Regulatory AlertsKosovo: fintech & payments regulation
RegulatedCBK regulates payments via NBFIs; crypto licensed separately; no standalone e-money regime
- Lead regulator
- Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK)
- Also involved
- NFIU (AML/CFT supervision)
- Core law
- Law on Payment and Settlement Systems (2012)
- Entry capital
- EUR 200,000 (Payment System Operator)
- Approval timeline
- 90 days (statutory review period)
- Customer assets
- Segregated in trust accounts
- Data protection
- Law No. 05/L-053 · Personal Data Protection Agency
- Sandbox
- No
The CBK is the primary supervisor for payment services, licensing them under the Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) framework. There is no dedicated 'e-money' license; issuers operate as NBFIs. Crypto-asset exchange services are separately licensed under a 2025 regulation with a €125,000 capital floor. The regulatory direction is tightening AML compliance and standardizing reporting.
Which licence do you need?
| Your activity | Requirement | Capital | Timeline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment processing / gateway | LicenceNBFI License (Payment Services)[1] Requires NBFI registration for payment processing | EUR 200,000 | 90 days | CBK |
| E-money & wallet issuance | LicenceNBFI License (Electronic Money Issuance)[1] Issued under NBFI framework, not a dedicated e-money license | EUR 200,000 | 90 days | CBK |
| Domestic money transfer | LicenceNBFI License (Payment Services)[1] Domestic transfers covered by payment service license | EUR 200,000 | 90 days | CBK |
| Cross-border remittance | LicenceNBFI License (Payment Services)[1][2] Cross-border transfers require IBAN compliance and AML checks | EUR 200,000 | 90 days | CBK |
| Agent network | Uncertainverify with regulator Agent network rules not explicitly detailed in source docs | — | — | — |
| Open banking / account information | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific open banking framework identified in sources | — | — | — |
| Foreign-exchange services | LicenceNBFI License (Payment Services)[1] FX services included in payment service scope | EUR 200,000 | 90 days | CBK |
New — what changed recently
- 2025-08-29Regulation on Licensing of Crypto-Assets Service Operators — Introduced mandatory licensing for crypto-exchange services with a €125,000 capital requirement.
- 2026-05-28Regulation on Reporting Statistics of Payment Instruments — Standardized statistical reporting for all licensed payment service providers.
- 2024-06-26Regulation on Information Accompanying Transfers of Funds — Mandated specific payer/payee data for all fund transfers to combat AML/CTF.
Market-entry checklist
- 1Register as NBFI with CBKSubmit application for NBFI license covering payment services with EUR 200k capital.
- 2Secure Fit-and-Proper ManagementDemonstrate directors and shareholders meet CBK integrity and competence standards.
- 3Implement IBAN ComplianceEnsure all transactions use the mandatory 20-character IBAN format.
- 4Establish AML/CFT FrameworkAdhere to CBK and NFIU requirements for fund transfer information and reporting.