Norway occupies a distinctive position on the crypto-licensing map: it is not a member of the European Union, yet the EU's crypto-assets regulation, MiCA (Regulation (EU) 2023/1114), applies to it in full through the EEA Agreement. The EEA Joint Committee decision of 20 February 2025 incorporated MiCA into the Agreement, and Norway put its own Crypto-Assets Act into force on 1 July 2025. As a result, authorisations for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) are issued there by Finanstilsynet, the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority, under the same European rulebook that applies in the EU member states.
This page is built on official sources and tells you two honest limitations up front. First, the application fee: no amount is published on the Finanstilsynet pages reviewed — confirm the figure with the regulator before filing, because we do not print unofficial numbers. Second, there is no separate Norwegian national register page; the list of authorised firms is reflected in ESMA's interim MiCA register. The number of authorisations so far is small, which means both an early-mover market and a strict quality screen. Everything else — the legal basis, the application process, the statutory deadlines, the EEA passport and the Georgian layer — is documented below.
What the Norwegian Route Is and Why It Works as an EEA Key
Norway's Crypto-Assets Act implements MiCA and has been in force since 1 July 2025. Together, the act and the regulation establish the same authorisation regime as in the Union: a CASP obtains its authorisation from Finanstilsynet and can then serve the entire EEA space, not only the Norwegian market. That is the essence of the route — one home regulator, one authorisation, the whole EEA space.
One structural detail matters for third-country groups, including Georgian-owned ones: under MiCA, a third-country firm may serve clients in this market only at the client's own exclusive initiative — active solicitation and promotion require authorisation. The route therefore starts with a legal entity registered in the EEA with real corporate life there; this market does not open through a formal "e-residence" address.
Applying to Finanstilsynet: the Altinn Channel and the Article 62 File
Applications are submitted to Finanstilsynet electronically through Altinn, the Norwegian public digital platform, and their content is set by MiCA Articles 62 and 63: a programme of operations, proof of prudential safeguards, a governance framework, fit-and-proper checks on the management body and on qualifying shareholders (10 percent or more, per Article 3(1)(36)), internal AML/CTF mechanisms, ICT documentation, a custody policy, trading-platform rules and an execution policy. The format is supplied by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/305 (the RTS) and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/306 (the ITS standard forms); Finanstilsynet's own checklist operates as an additional layer.
The statutory deadlines are fixed by the regulation itself and the regulator has no room to stretch them: a completeness check of 25 working days (Article 63(2)); a decision within 40 working days of a complete application (Article 63(9)); a suspension of the assessment for missing information of up to a further 20 working days (Article 63(12)); and delivery of the decision within 5 working days. Own funds follow Article 67: whichever is higher of the class minimum in Annex IV or one quarter of the preceding year's fixed overheads — verify the current class amounts in Annex IV itself before filing.
The Transition Has Expired — Entry Now Only by a Full Application
Finanstilsynet states it plainly in its own materials: the transitional period has expired. The Article 143(3) window allowed providers already operating before 30 December 2024 to continue until 1 July 2026 or until a decision — whichever came sooner — and that date has passed. Providers that remain without authorisation are required to wind down in an orderly manner, protecting the interests of their clients and placing client assets safely before closure. For a new entrant the conclusion is unambiguous: entering through a transitional regime or "operating while waiting" is impossible — only a full Article 62 application.
The EEA Passport, Article 59 Substance and the First Norwegian Authorisations
The core value of a Norwegian authorisation is the EEA passport: a CASP authorised by Finanstilsynet may, after notifying its supervisor, provide services in other EEA states — one licence covers the EU's markets plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. In exchange, Article 59 requires physical corporate presence in the EEA: a registered office and real management within this space. Renting a formal address does not satisfy this requirement, and applications built on shell substance are exactly what the fit-and-proper and governance screens are designed to catch.
The first Norwegian CASP authorisations are named in Finanstilsynet's news items: AK Jensen Norway AS on 4 February 2026, Týr Markets AS on 22 May 2026 and Firi AS on 29 May 2026 — three companies in the first wave. That small cohort cuts both ways: the Norwegian queue is not yet as loaded as some member-state queues, but such filtering means your file must be complete and verifiable at first submission, otherwise the statutory clock stretches through suspension after suspension.
The Georgian Layer: What Applies at Home Despite a Norwegian Licence
A Norwegian CASP status is for the EEA market; it does not change what applies in Georgia. The organic law on the National Bank of Georgia (No 101044): Article 52-5(2) — a virtual asset service provider registers with the National Bank; Article 52-5(3) — providing services while unregistered is impermissible; Article 52-5(4) — a provider carries on only that activity and auxiliary activity; Article 39-1 — a virtual asset is not legal tender and payments in it are prohibited; Article 48 — supervision belongs to the National Bank.
The AML law (No 4690334): Article 3(1) makes VASPs accountable persons; Article 4 assigns AML supervision to the National Bank; Article 11(1) sets the crypto KYC trigger for an occasional transaction at USD 1 000 / EUR 1 000 / GEL 3 000; Article 17¹ imposes the Travel Rule, with the accompanying-information content set by a National Bank act (Article 52-5(1) of the organic law). A Norwegian authorisation does not cancel this layer — it opens the EEA market, while registration remains mandatory on the Georgian market.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Norwegian application fee?
No amount is published in the official sources — the reviewed Finanstilsynet pages state no figure. Confirm with the regulator before filing; we do not print unofficial numbers.
Does a Norwegian licence work in the European Union?
Yes — through the EEA passport: after notifying the supervisor, services may be provided in other EEA states, and the EEA is the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The authorisation is valid across that entire space.
Is it possible to enter through the transitional period?
No — that door has closed. The Article 143(3) window ran until 1 July 2026 at the latest, and Finanstilsynet states plainly that the transitional period has expired. A new entrant comes in only with a full Article 62 application.
Does a Norwegian authorisation change Georgian requirements?
No. Services directed at Georgia still require registration with the National Bank under Article 52-5(2), and the KYC trigger (USD 1 000 / EUR 1 000 / GEL 3 000) and the Travel Rule remain part of the Georgian AML layer.
How We Help on Legal.ge
Legal.ge builds the Norwegian route on Finanstilsynet's own materials: we analyse your list of services, set up an EEA-registered entity with Article 59 substance, assemble the Article 62 documentation in the 2025/305 and 2025/306 formats, file through Altinn and track the statutory deadlines (25/40/20 working days). In parallel we build the Georgian ring — National Bank registration and AML compliance. The fee amount we verify with Finanstilsynet before filing rather than reading it in blogs. Contact us — let us start the Norwegian EEA route with your list of services.