Onshore · FCA
FCA authorisation for brokers and investment firms in the UK
An FCA authorisation is one of the most respected financial permissions in the world, and one of the most demanding to obtain. For firms that want the credibility of a London base and direct access to UK clients, it sets a standard that opens doors with banks, liquidity providers, and institutional counterparties who treat the FCA name as shorthand for serious governance.
The regulator
The Financial Conduct Authority assesses applicants against its threshold conditions and expects a real UK presence, a competent senior management team under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, and a compliance function that is operating rather than promised. It is a conduct-led regulator, so how a firm treats clients matters as much as its balance sheet.
What the licence permits
Regulated under the FCA
- Deal in investments as principal or agent for UK clients
- Arrange and execute deals in regulated investments
- Hold and control client money under the FCA client-asset rules
- Build on a globally recognised regulatory brand
Who it suits
Firms that want a premium, reputation-led permission and are committed to UK substance and serious governance from day one.
Market access
Direct access to the UK market. Since Brexit there is no EU passport, so European clients are served through a separate EEA authorisation.
What to weigh
The signal is strong but it is earned: the FCA expects genuine local substance and an experienced senior team. This is a route for firms building to scale and keep, not to launch quickly.
We run the United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom
Related reading
- How to Start a Forex Brokerage: The Parts Nobody Tells You AboutStarting a brokerage is not one decision. It is a licence, a structure, banking, liquidity, and a platform, in the right order. Here is what it involves.
- 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.
- Regulated vs Unregulated Broker: Why the Licence Is the BusinessOperating without a licence can look cheaper and faster. It also caps what your business can ever become. Here is what regulation actually buys you.
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