What does it take to get a payment processing licence in Ethiopia?
To hold a payment processing licence in Ethiopia, you need the Payment System Operator (POS & Payment Gateway Operator) licence from National Bank of Ethiopia. Published minimum capital: ETB 20 million (twenty million Birr) for an automated teller machine operator; ETB 10 million (ten million Birr) for a point-of-sale device operator; ETB 3 million (three million Birr) for a payment gateway operator (the sum of the relevant tiers if the applicant operates two or more systems). 19 entities currently hold a payment processing licence in Ethiopia. Full requirements — minimum capital, local presence, timeline, local ownership, fees and ongoing obligations — are set out below in each instrument's own words, with source and date; amounts are in the statute's own currency.
“Payment processing” here is the normalized activity: Provide payment processing / payment solution services without holding customer funds. Providers in this category cannot keep customers' money.
Activity id (as used by the Afriset MCP): fintech:PAYMENT_PROCESSING
Payment System Operator (POS & Payment Gateway Operator)
National Bank of Ethiopia| Requirement | As published | Source | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum capital | ETB 20 million (twenty million Birr) for an automated teller machine operator; ETB 10 million (ten million Birr) for a point-of-sale device operator; ETB 3 million (three million Birr) for a payment gateway operator (the sum of the relevant tiers if the applicant operates two or more systems). Verbatim“c) ETB 20 million (twenty million Birr) if it is an automated teller machine operator; d) ETB 10 million (ten million Birr) if it is a point of sale device operator; e) ETB 3 million (three million Birr) if it is a payment gateway operator;” | Licensing and Authorization of Payment System Operators Directive No. ONPS/02/2020 (operative PSO base) | 2020 |
| Local presence / incorporation | Must be established as a company, with a certificate of registration for the trade name and articles and memorandum of association prepared in both Amharic and English. Verbatim“be established as a company … submit articles and memorandum of association prepared both in Amharic and English.” | Licensing and Authorization of Payment System Operators Directive No. ONPS/02/2020 (operative PSO base) | 2020 |
| Timeline | Not officially published: No fixed number of days within which the National Bank must grant or refuse the application is published in this directive. | Licensing and Authorization of Payment System Operators Directive No. ONPS/02/2020 (operative PSO base) | 2020 |
| Local ownership | Ownership by any one person is limited to 40% (operators other than the national switch operator). Verbatim“have ownership by a person limited to 40%, if it is other than national switch operator.” | Licensing and Authorization of Payment System Operators Directive No. ONPS/02/2020 (operative PSO base) | 2020 |
| Fees | ETB 3,000 (three thousand Birr) non-refundable application processing fee. Verbatim“An applicant shall pay a non-refundable application processing fee of ETB 3,000 (three thousand Birr) and present proof of payment together with the applications.” | Licensing and Authorization of Payment System Operators Directive No. ONPS/02/2020 (operative PSO base) | 2020 |
| Ongoing obligations | Not officially published: Operate under National-Bank-approved system rules and the continuing ownership conditions above. No single quantitative ongoing-obligation figure is published. | Licensing and Authorization of Payment System Operators Directive No. ONPS/02/2020 (operative PSO base) | 2020 |
Requirements as published in the cited instruments — not legal or compliance advice. Capital and fees are shown in the currency the statute itself uses. Where a value is located but not yet verified, we show that it exists but don't publish the figure. Verify directly with the regulator.
Maintained: this official source is re-checked on a weekly schedule — last checked 2026-08-04 · unchanged since the previous check.
Who already holds this licence?
19 entities are on the National Bank of Ethiopia register under the Payment System Operator (POS & Payment Gateway Operator) category — view the register .
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