Fintech Breakfast: a New Banking Licence for Fintechs in Latvia

The event will focus on the new regulatory pathway introduced by the amendments to the Credit Institutions Law effective as of 6 January 2026. For the first time, fintech companies, payment institutions, credit unions, and other non-bank lenders can transition into licensed specialised credit institutions with an initial capital requirement of €1 million, gain access to deposit funding, and operate under EU passporting rules.
This session will examine what the new framework enables in practice — from licensing requirements and supervisory expectations to real-life banking experience in the region.

Date: 26 February
Time: 09:30–12:30
Venue: BDO Office, New Hanza, Mihaila Tāla iela 1, Riga LV-1045
Working language: English | Format: In-person

Agenda Highlights:
Keynote #1 — Specialised credit institution licence in Latvia: requirements and process
Inese Rendeniece, Senior Legal Associate, Head of Banking, Finance & Fintech practice at BDO Latvia
Keynote #2 — Lithuanian experience: operating as a specialised bank
Vytautas Naruševičius, Chief Financial Officer at Saldo Bank, led the regulatory licensing process that enabled the bank to obtain a specialised bank licence in Lithuania.
Q&A and open discussion

Participants: 
Inese Rendeniece, Senior Legal Associate, Head of Banking, Finance & Fintech practice at BDO Latvia
Vytautas Naruševičius, Chief Financial Officer at Saldo Bank
Sandra Rituma, Board Member, Magnetiq Bank
Nikita Goncars, Founder at Lande

As part of the Fintech Breakfast series, this event brings together legal, regulatory, and banking perspectives to support informed decision-making and sustainable growth of Latvia’s fintech ecosystem.