How to check if an e-money institution is licensed (UK and EU)

To check whether an e-money institution (EMI) is licensed, look it up on the register kept by its home regulator: the FCA Financial Services Register for UK firms, or the EBA EUCLID register for firms authorised in the European Economic Area. A licence is only meaningful if its status reads as currently authorised, not withdrawn, cancelled or lapsed.

Where the official records live

Two public registers cover almost every EMI a UK or European customer will meet:

• UK - FCA Financial Services Register (register.fca.org.uk). Lists every firm the FCA authorises, including authorised EMIs and small EMIs, with a status field and an effective date.
• EEA - EBA EUCLID register (euclid.eba.europa.eu). The European Banking Authority publishes a daily "golden copy" of payment and e-money institutions across all EEA national authorities, plus passporting rights.

These registers are the source of truth. A firm's own website saying "FCA regulated" is a claim, not a confirmation.

The four checks that actually matter

1. Status. Confirm the entry reads as authorised or registered now. "Cancelled", "revoked" or "lapsed" means the licence is no longer in force.
2. Licence type. Authorised EMI and small EMI are different permissions with different limits and safeguarding rules.
3. Legal name and number. Match the exact legal entity and its licence number or FRN, not just a brand or app name.
4. Date. Check when the record was last confirmed. A status that has not been re-checked recently can be stale.

This directory carries out those four checks for you against the FCA and EBA registers and shows the last-verified date on every record. It does not replace the primary register - it points you to it.

Q: Does "FCA regulated" on a company's website prove it is licensed?

No. It is a claim by the firm. Confirm it independently on the FCA Financial Services Register by searching the firm's legal name or its Firm Reference Number, and check that the e-money status reads as currently authorised.

Q: Can a UK customer rely on the EBA register, or only the FCA one?

For a UK-authorised firm, the FCA register is the right source. For a firm authorised elsewhere in the EEA, use the EBA EUCLID register. Since Brexit, UK and EEA passporting no longer overlap, so the home regulator decides which register applies.

Q: What if a firm appears on neither register?

Treat that as a red flag. Either the firm is not authorised as an EMI, it operates under a different permission, or it trades under a legal name different from its brand. Ask the firm for its exact legal entity name and licence number, then look that up.

This guide is informational and not legal or financial advice. Always confirm a firm's status directly on the issuing regulator's register. Last reviewed: June 2026.