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Denmark: fintech & payments regulation — 2026-09

Regulated

Finanstilsynet regulates fintech under PSD2/EMD2; no specific capital floors in source docs

Frozen snapshot — the guide as it stood at the end of 2026-09. See the live guide for the current state.

Denmark regulates fintech and payments primarily through the Act on Payment Services, which implements the EU Payment Services Directive (PSD2). The Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet) is the sole lead regulator for licensing payment institutions and e-money institutions. The regulatory environment is stable, aligned with EU standards, and requires strict adherence to AML and consumer protection rules.

Which licence do you need?

Your activityRequirementCapitalTimelineAuthority
Payment processing / gatewayLicence[1]

Requires payment institution license under PSD2

——Finanstilsynet
E-money & wallet issuanceLicence[1]

Requires e-money institution license under PSD2

——Finanstilsynet
Domestic money transferLicence[1]

Domestic transfers fall under payment institution scope

——Finanstilsynet
Cross-border remittanceLicence[1]

Cross-border transfers require payment institution license

——Finanstilsynet
Agent networkLicence[1]

Agents must be registered by the licensed institution

——Finanstilsynet
Open banking / account informationLicence[1]

AISPs require registration as payment institutions

——Finanstilsynet
Foreign-exchange servicesLicence[1]

FX services are payment services requiring license

——Finanstilsynet

Market-entry checklist

  1. 1Establish Danish legal entityIncorporate a company in Denmark to apply for authorization.
  2. 2Apply for Finanstilsynet licenseSubmit application for payment or e-money institution status.
  3. 3Register with Danish Business AuthorityRegister as a provider of services to businesses for AML purposes.
  4. 4Implement AML/KYC proceduresEstablish robust customer due diligence and transaction monitoring.
  5. 5Secure adequate capitalEnsure initial capital meets statutory requirements for the license type.

Sources

  1. Act on Payment Services · 2025-06-10