Digital Asset Payment Processing License UAE

ISIC classification: Other financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding activities, n.e.c. (6499)

Typically requires Designated Zone status for VAT purposes

About this activity

Processes merchant and consumer payments denominated in digital assets, handling conversion, settlement, and reconciliation.

Regulatory requirements

Requires external approval — Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) (Dubai) / Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA) (other Emirates) & Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)

100% foreign ownershipYes

Facility requirementLicensed VARA/SCA-Compliant Office with Cybersecurity & Risk Controls

Market Analysis

Same VARA Transfer and Settlement Services license as Crypto Remittance Services, Cryptocurrency Payment Services, and Virtual Asset Transfer Services elsewhere in this dataset. AED 40,000 application, AED 80,000/year supervision — one of VARA's two lightest-touch categories.

"Payment Processing" framing suggests merchant-facing crypto payment acceptance (letting businesses accept crypto and settle in fiat or stablecoins) rather than person-to-person remittance specifically — a genuinely distinct use case from Crypto Remittance Services even though both fall under the same VARA license.

Dubai-only in practice; 100% foreign ownership applies.

Available in: . A detailed per-emirate fee breakdown isn't published for this activity yet — check back soon, or get a scored recommendation for your specific business below.

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