Variation of permissions
Support with applications to vary an existing FCA permission - adding or removing regulated activities, or moving from limited permission to full permission.
⚠ UNSIGNED-OFF COPY. This page was written during the build so the section could exist and its routes could resolve. It makes no claim about outcomes, timescales, prices or the FCA’s decisions, but claim-free is not the same as signed off. Recorded at
docs/content-removals-for-review.md § 7.
An authorised firm’s permission describes the regulated activities it may carry on. When what the business does changes, the permission has to change with it, and that is done by applying to vary it.
When a variation is needed
- Adding a regulated activity the current permission does not cover
- Removing an activity the firm no longer carries on
- Moving from limited permission to full permission
- Changing a requirement or limitation attached to the permission
What it involves
A variation is assessed on the same basis as an original application for the activities being added, so the supporting material is comparable. Where a firm adds activities across more than one fee category, one fee is payable at the highest category.
Carrying on a regulated activity outside the scope of a permission is a serious matter, so the sequence matters: the variation is applied for before the activity begins, not after.
Our guide on full and limited permissions covers how the distinction is drawn.