Accelerating
UAE FinTech Licensing
& Compliance:
CBUAE, SCA, VARA, DFSA, ADGM
Secure authorisation and regulatory approval for your FinTech venture in Dubai and the UAE. Expert support for licensing, compliance technology, and cybersecurity - aligned with Central Bank, Securities & Commodities Authority, Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, DIFC, and Abu Dhabi Global Market standards. Book a consultation to map your eligibility, required documents, and regulator pathways today.
Why UAE FinTech Matters
The UAE is the leading FinTech hub in the Middle East, driven by rapid growth in digital payments, neobanking, crypto-asset management, tokenization, and embedded finance. To operate in this thriving environment, FinTechs must secure licensing and meet ongoing compliance under major regulators such as CBUAE, SCA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and VARA, covering payments, virtual assets, lending, and securities. SecureVisa Group streamlines UAE FinTech licensing, regulatory mapping, KYC/AML, cybersecurity, and operational readiness for startups and global scale-ups, ensuring secure market entry and sustainable growth.
Here’s WHY?
Powerful, self-serve analytics and growth tools help UAE FinTech startups convert, engage, and retain more users, supported by robust regulatory compliance and data-driven insights. Used by thousands of innovators, SecureVisa Group’s solutions deliver trusted product, market, and user analytics that drive sustainable scaling for digital payments, crypto, lending, and neobanking startups in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Investors demand compliance first
Without a licensed, regulator-approved framework, fundraising and market entry stall.
Investors demand compliance first
Without a licensed, regulator-approved framework, fundraising and market entry stall.
Regulators demand readiness
The UAE rewards innovators who can prove governance, technology resilience, and strong financial crime prevention.
Success in UAE FinTech is not just about innovation
it’s about building credibility and market trust from day one. That’s where SVG ensures you have the clear pathway, compliant foundation, and trusted regulatory standing to scale with confidence.
SecureVisa Group’s FinTech Advantage
FinTech success in the UAE requires more than innovation—it demands regulator alignment, investor trust, and proven operational resilience. SecureVisa Group uniquely integrates regulatory strategy, compliance technology, and cybersecurity under one roof, supporting startups and scale-ups through every stage of licensing, implementation, and daily compliance.
SecureVisa Group ensures UAE FinTechs aren’t just licensed—they’re built for scale and scrutiny, with a robust, regulator-aligned foundation that meets the standards of CBUAE, SCA, VARA, DFSA, and ADGM, supporting sustainable growth in the region’s fast-evolving financial sector.
SecureVisa Group ensures UAE FinTechs aren’t just licensed—they’re built for scale and scrutiny, with a robust, regulator-aligned foundation that meets the standards of CBUAE, SCA, VARA, DFSA, and ADGM, supporting sustainable growth in the region’s fast-evolving financial sector.
Multi-Regulator Coverage in the UAE
The UAE is one of the few jurisdictions in the world with multiple financial regulators, each with a clearly defined mandate. Understanding who governs your activity is the most important first step in any licensing journey:
CBUAE – Central Bank of the UAE
Responsible for retail payment services, stored value facilities (SVFs), and payment tokens. Any business issuing or operating payment instruments, wallets, or stablecoins falls under CBUAE’s Payment Services Regulations.
SCA – Securities & Commodities Authority
The federal regulator for securities, commodities, and virtual assets. If your model involves brokerage, custody, tokenized instruments, or onshore trading venues, you require SCA approval. SCA also coordinates with Dubai VARA to align coverage for entities based in the Emirate.
DFSA – Dubai Financial Services Authority (DIFC)
Governs institutional financial services in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). DFSA has its own crypto token regime, designed for institutional trading, custody, and investment platforms targeting global clients.
ADGM FSRA – Abu Dhabi Global Market, Financial Services Regulatory Authority
One of the first regulators globally to publish a dedicated Virtual Asset Framework (since 2018). The FSRA oversees exchanges, custodians, brokers, and funds operating in ADGM, setting high international benchmarks for risk management and AML/CFT.
GCGRRA – General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority
The federal authority supervising commercial gaming, lotteries, and related payment mechanics. If your platform integrates loot boxes, wagering mechanics, or prize-based gaming, you may need GCGRRA approvals alongside financial licensing.
CBUAE – Central Bank of the UAE
Responsible for retail payment services, stored value facilities (SVFs), and payment tokens. Any business issuing or operating payment instruments, wallets, or stablecoins falls under CBUAE’s Payment Services Regulations.
SCA – Securities & Commodities Authority
The federal regulator for securities, commodities, and virtual assets. If your model involves brokerage, custody, tokenized instruments, or onshore trading venues, you require SCA approval. SCA also coordinates with Dubai VARA to align coverage for entities based in the Emirate.
DFSA – Dubai Financial Services Authority (DIFC)
Governs institutional financial services in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). DFSA has its own crypto token regime, designed for institutional trading, custody, and investment platforms targeting global clients.
ADGM FSRA – Abu Dhabi Global Market, Financial Services Regulatory Authority
One of the first regulators globally to publish a dedicated Virtual Asset Framework (since 2018). The FSRA oversees exchanges, custodians, brokers, and funds operating in ADGM, setting high international benchmarks for risk management and AML/CFT.
GCGRRA – General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority
The federal authority supervising commercial gaming, lotteries, and related payment mechanics. If your platform integrates loot boxes, wagering mechanics, or prize-based gaming, you may need GCGRRA approvals alongside financial licensing.
Licensing & Approvals
We prepare and file the entire licensing dossier: governance, prudential plans, AML/CFT manuals, risk frameworks, financial, and regulator-ready policies. We also help with entry into innovation programs (ADGM RegLab, DIFC Innovation Hub).
Why this matters: Regulators don’t just check boxes—they look for operational readiness and credibility. SecureVisa Group ensures your application isn’t just complete, but convincing.
Why this matters: Regulators don’t just check boxes—they look for operational readiness and credibility. SecureVisa Group ensures your application isn’t just complete, but convincing.
Compliance Technology
Compliance technology in the UAE goes far beyond simply having written policies—it’s about implementing robust, production-grade systems that regulators can audit at any time. If a FinTech business operates under SCA, VARA, DFSA, or ADGM FSRA, these authorities expect operational proof that anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) controls are reliable, up-to-date, and fully functional in practice, in line with both FATF guidelines and UAE law.
SecureVisa Group provides all critical components required by regulators and investors:
-Identity & Transaction Management: Know Your Customer (KYC) for individuals, Know Your Business (KYB) for institutions, and Know Your Transaction (KYT) for monitoring the flow of funds on-chain and off-chain. These measures ensure businesses know exactly who they are dealing with and can spot high-risk profiles early.
- Sanctions Screening: Instant checks against major global and regional lists—UN, OFAC, EU, and UAE—help prevent any transaction from involving prohibited people, companies, or jurisdictions.
- Travel Rule Compliance: Using the IVMS-101 global messaging standard, SecureVisa Group enables secure and regulator-approved sharing of sender and receiver information for cross-border crypto transfers—exactly in line with what FATF and UAE authorities demand.
- Transaction Monitoring & Alerting: Automated systems watch for suspicious patterns, high-velocity transactions, and anomalies in real time. When something unusual happens, integrated alerting escalates the incident for review and case management.
- Automated goAML Reporting: SecureVisa Group supports direct filing of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) via the goAML system, ensuring clients never miss regulatory deadlines or risk manual reporting errors.
SecureVisa Group delivers regulator-grade compliance technology for UAE FinTechs, combining automated KYC, KYB, KYT, real-time sanctions screening, Travel Rule data sharing, and advanced transaction monitoring to meet SCA, VARA, DFSA, ADGM, and Central Bank standards. Our transparent, audit-ready workflow supports goAML filings, helping clients stay compliant, earn regulator trust, and achieve secure market entry—without false claims or overstated promises.
SecureVisa Group provides all critical components required by regulators and investors:
-Identity & Transaction Management: Know Your Customer (KYC) for individuals, Know Your Business (KYB) for institutions, and Know Your Transaction (KYT) for monitoring the flow of funds on-chain and off-chain. These measures ensure businesses know exactly who they are dealing with and can spot high-risk profiles early.
- Sanctions Screening: Instant checks against major global and regional lists—UN, OFAC, EU, and UAE—help prevent any transaction from involving prohibited people, companies, or jurisdictions.
- Travel Rule Compliance: Using the IVMS-101 global messaging standard, SecureVisa Group enables secure and regulator-approved sharing of sender and receiver information for cross-border crypto transfers—exactly in line with what FATF and UAE authorities demand.
- Transaction Monitoring & Alerting: Automated systems watch for suspicious patterns, high-velocity transactions, and anomalies in real time. When something unusual happens, integrated alerting escalates the incident for review and case management.
- Automated goAML Reporting: SecureVisa Group supports direct filing of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) via the goAML system, ensuring clients never miss regulatory deadlines or risk manual reporting errors.
SecureVisa Group delivers regulator-grade compliance technology for UAE FinTechs, combining automated KYC, KYB, KYT, real-time sanctions screening, Travel Rule data sharing, and advanced transaction monitoring to meet SCA, VARA, DFSA, ADGM, and Central Bank standards. Our transparent, audit-ready workflow supports goAML filings, helping clients stay compliant, earn regulator trust, and achieve secure market entry—without false claims or overstated promises.
Cybersecurity & Risk
Cybersecurity & ITSEC Resilience
Cybersecurity is a mandatory licensing requirement in the UAE for all FinTech firms. Regulators like CBUAE, SCA, DFSA, and ADGM FSRA demand enterprise-grade protection—your technology stack must withstand real-world threats, or your license, banking, and investor relationships are at immediate risk.
SecureVisa Group, with ITSEC, delivers a comprehensive cybersecurity framework:
- Penetration testing and vulnerability scans identify and fix weak points before attackers exploit them, ensuring resilience.
- Security Operations Center (SOC) solutions provide 24/7 monitoring and incident detection so risks are caught and managed in real time.
- Cloud and data protection strategies safeguard workloads across AWS, Azure, or hybrid environments with encryption, redundancy, and disaster recovery.
- Incident response protocols and tested playbooks ensure rapid, compliant action whenever breaches or cyber events occur.
Regulators explicitly require continuous cyber risk management, annual testing, documented incident plans, and robust information security controls to ensure operational continuity. Investors and banks expect proof that client data and funds are protected to international standards—a breach can freeze operations, jeopardize fundraising, and revoke licenses. Firms demonstrating ITSEC-grade resilience position themselves as trusted, professional market leaders.
Cybersecurity is a mandatory licensing requirement in the UAE for all FinTech firms. Regulators like CBUAE, SCA, DFSA, and ADGM FSRA demand enterprise-grade protection—your technology stack must withstand real-world threats, or your license, banking, and investor relationships are at immediate risk.
SecureVisa Group, with ITSEC, delivers a comprehensive cybersecurity framework:
- Penetration testing and vulnerability scans identify and fix weak points before attackers exploit them, ensuring resilience.
- Security Operations Center (SOC) solutions provide 24/7 monitoring and incident detection so risks are caught and managed in real time.
- Cloud and data protection strategies safeguard workloads across AWS, Azure, or hybrid environments with encryption, redundancy, and disaster recovery.
- Incident response protocols and tested playbooks ensure rapid, compliant action whenever breaches or cyber events occur.
Regulators explicitly require continuous cyber risk management, annual testing, documented incident plans, and robust information security controls to ensure operational continuity. Investors and banks expect proof that client data and funds are protected to international standards—a breach can freeze operations, jeopardize fundraising, and revoke licenses. Firms demonstrating ITSEC-grade resilience position themselves as trusted, professional market leaders.
Operational Readiness
In the UAE FinTech market, obtaining a license is only the first step—regulators like SCA, VARA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and CBUAE require firms to maintain operational readiness through continuous compliance, supervision, and reporting. SecureVisa Group goes beyond licensing, equipping businesses with everything needed for day-to-day regulatory success:
- Structured compliance calendars track every filing, renewal, STR/SAR, and regulatory return, ensuring deadlines are never missed.
- Targeted training programs for compliance, engineering, and support teams ensure each employee is ready for AML, fraud detection, incident response, and reporting obligations.
- Incident and breach response playbooks, tested in tabletop exercises, guarantee regulators see a practical, effective response to any risk event.
- Real-time dashboards provide evidence of compliance effectiveness—including onboarding rates, alert resolutions, and incident outcomes—making audits and inspections smooth and stress-free.
With SecureVisa Group, firms remain audit-ready for regulators, meet investor due diligence, and uphold operational stability. This proactive approach keeps businesses scalable and trusted, ensuring regulatory, investor, and banking confidence for long-term success.
Key takeaway: FinTech compliance is an ongoing process, and SecureVisa Groups operational systems deliver continuous supervision and readiness, fully aligned with modern UAE requirements and Google search intent.
- Structured compliance calendars track every filing, renewal, STR/SAR, and regulatory return, ensuring deadlines are never missed.
- Targeted training programs for compliance, engineering, and support teams ensure each employee is ready for AML, fraud detection, incident response, and reporting obligations.
- Incident and breach response playbooks, tested in tabletop exercises, guarantee regulators see a practical, effective response to any risk event.
- Real-time dashboards provide evidence of compliance effectiveness—including onboarding rates, alert resolutions, and incident outcomes—making audits and inspections smooth and stress-free.
With SecureVisa Group, firms remain audit-ready for regulators, meet investor due diligence, and uphold operational stability. This proactive approach keeps businesses scalable and trusted, ensuring regulatory, investor, and banking confidence for long-term success.
Key takeaway: FinTech compliance is an ongoing process, and SecureVisa Groups operational systems deliver continuous supervision and readiness, fully aligned with modern UAE requirements and Google search intent.
FinTech Models We Support: Payments, Digital Banks, Tokenization & Embedded Finance
SecureVisa Group supports FinTech models across digital payments, wallets, neobanking, lending, trading, investment, tokenization, and embedded finance. Each sector faces distinct regulatory, licensing, and compliance demands from authorities such as CBUAE, SCA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and VARA—SecureVisa ensures fast, reliable navigation through these frameworks with tailored solutions for onboarding, AML/KYC, cybersecurity, transaction monitoring, and reporting. From startup to scale-up, SecureVisa Group provides licensing strategy and compliance tech so every FinTech model meets regulator expectations, market standards, and investor criteria with speed and certainty.
Digital Payments & Wallets
→ SecureVisa Group helps payment service providers, wallet operators, and acquirers navigate and obtain Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) approvals for retail payment services and stored-value facilities, ensuring strict compliance with all regulatory and licensing standards. As the UAE rapidly advances toward a cashless economy, digital payments are essential yet subject to some of the strictest CBUAE oversight in payments, AML, cybersecurity, and consumer protection. SecureVisa Group’s deep regulatory expertise ensures every digital payment model is investor-ready, protected, and built for growth in this competitive landscape.
Neobanks & Digital Lenders
→ SecureVisa Group are specialists in structuring licensing and compliance for digital-only banks and peer-to-peer lending platforms. SecureVisa Group experts guide clients through every step—meeting CBUAE, FSRA, and SCA prudential, AML, and operational requirements—so FinTechs win regulatory approval faster, build secure scalable lending operations, and earn the trust of users and investors in the UAE’s rapidly evolving market.
Tokenization & DeFi-linked Services
→ SecureVisa Group guides tokenization and DeFi-inspired FinTechs—whether launching real estate, commodity, or innovative blockchain services—through SCA and ADGM’s strict virtual asset and security token rules. With specialist expertise, SecureVisa Group structures and secures regulatory approval for models treated as securities, ensuring every tokenized or DeFi offering meets licensing, AML, governance, and disclosure standards. In the UAE, unlicensed virtual asset activities risk enforcement; SecureVisa Group’s experts make sure your model is fully compliant, trusted by regulators, and ready for institutional and investor support.
FX & Remittance Platforms
→ SecureVisa Group secures CBUAE approvals for foreign exchange, cross-border payment, and remittance operators, ensuring compliance with the UAE’s strict new exchange and money transfer regulations. SecureVisa Group builds robust AML/KYC frameworks and implements scalable transaction monitoring and reporting systems, protecting operators against regulatory scrutiny and enabling secure, transparent money movement that meets both regulator and partner expectations.
We're here to Help You!
Whatever your FinTech model, SecureVisa Group ensures it is licensed, compliant, and investor-ready—giving you the foundation to grow with confidence in the UAE.
SecureVisa Group
What Regulators Expect
UAE regulators set high standards for FinTechs—balancing innovation and growth with strict requirements for market stability, investor protection, and consumer safety. Meeting these expectations, including robust AML, cybersecurity, governance, and transparent reporting, is critical for securing a license quickly; firms that fall short face lengthy delays and extra scrutiny from CBUAE, SCA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and VARA.
No matter your FinTech business model, SecureVisa Group ensures you are fully licensed, regulator-compliant, and investor-ready—providing the foundation to launch, grow, and succeed in the UAE’s competitive financial market.
Independent Governance & Fit-and-Proper Management
→ Regulators want to see independent boards, qualified leadership, and clear accountability. Every director and senior manager must pass fit-and-proper assessments.
Why it matters: Weak governance raises red flags and stalls approval. SecureVisa Group structures your board and leadership framework to pass regulator scrutiny.
Why it matters: Weak governance raises red flags and stalls approval. SecureVisa Group structures your board and leadership framework to pass regulator scrutiny.
Robust AML/CFT & Financial Crime Controls
→ You must demonstrate tested AML/CFT programs, covering KYC/KYB/KYT, sanctions checks, suspicious activity reporting, and Travel Rule compliance.
Why it matters: Financial crime risk is the #1 regulator concern. SecureVisa Group embeds audit-ready AML systems so you can prove controls, not just claim them.
Why it matters: Financial crime risk is the #1 regulator concern. SecureVisa Group embeds audit-ready AML systems so you can prove controls, not just claim them.
Prudential & Liquidity Planning
→ Capital adequacy, liquidity buffers, and risk-based prudential planning are required—tailored to your license category.
Why it matters: Regulators want proof you can survive shocks and protect customer funds. SecureVisa Group prepares financial models that show resilience and credibility.
Why it matters: Regulators want proof you can survive shocks and protect customer funds. SecureVisa Group prepares financial models that show resilience and credibility.
Secure & Resilient Technology Architecture
→ Technology must be secure, tested, and resilient against breaches, downtime, or data loss. Regulators require evidence of cybersecurity frameworks, penetration testing, and incident response.
Why it matters: A single breach can derail approval. SecureVisa Group, together with ITSEC, ensures your infrastructure meets bank-grade resilience standards.
Why it matters: A single breach can derail approval. SecureVisa Group, together with ITSEC, ensures your infrastructure meets bank-grade resilience standards.
Transparent Disclosures & Customer Protection
→ Clear disclosures, fair pricing, complaint handling, and investor-customer communication frameworks are mandatory.
Why it matters: Regulators reward firms that prioritize consumer protection and trust. SecureVisa Group builds your disclosure, reporting, and customer-care policies in line with UAE standards.
Why it matters: Regulators reward firms that prioritize consumer protection and trust. SecureVisa Group builds your disclosure, reporting, and customer-care policies in line with UAE standards.
SecureVisa Group Execution Roadmap
Licensing in the UAE is a step-by-step process—from initial idea to full regulatory approval and robust operations. SecureVisa Group expertly manages every part of the journey: application scoping, regulator engagement, compliance implementation, and ongoing supervision. SecureVisa Group eliminates licensing risks, guiding founders to be regulator-ready, investor-ready, and positioned for rapid scale.
Scoping - Clarity from Day One
→ SecureVisa Group conducts a deep analysis of your business model and maps it to the proper UAE regulator—CBUAE, SCA, DFSA, ADGM, or GCGRA—and selects the right license category for your financial activity. Picking the wrong pathway or regulator can lead to costly delays or failed applications; SecureVisa Group’s expert scoping ensures your licensing strategy is matched to regulator expectations from the beginning, saving time and providing a clear compliance roadmap.
Application - Building a Convincing Case
→ SecureVisa Group prepares and submits regulator-ready applications—governance, financials, AML/CFT, and compliance documentation—so your business looks credible and structured, earning fast approvals and investor confidence.
Engagement - Navigating Regulator Queries
→ SecureVisa Group manages all communication during UAE regulator sandbox testing and Q&A, resolving queries quickly to accelerate licensing approvals and prevent delays. SecureVisa Group handles regulator sandbox testing and Q&A, resolving queries fast to speed up licensing and prevent costly delays.
Implementation - Embedding Compliance & Security
→ Once approved, SecureVisa Group deploys the required UAE compliance tech stack (KYC, KYB, KYT, Travel Rule, reporting automation), delivers hands-on team training, and conducts live system tests—ensuring your people, processes, and technology meet bank-grade regulatory standards that prove operational readiness to regulators.
Ongoing Supervision – Staying Ahead of Scrutiny
→ SecureVisa Group supports ongoing compliance through annual audits, regulatory reporting, and updates to your frameworks—keeping you inspection-ready and fully compliant, long after licensing.
Growth & Scaling – Expanding with Confidence
→ SecureVisa Group supports your expansion into new products, geographies, or regulatory markets—keeping compliance updated, approvals fast, and every growth step regulator-ready to attract investors and securely enter new markets.
We're here to Help You!
Whatever your FinTech model, SecureVisa Group ensures it is licensed, compliant, and investor-ready—giving you the foundation to grow with confidence in the UAE.
SecureVisa Group
Why FinTech Clients Choose SecureVisa Group
FinTech clients choose SecureVisa Group for expert regulatory mapping, fast licensing, and seamless compliance in the UAE. SecureVisa Group integrates regulatory insight, advanced compliance tech, and cybersecurity—helping clients secure approvals, build investor-grade governance, and scale confidently across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the GCC.
Clients choose SecureVisa Group because we deliver speed, trust, and long-term resilience—making FinTechs more competitive and secure for licensing, compliance, and growth in the UAE market. Ready to launch your FinTech in the UAE? SecureVisa Group brings deep regulatory insight, compliance tech, and cybersecurity under one roof for fast, credible, and sustainable market access.
FinTech Clarity Under VARA: Compliance, Licensing, and Market Access
SecureVisa Group combines unmatched expertise across leading UAE regulators—including DFSA, ADGM, CBUAE, and SCA—giving FinTech firms the confidence to pursue the right license pathway. From payments and digital assets to wealth management and crowdfunding, SecureVisa Group’s domain knowledge ensures your application is mapped to the correct category and positioned for success.
Compliance, Cybersecurity & Advisory Under One Roof
→ Unlike generic advisors, SecureVisa Group integrates regulatory strategy, AML/CFT systems, and ITSEC-grade cybersecurity into a single solution.
Why it matters: Regulators demand proof across governance, financial crime, and tech resilience. With SecureVisa Group, you don’t need multiple vendors—you get end-to-end readiness.
Why it matters: Regulators demand proof across governance, financial crime, and tech resilience. With SecureVisa Group, you don’t need multiple vendors—you get end-to-end readiness.
Proven Success With Startups, Scale-Ups & Institutions
→ Capital adequacy, liquidity buffers, and risk-based prudential planning are required—tailored to your license category.
Why it matters: Regulators want proof you can survive shocks and protect customer funds. SecureVisa Group prepares financial models that show resilience and credibility.
Why it matters: Regulators want proof you can survive shocks and protect customer funds. SecureVisa Group prepares financial models that show resilience and credibility.
Faster Approvals With Audit-Ready Evidence Packs
→ Our compliance tech stack generates live dashboards, logs, and STR/SAR reporting that regulators can test immediately.
Why it matters: Evidence beats promises. SecureVisa Group shortens approval timelines by giving regulators what they want to see—operational proof.
Why it matters: Evidence beats promises. SecureVisa Group shortens approval timelines by giving regulators what they want to see—operational proof.
A Long-Term Partner, Not Just a Licensing Vendor
→ We stay engaged after approval with audits, reporting updates, training, and supervision support.
Why it matters: Compliance isn’t a one-off—it’s ongoing. With SecureVisa Group, you have a permanent compliance ally to stay ahead of every regulator query and investor due diligence.
Why it matters: Compliance isn’t a one-off—it’s ongoing. With SecureVisa Group, you have a permanent compliance ally to stay ahead of every regulator query and investor due diligence.