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Austria: fintech & payments regulation

Regulated

FMA licensing under ZaDiG 2018 & E-Money Act 2010; EU passporting applies

Lead regulator
Financial Market Authority (FMA)
Also involved
Oesterreichische Nationalbank (ONB) · AML Unit
Core law
Payment Services Act 2018 (ZaDiG 2018)
Entry capital
EUR 20,000 (Payment Institution)
Approval timeline
3-6 months
Customer assets
Segregated in dedicated accounts
Data protection
GDPR · DSB
Sandbox
No
Monthly snapshots:2026-07

Austria regulates fintech and payments primarily through the FMA under the Payment Services Act 2018 (transposing PSD2) and the E-Money Act 2010. The regime is mature, EU-compliant, and allows for passporting across the EEA. The FMA enforces strict governance, audit, and reporting standards, including mandatory electronic submissions via the FMA-IPV platform.

Which licence do you need?

Your activityRequirementCapitalTimelineAuthority
Payment processing / gatewayLicencePayment Institution[1]

Requires authorized payment services under ZaDiG 2018

EUR 20,0003-6 monthsFMA
E-money & wallet issuanceLicenceElectronic Money Institution[2]

Governed by E-Money Act 2010; higher capital than PIs

EUR 350,0003-6 monthsFMA
Domestic money transferLicencePayment Institution[1]

Domestic transfers are payment services under ZaDiG 2018

EUR 20,0003-6 monthsFMA
Cross-border remittanceLicencePayment Institution[1]

Cross-border transfers are payment services under ZaDiG 2018

EUR 20,0003-6 monthsFMA
Agent networkLicencePayment Institution[1]

Agents must be appointed by a licensed entity

EUR 20,0003-6 monthsFMA
Open banking / account informationLicencePayment Initiation Service Provider[1]

Requires authorization as PISP under ZaDiG 2018

EUR 20,0003-6 monthsFMA
Foreign-exchange servicesLicencePayment Institution[1]

FX for payment purposes is a payment service

EUR 20,0003-6 monthsFMA

New — what changed recently

  • 2026-06-23Audit Report Annex Regulations — Standardized electronic audit report formats for E-Money Institutions and Payment Institutions mandated.[3][4]
  • 2025-11-03FMA-IPV Electronic Submission — Mandatory electronic submission of notifications and communications via the FMA Incoming Platform.[5]

Market-entry checklist

  1. 1Establish Austrian EntityIncorporate a legal entity in Austria with registered office and management resident in the EU/EEA.
  2. 2Secure Minimum CapitalDeposit EUR 20,000 for Payment Institutions or EUR 350,000 for E-Money Institutions in a blocked account.
  3. 3Submit FMA ApplicationFile application via FMA-IPV including business plan, AML policies, and governance structure.
  4. 4Appoint Compliance OfficerDesignate a dedicated AML compliance officer and ensure fit-and-proper assessment of management.
  5. 5Register with ONBCoordinate with Oesterreichische Nationalbank for payment system access and fraud reporting.

Sources

  1. Payment Services Act 2018 (ZaDiG 2018) · 2026-03-11
  2. E-Money Act 2010 · 2026-04-24
  3. Regulation on the Annex to the Audit Report for Electronic Money Institutions · 2026-06-23
  4. Regulation on the Annex to the Audit Report for Payment Institutions (ZAPV) · 2026-06-23
  5. FMA Regulation on Electronic Submission (FMA-IPV) · 2025-11-03
This guide is compiled automatically from 5 primary-source documents published by Austria's regulators, reviewed by RegAlert, and refreshed monthly (last updated 2026-08-01). It is not legal advice — always confirm requirements with the regulator or local counsel before acting.