Permits and Licenses · SEC lending license
SEC Lending License in the Philippines
Lending is a regulated activity. We guide you through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s requirements and prepare your application for authority to operate as a lending company.
Overview
Authority to operate as a lending company
A business that lends money to the public in the Philippines needs to be set up as a corporation and hold a Certificate of Authority from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before it starts. The Lending Company Regulation Act of 2007, Republic Act No. 9474, is the governing law, and the SEC supervises lending companies under it. Lending without authority is an offense, and the SEC has acted against unlicensed lenders.
The application involves more than registering a company. The SEC looks at your capital, your ownership and officers, your business plan and your policies, and its requirements and circulars are revised from time to time. If you lend through an app or website, the online platform has to be registered with the SEC as well. We review your plan, confirm the current rules, prepare the documents and handle the filing.
What we handle
Lending license filing and preparation
We cover the corporate set-up and the lending authority in one process.
Eligibility and structure review
Your ownership, capital plan and business model checked against the current Securities and Exchange Commission requirements.
Corporate registration
Your lending company incorporated with the correct primary purpose and capital structure.
Certificate of Authority application
Application papers prepared and filed, with the supporting documents the Commission asks for.
Online lending platform registration
If you lend through an app or website, we prepare the separate platform registration.
How it works
How we take you through the SEC process
A staged route, so capital and papers are right before filing.
Planning
We confirm your structure, capital and lending model against the current SEC rules.
Incorporation
We register the company with a lending purpose and prepare its corporate records.
Authority application
We compile the documents and file for your Certificate of Authority.
Compliance setup
After approval, we explain ongoing reporting and conduct duties so you start on the right footing.
Why handle your lending license with ILA
Current rules, checked
SEC requirements change, so we confirm them at the time we file.
Capital planning up front
We settle your capital and structure first, before filing, so you avoid costly rework.
Compliance after approval
Reporting and conduct duties start on approval, and we help you meet them.
Frequently asked questions
SEC lending license questions we hear most
Can a foreign investor own a lending company?
Foreign participation in lending companies has been opened up by changes to the law, but the Securities and Exchange Commission applies its own capital and documentary rules to foreign-owned lenders. We check the rules in force at the time you apply and structure your company to match.
Is registering a company enough to start lending?
No. Incorporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission creates the company, but a lending company also needs a Certificate of Authority before it may lend. Online lenders have an additional platform registration. Starting without these puts the business and its officers at risk.
Is a lending company the same as a financing company or a bank?
No. Lending companies, financing companies and banks fall under different laws and regulators. Banks are supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, while lending companies answer to the Securities and Exchange Commission. We confirm which route fits your model before you set up.
Planning to start a lending business?
Book a free consultation and we will go through your model and the SEC requirements.
