 232,500 for registration as a provider (SEK 105,000 for an individual), SEK 52,500 for an extension of services, SEK 33,000 per ownership assessment and SEK 33,000 per agent. Annual supervision fees follow once licensed.
How long does FI take?+
Three months from a complete application, by chapter 2 section 9 of the Payment Services Act and chapter 2 section 8 of the Electronic Money Act. The management and ownership assessments are what stretch most files; with preparation, plan on six to twelve months end to end.
How are customer funds protected?+
Under chapter 3 section 7: kept separate from the institution's own assets, or covered by insurance or a guarantee from an insurer or credit institution outside your group.
Is there a lighter regime?+
Yes - a provider whose payment transactions average no more than €3 million a month over the preceding twelve months may be registered rather than licensed, for Sweden only and without a passport. Account information providers have their own exemption route with professional indemnity insurance.
Can I passport across the EU?+
Yes - a full FI licence notifies into every EU and EEA member state for branches, agents and cross-border services under chapter 3 of the acts.
How are payment companies taxed?+
Corporate tax at a flat 20.6%; 25% VAT with exemption for payment services; no withholding on dividends to qualifying EU and treaty parents; a participation exemption on business-related shares.
What substance does FI expect?+
A Swedish AB run from Sweden: a board and managing director who pass FI's assessment, a resident compliance function reporting to the Financial Intelligence Unit, real premises and the licensed activity performed in Sweden.
Why Sweden rather than Finland or Lithuania?+
Finland is the cheaper desk and Lithuania the faster one; Sweden is the larger, more digital home market with the stronger fintech brand. Groups selling to Nordic consumers usually license where the customers are and passport outward - we sequence them.
Which licence?+
FI: PI (2010:751) or EMI (2011:755).
Capital?+
€20k / €50k / €125k; EMI €350k + 2%.
Fee?+
SEK 405,000; registration 232,500.
How long?+
3 months from complete; 6-12 months total.
Safeguarding?+
Segregation or insurance (3 kap. 7 §).
Lighter regime?+
Registration ≤ €3M/month, no passport.
Passport?+
Yes - EU/EEA.
Taxes?+
20.6%, VAT 25%, WHT 0% to EU parents.
Substance?+
Assessed board, resident compliance, premises.
vs Finland / Lithuania?+
Bigger market, stronger brand, higher fee.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
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