Aprila Bank ASA (“Aprila” or the “bank”) has submitted a banking license application to the Financial Market Authority of Liechtenstein (“FMA”), marking an important milestone in the bank’s redomiciliation process.

“Submitting the formal license application is an important milestone in our redomiciliation process, supporting our strategy to increase our competitiveness in the European banking market. We are pleased with the constructive dialogue we have had with the FMA and look forward to continuing this work in the months ahead,” says Kjetil S. Barli, CEO of Aprila Bank.

The redomiciliation process aims to transform Aprila from a Norwegian licensed bank to a Liechtenstein licensed bank, continuing Aprila’s current operations in Norway through a branch. 

Enhancing growth opportunities
Aprila Bank pursues a focused strategy targeting viable micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are underserved by traditional banks. The strategy is anchored in the European SME debt financing gap - a large and persistent market opportunity.

As announced in late 2025, Aprila has decided to pursue a redomiciliation to strengthen its regulatory position and enhance growth opportunities. Following a thorough assessment, the bank shortlisted Liechtenstein and Sweden as potential new domiciles.

Since then, Aprila has maintained a close and constructive dialogue with the FMA. As part of this process, the bank completed an informal preliminary application, after which the FMA confirmed that Aprila could proceed with the final license application. The application has been prepared in close cooperation with external advisors and was submitted as planned.

“A Liechtenstein banking license positions Aprila to pursue its European growth strategy in a prudent, scalable, and capital-efficient manner - the optimal foundation for fulfilling Aprila’s mission to bridge the European SME financing gap,” continues Kjetil S. Barli.

Expected effect on capital requirements
Based on Aprila’s assessment, a successful redomiciliation to Liechtenstein is expected to reduce the bank’s total common equity tier 1 (“CET1”) requirement, including Pillar 2 Guidance (“P2G”), by approximately 30-40%.

All else equal, a reduction of this magnitude in the regulatory capital requirement is expected to translate into a corresponding decrease in the amount of equity required to support Aprila’s current scale of lending. Applied to the bank’s pre-tax return on equity in Q1 2026 of 19.4%, and assuming a buffer of 5% to the expected new CET1 requirement, this implies a pre-tax return on equity in the range of approximately 35–38%.

Actual outcomes will depend on the final terms of the FMA license, Aprila’s capital allocation decisions and prevailing market conditions.

Next steps
The redomiciliation process is expected to take up to 12 months from the date of submission of the formal license application. Aprila will continue its active dialogue with the FMA and provide further updates to the market as the process progresses.

About Aprila Bank
Aprila Bank offers accessible and convenient credit to small and medium-sized businesses underserved by traditional banks. The bank’s business model combines proprietary data-driven underwriting, fully digital origination and servicing, and a scalable technology platform. The bank commenced operations in April 2018.

For further information, please contact:
Kjetil S. Barli
CEO
+47 908 42 016
kjetil@aprila.no