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🇱🇻 Latvia

Latvijas Banka runs a facilitative regime with an Innovation Hub, issuing licences to firms like AlphaRoute and Backpack.

Crypto (CASP / VASP) E-money (EMI)
Last verified 2026-08-15 Next review 2026-08-29

Data verified: oldest cell 46 days ago (verified 2026-07-02). Individual cells show their own verification date below.

Capital requirement Capital requirement is included with access. Included with access Timeline to authorisation Timeline to authorisation is included with access. Included with access Application cost Application cost is included with access. Included with access Passporting Passporting is included with access. Included with access

Licence type

Two tiers: (1) Licensed electronic money institution (full EMI licence) and (2) Registered electronic money institution (lighter-touch registration tier for smaller issuers, restricted to issuing e-money and providing only payment instrument issuance or money remittance) - both under the Law on Payment Services and Electronic Money (transposing EMD2)

Verified 2 days agoSource: Current national regulator authorisation material: https://www.bank.lv/en/operational-areas/licensing/electronic-money-institutions/licensed-electronic-money-institution

Regulator

Latvijas Banka (Bank of Latvia) - sole licensing/supervisory authority, having absorbed the former FCMC (Finansu un kapitala tirgus komisija) in 2023

Verified 2 days agoSource: Current national regulator authorisation material: https://www.bank.lv/en/operational-areas/licensing/electronic-money-institutions/licensed-electronic-money-institution

Recent changes

Latvijas Banka continued granting new EMI licences during 2025 and 2026. PSD3 and the PSR merge payment-institution and EMI authorisation into one payment-institution category able to issue e-money. The final compromise texts remain awaiting formal adoption and Official Journal publication as of 15 August 2026, with an indicative European Parliament plenary on 14 December 2026. After entry into force, Member States have 21 months to transpose and apply PSD3, and the PSR generally applies after 21 months. Existing EMIs may continue for 27 months, with an exceptional further three-month extension.

Verified 2 days agoSource: https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-8222-2026-INIT/en/pdf ; https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-8221-2026-INIT/en/pdf ; https://oeil.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/en/procedure-file?reference=2023%2F0209%28COD%29

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Not legal advice. Entries marked placeholder or awaiting verification shouldn't be relied on. Verify with Latvia's regulator and qualified local counsel before acting.