COUNTRIES & BUSINESS ROUTES

The right country.
For the business you want to build.

Company formation, crypto, fiat payments or a new operating base. Understand what a jurisdiction could solve, what it requires and how to take the next step through PAYMESE.

COMPANY SETUP

A software or service business abroad.

Compare Estonia, the UK and Cyprus around management, reinvestment and operating costs.

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CRYPTO & FIAT

A crypto business that also needs payments.

See how a Canadian MSB and EU crypto routes differ, and assess the fiat side separately.

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PAYMENT SERVICES

A new payment product in the right market.

Compare customer markets, payment permissions and partner dependencies before committing.

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Explore your options.

Choose a topic, read the country guides and compare up to three jurisdictions.

8 guides

Build a payment service

Assess a payment institution, e-money institution or licensed-partner model for the actual movement of funds.

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A country guide explains possible routes. It does not mean a company or provider is currently available in that market.

Compare the operating picture.

These are starting points to assess against your business, not a ranking of the best country.

Comparison of Lithuania, United Kingdom, Singapore
What mattersLithuaniaUnited KingdomSingapore
Why consider itThe Bank of Lithuania publishes activity-specific authorisation guidance. This makes it possible to assess the payment and crypto permissions separately before designing a combined product.The company-formation route and FCA financial-services routes are distinct. This allows you to compare a conventional operating company, an authorised institution or a licensed-partner arrangement against the same business brief.The Payment Services Act framework identifies different payment services, making it possible to scope a product around its transfer, account, merchant or digital-token functions.
Crypto servicesA CASP must obtain the applicable MiCA authorisation or complete the relevant notification route for eligible existing financial institutions. An old VASP registration is not an EU licence.Check current FCA money-laundering registration requirements, financial-promotion rules and the evolving wider crypto regime. Registration is not blanket authorisation for every crypto product.Digital payment token services are a defined payment-service category. Other token or investment activities may fall under different requirements.
PSP & fiat servicesAn EMI, PI and CASP do not have identical permissions. Certain services involving e-money tokens also require a payment-services assessment alongside MiCA.Determine whether the activity needs a payment-institution or electronic-money permission. UK status does not automatically provide EU market access.Domestic transfers, cross-border transfers, merchant acquisition, account issuance and e-money issuance are separate service categories. Licence type and authorised scope matter.
Company & operationsFor an existing institution, examine the authorised scope, ownership approvals, governance and regulatory correspondence alongside the company purchase price.A limited company can support ordinary commercial activities without making the business an authorised financial institution. Company filings and tax obligations continue after incorporation.Assess incorporation and local operating arrangements alongside the relevant financial-services application. An ordinary company is not a licensed payment institution.
Tax & total costCompare the actual operating profit, group structure, staff costs and cross-border obligations. Regulatory capital and safeguarded customer money are not ordinary free cash for operations.UK corporation tax depends on taxable profits and eligibility for the relevant rate or relief. Compare this with distributions, owner residence and where the business is managed; UK incorporation is not automatically cheaper in tax.Review company residence, income, substance and the eligibility conditions for any incentive with a qualified adviser. Do not apply a general startup benefit automatically to a regulated financial business.
Banking fitConfirm safeguarding and settlement arrangements, currency coverage and scheme participation with the specific institution or partner. These are not automatic features of every licence.Assess business accounts, safeguarding and settlement separately. A provider must accept your entity, customer sectors and ownership structure.Compare settlement currencies, customer-country coverage and safeguarding needs with what the proposed bank or payment partner will accept.
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Start with the problem you need to solve.

You do not need to know the country or licence name before you speak to us.

CHOOSING THE COMPANY OR PROVIDER

Compare what makes the offer work.

The country is one decision. The company, permissions, people and commercial terms are the next.

01What you actually receive
Company shares or assets, an application service, a partner contract or software. Ask for inclusions, exclusions and the party responsible for delivery.
02Permissions and operating history
For a regulated company or provider, confirm the current registry entry, exact services, restrictions, liabilities and any change-of-control conditions.
03The full cost to operate
Compare price, capital, local staff, compliance, accounting, software, banking fees and any reserves. Include the conditions and timing of any claimed tax benefit.
04Banking and technology continuity
Confirm account and partner acceptance, settlement terms, code and data ownership, service support and what must be re-approved after a transaction.

Questions that change the decision.

Should I choose a country just for a lower tax rate?

Compare the full outcome: company and owner tax residence, where decisions and work happen, dividends or reinvestment, accounting, staffing and any relief conditions. A company formed abroad may still create tax obligations where it is managed or operated. Ask for a written comparison of your current structure and the proposed one.

Compare tax and operating considerations
Can one company handle crypto, fiat payments and technology?

Sometimes a structure can combine them, but each activity needs to be mapped. Identify who holds assets, moves customer money, issues stored value and supplies software. The answer may involve several permissions or separate licensed partners. A software platform alone does not provide the right to perform regulated services.

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Should I buy an existing company, start a new one or use a partner?

Compare the same target product across all three routes. An acquisition may bring an existing operation but also liabilities and ownership approvals. A new application lets you define the model but needs preparation and resources. A partner route depends on the partner’s actual permissions, commercial terms and acceptance of your business.

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What if banks consider my business higher risk?

Prepare a clear explanation of customers, ownership, source of funds, transaction corridors, asset types, volumes and controls. Compare providers by their stated acceptance criteria and ability to assess that evidence. No jurisdiction or licence guarantees banking; the provider makes its own onboarding decision.

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What if the marketplace has no matching offer yet?

Submit a buying or service request with the capabilities, market and timing you need. PAYMESE can review the brief and potential matches. Your company and contact details remain private until the agreed introduction process is complete.

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