Nikita Veremeev
22.07.2025 | 6 min read
Updated: 22.07.2025
In 2024, Asia became the world’s leader in fintech market growth rates: the investment volume in digital financial services in the region exceeded $150 billion, and the number of new licensed players grew by more than 30% in a year. But behind these impressive numbers lies a different reality; for most international companies striving for expansion, the financial license in Asia becomes a crucial barrier and simultaneously a strategic resource.
Why is this the case?
Without licensing for financial activities, a legal entry into the markets of Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, or Kazakhstan is impossible: banks refuse services, partners are not ready to cooperate, and regulators quickly block illegal operations. Moreover, the absence of a transparent structure and the status of a licensed company often leads to the loss of investors and the impossibility of scaling.
At COREDO, we encounter questions daily:
“How to choose the optimal jurisdiction for business registration in Asia?”, “What are the real advantages of a financial license in Asia?”, “What requirements do the regulatory bodies of Asia impose?”
These questions are not random: the correct answers determine the investment attractiveness of the jurisdiction, the speed of market entry, and the business’s resilience.
If you’re not just looking for an overview but a practical guide that will help avoid critical mistakes and gain strategic advantage:
I recommend reading the article till the end. Here, I systematize the experience of the COREDO team, revealing five key reasons why a financial license in Asian countries is not just a formality but the foundation of your success.
Financial License in Asia: Opportunities and Competitive Advantages
How a financial license in Asia opens access to international markets
Obtaining a license for financial companies in Asia is not only about complying with regulatory requirements but also a direct route to international access to financial markets. COREDO’s practice confirms: a payment operator license in Singapore or a banking license in Hong Kong allows integration with global banks, ensuring cross-border payments and working with clients worldwide.
For example, one of our clients, a European fintech startup: after obtaining an electronic payments license in Singapore, entered the Southeast Asian markets and attracted strategic partners from Japan and South Korea. Thanks to the license, the company not only ensured legal transparency but also gained access to innovative payment infrastructure and international settlements.
Development of innovative payment solutions and fintech ecosystem
Asia is the world’s center of the fintech ecosystem. A license for a fintech company in Asia opens access to regulatory sandboxes, where innovative payment solutions can be tested in real conditions with minimal regulatory barriers. The solution developed by COREDO for clients in Singapore and Hong Kong showed that participation in sandboxes accelerates the market launch of new digital financial services and reduces compliance costs.
Implementation of digital financial services, integration with bank APIs, and partner platforms, and working with cryptocurrency become available only with the appropriate license. This is why financial regulation in Asia today is built on supporting innovation and flexibility for new players.
Transparency, Trust, and Legal Protection: The Role of Licensing
License as a tool to increase customer and partner trust
In the highly competitive Asian market, trust is a key asset. A financial license in Asia becomes a transparency guarantee, protecting the interests of customers and partners. COREDO’s experience shows: having a license for investment activities or electronic payments significantly increases the trust level from banks, institutional investors, and corporate clients.
Moreover, a license serves as a tool for analyzing scaling risks: when entering new markets, having a license reduces the likelihood of account blocks and service refusals. Protecting the rights of financial service consumers, implementing internal procedures for managing reputational risks, and internal auditing are mandatory elements of licensing that form business sustainability.
Legal guarantees and protection against regulatory risks
Licensing is not only access to the market but also legal support for business in Asia. Regulatory bodies in Asia (MAS in Singapore, HKMA in Hong Kong, AFSA in Kazakhstan) impose strict requirements for internal control, compliance officer appointment, division of management functions, and reputational risk management.
COREDO’s team executed projects where legal support during the licensing stage allowed clients to
avoid fines and blocks related to non-compliance with AML/CTF requirements. Financial oversight in Asia is built on the principles of transparency and protection of all market participants’ interests, and a license is a legal guarantee of stability.
Compliance with International AML and KYC Standards
How to ensure compliance with FATF, Basel, IFRS requirements
Modern financial activity licensing in Asia is impossible without the integration of international standards: FATF, Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, financial reporting IFRS. Our experience at COREDO showed: successful licensing requires the implementation of internal audit systems, risk management, and regular reporting according to international standards.
The implementation of procedures to counter money laundering and terrorist financing is a mandatory condition for obtaining a license. Regulators require not only formal compliance but real functioning of transaction monitoring systems, customer identification (KYC), and internal control.
Practical aspects of implementing AML/KYC in Asian jurisdictions
AML compliance in Asia is not just a set of documents but a comprehensive risk management system. The solution developed by COREDO for a fintech company in Singapore included transaction monitoring automation, compliance officer appointment, and regular staff training. This approach allowed not only to pass licensing but also to minimize the risks of fines and future license loss.
Particular attention is paid to customer identification (KYC), transaction monitoring, and internal control procedures. Regular internal audits and scaling risk analysis become mandatory elements for all licensed companies.
Regulatory Flexibility and Variety of Licenses in Asian Countries
Comparison of licensing conditions in key jurisdictions
| Jurisdiction |
License Type |
Min. Capital |
Timeframe |
Regulatory Features |
| Singapore |
EMI, payment operator |
from 100,000 SGD |
4-6 months |
Strict AML, fintech support |
| Hong Kong |
MSO, banking |
from 300,000 HKD |
6-9 months |
Flexible regulation, DLT |
| Kazakhstan |
Payment systems |
from 50,000 USD |
4-8 months |
Development of digital services |
Company’s real presence, a legal address in the licensing country, residency requirements for directors, and minimum charter capital are basic parameters to consider when choosing a jurisdiction. In each case, the COREDO team analyzes the investment attractiveness and regulatory specifics.
How to choose the optimal country for financial business licensing
COREDO’s experience shows: the choice of country depends on the business model, target markets, and financial company structure for licensing. For example, Singapore offers the best conditions for fintech startups, Hong Kong for banking and investment projects, Kazakhstan for payment systems and digital services. The long-term benefits of licensing in Asia are regulatory flexibility, innovation support, and potential scalability across the entire region.
Economic Efficiency and ROI of Obtaining a Financial License
How a license helps optimize taxation and reduce costs
Registering a business in Asia and obtaining a financial license allows optimizing international taxation, reducing costs on cross-border payments, and integration with global banks. For example, Singapore has one of the most transparent and beneficial tax systems for international companies, while Kazakhstan offers special regimes for fintech projects.
The COREDO team has implemented cases where optimizing the group structure through licensing in Asia allowed clients to reduce tax burden by 15–20% and ensure stable access to international settlements.
ROI metrics and assessment of licensing efficiency
The following ROI metrics are used to assess the efficiency of obtaining a financial license in Asia:
- Reduction in service and compliance costs
- Increase in the number of international clients and partners
- Revenue growth through entering new markets
- Reduction of operational and legal risks
- Increase in the company’s investment attractiveness
The long-term benefits of licensing are not only cost savings but also increased competitiveness in the Asian market, the possibility of integration with global banks, and sustainable scalability.
Practical Steps for Obtaining a Financial License in Asia
Main stages of the licensing process
The process of obtaining a financial license in Asia involves several key stages:
- Preparation of a business plan that meets the regulators’ requirements (service description, company structure, risk analysis, financial forecasts)
- Collection and preparation of documents: charter, management information, confirmation of capital sources, internal AML/KYC policies
- Reputation check of management and compliance officer
- Application submission and interaction with regulatory bodies
- Implementation of internal control and risk management systems, organization of internal audit
COREDO’s practice confirms: the success of licensing depends on the quality of document preparation and transparency of the corporate structure.
Errors and difficulties in document preparation
The main errors entrepreneurs face:
- Insufficient elaboration of the business plan and financial model
- Non-compliance of internal control with regulatory requirements
- Document errors, lack of confirmation of the company’s actual presence
- Insufficient qualification of the compliance officer and management
The COREDO team assists clients in identifying and mitigating these risks at early stages, significantly increasing the chances of successful licensing and reducing document amendment costs.
Key Conclusions and Recommendations
A financial license in Asia is not just a formality but a strategic tool for entering international markets, developing innovative products, and protecting the business from regulatory risks. Here are five key reasons to obtain a license specifically in Asian countries:
- Access to international markets and integration with global banks
- The opportunity to test and implement innovative payment solutions
- Increasing trust from clients, partners, and investors
- Compliance with international AML/KYC standards and protection against regulatory risks
- Economic efficiency, tax optimization, and sustainable scaling
I recommend entrepreneurs and executives to proactively analyze the investment attractiveness of the jurisdiction, thoroughly prepare the business plan, and pay special attention to internal control and compliance. Professional legal support and an experienced team are the keys to successful licensing and long-term success in the Asian market.
COREDO remains your reliable partner at every stage: from choosing the country and preparing documents to integrating into Asia’s fintech ecosystem and managing reputational risks.
