On 18 September 2026, the European Central Bank (ECB) published a guide to licence applications.
The guide is intended to be a practical tool and applies to all applications for a licence to become a credit institution under the Capital Requirements Regulation, including, but not limited to, initial authorisations for credit institutions, bridge bank applications and licence extensions. One of the guide’s primary objectives is to promote awareness and make the legislative framework, the assessment criteria and the processes for establishing credit institutions more transparent and easier to understand. It also aims to ensure greater consistency in the licensing of credit institutions across Single Supervisory Mechanism jurisdictions. When assessing licensing applications, Member State competent authorities and the ECB will consider the projected institution’s size, complexity, business model and risk profile. The guide replaces the previous ECB guide to licence applications, which was published in 2019. It will be regularly reviewed to account for (i) ongoing developments in the supervisory practices regarding authorisations, (ii) international and European regulatory developments, and (iii) new interpretations of the Capital Requirements Directive by the Court of Justice of the European Union.