Securities licence: FSA Seychelles

Launch your brokerage in Seychelles with Tools for Brokers and Salvus Funds

Tools for Brokers is a technology provider for retail brokers, hedge funds, and prop trading firms.

We also provide company formation and licensing services to aspiring brokers, creating the best experience and the most optimised process. To achieve this, we have partnered with SALVUS Funds, a reliable provider of broker licences.

We can assist you with a securities licence in Seychelles and an investment licence in Mauritius. Here, we’ll explain what getting a Seychelles licence entails and what steps are required to acquire it.

What is the FSA Seychelles, and what does it do?

The Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA) is an autonomous regulatory body that oversees non-bank financial services within Seychelles. It is tasked with licensing and supervising persons engaged in activities related to capital markets, collective investments, insurance, and fiduciary services.

The FSA’s primary goals are to enhance and expand Seychelles’ non-bank financial services sector and safeguard the jurisdiction’s reputation while protecting investments for consumers and stakeholders.

Why acquire a securities licence in Seychelles?

A holder of a Securities Licence in Seychelles benefits from:

UTC+4

Time zone

Strategic time zone where you can execute business transactions across four continents in a single day.

Tax Advantages

Favourable tax regulations, with preferential tax rates for licensees who meet substantial activity requirements.

African Gateway

Proximity and broader access to African markets.

Modern Securities Framework

Modern and adaptable legal framework governing securities.

English-Speaking Talent

Access to a skilled and well-educated workforce, with English as the official language, easing communication for international companies.

Low initial capital requirements

Low initial capital requirements and affordable fees for business incorporation and licensing.

Asset Protection

Enhanced privacy and asset protection due to the confidentiality guaranteed by Seychelles’ corporate laws.

Securities business

Each licence category authorised by the Seychelles FSA specifies a set of business activities that companies can perform.

The licence categories concerning the provision of securities-related services are the Securities Dealer and the Investment Advisor. The two categories define the following activities as per the table below.

License category

Securities Business

Securities Dealer

Acting as a principal or agent by way of business:

Makes or offers to make an agreement with another person to enter into or offer to enter into an agreement, for or with a view to acquiring, disposing of, subscribing to, or underwriting securities or in any way affects or causes to affect a securities transaction;
Causes any sale or disposition of or other dealing or any solicitations in respect of securities for valuable consideration, whether the terms of payment be on the margin, instalment or otherwise or any attempt to do any of the preceding;
Participates in any transaction in a security occurring upon a securities exchange;
Receives under an order to buy or sell a security which is executed;
Manages a portfolio of securities for another person on terms under which that person may hold the other person’s property.

Investment Advisor

Carrying on the business of advising on securities by way of business:

Advises others on investment in securities;
Issues, analyses, or reports concerning specific securities; or
Manages a portfolio of securities for another person without holding property of the other person; and on terms that preclude him from doing so.

The term “securities” encompasses shares, debt instruments, derivatives such as futures, options, forwards, contracts for differences (CFDs), and swaps on stocks, bonds, metals, commodities, and currencies, including cryptocurrency.

Regulatory capital requirements

A licenced securities dealer must maintain a minimum issued and paid-up capital of 100,000 USD, and a licenced investment advisor must uphold a minimum issued and paid-up capital of 25,000 USD.

Application Fees

The application fees set by the Seychelles FSA vary according to the specific category of licence. With an investment advisor licence, the fees may further depend on whether the applicant is an individual or a legal entity. Plus, there are one-time fees applicable for company incorporation and other regulatory requirements.

Annual Fees

The renewal fees for licences remain fixed and are contingent upon the type of licence held. For an investment advisor, the fees may also differ based on whether the applicant is an individual or a legal entity. Supplementary fees may be added based on the company’s regulatory obligations.

Licensing Timeframe

Based on our experience, the licensing process with the Seychelles FSA can be concluded within 4-5 months. However, the process might take longer due to the agency’s workload, the quality or completeness of the information provided, or the business plan presented. That’s why we recommend planning for 5 to 7 months in case there are any delays or additional information requests.