---
title: "CASP licence in Spain: who needs authorisation under MiCA"
url: "https://www.unknowngravity.com/en/articulos/casp-license-spain-mica"
site: Unknown Gravity
published: "2026-08-12T20:54:04+00:00"
modified: "2026-08-12T20:54:04+00:00"
language: en-US
description: "Since 30 December 2024, providing crypto-asset services in the European Union requires authorisation as a CASP (Crypto-Asset Service Provider) under the MiCA Regulation — and in Spain the licence is…"
section: "Home > Cryptocurrencies and tokens > CASP licence in Spain: who needs authorisation under MiCA"
---

# CASP licence in Spain: who needs authorisation under MiCA

**Since 30 December 2024, providing crypto-asset services in the European Union requires authorisation as a CASP (Crypto-Asset Service Provider) under the MiCA Regulation — and in Spain the licence is granted and supervised by the CNMV.** The Spanish transitional period ended on 30 December 2025: anyone operating today without authorisation — their own or passported from another Member State — is outside the framework.

**Tool:** check in 6 questions whether your activity needs authorisation with our [“Do you need a CASP licence?” test](/en/test-casp).

## What a CASP is and which services the authorisation covers

[Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1114/oj/eng) defines ten crypto-asset services, including **custody and administration on behalf of clients**, **exchange of crypto-assets for funds or other crypto-assets**, **execution and reception/transmission of orders**, **portfolio management**, **advice**, **transfer services** and **operating a trading platform**. Providing any of them professionally in the EU requires being an authorised CASP (Title V, Articles 59 to 64).

## Who does not need a CASP licence

Two exclusions draw the perimeter. The first is about the product: **security tokens are not MiCA crypto-assets** — they are financial instruments under MiFID II and Spanish Law 6/2023, and their issuance and registration follow a different path (ERIR, prospectus), which we cover in our [security tokens](/en/servicios/security-tokens) service.

The second is about the entity: **already-regulated firms** (credit institutions, investment firms and other financial-sector entities) may provide equivalent crypto-asset services through a **prior notification** to the supervisor (Article 60), without going through the full authorisation.

## The process before the CNMV

Applications in Spain are filed with the CNMV as competent authority. The file requires, among other things: a programme of operations, **minimum own funds depending on the class of services** (EUR 50,000, 125,000 or 150,000 under Annex IV of MiCA), fit-and-proper requirements for directors and qualifying shareholders, governance and business continuity, **segregation and custody of clients’ crypto-assets**, conflicts-of-interest policy and AML procedures. Real timelines depend on how complete the file is: the clarification phase is where applicants lose months.

## The transitional period is over

MiCA allowed each Member State a transitional regime for firms already operating under national law before 30 December 2024. **Spain set it at 12 months: it ended on 30 December 2025.** The Bank of Spain’s national registry of virtual-asset providers no longer enables operations: operating today requires CASP authorisation or a regulated-entity notification. We keep the full calendar in [our MiCA deadline tracker for Spain](/en/articulos/mica-deadline-espana-2026).

## The European passport

A CASP authorisation obtained in one Member State **passports across the whole EU**: a provider authorised elsewhere can operate in Spain after notification, and vice versa. That turns the choice of jurisdiction into a strategic decision — cost and timeline of the file versus target market — best taken with the whole map in view.

## Where we fit

We are not a law firm: we are the technical team that builds and operates the infrastructure the application describes — custody, segregation, order records, KYC/AML integration — working alongside the client’s legal counsel. If you are assessing whether your model needs a CASP licence or can be structured differently, start with the [test](/en/test-casp) or [book a call](/en/meeting) with our [blockchain consulting](/en/servicios/consultoria-blockchain) team.