Regulatory AlertsMauritania: fintech & payments regulation
Partially regulatedMauritania: No specific fintech license; payments regulated under banking/microfinance laws
- Lead regulator
- Banque Centrale de Mauritanie (BCM)
- Also involved
- None identified in sources
- Core law
- Law No. 2018-036 bis (2018)
- Entry capital
- NGN equivalent 6 billion Ouguiya (Banking)
- Approval timeline
- —
- Customer assets
- —
- Data protection
- —
- Sandbox
- No
Mauritania lacks a dedicated fintech or electronic money licensing regime. Payment activities are generally subsumed under the regulation of credit institutions, microfinance institutions (MFIs), and financial cooperatives, all supervised by the Central Bank. New entrants must typically structure as a licensed bank or MFI, or operate under specific exemptions not detailed in the provided texts. The regulatory environment is traditional, with no recent updates specifically targeting digital-only fintechs in the source documents.
Which licence do you need?
| Your activity | Requirement | Capital | Timeline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment processing / gateway | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific payment processor license identified | — | — | — |
| E-money & wallet issuance | Uncertainverify with regulator No e-money license regime found in documents | — | — | — |
| Domestic money transfer | Uncertainverify with regulator Likely requires banking or MFI license | — | — | — |
| Cross-border remittance | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific remittance license identified | — | — | — |
| Agent network | Uncertainverify with regulator Agent banking rules not detailed in sources | — | — | — |
| Open banking / account information | Unregulated No open banking framework exists | — | — | — |
| Foreign-exchange services | Uncertainverify with regulator FX likely controlled by Central Bank directives | — | — | — |
Market-entry checklist
- 1Confirm banking license requirementVerify if payment activities require a full banking license under Law 2018-036 bis.
- 2Evaluate MFI eligibilityCheck if MFI status under Ordinance 2007/005 fits your business model.
- 3Secure Central Bank approvalAll financial activities require prior approval from the Banque Centrale de Mauritanie.
- 4Meet capital thresholdsPrepare for significant capital requirements (e.g., 6 billion Ouguiya for banks).