Accelerating FinTech
Success in the UAE with
Trusted Licensing
& Compliance
The UAE is a global FinTech hub—but regulatory approval and compliance are non-negotiable to earn investor trust and customer adoption. SVG bridges the gap between innovation and regulation.
Why UAE FinTech Matters
The UAE has emerged as the undisputed FinTech capital of the Middle East, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi attracting startups, global scale-ups, and institutional players looking to serve one of the fastest-growing financial markets in the world.
From digital payments, lending, neobanking, and remittances to crypto-enabled finance, tokenization, robo-advisory, and embedded finance, the opportunities are vast. But each of these models falls under rigorous regulatory frameworks overseen by SCA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and CBUAE.
From digital payments, lending, neobanking, and remittances to crypto-enabled finance, tokenization, robo-advisory, and embedded finance, the opportunities are vast. But each of these models falls under rigorous regulatory frameworks overseen by SCA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and CBUAE.
Here’s WHY?
Powerful, self-serve product and growth analytics to help you convert, engage, and retain more users. Trusted by over 4,000 startups.
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
SVG’s FinTech Advantage
FinTech success in the UAE isn’t just about innovation—it’s about winning regulator approval, earning investor trust, and proving operational resilience. SVG is the only partner that combines regulatory strategy + compliance technology + cybersecurity under one roof.
We don’t just get you licensed. We make sure you’re built for scale and scrutiny.SVG makes sure FinTechs don’t just get licensed—they get a defensible, trusted, and regulator-approved foundation to scale in the UAE.
We don’t just get you licensed. We make sure you’re built for scale and scrutiny.SVG makes sure FinTechs don’t just get licensed—they get a defensible, trusted, and regulator-approved foundation to scale in the UAE.
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. SVG 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. SVG ensures your application isn’t just complete, but convincing.
Compliance Technology
In the UAE, regulators don’t just ask for written policies—they require you to prove that your systems work in practice. Every licensed firm under SCA, VARA, DFSA, or ADGM FSRA must operate with a production-grade AML/CFT stack that can be audited at any time.
🔹 What SVG Integrates for You
KYC / KYB / KYT
⦾ Know Your Customer (KYC) for individuals.
⦾ Know Your Business (KYB) for institutions, and
⦾ Know Your Transaction (KYT) for monitoring flows on-chain and off-chain.
⦾ These tools verify who you’re dealing with and flag high-risk profiles before they cause issues.
Sanctions Screening
- Real-time checks against UN, OFAC, EU, and UAE national lists, ensuring no transactions involve prohibited individuals, entities, or geographies.
Travel Rule Compliance
- Using the IVMS-101 data model, we enable secure sharing of sender/receiver data across platforms—exactly what FATF and UAE regulators expect for cross-border crypto transfers.
Transaction Monitoring & Alerting
- Automated monitoring of transaction patterns, velocity, and anomalies. Suspicious events generate alerts and escalate into case management.
Automated goAML Reporting
- Direct integration with the UAE Central Bank’s goAML system for Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs). This ensures you meet reporting deadlines without manual errors.
🔹 What SVG Integrates for You
KYC / KYB / KYT
⦾ Know Your Customer (KYC) for individuals.
⦾ Know Your Business (KYB) for institutions, and
⦾ Know Your Transaction (KYT) for monitoring flows on-chain and off-chain.
⦾ These tools verify who you’re dealing with and flag high-risk profiles before they cause issues.
Sanctions Screening
- Real-time checks against UN, OFAC, EU, and UAE national lists, ensuring no transactions involve prohibited individuals, entities, or geographies.
Travel Rule Compliance
- Using the IVMS-101 data model, we enable secure sharing of sender/receiver data across platforms—exactly what FATF and UAE regulators expect for cross-border crypto transfers.
Transaction Monitoring & Alerting
- Automated monitoring of transaction patterns, velocity, and anomalies. Suspicious events generate alerts and escalate into case management.
Automated goAML Reporting
- Direct integration with the UAE Central Bank’s goAML system for Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs). This ensures you meet reporting deadlines without manual errors.
Cybersecurity & Risk
Cybersecurity & ITSEC Resilience
In the UAE, regulators make one thing clear: if your technology stack isn’t secure, your license isn’t secure either. A single cyber breach can not only damage your reputation but also invalidate your license or block critical banking and fundraising relationships. That’s why SCA, CBUAE, DFSA, and ADGM FSRA all require firms to demonstrate enterprise-grade cybersecurity resilience as part of their licensing and supervision.
SVG, together with ITSEC, delivers bank-grade protection by embedding cybersecurity into your compliance framework from day one.
🔹 What We Implement with ITSECPenetration Testing & Vulnerability Scans
Regular “red team” assessments to expose weak points before attackers do, ensuring your infrastructure can withstand real-world threats.
- SOC (Security Operations Center) Design
24/7 monitoring and incident detection, built on best-practice frameworks, giving regulators confidence that you can detect and respond to risks in real time.
- Cloud Resilience & Data Protection
Architecture that secures workloads across AWS, Azure, or hybrid clouds, with encryption, redundancy, and disaster recovery built in.
- Incident & Breach Response Protocols
Pre-tested playbooks for containing and reporting breaches, aligned with UAE requirements for incident disclosure and business continuity.Why This Matters
- Regulatory Compliance – UAE regulators (CBUAE, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and SCA) explicitly require firms to prove cyber resilience and operational continuity. Weak security is grounds for rejection or suspension.
- Investor & Banking Trust – No bank or institutional investor will onboard you without assurance that client data and funds are protected to international standards.
- License Stability – A breach doesn’t just cost money—it can halt your fundraising, freeze operations, and put your license at risk.
- Competitive Advantage – Demonstrating ITSEC-grade resilience positions you as a professional, regulator-trusted operator in a crowded market.
✅ Key Takeaway:
Cybersecurity is not optional—it’s a core licensing requirement in the UAE. With SVG and ITSEC, you don’t just meet the minimum—you implement bank-grade resilience that protects your license, your investors, and your business growth.
In the UAE, regulators make one thing clear: if your technology stack isn’t secure, your license isn’t secure either. A single cyber breach can not only damage your reputation but also invalidate your license or block critical banking and fundraising relationships. That’s why SCA, CBUAE, DFSA, and ADGM FSRA all require firms to demonstrate enterprise-grade cybersecurity resilience as part of their licensing and supervision.
SVG, together with ITSEC, delivers bank-grade protection by embedding cybersecurity into your compliance framework from day one.
🔹 What We Implement with ITSECPenetration Testing & Vulnerability Scans
Regular “red team” assessments to expose weak points before attackers do, ensuring your infrastructure can withstand real-world threats.
- SOC (Security Operations Center) Design
24/7 monitoring and incident detection, built on best-practice frameworks, giving regulators confidence that you can detect and respond to risks in real time.
- Cloud Resilience & Data Protection
Architecture that secures workloads across AWS, Azure, or hybrid clouds, with encryption, redundancy, and disaster recovery built in.
- Incident & Breach Response Protocols
Pre-tested playbooks for containing and reporting breaches, aligned with UAE requirements for incident disclosure and business continuity.Why This Matters
- Regulatory Compliance – UAE regulators (CBUAE, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and SCA) explicitly require firms to prove cyber resilience and operational continuity. Weak security is grounds for rejection or suspension.
- Investor & Banking Trust – No bank or institutional investor will onboard you without assurance that client data and funds are protected to international standards.
- License Stability – A breach doesn’t just cost money—it can halt your fundraising, freeze operations, and put your license at risk.
- Competitive Advantage – Demonstrating ITSEC-grade resilience positions you as a professional, regulator-trusted operator in a crowded market.
✅ Key Takeaway:
Cybersecurity is not optional—it’s a core licensing requirement in the UAE. With SVG and ITSEC, you don’t just meet the minimum—you implement bank-grade resilience that protects your license, your investors, and your business growth.
Operational Readiness
Beyond Licensing: Staying Compliant Every Day
Most firms make the mistake of treating license approval as the finish line. In reality, under SCA, VARA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and CBUAE, approval is only the beginning. Once licensed, your business enters a cycle of continuous supervision: regular reporting, staff training, incident readiness, and ongoing inspections.SVG prepares you not only for your license launch but for sustainable compliance across the entire lifecycle of your business.
🔹 What SVG Puts in Place (that Most Firms Forget)Regulatory Calendars with Deadlines & Owners
A structured compliance calendar that tracks every filing, renewal, STR/SAR submission, and regulatory return—assigning clear ownership to your team so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Training for Compliance, Engineering, and Support Teams
Role-specific training packs covering AML/CFT, customer due diligence, fraud detection, incident response, and reporting obligations. This ensures every team member—not just compliance officers—is regulator ready.
- Incident & Breach Runbooks
Playbooks for breach scenarios, fraud events, or system failures, including escalation paths and reporting protocols. These runbooks are tested through tabletop exercises so you can prove to regulators that your response works in practice.
- Dashboards for Continuous Reporting
Real-time dashboards showing KPIs like onboarding approval rates, alert resolution times, false-positive ratios, and incident MTTR. These metrics serve as living proof for regulators, investors, and banking partners that your compliance program is effective.Why This Matters
- Constant Supervision – Regulators don’t stop after issuing a license. They expect continuous reporting, audit trails, and operational resilience.
- Audit & Inspection Readiness – With calendars, dashboards, and evidence packs, you are always “audit-ready,” reducing the stress and delays of regulatory inspections.
- Investor Due Diligence – VCs, funds, and banks demand proof of ongoing governance. SVG ensures you have the evidence to pass any due diligence review.
- Business Stability – Non-compliance after licensing can lead to fines, suspensions, or loss of investor trust. Staying proactive keeps your business scalable and credible.
✅ Key Takeaway:
Approval is not the end—it’s the beginning. SVG equips you with the tools, training, and systems to thrive under continuous supervision. That means your firm is always audit-ready, regulator-trusted, and investor-approved.
Most firms make the mistake of treating license approval as the finish line. In reality, under SCA, VARA, DFSA, ADGM FSRA, and CBUAE, approval is only the beginning. Once licensed, your business enters a cycle of continuous supervision: regular reporting, staff training, incident readiness, and ongoing inspections.SVG prepares you not only for your license launch but for sustainable compliance across the entire lifecycle of your business.
🔹 What SVG Puts in Place (that Most Firms Forget)Regulatory Calendars with Deadlines & Owners
A structured compliance calendar that tracks every filing, renewal, STR/SAR submission, and regulatory return—assigning clear ownership to your team so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Training for Compliance, Engineering, and Support Teams
Role-specific training packs covering AML/CFT, customer due diligence, fraud detection, incident response, and reporting obligations. This ensures every team member—not just compliance officers—is regulator ready.
- Incident & Breach Runbooks
Playbooks for breach scenarios, fraud events, or system failures, including escalation paths and reporting protocols. These runbooks are tested through tabletop exercises so you can prove to regulators that your response works in practice.
- Dashboards for Continuous Reporting
Real-time dashboards showing KPIs like onboarding approval rates, alert resolution times, false-positive ratios, and incident MTTR. These metrics serve as living proof for regulators, investors, and banking partners that your compliance program is effective.Why This Matters
- Constant Supervision – Regulators don’t stop after issuing a license. They expect continuous reporting, audit trails, and operational resilience.
- Audit & Inspection Readiness – With calendars, dashboards, and evidence packs, you are always “audit-ready,” reducing the stress and delays of regulatory inspections.
- Investor Due Diligence – VCs, funds, and banks demand proof of ongoing governance. SVG ensures you have the evidence to pass any due diligence review.
- Business Stability – Non-compliance after licensing can lead to fines, suspensions, or loss of investor trust. Staying proactive keeps your business scalable and credible.
✅ Key Takeaway:
Approval is not the end—it’s the beginning. SVG equips you with the tools, training, and systems to thrive under continuous supervision. That means your firm is always audit-ready, regulator-trusted, and investor-approved.
FinTech Models We Support
SVG partners with FinTech innovators across the spectrum—from payments and digital banks to tokenization and embedded finance. Each model faces unique regulatory and compliance challenges, and we help you navigate them with speed and certainty.
Digital Payments & Wallets
→ We help payment service providers, wallet operators, and acquirers obtain CBUAE approvals for retail payment services and stored-value facilities.Why it matters: The UAE is a cashless economy in the making—digital payments are the backbone of adoption, but also the most heavily regulated. SVG ensures your payment model is compliant and investor-ready.
Neobanks & Digital Lenders
→ From digital-only banks to peer-to-peer lending platforms, we structure licensing and compliance to meet prudential and AML/CFT requirements.Why it matters: Trust is everything in banking. SVG helps you win regulatory approval and build secure, scalable lending models that attract users and capital.
Tokenization & DeFi-linked Services
→ Whether tokenizing real estate, commodities, or offering DeFi-inspired services, SVG ensures you’re inside the SCA and ADGM virtual asset frameworks.Why it matters: Tokenized instruments are treated as securities—unlicensed offerings risk enforcement. SVG makes sure your model is structured, approved, and trusted.
FX & Remittance Platforms
→ For foreign exchange, cross-border transfers, and remittance operators, SVG secures approvals under CBUAE’s payment services regime and designs AML/KYC systems that scale.Why it matters: Money movement attracts the highest scrutiny. SVG embeds transaction monitoring and reporting tools regulators and partners expect.
We're here to Help You!
Whatever your FinTech model, SVG ensures it is licensed, compliant, and investor-ready—giving you the foundation to grow with confidence in the UAE.
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What Regulators Expect
UAE regulators set a high bar for FinTechs—not to slow growth, but to protect markets, investors, and customers. Meeting these standards is the difference between getting licensed quickly or being delayed for months.
Whatever your FinTech model, SVG ensures it is licensed, compliant, and investor-ready—giving you the foundation to grow with confidence in the UAE.
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. SVG 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. SVG 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. SVG 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. SVG, 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. SVG builds your disclosure, reporting, and customer-care policies in line with UAE standards.
SVG Execution Roadmap
Licensing isn’t just paperwork—it’s a journey from idea to fully compliant operations. SVG de-risks every step, making sure you’re regulator-ready, investor-ready, and built to scale.
Scoping - Clarity from Day One
→ We analyze your business model, map it to the correct regulator (SCA, DFSA, ADGM, CBUAE, GCGRA), and identify the right license category.Why it matters: Picking the wrong pathway wastes months. SVG ensures your strategy is aligned with regulator expectations from the start.
Application - Building a Convincing Case
→ We prepare and file the full application pack: governance frameworks, financial projections, AML/CFT policies, risk manuals, and compliance documentation.Why it matters: Regulators approve firms that look credible, structured, and resilient. SVG makes your dossier audit-proof and investor-friendly.
Engagement - Navigating Regulator Queries
→ We represent you during sandbox testing, regulator Q&A, and conditional feedback.Why it matters: Most delays happen here. SVG manages regulator dialogue, turning queries into approvals and avoiding costly missteps.
Implementation - Embedding Compliance & Security
→ Once conditions are cleared, we deploy your compliance tech stack (KYC/KYB/KYT, Travel Rule, reporting automation), train your teams, and run system tests.Why it matters: Regulators want live evidence of readiness. SVG ensures your people, processes, and technology meet bank-grade standards.
Ongoing Supervision – Staying Ahead of Scrutiny
→ We support annual audits, regulatory reporting, and continuous updates to frameworks as laws evolve.Why it matters: Approval isn’t the end—it’s the start of continuous supervision. SVG keeps you compliant, credible, and ready for every inspection.
Growth & Scaling – Expanding with Confidence
→ We guide your expansion into new products, geographies, and regulatory frameworks while keeping compliance intact.
Why it matters: Scaling without compliance is risky. SVG ensures every growth step is regulator-ready, so you can attract investors and enter new markets securely.
Why it matters: Scaling without compliance is risky. SVG ensures every growth step is regulator-ready, so you can attract investors and enter new markets securely.
We're here to Help You!
Whatever your FinTech model, SVG 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 SVG
FinTech firms face one of the toughest challenges in the UAE—navigating a multi-regulator landscape while proving to banks, partners, and investors that their platforms are secure, compliant, and future-ready. SVG is the trusted partner because we combine regulatory insight, compliance technology, and cybersecurity resilience under one roof. From mapping your model to the right regulator (SCA, VARA, CBUAE, DFSA, ADGM) to building audit-ready AML/CFT systems and investor-grade governance, SVG ensures your licensing journey is fast, accurate, and sustainable.With SVG, FinTech clients don’t just get approved—they gain the credibility, resilience, and market access needed to scale confidently in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and across the GCC.
Clients choose SVG because we don’t just “get the license.” We deliver speed, trust, and long-term resilience, making FinTechs stronger and more competitive in the UAE market.Ready to launch your FinTech in the UAE?
Deep Experience Across UAE Regulators & FinTech Categories
SVG 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, SVG’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, SVG 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 SVG, 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. SVG 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. SVG 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 SVG, you have a permanent compliance ally to stay ahead of every regulator query and investor due diligence.
Ready to Scale Your FinTech in the UAE?
Don’t let regulatory complexity slow your growth. With SVG, you get more than licensing—you get a complete compliance ecosystem trusted by banks, regulators, and investors. From SCA and VARA approvals to AML/CFT technology, cybersecurity resilience, and ongoing supervision, SVG ensures your FinTech is built to launch fast, stay compliant, and scale sustainably.
