Instabank ASA: Board decides to continue as a Norwegian bank and to withdraw the banking licence application in Finland
2026-06-19 08:00:00
The Board of Directors of Instabank ASA (“Instabank” or “the Bank”) has resolved to discontinue the process of relocating the Bank’s home state to Finland and to withdraw the banking licence application submitted to the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority by the Bank’s wholly owned subsidiary Instafin Oy (“Instabank Finland”). Instabank will continue its operations as a Norwegian bank headquartered in Oslo. The decision follows the final SREP decision from the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (NFSA), announced on 16 June 2026, which reduced the Bank’s combined Pillar 2 Requirement and Pillar 2 Guidance by 2.0 percentage points. The decision released approximately NOK 128 million in total capital, of which approximately NOK 86 million is Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital, based on risk-weighted assets as of 31 March 2026. The process of relocating the Bank’s home state was initiated to secure more competitive regulatory framework conditions and a more capital-efficient platform for continued growth. When the process was initiated, the Bank’s total capital requirements in Finland were expected to be significantly lower than the requirements applicable in Norway. Following the NFSA’s decision, the remaining capital advantage of a relocation is considered limited and could no longer justify the regulatory and operational complexity, material costs and organisational consequences that a relocation would entail. The Board also notes that the latest signals from Norwegian authorities, including the Government’s Financial Markets Report for 2026, point towards more harmonised capital requirements for banks operating in Norway, which may further reduce any remaining regulatory differences over time. The Board has concluded that the Bank’s long-term value creation and strategic development are best served by continued operation as a Norwegian bank with its head office in Oslo. The released capital strengthens the Bank’s financial flexibility and supports Instabank’s growth strategy across its Nordic and European markets, without the execution risk and resource burden that a relocation would entail. As communicated in the Bank’s interim report for the first quarter of 2026, Instabank considered both a continued Norwegian structure and a relocation to be positive outcomes for shareholders. With the reduced capital requirements now confirmed, the Board considers continued operation as a Norwegian bank to be the most value-creating path forward for shareholders, customers and employees. Contacts: Robert Berg, CEO – robert.berg@instabank.no Per Kristian Haug, CFO – perkristian.haug@instabank.no This information is subject to disclosure requirements under section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.