Estrella facilitates acquisitions of Spanish Small Payment Institutions (SPI) — Bank of Spain registered Entidades de Pago (EP) Híbridas providing PSD2 payment services with strategic access to the Iberian Peninsula and Spanish-speaking markets.
A Spanish Small Payment Institution — formally referred to as Entidad de Pago Híbrida at the SPI tier — is registered with the Bank of Spain (Banco de España) under the Royal Decree-Law 19/2018 on payment services, which implements the EU’s revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2).
Spanish SPIs may provide PSD2 payment services subject to the volume cap (typically €3 million monthly transactions). The framework covers money remittance, payment processing, account information services, payment initiation services, and related activities. Spain has a substantial domestic payment services market and serves as a gateway to Latin American and Spanish-speaking markets globally.
The Bank of Spain combines pragmatic supervision with EU-equivalent regulatory standards. Spanish SPIs benefit from access to Spain’s well-developed banking infrastructure and the country’s deep economic ties with Latin America and Portugal.
Fresh Bank of Spain SPI registration typically takes 4–7 months, including documentation, fit-and-proper assessments, AML/CFT framework approval, safeguarding arrangements, and operational readiness verification. Spanish administrative processes can sometimes be slower than other EU regulators.
Acquiring an existing Spanish SPI provides immediate operational capability with the strategic advantage of Iberian Peninsula presence. Spain’s position as a gateway to Latin American markets, combined with the country’s deep economic ties with Spanish-speaking customers globally, makes Spanish SPIs particularly attractive for operators targeting Hispanic markets.
Pre-registered Spanish SPIs typically come with established Bank of Spain relationships, accepted compliance frameworks, and Spanish banking arrangements that benefit from the country’s mature financial services sector.
Spanish SPIs are regulated under the Royal Decree-Law 19/2018 on payment services and the Royal Decree 736/2019 on payment services implementation, supervised by the Bank of Spain (Banco de España). The framework implements EU PSD2 small payment institution provisions.
Key SPI-specific obligations include the €3 million monthly transaction volume cap, no statutory minimum capital (though the Bank of Spain expects adequate financial resources), client fund safeguarding via segregated accounts at qualifying credit institutions, AML/CFT compliance under Spanish AML legislation implementing EU AML directives, fit-and-proper assessments of management and beneficial owners, customer due diligence and ongoing transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting to SEPBLAC (Spanish FIU), and regulatory reporting to the Bank of Spain.
SPIs do not enjoy full EU passporting rights. Cross-border activity is permitted within specific arrangements but operators planning broad European reach should consider upgrading to full Payment Institution status.
Estrella maintains relationships with Bank of Spain registered Spanish SPIs. Available opportunities include clean entities suitable for repurposing under a new brand and established SPIs with active customer books and proven banking arrangements.
Each acquisition is subject to comprehensive due diligence: Bank of Spain register status, safeguarding arrangements, AML/CFT framework and any historical issues, financial position, banking relationships, and any active customer book. Bank of Spain notification is required for ownership changes — Estrella manages this with Spanish regulatory counsel.
For current availability and pricing, please contact our acquisitions team.
The main difference is the €3 million monthly transaction volume cap that applies to SPIs but not full PIs. SPIs benefit from streamlined registration, no statutory minimum capital, and lighter reporting — but cannot exceed the volume cap. Full PIs operate without volume restrictions and have full EU passporting rights.
SPIs have limited cross-border passporting rights compared to full PIs. Spanish SPIs primarily serve domestic customers within the volume cap. Operators planning broad EU operations should consider upgrading to full Payment Institution status.
Spanish SPI acquisitions typically take 8–14 weeks. The corporate transfer can complete within weeks, with Bank of Spain notification of ownership change processed within Spanish administrative timelines.
Yes — Spain has deep economic ties with Latin America and significant Spanish-speaking customer reach. Spanish SPIs are well-positioned for operators serving Hispanic customer bases globally, both within the EU and through other arrangements with Latin American partners.
Spanish SPIs are competitively priced compared to other EU jurisdictions. Pricing varies based on operational history, banking relationships, and any active customer book. Spanish-speaking client books add particular value for operators targeting Hispanic markets.
Contact Estrella to explore available Bank of Spain registered Small Payment Institutions in Spain. Our team coordinates with Spanish regulatory counsel for the full acquisition process.
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