What a CASP licence costs and how long it takes

Why this page exists

”How much does a CASP licence cost?” and “how long does it take?” are two of the most asked questions about MiCA authorisation, and most answers online quote only the minimum capital figure. That figure is the smallest part of the real number. This page separates the cost into the layers that actually move a budget, and the timeline into the parts a regulator controls versus the parts you control.

The figures here are ranges, not quotes. Fees and timelines vary by member state, service scope, and how clean your custody and governance story is. Treat this as a planning frame, not legal or financial advice.

The three cost layers

Regulatory capital

Minimum own funds of €50,000 (Class 1), €125,000 (Class 2), or €150,000 (Class 3) depending on which services you are authorised for, or one quarter of fixed overheads if higher. This is committed capital, not a fee. See Article 67.

NCA fees

Application and annual supervisory fees set by each national competent authority. These vary widely between member states and scale with size and scope. Confirm the current schedule directly with your target NCA.

Professional fees

Legal, compliance, and audit support to assemble the Article 62 file. For a full custody or trading scope this commonly runs into six figures; a narrow Class 1 scope costs materially less.

Operations

A real EU office, fit-and-proper management, ICT and cyber, AML/CFT systems, and ongoing supervision. These are recurring, not one-off, and they are what a nameplate entity cannot fake.

The two statutory clocks

Article 63 sets two deadlines for the competent authority, and neither is the part that usually slips.

Completeness check: 25 working days for the NCA to confirm your file is complete, or tell you what is missing.
Decision: 40 working days from a complete file for the NCA to grant or refuse authorisation.
Preparation: the part you control, and the part that dominates the calendar. Most teams spend three to nine months getting a file to the point where it survives the completeness check.
Clock stops: requests for further information pause the decision clock, so back-and-forth on a weak file extends the real timeline well beyond the headline 40 days.

What actually drives delay and cost

Scope: each additional regulated service adds service-specific procedures, capital class, and review.
Custody: holding client assets raises the evidence bar sharply under Article 75 and feeds the Article 67 safeguard decision.
Governance substance: NCAs expect EU-resident, fit-and-proper management with genuine crypto knowledge, not a paper board.
Jurisdiction: speed and rigour are inversely correlated, and fee schedules differ. Compare jurisdiction hubs before committing.
File quality: an incomplete or inconsistent application is the most common cause of stalls, not outright refusals.