Company registration and adaptation to MiCA in Lithuania from scratch
Legal registration of a company (UAB) in Lithuania
For a start, the recommended form is UAB (Uždaroji Akcinė Bendrovė) — an analogue of a limited liability company. This form is popular among residents and non-residents, and requires a minimum authorized capital of 2,500 euros.
Company registration takes about 10-15 business days. The process includes checking the uniqueness of the name, preparing the charter, confirming the legal address, identifying the participants and checking the sources of origin of funds. The procedure is also available for non-residents, it is enough to prepare a passport, confirm the residential address and, if necessary, use the services of a consulting company.
CASP licensing under MiCA
With the entry into force of the MiCA regulation, the regulator for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) in Lithuania is the Bank of Lithuania. The transition period has been extended until January 1, 2026, which gives companies time to prepare.
Key requirements for obtaining a CASP license:
- Registration of UAB and presence of an office in Lithuania. At least one of the directors must be an EU resident.
- Authorized capital — from 50,000 to 150,000 euros depending on the type of services (cryptocurrency exchange, storage, exchange operation, etc.).
- A management team: CEO, compliance officer (CCO), AML/CFT officer (MLRO), internal auditor, accountant.
- Comprehensive compliance documentation: KYC/AML procedures, transaction risk management, data protection and business continuity plan.
- Reporting and supervision: mandatory submission of financial and compliance reports to the Bank of Lithuania, audits and cooperation with financial monitoring authorities.
Integration with CASP documents
Based on the practice of implementing internal documentation, it is recommended to prepare:
- Compliance policy — a description of the regulatory principles and responsibilities of personnel.
- Management structure — distribution of roles between managers and key specialists.
- Risk assessment — AML/CFT, operational, credit, ICT and business continuity risks.
- ICT and security management system — compliance with EU standards (e.g. DORA and ISO 27001).
- Business continuity policy — protection against cyber attacks, IT failures and recovery plan.
- AML/CFT procedures — rules for customer identification, transaction monitoring, compliance with sanctions.
- Accounting policy — IFRS or GAAP reporting adapted to Lithuanian legislation.
- Customer complaint procedures — transparent and fast feedback mechanism.
UAB registration in Lithuania is the first step to entering the EU market. The next step is to prepare and obtain a CASP license, which will allow operating in accordance with MiCA and providing services throughout Europe.
The IT-OFFSHORE company will help you through the entire process: from registration and development of internal documentation to filing an application for a license and support to the Bank of Lithuania.
