Trinidad and Tobago: fintech & payments regulation

Regulated

CBTT regulates payments/e-money; TTSEC regulates VASPs under 2025 Act

Lead regulator: Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT)
Also involved: TTSEC (Virtual Assets) · NFIU (AML/CFT)
Core law: Central Bank Act & E-Money Issuer Order, 2020
Entry capital: TBD (E-Money Issuer Order, 2023)
Approval timeline: 3-6 months
Customer assets: Segregated trust accounts required
Data protection: Data Protection Act · NDPC
Sandbox: Yes - Joint Regulatory Innovation Hub

The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) is the primary supervisor for traditional fintech, including payment service providers and e-money issuers, operating under the Central Bank Act and the E-Money Issuer Order. The regulatory landscape expanded in 2025 with the enactment of the Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, bringing crypto-asset activities under the oversight of the Trinidad and Tobago Securities and Exchange Commission (TTSEC).

Which licence do you need?

Your activity	Requirement	Capital	Timeline	Authority
Payment processing / gateway	LicencePayment Service Provider^[1][2] Registration required under Central Bank Act for payment services.	TBD	3-6 months	Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
E-money & wallet issuance	LicenceE-Money Issuer^[3][4] Subject to E-Money Issuer Order 2020 and 2023 amendments.	TBD	3-6 months	Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
Domestic money transfer	LicencePayment Service Provider^[1] Domestic transfers fall under payment service provider registration.	TBD	3-6 months	Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
Cross-border remittance	LicencePayment Service Provider^[1] Cross-border payments require PSP registration and AML compliance.	TBD	3-6 months	Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
Agent network	Uncertainverify with regulator Agent network rules not explicitly detailed in source documents.	—	—	—
Open banking / account information	Uncertainverify with regulator No specific open banking framework identified in source documents.	—	—	—
Foreign-exchange services	LicenceBureau de Change^[5][6] Licensed under revised Terms and Conditions for Bureau de Change.	TBD	3-6 months	Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago

New — what changed recently

2025-12-30Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2025 — Established TTSEC oversight for VASPs and created a regulatory sandbox for virtual assets.^[7]
2023-01-01E-Money Issuer (Amendment) Order, 2023 — Amended Schedule 2 to establish specific monthly transaction limits, maximum wallet sizes, and capital requirements.^[4]
2022-09-26Revised Terms and Conditions for Bureau de Change — Introduced stricter licensing criteria, enhanced compliance reporting, and updated capital adequacy standards.^[5]

Market-entry checklist

1Register as PSP or E-Money IssuerSubmit application to CBTT under Central Bank Act or E-Money Issuer Order with business plan and governance docs.
2Implement AML/CFT FrameworkEstablish robust compliance framework per CBTT AML/CFT/CPF Requirements for E-Money Issuers.
3Open E-Money Issuer AccountOpen specific accounts at CBTT as per Guidance for Opening E-Money Issuer Accounts.
4Apply for BDC License (if FX)Apply for Bureau de Change license under revised Terms and Conditions if offering FX services.
5Register with TTSEC (if Crypto)Register as VASP with TTSEC under the 2025 Virtual Assets Act if dealing in virtual assets.

Sources

This guide is compiled automatically from 7 primary-source documents published by Trinidad and Tobago's regulators, reviewed by RegAlert, and refreshed monthly (last updated 2026-07-12). It is not legal advice — always confirm requirements with the regulator or local counsel before acting.