Anjouan
Forex
Licence.
One of the most cost-effective regulated forex broker licences globally. Also: iGaming permits and virtual-asset service provider authorisation. Licensed by the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority.
The efficient licence.
Among the cheapest credible forex licences globally. Three to six weeks, not twelve to twenty-four months.
$28,000 vs $120,000+ in Europe
Full engagement from $28,000. Compare: Mauritius $45k+, Cyprus CIF $120k+, Malta MFSA $200k+. For Tier-3 brokerage clientele, Anjouan is the efficient answer.
3–6 weeks, not 12–24 months
The authority is small, responsive, reviews applications in days. No twelve-month queue. From clean file to licence grant in 3–6 weeks.
Proportionate capital: $50,000
Minimum paid-up capital from $50,000 for a forex broker licence. No millions in regulatory capital or EU-level professional indemnity insurance requirements.
No local director or office
Licensed entities operate with directors and staff located outside Anjouan. Principals manage from Dubai, London, Singapore. Registered agent satisfies the statutory requirement.
AML/CFT-aligned framework
KYC, client fund segregation, fit-and-proper review for principals and compliance officer appointment are all mandatory. This is regulation, not rubber-stamping.
Also: company formation →
Need a holding entity alongside your licensed business? Anjouan IBC from $2,500
Best suited for
Anjouan’s licensing regime is specifically engineered for six categories of financial and digital operators. Each is paired with the licence we would typically recommend.
Retail forex brokers
Retail and institutional brokers offering FX, CFDs, commodities and indices to a global client base — with reasonable minimum capital requirements, expedited issuance and full credibility with liquidity providers in Europe and Asia.
Forex Broker LicenceCrypto exchanges & wallets
Centralised and decentralised exchanges, custody providers, wallet operators and token issuers — regulated under the VASP framework with clear pathways to fiat banking in Mauritius, the UAE and Singapore.
VASP LicenceOnline casino & sportsbook
Full-spectrum iGaming operations — casino, sportsbook, lottery, poker and esports betting. B2C and B2B licensing available, with optional RNG and game certification built into the engagement.
iGaming LicenceProp trading firms
Proprietary trading firms operating funded trader programmes, evaluation challenges, and profit-share models — requiring a broker licence for regulatory clarity in customer acquisition markets and banking compatibility.
Forex Broker LicencePayment service providers
Card acquiring, alternative payment methods, crypto settlement and remittance operators — with VASP or Money Service Business licensing depending on the activity profile and target markets.
VASP or MSB LicenceDual-structure operators
Operators seeking a licensed operating entity plus a tax-optimised holding IBC for treasury, IP and profit accumulation — delivered as a single engagement with both structures incorporated together.
Forex + Holding IBCSee your licence cost
in under a minute.
Fixed-price engagement. No hidden fees. Instant estimate, full licence pathway within twenty-four hours.
Three regulated instruments.
Each licence below is one we actively structure, apply for and maintain post-grant. Pricing is the Sovera engagement fee.
Forex Broker Licence →
Retail and institutional FX brokerage. CFDs, spot FX, precious metals, indices. STP/ECN and market-making models. Fit-and-proper review on all principals.
iGaming & Sports Betting →
Online casino, sportsbook, poker and fantasy sports. Proportionate capital requirements. RNG certification via our partners. The credible alternative to Curaçao.
Virtual Asset Service Provider →
Exchanges, custodians, wallet providers and token issuers. AML/CFT-aligned with travel-rule compliance. Bank-account-ready for institutional correspondents.
Licensing requirements
Three pillars. More rigorous than a plain IBC, but nothing opaque. A full regulatory submission is assembled within 10–14 business days of engagement.
Applicant & fit and proper
- Directors and UBOs must satisfy AOFA’s fit-and-proper test — no convictions, no regulatory sanctions.
- Relevant financial services experience expected of at least one executive director.
- Clean regulatory and credit history across all beneficial owners holding 10%+.
- Not a resident or national of FATF high-risk or sanctioned jurisdictions.
- Qualified Compliance Officer appointment — may be in-house or outsourced.
Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) are not automatically excluded but require enhanced due diligence and extended review timelines.
Document submission
- Business plan — 3-year financial projections, target markets, risk controls.
- AML/CFT manual — tailored to activity (we draft this as an add-on).
- Operations manual — execution, risk management, client onboarding.
- Notarised passports, proof of address for all directors, UBOs, key personnel.
- Source of funds/wealth evidence for the paid-up capital.
- Professional references and CVs for directors and compliance officer.
All submissions in English. We arrange certified translations for non-English source documents at no additional cost.
Capital & operational
- Forex Broker: minimum USD 50,000 paid-up capital, held in a segregated account.
- iGaming: minimum USD 100,000 paid-up capital plus gaming reserves.
- VASP: minimum USD 30,000 paid-up capital plus operational reserves.
- Compliance Officer appointment at all times — can be contracted.
- Segregated client funds in Tier-1 or Tier-2 banking institutions.
- Operational infrastructure sufficient for regulated activity — no shell operations.
Economic substance is light but real. Directors must be contactable, systems must be operational, records must be kept.
Tax overview
Licensed entities in Anjouan operate under a territorial tax regime with dedicated provisions for financial and digital services operators. The table below summarises the fiscal position.
Licensed Anjouan entities enjoy a near-zero corporate tax burden on foreign-sourced revenue. Trading commissions, spreads, interest spreads, gaming gross revenue and virtual-asset service fees earned from non-resident clients fall outside the local corporate tax net.
A fixed annual licence fee — separate from the government fee applicable to standard IBCs — is payable per licensing category. There is no withholding tax on dividends, interest or royalties paid to non-resident beneficial owners, and no capital gains tax on the disposal of business assets.
Substance requirements for licensed entities are more prescriptive than for plain IBCs, reflecting the regulated nature of the activity: active directors, operational systems, documented client onboarding, regular reporting to AOFA. These are designed to satisfy OECD expectations without being commercially onerous.
Corporate tax on foreign-sourced revenue for licensed non-resident entities. Replaced by a fixed annual licence fee set per activity.
| Category | Applicable rate |
|---|---|
| Corporate income taxOn foreign-sourced revenue | 0% |
| Withholding taxDividends, interest, royalties to non-residents | 0% |
| Capital gains taxBusiness asset disposal | 0% |
| Value-added tax (VAT)On foreign-sourced transactions | Not applicable |
| Gaming gross revenue taxiGaming-specific, if locally sourced | Negligible |
| Economic substancePrescribed, commercially reasonable | Required |
Summary is indicative. Specific tax position depends on activity, residency of beneficial owner, and domestic tax rules in the owner’s jurisdiction. We coordinate with tax counsel in your home jurisdiction during engagement.
Anjouan vs other forex jurisdictions.
Cost, speed, capital and regulatory depth compared at a glance.
| Jurisdiction | Cost | Timeline | Capital | Oversight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anjouan | $28,000 | 3–6 wks | $50,000 | Cost-efficient regulated licence | |
| SVG | $2,800 | 2–4 wks | None | Registration only, no licence | |
| Mauritius | $45,000+ | 6–12 mo | $250,000+ | Africa-focused institutional | |
| Vanuatu | $35,000+ | 2–3 mo | $50,000 | Pacific-region brokers | |
| Cyprus CIF | $120,000+ | 12–18 mo | €730,000 | EU passporting via MiFID | |
| Malta MFSA | $200,000+ | 12–24 mo | €730,000 | Top-tier EU regulated |
SVG is registration only — no regulator, no capital, no oversight. Anjouan provides a genuine licence with regulatory supervision at roughly a quarter of EU cost.
Build your licence engagement.
Select your licence type and optional services. The estimate updates in real time.
Your licensing engagement, step by step
From first enquiry to licence issuance, a typical Anjouan financial services licence takes 3 to 6 weeks. Each step is handled by a single principal — one point of contact, one signature, one timeline.
Configure & confirm engagement
You select your licence type and optional services in the calculator, submit your details, and receive an itemised quote within seconds. A principal from our desk follows up within two hours to countersign the engagement letter and issue the secure payment link.
KYC, fit-and-proper & document preparation
We issue the document checklist and secure KYC portal. You submit personal KYC, professional references, CVs, and draft business plan. We prepare the AML/CFT manual, operations manual, and fit-and-proper attestations in parallel.
Company formation & capital deposit
Company is incorporated as the licensed vehicle, corporate kit issued. Paid-up capital is deposited in a segregated account. Compliance Officer appointment is finalised and documented.
Licence application submission
Complete licence application package filed with the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority: business plan, AML manual, operations manual, KYC pack, fit-and-proper attestations, capital verification, compliance officer appointment.
AOFA review & clarifications
AOFA reviews the submission, typically returns with 1–2 rounds of clarification questions. We respond on your behalf within 48 hours and maintain dialogue with the Authority until all queries are resolved.
Licence issuance & operational launch
AOFA issues the licence. You receive the licensing certificate, regulatory approval confirmation, and activation documentation. We then introduce banking partners and coordinate PSP / liquidity provider onboarding for operational go-live.
Documents delivered
Nine original documents, electronically and in certified physical form. Your complete licensing pack, ready for presentation to banks, liquidity providers and payment processors.
Certificate of Licence
Issued by AOFA, evidencing authorisation for the regulated activity
Certificate of Incorporation
Corporate existence of the licensed entity, issued alongside the licence
Memorandum & Articles
Constitutional documents tailored to the regulated activity scope
AML/CFT Manual
Bespoke anti-money laundering procedures tailored to your business
Operations Manual
Execution protocols, risk management and client onboarding procedures
Compliance Officer Appointment
Formal appointment letter and scope-of-duties documentation
Capital Verification
Bank confirmation of paid-up capital in segregated licensed account
Regulatory Approval Letter
AOFA approval letter for presentation to banks and liquidity providers
Tax Residency & Apostille
On request, for cross-border banking and PSP onboarding
Operational infrastructure
Three operational tiers for licensed operators: client banking, liquidity providers, and payment acceptance. Our active relationships materially improve your onboarding probability and accelerate go-live timelines.
Segregated & corporate banking
Tier-1 banking for client fund segregation and corporate operations: Mauritius Commercial Bank, AfrAsia, Mashreq, Emirates NBD. Licensed broker/VASP status significantly improves approval probability versus unlicensed IBCs.
Liquidity & prime brokers
Introductions to tier-1 and tier-2 liquidity providers for forex brokers: LMAX Exchange, Swissquote, Saxo, GBE Brokers, Finalto. Prime broker onboarding coordinated alongside licence issuance.
PSPs & high-risk acquirers
Specialist high-risk card acquiring for forex, iGaming and crypto: Praxis, Paymentz, Decta, Cascade, 4finance. Crypto settlement via BitPay, NOWPayments, CoinsPaid. APM integrations available.
Banking and liquidity partner introductions are included in the base engagement fee. Success is not guaranteed — acceptance depends on activity, applicant profile, volume expectations, and compliance fit. Typical first-introduction approval rate for licensed operators sits above 80%; if the initial partner declines, we pivot to the next-best fit without additional charge.
Regulatory framework
Licensed financial and digital services activity in Anjouan is governed by the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority (AOFA) — the statutory regulator responsible for licensing, prudential supervision and enforcement across forex broking, virtual asset services, iGaming and insurance activity in the jurisdiction.
AOFA was established under the Autonomous Island of Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority Act, which created the legal and supervisory architecture for regulated offshore activity. The Authority operates independently and reports directly to the Government of the Autonomous Island, with a dedicated licensing and supervision mandate distinct from registry functions for standard IBCs.
Activity-specific legislation governs each licensing category: the International Brokerage Regulations for forex, CFD and derivatives broking; the Virtual Assets Service Provider Framework for crypto and digital assets; and the Interactive Gaming Regulations for iGaming operations. The frameworks draw from the Common Law traditions of Mauritius and Curacao, adapted for a non-resident licensed regime.
AOFA conducts ongoing supervision of licensed entities through quarterly capital reporting, annual AML/CFT returns, and periodic fit-and-proper reviews. The Authority has enforcement powers including fines, licence suspension and revocation, though enforcement actions are rare among well-documented, well-capitalised licensees.
Anjouan’s offshore licensing framework is positioned as a commercially viable, credibility-preserving alternative to the stricter regimes of Cyprus (CySEC), Malta (MFSA) and Seychelles (FSA) — with lower capital requirements, faster issuance, and comparable regulatory substance.
Ongoing compliance
Licensed entities carry more substantial annual obligations than plain IBCs — AOFA reporting, AML/CFT attestations, capital reviews. All obligations and costs are disclosed upfront with no surprise charges.
| Annual obligation | Due | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Licence renewal fee | Anniversary of issuance | $8,000–$15,000 |
| Corporate annual fee | Anniversary of incorporation | $350 |
| Registered agent & office | Annually | $1,200 |
| Compliance Officer (outsourced) | Annually | $4,500 |
| AML/CFT annual attestation | Within 90 days of year-end | Included |
| Quarterly capital report to AOFA | Quarterly | Included |
| Annual audit (mandatory) | Within 6 months of year-end | From $5,000 |
| AML manual annual review | Annually | $800 |
Anonymised, but characteristic.
Forex licensing, answered frankly.
For founders who prefer paper to pitches.
Complete the form. We respond within twenty-four hours with a dated, priced, signed proposal including licence pathway, timeline and fee schedule.
Union of the Comoros
United Arab Emirates
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