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Creditor licence and credit servicer authorisation
We prepare and manage applications to the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority for a creditor licence and for a credit servicer (debt collection) authorisation, and the documents a lending or servicing business needs.
Prices
Two different authorisations
A creditor that grants consumer credit in Estonia needs an activity licence from the Financial Supervision Authority under the Creditors and Credit Intermediaries Act (KAVS). A credit servicer (krediidiinkasso) that manages and collects credit on behalf of creditors or credit purchasers needs an activity licence under the Credit Servicers and Credit Purchasers Act (KIOS), which transposes Directive (EU) 2021/2167.
These are different from a company that is only set up for lending or debt collection. On our licensed companies page, "Lending company formation" and "Debt collection company" are corporate structures only: they do not include a creditor licence or a Financial Supervision Authority authorisation.
Capital requirements
- Creditor
- Share capital of at least 50,000 euros, fully paid in (KAVS § 54, Riigi Teataja).
- Credit intermediary
- Share capital must be fully paid in; the Act sets no separate minimum amount (§ 54(1)).
- Credit servicer
- Share capital of at least 25,000 euros, fully paid in (KIOS § 46, Riigi Teataja).
What the credit servicer application contains
The application lists the documents set out in KIOS § 7: among them the articles of association, a business plan meeting § 8, proof of the paid-in share capital, information on managers and qualifying holdings, the internal rules and internal control system (§§ 41–42), a description of the IT systems and, if the servicer will receive and hold borrowers' funds, a separate payment account meeting § 47. A servicer must also have a complaints procedure (§ 60). Our add-ons cover each of these documents.
Fees of the authority
State and supervisory fees are charged separately. For a creditor, credit intermediary or credit servicer licence the Financial Supervision Authority charges a procedural fee of 3,000 euros for a first authorisation (Financial Supervision Authority Act § 45³(2), in the wording in force on 29 September 2026 — Riigi Teataja); the Financial Supervision Authority also states the 3,000-euro fee on its credit servicer licence page.
What we do not do
We do not grant or guarantee the licence and cannot promise when the authority decides. We do not provide the capital and do not collect debts ourselves. The introduction to a debt collection partner is an introduction only; the terms are agreed between you and the partner.
This price is our professional fee for the corporate and regulatory work described. It is not the price of a licence and does not include state or supervisory fees, regulatory capital, or third-party costs. The authorisation is granted by the competent supervisory authority.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a creditor licence to lend to businesses only?
The Creditors and Credit Intermediaries Act concerns credit to consumers. Whether your model needs a licence depends on your customers and products; we confirm this in the quote before any work starts.
What is the difference between a credit servicer and a debt collection company?
A credit servicer is authorised by the Financial Supervision Authority under KIOS to manage and collect credit agreements on behalf of creditors or credit purchasers. A debt collection company on our licensed companies page is a corporate structure only, without that authorisation.
How much capital does a credit servicer need?
At least 25,000 euros of share capital, fully paid in (KIOS § 46). A creditor needs at least 50,000 euros (KAVS § 54). The capital is not part of our fee.
Must a credit servicer hold borrowers' money on a separate account?
Yes, if it receives payments from borrowers. KIOS § 47 requires those funds to be kept on a separate payment account and not used in the servicer's own business. The account itself is opened by a bank or payment institution at its discretion.
All our prices on one page. Compare this service with every other service in our price list.
See these prices in the price listGuides
Read the guides
- Estonian creditor licence for consumer creditWho needs the licence, the capital, the application, the responsible lending rules and the state fee.
- Estonian credit servicer licenceWhat credit servicing is, what the licence requires, the capital, the documents and the state fee.
- Debt collection, lending and transport licencesThree smaller regulated activities in Estonia: what each requires and how we work with you.
- What a licensed company in Estonia really costsOur fee, state fees, the capital the company must hold and the running costs after authorisation — the four cost layers of a licensed company.