1 of 6
Pursuant to Article 35, paragraph 1 subparagraph 1.1 and Article 65 of the Law No. 03/L-209 on
Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo, No.77 / 16
August 2010), amended and supplemented by Law No.05/L –150 (Official Gazette of the Republic of
Kosovo, No.10 / 03 April 2017) and pursuant to Article 136, Article 9 paragraph 1, Article 10
paragraph 1 and 3, Article 30, Article 31 paragraph 1 of Law No.10/L-026 on Payment Services
(Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo, No.10 / 14 May 2026), the Board of the Central Bank of
the Republic of Kosovo, in its meeting held on June 29, 2026, approved the following:
REGULATION ON INITIAL CAPITAL AND OWN FUNDS FOR PAYMENT
INSTITUTIONS AND ELECTRONIC MONEY INSTITUTIONS
Article 1
Purpose and scope
- This Regulation lays down the requirements for initial capital and own funds applicable to payment
institutions and electronic money institutions pursuant to Article 9, Article 10 paragraphs 1 and 3,
Article 30 and Article 31 paragraphs 1, 2 and 7 of the Law No.10/L-026 on Payment Services.
- This Regulation shall apply to payment institutions and electronic money institutions authorized
by the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo under Law No.10/L-026 on Payment Services.
Article 2
Definitions
- The terms and definitions used in this Regulation shall have the same meaning as in Article 4 of
Law No.10/L-026 on Payment Services.
- In addition to paragraph 1 of this Article, for the purpose of implementing this Regulation, the
following terms and abbreviations shall have the following meanings:
2.1. “Law on Payment Services” means Law No.10/L-026 on Payment Services;
2.2. “own funds” means the capital amounts defined in Articles 10 and 31 of the Law on Payment
Services, comprising the sum of Tier 1 capital and Tier 2 capital consisting of the elements
set forth in the Regulation on Bank Capital Adequacy where at least 75% of Tier 1 capital is
composed of Common Equity Tier 1 capital and Tier II capital shall be equal to or less than
one third (1/3) of Tier 1 capital;
2.3. “average outstanding electronic money” means the average total amount of financial
liabilities related to electronic money in issue at the end of each calendar day over the
preceding six calendar months, calculated on the first calendar day of each calendar month
and applied for that calendar month;
2 of 6
2.4. “AIS” means account information services as defined in the Law on Payment Services;
2.5. “PIS” means payment initiation services as defined in the Law on Payment Services;
2.6. “CBK” means the Central Bank of Kosovo.
Article 3
General requirements for capital
- Payment institution and electronic money institution shall maintain sufficient levels of capital, so
as to exercise a stable and safe activity, as well as to fulfill its obligations during its business.
- The minimum amount of capital required for authorization and maintained for payment institution
and electronic money institutions shall be in accordance with the provisions of Articles 9 and 30
of the Law on Payment Services.
- Payment institutions shall hold initial capital, at the time of authorization, which shall at no time
be less than the amount determined below:
1.1. EUR 20,000 for payment institutions that provide only the payment service as referred to in
Article 4 paragraph 1 subparagraph 1.2 sub subparagraph 1.2.6 of the Law on Payment
Services;
1.2. EUR 50,000 for payment institutions that provide the payment service as referred to in
Article 4 paragraph 1 subparagraph 1.2 sub subparagraph 1.2.7 of the Law on Payment
Services; and
1.3. EUR 125,000 for payment institutions that provide any of the payment services as referred
to in Article 4 paragraph 1 subparagraph 1.2 sub subparagraphs 1.2.1 to 1.2.5 of Law on
Payment Services.
- The minimum initial capital required for payment institutions that apply for a license to provide 2
(two) or more payment services from those provided in subparagraphs 1.1 to 1.3 of paragraph 1 of
this Article, should be equal to the amount that belongs to the highest level of capital required in
paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article.
- Pursuant to Article 30 of the Law on Payment Services, electronic money institutions shall hold,
at the time of authorization, initial capital in the amount of no time be less than EUR 350 000.
- Own funds of payment institutions, at any time, shall not fall below the amount of minimum initial
capital laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article, or below the amount of own funds,
calculated according to Article 6 of this regulation, whichever amount is the higher.
- Own funds of electronic money institution, at any time, shall not fall below the amount of
minimum initial capital laid down in paragraph 5 of this Article, or below the amount of own
funds, calculated according to Article 6 of this regulation, whichever amount is the higher.
- In the case when the payment institution or electronic money institution grants credit relating to
payment services, the total amount of credit granted may not in any case negatively affect the level
of own funds and the fulfillment of the supervisory requirements of the CBK.
- In addition to the capital referred to in paragraphs 2, 3 and 5 of this Article, payment institutions
and electronic money institutions shall also have an additional fund for initial expenses to cover
the costs of establishment, operation and administration, which shall in no case be less than ten
3 of 6
per cent (10%) of the capital referred to in paragraphs 2, 3 and 5 of this Article. The additional
fund requirement under this paragraph shall apply only to initial applications for authorization as
payment institutions and/or electronic money institutions.
Article 4
Own funds of payment institution and electronic money institutions in relation to the provision
of payment services
- Without prejudice to paragraph 2 of this Article, payment institution and electronic money
institutions in relation to the provision of payment services other than those providing only AIS or
PIS, or both, and electronic money institutions in relation to the provision of payment services
other than the issuance of electronic money shall at all times hold own funds in the amount of the
initial capital referred to Article 3 or calculated in accordance with one of the methods prescribed
in Article 5, whichever is higher.
- Notwithstanding Article 5 paragraphs 3 to 5 and where appropriate or required by the legislation
currently in force, the CBK may, by means of specific decisions or guidelines, require a particular
payment institution or electronic money institution or a group of payment institutions or electronic
money institutions to use one of the methods prescribed in Article 5 of this Regulation.
- Pursuant to the conditions set out in paragraph 6 of Article 10 of the Law on Payment Services,
the CBK may also require the relevant payment institution or electronic money institutions to hold
an amount of own funds which is up to twenty percent (20%) higher than the amount which would
result from the application of the relevant method in accordance with paragraphs 1 or 2 of this
Article, or permit an amount of own funds which is up to twenty percent (20%) lower than the
amount which would result from the application of the relevant method in accordance with
paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.
- Payment institutions or electronic money institutions shall not include in the own funds
calculation, any items included in the own funds calculation of another entity, which is part of the
same financial/banking group with the payment institution or electronic money institution. This
paragraph shall also apply where a payment institution or electronic money institution has a hybrid
character and carries out activities other than providing electronic money issuance and/or payment
services.
- Where an authorized payment institution or electronic money institutions engages in activities
other than the provision of electronic money issuance and/or payment services that are also subject
to regulatory capital requirements, such authorized payment institution or electronic money
institution shall comply with such requirements in addition to the requirements set forth in this
Regulation.
Article 5
Methods for calculating own funds
4 of 6
- Payment institution and electronic money institution shall calculate own funds, mandatory to be
held by it at all times, according to the rules provisioned for in this Article.
- In cases where an electronic money institution provides only the activity of issuing electronic
money, the regulatory capital requirements shall amount, at any time, to at least 2% (two percent)
of the average outstanding electronic money.
- In cases where an electronic money institution that provides only the activity of issuing electronic
money, which in the date of calculation of own funds, has not completed a period of six months
of business, its own funds shall be calculated on the basis of projected outstanding electronic
money evidenced by its business plan submitted in the moment of granting the authorization,
subject to any adjustment to that plan proposed by the CBK (if applicable).
- For payment institutions and electronic money institutions in cases where that electronic money
institution provides also payment services that are unrelated to the activity of issuing electronic
money, own funds for payment services shall be calculated in accordance with one of the following
methods A, B or C:
4.1. Method A:
4.1.1. the payment institution or electronic money’s own funds shall amount to at least 10 %
of its fixed overheads of the preceding year. The CBK may adjust that requirement in
the event of a material change in a payment institution or electronic money institution’s
business since the preceding year. Where a payment institution or electronic money
institution has not completed a full year’s business at the date of the calculation, the
requirement shall be that its own funds amount to at least 10 % of the corresponding
fixed overheads as projected in its business plan, unless an adjustment to that plan is
required by the CBK.
4.2. Method B:
4.2.1. the payment institution or electronic money institution’s own funds shall amount to at
least the sum of the following elements multiplied by the scaling factor k defined in
paragraph 2, where payment volume (PV) represents one twelfth of the total amount of
payment transactions executed by the payment institution or electronic money
institution in the preceding year:
4.2.1.1. 4,0 % of the slice of PV up to EUR 5 million; plus
4.2.1.2. 2,5 % of the slice of PV above EUR 5 million up to EUR 10 million; plus
4.2.1.3. 1 % of the slice of PV above EUR 10 million up to EUR 100 million; plus
4.2.1.4. 0,5 % of the slice of PV above EUR 100 million up to EUR 250 million; plus
4.2.1.5. 0,25 % of the slice of PV above EUR 250 million.
4.3. Method C:
5 of 6
4.3.1. the payment institution or electronic e-money institution’s own funds shall amount to
at least the relevant indicator defined in 4.3.1.1 and 4.3.1.2 multiplied by the
multiplication factor defined in 4.3.1.3 of this subparagraph and by the scaling factor k
defined in paragraph 5.
4.3.1.1. the relevant indicator is the sum of the following:
4.3.1.1.1. interest income;
4.3.1.1.2. interest expenses;
4.3.1.1.3. commissions and fees received; and
4.3.1.1.4. other operating income.
4.3.1.2. each element shall be included in the sum with its positive or negative sign.
Income from extraordinary or irregular items shall not be used in the
calculation of the relevant indicator. Expenditure on the outsourcing of
services rendered by third parties may reduce the relevant indicator if the
expenditure is incurred from an entity subject to supervision under the Law on
Payment Services. The relevant indicator is calculated on the basis of the 12-
monthly observation at the end of the previous financial year. The relevant
indicator shall be calculated over the previous financial year. Nevertheless,
own funds calculated according to Method C shall not fall below 80 % of the
average of the previous 3 financial years for the relevant indicator. When
audited figures are not available, business estimates may be used.
4.3.1.3. the multiplication factor shall be:
4.3.1.3.1. 10 % of the slice of the relevant indicator up to EUR 2,5 million;
4.3.1.3.2. 8 % of the slice of the relevant indicator from EUR 2,5 million up
to EUR 5 million;
4.3.1.3.3. 6 % of the slice of the relevant indicator from EUR 5 million up to
EUR 25 million;
4.3.1.3.4. 3 % of the slice of the relevant indicator from EUR 25 million up to
50 million;
4.3.1.3.5. 1,5 % above EUR 50 million.
5. The scaling factor k to be used in Methods B and C shall be:
5.1. 0,5 where the payment institution or electronic money institution provides only the payment
service as referred in subparagraph 1.2.6 of Article 4 of the Law on Payment Services;
5.2. 1 where the payment institution or electronic money institution provides any of the payment
services as referred to in any of subparagraphs 1.2.1 to 1.2.5 of Article 4 of the Law on
Payment Services.
6. Method A referred to in subparagraph 4.1 of paragraph 4 of this Article shall apply to the
calculation of own funds in the first year after the payment institution or electronic money
institution is authorized to provide payment services.
6 of 6
7. Method B referred to in paragraph 4, subparagraph 4.2 of this Article shall be applied to payment
institutions or electronic money institutions authorized to perform payment services. This method
shall be applied after the institution registered to perform the payment service activity have
completed one full financial year of operation.
8. Method C referred to in paragraph 4, subparagraph 4.3 of this Article shall apply to payment and
electronic money institutions that, in addition to registering for payment service activity or issuing
electronic money, are also engaged in grant credit activity relating to payment services.
9. Electronic money institutions shall at all times hold own funds that is at least equal to the sum of
the requirements referred to in paragraph 2 and 4 of this Article.
Article 6
Enforcement, Improvement Measures and Penalties
Any violation of the provisions of this Regulation shall be subject to corrective measures and/or
administrative penalties as defined in the Law No. 03/L-209 on Central Bank of the Republic of
Kosovo, as amended and supplemented by Law No. 05/L –150, and Article 125 paragraph 2 of the
Law on Payment Services.
Article 7
Repeal
Upon entry into force of this Regulation, the Regulation on regulatory capital and safeguarding the
funds of non-bank financial institutions’ customers provisions regarding own funds (regulatory
capital) adopted by the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo on 29 November 2019,
shall be repealed.
Article 8
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force 15 days from the date of its approval.
Dr.sc. Bashkim Nurboja
Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo.