You are regarded as a financial service provider if you provide financial services for others commercially or on a scale which requires a commercially organised business undertaking and your company is not a credit institution.
For the following financial services you require a License according to § 34c German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG):
- Investment broking (the broking of business involving the purchase and sale of financial instruments, e.g. of securities or foreign currency or their documentation)
- Investment advice (Giving personal recommendations)
- Operating a multilateral trading system (Representing the interests of a number of persons in buying and selling financial instruments)
- Placement business (Placement of financial tools without fixed underwriting)
- Contract broking (the purchase and sale of financial instruments in the name of and for the account of others)
- Financial portfolio management (the administration of individual portfolios of financial instruments for others on a discriminatory basis)
- Own-account trading (the purchase and sale of financial instruments on an own-account basis for others)
- Non-EEA deposit broking (the broking of deposit business with companies situated outside the European Economic Area – EEA)
- Money transfer services (provision of payment orders)
- Foreign currency dealings (dealing in foreign notes and coins)
- Credit card services (issue and administration of credit cards or traveller's cheques, exception if the credit card issuer also provides the services which form the basis of the payment transaction)
Note: You possibly also need a license for financial service providers in accordance with the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act for other financial services.
Before making an application, please check which license is required for your business.