4. Within what period of time must an application for authorization be processed by the FSMA?
The FSMA must decide within three months of receiving a complete file whether to grant an authorization as an independent financial planner or not.
The time it takes to process a file depends largely on the quality of the documentation supporting the application for authorization and on the timeliness of the answers given by the would-be independent financial planner to questions raised by the FSMA.
It is advisable to contact the FSMA prior to filing an application for authorization.