EU / EEA · MFSA
MFSA investment-services licensing in Malta
An MFSA investment services licence is one of the established, cost-effective routes into the European Union. Malta built its reputation as a pragmatic, English-language financial centre with a regulator that understands fast-moving firms and a deep local pool of legal and compliance talent.
The regulator
The Malta Financial Services Authority is an approachable, single-point regulator that has tightened its standards considerably in recent years. It now expects genuine substance and a credible compliance function, while remaining more accessible than the larger member states.
What the licence permits
Regulated under the MFSA
- Provide MiFID II investment services
- Receive, transmit, and execute client orders
- Passport across the EEA
- Operate in an English-language EU jurisdiction
Who it suits
Firms that want full EU access through a practical, mid-cost, English-speaking member state.
Market access
Full EEA passporting from a long-standing EU financial centre in the euro area.
What to weigh
Malta balances access against cost well, but its standards have risen. Expect to demonstrate real substance, not the lighter footprint of a few years ago.
We run the Malta application end to end
Whether you build from new or acquire an existing licensed entity, BrokLicense handles incorporation, the regulator application, the AML and compliance framework, banking and liquidity introductions, and the trading stack. You stay the principal. We do the work, in confidence, and stay on for compliance once you are live.
Cost, capital, and timelines depend on your model and are set out in a first consultation, under NDA, not published here.
Other permissions in Malta
Related reading
- EU Passporting Explained: One Licence, Thirty MarketsA single EU investment-firm licence works across the whole European Economic Area. Here is how passporting works and why it shapes where firms base.
- How to Choose the Right Jurisdiction for Your BrokerageThe cheapest licence is rarely the right one. Choosing a jurisdiction is about your clients, your banking, and your ambition, not the lowest sticker price.
- Onshore vs Offshore Brokerage Licences: It Is Not About Cutting CornersOffshore does not mean unregulated, and onshore does not mean better. The two serve different businesses. Here is how to tell which one fits yours.
Discuss your mandate in confidence
Every engagement begins under a mutual NDA. Set out the firm you intend to operate and the timeline you are working to, and you leave the first consultation with a recommended jurisdiction, the route to the licence, and a defined scope of work.
Prefer email? info@broklicense.com