SecureVisa Group is the UAE's independent CMA licensing and compliance partner — helping broker-dealers, trading platforms, tokenized securities projects, and custody providers secure their Capital Markets Authority authorisation. Our team holds CAMS, CAMS-Audit, CGSS, CBI-EIF, and FINRA Series 7 & 63 certifications. As a MOE-registered CSP, we are held to the same AML/CFT and governance standards we build for clients.
The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) is the UAE's Federal Regulator, responsible for licensing and supervising all onshore securities, commodities, and tokenized asset activities. Unlike free-zone regulators such as VARA, ADGM, or DFSA, a CMA license authorizes your business to operate on the UAE mainland under the nation's highest regulatory standards — the benchmark for credibility, investor confidence, and legal operation in the country.
A CMA license grants federal authorization to operate across the UAE. One license, full market coverage — no juggling multiple free-zone entities. Direct access to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah markets, plus institutional entry points with family offices, sovereign funds, and listed entities.
Why it matters: National coverage means a larger client base, fewer barriers, and more growth.
A CMA license shows your firm meets the UAE's highest levels of governance, risk management, and AML/CFT compliance. CMA-licensed firms are better positioned for corporate banking, investors trust CMA-regulated projects, and platforms without it risk skepticism from banks and partners.
Why it matters: Regulatory trust drives growth — CMA licensing signals strong governance and strategic advantage.
The UAE is a global leader in virtual asset regulation, with the CMA framework supporting tokenization, blockchain innovation, and digital asset markets — real-world asset tokenization, digital securities and blockchain funds, and adaptability across NFTs, stablecoins, and Web3 assets.
Why it matters: CMA licensing positions your business to thrive in tomorrow's digital asset landscape.
The CMA license is mandatory for any business conducting onshore securities, commodities, or tokenized financial activities in the UAE mainland. This applies if you are:
Firms arranging trades or acting as financial intermediaries in the UAE must obtain a CMA license to operate legally and earn investor trust.
Operators of exchanges, electronic trading systems, or commodities/token marketplaces serving UAE mainland investors directly.
Companies issuing security tokens, asset-backed tokens, structured digital products, or STOs. CMA approval is required to list, distribute, or manage these instruments.
Businesses offering safekeeping of securities or digital assets, clearing, or settlement within the UAE. Federal licensing ensures compliance with investor-protection rules.
Companies pursuing a Dubai mainland setup who want more than a corporate license — CMA provides the regulatory legitimacy to raise capital, attract investors, and expand securely.
If your business touches trading, custody, brokerage, or tokenization in the UAE mainland, you need a CMA license to operate legally and competitively. Operating without CMA authorisation exposes your firm to regulatory enforcement, reputational damage, and loss of client trust. SecureVisa Group ensures your application is complete, compliant, and positioned for first-time approval.
To secure and maintain a CMA license, firms must prove they are fully prepared, resilient, and transparent — with investor protection at their core. The CMA evaluates five core dimensions across every application. SecureVisa Group prepares and stress-tests each one before submission to maximise approval probability and minimise regulator queries.
Your activities must align precisely with your authorization — brokerage, custody, tokenized securities issuance, or market operations, with no grey areas or unlicensed activities.
Risk-tiered KYC/KYB onboarding, CGSS-certified PEP and sanctions screening, transaction monitoring calibrated to your model, and goAML-compliant reporting. For tokenized firms, on-chain monitoring and wallet screening — assessed by CAMS-Audit credentialed reviewers.
Strong board oversight, independent risk and compliance functions, and sufficient capital reserves to absorb shocks. Leadership must show fit-and-proper standing and accountability at all levels.
Secure, resilient systems to protect investor data and guarantee continuity. The CMA expects tested cybersecurity controls, disaster recovery planning, and system integrity measures.
Licensed firms must engage continuously with the CMA through regulatory reporting, disclosures, and audits. Transparency is non-negotiable, and the regulator actively monitors compliance.
This is not a “quick license.” The CMA ensures only serious, well-prepared, institution-grade firms operate in the UAE mainland — and meeting these standards builds credibility with banks, investors, and global partners.
Securing a CMA license is about building a credible, investor-ready business the regulator trusts. We manage the full process — scoping your license category, building compliance infrastructure, preparing your dossier, and managing every regulator interaction from submission through final approval and beyond.
We identify the right CMA category — Trading Broker, Clearing Broker, Investment Management, Financial Consultancy, or Promotion & Introduction — and prepare a bulletproof dossier. Our FINRA Series 7 & 63 professionals bring direct SEC/FINRA fluency alongside UAE CMA expertise.
Automate AML/CFT transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, SAR reporting, and regulatory submission workflows. No spreadsheets, no manual tracking — just clean, auditable records the CMA can inspect at any time.
Backed by ITSEC, we embed risk assessments, security posture reviews, penetration testing, and business continuity planning into your CMA framework — ensuring your infrastructure meets regulator standards before review.
CMA licensing is the foundation, not the finish line. We align your compliance setup with business technology transformation — scalable infrastructure, reporting systems, and operational processes to grow under CMA supervision.
SecureVisa Group's structured methodology takes you from initial scoping through final approval and ongoing supervision — typically completing the full CMA licensing process within 3–6 months depending on business complexity and regulator response timelines. Every stage minimizes delays, reduces regulatory risk, and positions your business for long-term success.
We assess your business model against CMA categories, identify the exact permissions you need, map regulatory overlaps (e.g. CMA vs VARA for tokenized assets), and build your application strategy before a single document is submitted.
The CMA may ask questions or set conditions during review. We manage all correspondence and clarifications, ensuring responses meet regulatory standards — handling queries correctly is critical, as mistakes cause delays.
We prepare and file your dossier — ownership, financials, AML/CFT policies, and governance — directly with the CMA. A thorough, regulator-ready submission accelerates review and increases approval odds.
Once approved in principle, we help satisfy all conditions — embedding governance, AML/CFT programmes, cybersecurity controls, and operational systems — so your final license is granted without further delays.
CMA compliance doesn't end at licensing — it begins. We manage annual filings, AML/CFT programme reviews, supervisory reporting, and license renewal, keeping your license in good standing as you grow.
Applying for a CMA license requires more than paperwork — the regulator expects firms to demonstrate they are serious, well-capitalised, and institutionally ready. SecureVisa Group builds and verifies each element below, eliminating rejection risk and minimising regulator queries before submission.
Full disclosure of shareholders, directors, and ultimate beneficial owners, with governance structures.
Why: The CMA must ensure your leadership is fit-and-proper, transparent, and accountable.
A regulator-ready description of your planned activities — brokerage, custody, tokenized offerings, trading platform — and the clients you will serve.
Why: The CMA only grants licenses where activity scope matches market integrity and investor protection.
Detailed AML and CFT frameworks, plus risk management procedures and suspicious transaction reporting mechanisms.
Why: Preventing financial crime is non-negotiable — firms must monitor, detect, and report risks at scale.
Documented systems for transaction monitoring, data protection, disaster recovery, and cybersecurity.
Why: The CMA emphasises system resilience and investor data security — weak controls mean rejection.
Proof of adequate capital reserves, audited financials (if available), and future funding plans.
Why: The regulator requires evidence of financial stability and sustainability over the long term.
Everything you need to know about obtaining a CMA license in the UAE — compliance requirements, fees, and how SecureVisa Group helps at every stage.
The Capital Markets Authority is the UAE's federal regulator for onshore securities, commodities, and tokenized asset activities — licensing and supervising brokers, trading platforms, custody providers, and securities-token issuers across the mainland.
Choose CMA if you intend to serve UAE mainland investors, institutions, or retail clients, or issue/manage securities and tokenized assets federally. Free zones like VARA, DIFC, or ADGM suit niche or regional activities but limit reach — CMA provides nationwide credibility and market access.
The CMA expects institutional-grade governance: an independent compliance and risk function, a clear and accountable board, fit-and-proper directors and officers, adequate capital reserves, and tested AML/CFT policies and reporting systems.
Tokenized instruments — security tokens, asset-backed tokens, structured digital products — are classified as securities or commodities under CMA rules, so approval is mandatory before issuance, listing, or distribution, meeting the same transparency, AML/CFT, and cybersecurity standards as traditional securities.
From FinTech startups and crypto platforms to AI ventures, real estate tokenization projects, and global enterprises, clients trust SecureVisa Group to navigate complex licensing, compliance, and cybersecurity across VARA, CMA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, CBUAE, and GCGRA — turning regulatory complexity into measurable, long-term success.
Your trusted partner for regulatory compliance & licensing in the UAE.
