MiCA Gate / Virtual Asset Service Provider licence
Virtual Asset Service Provider licence — Dubai
VARA scope, company, governance and policy pack.
- Place and authority
- Dubai — VARA
- Capital
- Capital and guarantees according to activity
- Renewal
- Every year (to be checked)
Place and authority
Dubai — VARA. VARA scope, company, governance and policy pack.
Capital
Capital and guarantees according to activity
Renewal
Every year (to be checked). The licence is renewed every year, with VARA's supervision fee — second-hand source, to be checked with VARA. Source (to be checked)
Our work and its timing
Preparation and filing take 6–16 weeks once we have your documents. The decision and its timing belong to the authority: no time to approval is announced.
Documents we will ask you for
CASP/VASP, shareholders/UBOs, directors and technical team
Required in every case
- Power of representation, notarised remotely. It gives us standing to act on your behalf before registries, banks and the relevant authorities, within the limits it sets out. The notarisation session is held by video; a valid identity document is required.
- Certificate of incorporation or recent registry extract
- Up-to-date articles, memorandum/articles or constitutive deed
- Register of directors and register of shareholders
- Ownership chart up to the natural-person beneficial owners
- KYC, CVs, diplomas, references and criminal records of the UBOs, directors and key functions
- Programme of operations stating each crypto service applied for
- Business plan, projections and evidence of prudential own funds
- Legal and technical architecture, flow diagrams, wallets and control keys
- Questionnaires on custody, execution, exchange, platform, conflicts, complaints and client protection
- AML/KYC, sanctions and Travel Rule arrangements
- ICT/DORA framework, cybersecurity, continuity, outsourcing and incidents
Depending on the case
- Company LEI
- White paper, tokenomics and classification opinion
- Smart-contract audit and proof of reserves
- Contracts with custodians, exchanges, banks and Travel Rule providers
- VASP history and correspondence with the authorities
- Acquirer file for a change of control
The exact list follows what you order; it is confirmed in your client space after payment.
Questions
Where can this licence be obtained?
Dubai — VARA.
What capital is required?
Capital and guarantees according to activity
Does the licence need to be renewed?
Every year (to be checked). The licence is renewed every year, with VARA's supervision fee — second-hand source, to be checked with VARA.
How are your fees set?
This licence is quoted after review, because the authority's own fees depend on the activity. The firm quote follows the scoping call, before anything is signed.
How long does it take?
Preparation and filing take 6–16 weeks once we have your documents. The decision and its timing belong to the authority: no time to approval is announced.
Do you guarantee the licence?
No. The licence is granted by the authority after its own review. Our commitment is the quality of the file, its filing and its follow-up until the decision.