FCA Authorisation Costs and Compliance Consultancy Fees
How much does FCA authorisation cost?
FCA authorisation costs are among the first things firms want to understand when considering authorisation, registration, or a change to their regulatory permissions: how much will this cost?
The answer depends on what your business does, the permissions you require, the complexity of your operating model and how much of the application material already exists.
We believe firms should nevertheless be able to obtain a sensible indication of likely professional fees before committing to a regulatory project. The prices below therefore set out indicative professional fees for C&G Regulatory Solutions for common FCA applications and regulatory projects.
For relatively standardised applications, we can often offer a fixed fee. For more complex mandates, we provide a starting price and, where useful, an indication of the range within which a typical engagement may fall.
All prices exclude VAT and any FCA application or regulatory fees.
FCA authorisation fees
FCA authorisation is not simply a matter of completing an application form. The FCA will generally expect an applicant to demonstrate that its proposed business model, governance, financial resources, systems and controls, senior management and regulatory arrangements are appropriate for the activities for which permission is sought.
The amount of work required can therefore differ substantially between firms.
The FCA authorisation costs below show our indicative professional fees for some of the most common application types.
| Service | C&G professional fee |
| Limited Permission Consumer Credit Authorisation | £1,000 + VAT fixed fee |
| Straightforward Full Permission Consumer Credit Authorisation | £3,000 + VAT fixed fee |
| Complex Full Permission Consumer Credit Authorisation | From £5,000 + VAT |
| Financial Adviser / Intermediary Authorisation | From £6,000 + VAT |
| Corporate Finance Firm Authorisation | From £7,000 + VAT |
| Investment Manager / Portfolio Manager Authorisation | From £10,000 + VAT |
| MiFID Investment Firm Authorisation (simple) | From £10,000 + VAT |
| Complex Investment Firm / CFD / Principal Dealer Authorisation | From £15,000 + VAT; typical engagement £18,000–£30,000 + VAT |
| MTF or OTF Authorisation | From £25,000 + VAT |
What is included?
The precise scope is agreed before work begins. Depending upon the application, our work may include regulatory perimeter analysis, permissions mapping, regulatory business planning, governance arrangements, financial crime documentation, prudential assessments, safeguarding or client asset arrangements, compliance monitoring, Senior Managers and Certification Regime documentation and support during the FCA review process.
For more complex investment firm applications, the typical engagement may exceed the headline starting price. We will explain this before an engagement begins, rather than allowing scope and fees to drift during the application process.
FCA Variation of Permission costs
An existing FCA-authorised firm may need to apply for a Variation of Permission (VoP) when it expands or changes its regulated activities. A relatively narrow permission change can be straightforward. A variation involving a new product, a different customer population, client assets, additional prudential requirements, or a material change to the business model can require substantially more work.
| Service | C&G professional fee |
| Straightforward FCA Variation of Permission | £3,500 + VAT |
| Material or complex Variation of Permission | From £6,500 + VAT |
| Cancellation of Part 4A Permission | £2,500 + VAT fixed fee |
| Change in Control – straightforward individual controller | £2,500 + VAT |
| Change in Control – corporate controller in chain | From £5,000 + VAT |
For substantial variations, we will consider not only the FCA application itself but whether the change affects the firm’s business plan, financial resources, ICARA or prudential assessment, governance, Consumer Duty framework, safeguarding arrangements, regulatory reporting or compliance monitoring programme.
Payment institution authorisation costs
C&G assists payment services firms with FCA registration, authorisation, variations and agent notifications under the UK payment services framework.
| Payment services application | C&G professional fee |
| Small Payment Institution (SPI) Registration | £5,000 + VAT fixed fee |
| Authorised Payment Institution (API) Authorisation | From £10,000 + VAT; typical engagement £12,500–£20,000 + VAT |
| API Variation of Authorisation | From £3,500 + VAT |
| SPI Variation of Registration | £2,500 + VAT fixed fee |
| Payment Services Agent Notification | £1,500 + VAT fixed fee |
| Registered Account Information Service Provider (RAISP) | From £3,500 + VAT |
| Limited Network Exclusion Notification | £1,250 + VAT fixed fee |
| Electronic Communications Exclusion Notification | £1,250 + VAT fixed fee |
FCA authorisation costs for payment firms depend primarily on the proposed payment services, the safeguarding model, the governance arrangements, and the complexity of the business.
A more complex API application may require detailed work on safeguarding, governance, financial forecasts, operational and security risks, outsourcing, financial crime, wind-down arrangements and regulatory reporting.
Electronic money institution authorisation costs
We also advise firms seeking registration or authorisation under the UK electronic money regime.
| E-money application | C&G professional fee |
| Small Electronic Money Institution (SEMI) Registration | £6,000 + VAT fixed fee |
| Authorised Electronic Money Institution (AEMI) Authorisation | From £12,000 + VAT; typical engagement £15,000–£25,000 + VAT |
| AEMI Variation of Authorisation | From £4,000 + VAT |
| SEMI Variation of Registration | £2,500 + VAT fixed fee |
Where a proposed business combines payment services, electronic money, and cryptoasset activities, we would normally begin with a regulatory perimeter and operating model assessment before determining the appropriate application strategy.
UK cryptoasset authorisation and registration costs
The UK’s cryptoasset regulatory framework is moving towards a full FCA authorisation regime. For firms entering or expanding within the UK market, the starting point should be the activities actually undertaken, rather than simply the label attached to the business.
A cryptoasset business may need to consider the interactions among cryptoasset regulation, the Money Laundering Regulations, financial promotions, payment services, safeguarding, prudential requirements, Consumer Duty, and other FCA requirements.
As with other FCA authorisation costs, the professional fees for a cryptoasset application will depend on the firm’s activities, regulatory perimeter and complexity.
| Cryptoasset regulatory project | C&G professional fee |
| FCA Cryptoasset Registration under the Money Laundering Regulations | From £15,000 + VAT; typical engagement £18,000–£30,000 + VAT |
| FCA Cryptoasset Authorisation under the new UK regime | From £18,000 + VAT; typical engagement £20,000–£35,000+ VAT |
| Cryptoasset Regulatory Perimeter Assessment | Quoted to scope |
| Cryptoasset Financial Promotions Review / Framework | Quoted to scope |
Our approach draws not only on cryptoasset regulation but also on established FCA disciplines, including investment firm authorisation, payments, financial crime, safeguarding, prudential regulation, governance, market abuse, and operational resilience.
Download the C&G Guide to FCA Cryptoasset Authorisation and Regulation
FCA Change in Control costs
An acquisition of or an increase in control over an FCA-regulated firm may require prior FCA approval. The amount of work depends on the identity of the proposed controller, the transaction’s ownership structure and financing, and whether the acquisition raises broader governance or regulatory issues.
| Change in Control application | C&G professional fee |
| Straightforward individual controller | £2,500 + VAT |
| Corporate controller in chain | From £5,000 + VAT |
For corporate and group transactions, we can also assist with ownership structure, regulatory impact analysis, controller information, governance changes and responses to FCA information requests.
SMCR and Approved Person application costs
| Application | C&G professional fee |
| Senior Management Function approval | £1,500 + VAT fixed fee |
| AR-related Approved Person application | £1,250 + VAT fixed fee |
Where an application involves significant regulatory history, fitness and propriety issues, complex Statements of Responsibilities or likely enhanced FCA scrutiny, we will agree a separate scope before work begins.
Appointed Representative costs
| Service | C&G professional fee |
| Appointed Representative appointment support | £2,500 + VAT |
| Introducer Appointed Representative appointment support | £1,000 + VAT fixed fee |
| Principal AR due diligence/onboarding review | From £2,500 + VAT |
Appointed Representative work can involve considerably more than submitting the notification. Principals need to consider whether the proposed activities fall within the scope of the AR regime and whether they can adequately oversee the AR after appointment.
Why do FCA authorisation costs vary?
Two firms seeking apparently similar permissions can require very different levels of work. A start-up with a simple ownership structure, one product, and a small UK management team is very different from an international group relying on overseas technology, outsourced compliance, third-party custody, several customer populations, and multiple revenue streams.
The main authorisation cost drivers are the scope of regulated activities, complexity of the legal and group structure, quality of existing documentation, number and experience of senior managers, financial and prudential requirements, safeguarding or CASS implications, outsourcing and technology dependencies, financial crime risk and the extent to which the business is genuinely ready for FCA authorisation.
This is why we use fixed fees where the scope can genuinely be standardised and “from” prices where pretending otherwise would be misleading.
Does the C&G fee include the FCA application fee?
No. Our prices are professional fees for C&G’s regulatory consultancy work. Any FCA application, registration or notification fee is separate and payable to the FCA. We will identify the expected FCA fee as part of the engagement where appropriate.
Do you charge by the hour?
For most defined regulatory applications, we prefer to agree a fixed fee or clearly defined project fee. This gives the client greater certainty and avoids a regulatory application becoming an open-ended hourly exercise. Where the project is particularly complex, evolving, or dependent on work performed by other advisers, we may agree to staged fees or additional work separately.
Can C&G take over an FCA application that has already started?
Yes. We can review an existing or partially prepared FCA application and identify gaps, inconsistencies, missing evidence, weaknesses in governance or financial resources, unresolved FCA questions and work required before submission or resubmission.
Do you guarantee FCA authorisation?
No responsible adviser can guarantee that the FCA will authorise a firm. The FCA makes the regulatory decision. Our role is to help the firm understand the applicable requirements, build a coherent and credible application, identify weaknesses before submission and manage the regulatory process effectively.
How long does FCA authorisation take?
The statutory and operational timescales depend upon the type of application. They should not, however, be confused with the time required to prepare a firm for authorisation. In our experience, the preparation stage is often where firms create the greatest value. Identifying weaknesses before an application is submitted is normally preferable to discovering them after the FCA begins asking questions.
Need a more precise quote?
The prices above are intended to provide meaningful transparency, not replace an assessment of your particular business.
For most enquiries, we can establish the likely scope after an initial discussion covering what the business does, who its customers are, which entity will be regulated, the required permissions, the current stage of preparation, and the target timetable. We will then tell you what we think the project requires and provide a clear fee proposal.
Important information
Prices shown are indicative of C&G Regulatory Solutions professional fees as at September 2026 and exclude VAT, FCA fees, and other third-party costs. Fixed fees assume a defined and standard scope. Where an application raises unusual regulatory, legal, prudential, safeguarding, financial crime, ownership or operational issues, we will agree any revised scope and fee before undertaking additional work.
Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice or a guarantee that the FCA will grant an application.
