Overview

Applying for authorisation from the Financial Services Authority (‘FSA’) is a significant undertaking and should be treated as a major project in its own right, with appropriate project management and dedicated resources.

The information the new firm will need to provide to the FSA is extensive: it may take several months prior to submitting the forms to gather together all the information the FSA will require. After the application has been submitted, the FSA may take 2–3 months to decide on an application.

This guide from Eversheds explains how the process works, what you as an applicant will have to, and which issues will need to be considered.