Licence application and notification (“market access”)

Parties wishing to enter the financial market must have permission to do so, for example in the form of an authorisation. They can submit an application for authorisation to DNB. We will then check whether all applicable requirements have been met and whether the requested authorisation can be granted.

This section of Open Book on Supervision provides sector-based information about market access. If you cannot find the information you are looking for, please feel free to contact us.

Do you need a licence? View our animation to learn more about the practical aspects of applying for a licence.

Brexit

If your business is affected by Brexit, it may have consequences for your licensing requirements. Ensure you submit your licence application to us in good time. For each sector we have listed some “success factors” to help reduce the time it takes to process your application.

DNB has published a factsheet (updated on 8th February 2021)  on which cross-border financial services are allowed to be provided to Dutch customers by UK firms after 2020, following the transition period.

InnovationHub

If you are an innovative financial services or products provider, you can visit the InnovationHub, a joint initiative of supervisors DNB and the Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), with any questions you may have about the applicability of rules and regulations.

The InnovationHub offers innovative entrepreneurs and incumbent market operators the opportunity to discuss questions about regulation directly with a supervisory authority, irrespective of whether they are currently subject to supervision. the InnovationHub aims to create room for innovation in the financial sector.

Do you need authorisation?

Do you want to know whether you need an authorisation or are excepted or exempted from the authorisation requirement? For each sector, we have listed the situations in which you need or need not apply for authorisation.

If you are in doubt whether this also applies to your activities or intended activities, we will be happy to discuss this with you.

Discontinuation of activities subject to a licence requirement

If you intend to discontinue your institution's activities that are subject to a licence requirement, you can submit an application to withdraw your licence.

Other services

In addition to applying for authorisations, you can also turn to DNB to request declarations of no-objection or permission to establish a branch office.

Declarations of no-objection

We are also responsible for issuing declarations of no-objection for the holders of a qualified holding in financial institutions In this way we prevent the acquisition of holdings in financial institutions by parties that do not meet the required standards of integrity or are not financially sound.

• Declarations of no-objection

Permission to establish a branch office

We can grant permission to establish a branch office in the Netherlands or perform services in the Netherlands to banks, insurers and payment institutions that have their registered office in a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

• Permission to establish a branch office for insurers
• Permission to establish a branch office for payment institutions

Enforcement

We act against parties that are active without appropriate authorisation and remove them from the market, as parties that operate illegally create major risks for individual customers and jeopardise the integrity and stability of the market as a whole. They can severely damage trust in the market, which is why enforcement is always of great importance.We work together with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) and the Public Prosecution Service (OM).

• Enforcement