Roadmap Wft license application

A 13-step guide to requesting a license with the AFM or DNB

Companies, such as banks, pension funds, financial service providers, investment firms or payments institutions that want to offer financial services or products in the Netherlands require a license from the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) or De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). License applications that are complete and of good quality are more likely to succeed. Applying for a license is a complex process, that requires specialist knowledge and extensive preparation.

For example, did you know that:

• A license application always incurs costs, even if the application is withdrawn or rejected?
• The applicant will be charged heavily for concealing antecedents during the assessment of the board members?
• For certain license categories, shareholders who have an equity or controlling interest of 10% or more require a declaration of no-objection issued by DNB?

In this roadmap, we share the thirteen most important steps to obtain a license, including useful tips and potential pitfalls. If you fill out this form, the roadmap will be sent to you by email.