Fund and asset management · FMA
New Zealand managed investment scheme manager licensing (FMA)
New Zealand licenses managers of managed investment schemes under a modern, principles-based financial markets framework. The domestic market is small but well regulated, and the licensing regime is genuinely a licence rather than the registration that governs some other financial activities locally.
The regulator
The Financial Markets Authority licenses scheme managers under the Financial Markets Conduct Act, assessing capability, governance, and the systems behind the proposition. It is a proportionate supervisor with a clear conduct focus.
What the licence permits
Regulated under the FMA
- Manage licensed managed investment schemes in New Zealand
- Provide discretionary investment management to local clients
- Access the domestic retirement savings market
- Operate in a stable common law jurisdiction
Who it suits
Managers serving New Zealand investors or the domestic retirement savings market, rather than firms seeking an international credential.
Market access
Access to New Zealand investors. Australia licenses separately and there is no trans-Tasman passport for this activity.
What to weigh
The domestic capital pool is small, so the case has to rest on serving New Zealand investors specifically. It is not an efficient base for international fundraising.
We run the New Zealand 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, safeguarding and banking arrangements, and the operating 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 New Zealand
Related reading
- Fund Manager or Investment Firm? Choosing the Right Asset-Management AuthorisationManaging mandates and managing funds are different regulated activities under different regimes. Applying under the wrong one costs a year and a rejection.
- The MiFID Investment Firm Licence: What the Permissions Actually CoverA MiFID licence is not one permission but a set you choose from. The combination you pick sets your capital, your obligations, and your supervisory weight.
- Licensing an Investment-Management Firm: What Changes When You Manage Other People's MoneyRunning an asset or portfolio manager sits under a different permission than broking. Here is what the licence covers and what regulators expect.
- 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.
Fund and asset management in other Asia-Pacific jurisdictions
All jurisdictionsDiscuss 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