Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) Guide 2026

The Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) is the government authority that registers offshore companies and issues online gaming authorisations for the Autonomous Island of Mwali, part of the Union of the Comoros. This article sets out what MISA regulates, what it issues, and how it reviews, refuses and supervises an application. For the full process and cost picture, see the Mwali gaming licence 2026 guide.

What the Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) regulates

The Mwali International Services Authority acts as the Registrar of Companies for the island of Mwali, also spelled Mohéli. It registers International Business Companies (IBCs) and, separately, issues online gaming authorisations to companies that want to operate a real-money platform under Mwali law. Because the two functions sit with the same body, an operator deals with one authority for both the corporate vehicle and the gaming permit.

MISA supervises licensees after the grant as well as before it. It sets the conditions a company must meet to register, screens each gaming application, and monitors the licensee for as long as the authorisation stays active. The authority publishes its remit and forms on the official Mwali International Services Authority site.

Because Mwali is a single-regulator jurisdiction, there is no separate gaming commission alongside the company registry. That is also why a change to a director or shareholder record goes back through the same office that issued the licence.

MISA within the Union of the Comoros

Mwali is one of three islands in the Union of the Comoros, alongside Grande Comore and Anjouan. Because the island holds autonomous status, it runs its own company registry and its own offshore gaming framework through the Mwali International Services Authority rather than through a federal body.

Autonomy at island level does not remove the layer above it. Federal Comorian anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing legislation applies to companies registered on Mwali, on top of MISA’s own rules, alongside the international standards set out in the FATF Recommendations.

This is a structural fact about how the jurisdiction is organised. An applicant preparing an AML policy for MISA should draft it against both the federal baseline and the authority’s own conditions.

Licences and registrations MISA issues

MISA issues two distinct products that most applicants end up holding together. The first is the IBC registration, which creates the corporate entity. The second is the gaming authorisation itself, which permits that entity to operate online gambling for international players. A single Mwali International Services Authority licence covers online casino, sports betting, poker, bingo, lottery and crypto gaming. So an operator running more than one vertical does not need a separate permit for each product.

Once granted, MISA issues a security logo, a digital seal that licensed operators display on their platform. The authority also maintains a MISA licence register that lists current licensees, so a payment partner can check whether a brand actually holds a live authorisation.

Operators building a crypto product should note the same licence structure applies there too, covered in our Mwali crypto casino licence article.

How MISA reviews an application

The Mwali International Services Authority screens a defined set of documents before it grants a gaming authorisation: a business plan, AML/CFT and KYC policies, responsible gaming protocols, and data protection and dispute-resolution mechanisms. It also carries out fit-and-proper due diligence on directors, shareholders and ultimate beneficial owners. On top of that, it checks that source of funds and source of wealth can be verified.

Once MISA holds a complete file, the regulator review stage commonly runs 1 to 3 weeks. Most of the total timeline sits before that point, in incorporation and document preparation, so review itself is usually the shortest part of the process. For the full stage-by-stage schedule, see our Mwali gaming licence timeline.

Because the IBC has to exist before MISA can issue the gaming authorisation, incorporation and licensing run as connected steps. Our gaming company incorporation service sets up the Mwali entity the application is built around.

Why MISA refuses or revokes a licence

Most refusals by the Mwali International Services Authority trace back to a small number of recurring issues, and the same issues account for later revocations once a licence is active. Applicants who prepare against this list before filing avoid the most common delays.

• A director or principal fails the fit-and-proper check, for example an undischarged bankruptcy or insolvency, or a conviction involving fraud or dishonesty
• Source of funds or source of wealth cannot be verified
• The operator accepts, or plans to accept, players from within the Comoros
• AML/KYC documentation is missing or inadequate for the business model
• Responsible gaming protocols or data protection policies are absent or incomplete
• The licensee breaches a term of the authorisation once it is granted

Because several of these grounds apply after the grant as well as before it, an operator that passes the initial review still has to keep its AML, KYC and responsible gaming documentation current. A policy written once for the application and never updated is a common reason a later audit flags a licensee.

How the Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) supervises licensees

Supervision does not stop once the licence is granted. The authority runs a dedicated compliance and audit function alongside a separate anti-money laundering supervision unit, so licensing, compliance checking and AML oversight sit with distinct teams rather than one generalist office.

Licensees display the security seal on their platform. MISA also maintains the licence register as public proof that an authorisation is current. Because the register is public, payment providers and players can check a brand’s status directly.

Compliance runs on a mix of self-reported and audited information: licensees submit their own compliance material, and MISA reviews it against the AML and responsible gaming standards set at licensing. Operators must also run a dispute-resolution mechanism submitted to MISA, so a player complaint reaches an agreed process rather than a gap. A dedicated gaming licensing compliance service keeps that documentation current for as long as the licence stays active.

Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) costs and fees

MISA charges a separate application fee and a licensing fee, on top of the cost of registering the IBC. Taken together with company registration, first-year outlay for a straightforward application runs to roughly USD 22,000. Licensed operators then pay 0 percent tax on gross gaming revenue. MISA does not publish a fixed statutory figure for annual renewal. So confirm the current renewal cost with the authority or an advisor before you budget a second year.

That figure covers the licence itself, not banking, which our gaming bank account service handles separately, or the compliance and audit costs that continue after the grant. The pillar guide linked earlier in this article carries the full year-by-year breakdown.

Cost also depends on which markets an operator plans to serve. A licence covering international play does not remove the separate cost of complying with rules for online gambling in the EU, where each member state licenses locally rather than recognising an offshore authorisation.

What a Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) licence does not cover

A Mwali gaming licence authorises online gambling for international players outside the Comoros. It does not grant access to the European Union. Each EU member state licenses online gambling locally rather than accepting an offshore authorisation. The licence also does not cover the United Kingdom or the United States. Operators targeting players there need a separate local licence.

The licence does not permit play by residents of the Comoros, including Mwali itself. That restriction sits among the refusal and revocation grounds covered earlier, so accepting local players is not a grey area under the rules of the Mwali International Services Authority.

None of this is specific to Mwali. Most single-jurisdiction offshore licences follow the same pattern, as covered in our Tuvalu gaming licence guide. If it is not clear which markets your business plan needs to cover, that is a question for a consultation rather than a general article.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Mwali International Services Authority (MISA)?

MISA is the government authority and Registrar of Companies for the Autonomous Island of Mwali, part of the Union of the Comoros. It registers International Business Companies and issues online gaming authorisations, then supervises those licensees for as long as the authorisation is active.

What licences does MISA issue?

MISA issues an IBC registration and, separately, a gaming authorisation that covers online casino, sports betting, poker, bingo, lottery and crypto gaming under one licence. Licensed operators also receive a security seal and an entry in the public licence register.

Where is the Mwali International Services Authority based?

The authority is based in Fomboni, on the island of Mohéli, also spelled Mwali, within the Union of the Comoros. Its official site, mwaliregistrar.org, publishes forms, remit information and contact details for applicants.

Does MISA keep a public register of licensees?

Yes. The MISA licence register lists current licensees, and each licensed operator also displays a security logo on its platform. Checking both against a specific brand confirms whether it holds a live authorisation.

On what grounds does MISA refuse a gaming licence?

Common grounds include a director or UBO failing fit-and-proper checks, an unverifiable source of funds, missing or inadequate AML/KYC or responsible gaming documentation, and plans to accept players from within the Comoros. The same grounds can trigger revocation of an existing licence.

Does a MISA licence allow players from the EU, UK or US?

No. A Mwali licence covers international players, but the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States each require their own local licence for an operator to target players there. It also does not permit play by residents of the Comoros.

Can a player complain to MISA directly?

Licensed operators are required to run a dispute-resolution mechanism that they submit to MISA as part of their compliance obligations, so a player complaint is generally handled through that mechanism first. MISA’s compliance and audit function reviews whether operators maintain that process properly.

How long does MISA take to review an application?

Once MISA holds a complete file, the regulator review stage commonly runs 1 to 3 weeks. Most of the overall timeline sits in preparation before submission, including company incorporation, rather than in the review itself.

Working with the Mwali gaming regulator

The Mwali International Services Authority combines company registration, gaming licensing and ongoing supervision in one office. That structure still leaves plenty for an applicant to get right: fit-and-proper documentation, AML policy that satisfies both MISA and federal Comorian requirements, and a business plan MISA can assess quickly.

If you want the application file built to MISA’s requirements from the start, our gaming licence acquisition service handles that end to end. Call +356 99408536 or email contact@licencegaming.com to book a consultation.