March 27 (SeeNews) - Albania's central bank said it granted a preliminary operating licence to the first fully digital local lender, effectively allowing Jet Bank to launch part of its business.

"Based on this decision, Jet Bank will exercise banking and financial activities, in accordance with the terms and requirements of the licence approved by the Bank of Albania," the central bank said in a statement earlier this week.

A final licence should follow shortly, according to the central bank's regulatory framework.

Jet Bank will now enter a pre-launch testing phase, during which the app will be accessible to a selected group of users to gather feedback on user experience, functionality, and platform performance under real conditions, local media reported.

This is the first time a new bank has been licensed by the central bank in twenty years. The latest addition to the banking system was OTP Bank Albania, established through the merger of the local unit of France's Societe Generale and Greece’s Alpha Bank Group by Hungary's OTP Group.

Albania's banking system comprises 11 traditional banks, with Banka Kombetare Tregtare and Credins Bank being the largest in terms of assets, according to end-2025 data published by the Albanian Banking Association.

The central bank gave Jet Bank the greenlight to proceed with the licensing process in December.

JET Bank was registered in Tirana in July 2025, according to the business register. Back then, it was owned by UK-based entrepreneur Idan Avishai. In January 2026, the bank's ownership was transferred to the Netherlands-based Jet Holdings.

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