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Tier one Cyprus

Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)

Licenses Cyprus investment firms under MiFID II, which passports them across the European Economic Area.

Jurisdiction

Cyprus, and through MiFID passporting the whole European Economic Area. Many international brokers serve EU clients from a Cyprus entity.

Role

Applies EU rules: ESMA's 1:30 retail leverage cap, negative balance protection, a ban on retail bonuses, best execution, segregation and membership of the Investor Compensation Fund. Supervision has tightened considerably since the early years, with regular fines published.

Segregated client money, negative balance protection and a compensation scheme or its equivalent. Retail leverage cap: 1:30 on major currency pairs.

Licence verification

Search the CySEC register of Cyprus Investment Firms by name or licence number and confirm the licence is active and includes reception, transmission and execution of orders. Check the website listed against the one you are using.

Open the CySEC register (opens in a new tab) CySEC website

Client protections

Segregated client money, negative balance protection and Investor Compensation Fund cover up to 20,000 euros per person on insolvency.

Tier	Tier one: Segregated client money, negative balance protection and a compensation scheme or its equivalent.
Investor protection	Segregated client funds and negative balance protection under ESMA rules.
Retail leverage cap	1:30 on major currency pairs
Compensation	Investor Compensation Fund, up to €20,000
Complaints	Financial Ombudsman of the Republic of Cyprus
Established	2001

Brokers regulated by CySEC

39 brokers in our database hold a CySEC licence through at least one entity. The licence applies to that entity only; check which one serves your country.

IC Markets 9.5/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, CySEC, Seychelles FSA, Bahamas SCB, Kenya CMA

AvaTrade 9.2/10

Tier-one regulated Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC, BVI FSC, FSCA, Japan FSA, FFAJ, ADGM FSRA, CySEC, CMA Kenya, Israel Securities Authority

FxPro 9.1/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, FSCA, SCB Bahamas, Seychelles FSA

XM 9.1/10

Tier-one regulated Belize FSC, CySEC, ASIC, DFSA, FSCA

Markets.com 9.0/10

Tier-one regulated CySEC, FSCA, SVG registration

Admirals 8.9/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, JSC Jordan, CMA Kenya, EFSA

Plus500 8.9/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FMA, FSCA, MAS, Seychelles FSA, DFSA, EFSA, SCB Bahamas, CIRO, ISA, JFSA, SCA, CFTC/NFA

eToro 8.8/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, ASIC, Seychelles FSA, ADGM FSRA, MAS, SEC/FINRA

Eightcap 8.7/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB Bahamas, Seychelles FSA, Mauritius FSC

easyMarkets 8.6/10

Tier-one regulated CySEC, ASIC, Seychelles FSA, BVI FSC, FSCA

HF Markets 8.5/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, CMA Kenya, DFSA, Mauritius FSC

MultiBank Group 8.5/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, MAS, CySEC, CIMA, UAE SCA/CMA, Mauritius FSC, Seychelles FSA, Vanuatu VFSC, plus additional group registrations/licences

GO Markets 8.3/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, CySEC, FSC Mauritius

ThinkMarkets 8.2/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, FCA, CySEC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, DFSA, CIMA, Mauritius FSC, New Zealand FMA

Capital.com 7.9/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC (319/17, 463/25), Securities Commission of The Bahamas, UAE Capital Market Authority

FP Markets 7.9/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, Mauritius FSC, CMA Kenya

FXOpen 7.9/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC

Libertex 7.8/10

Tier-one regulated CySEC, BaFin cross-border registration

Tickmill 7.8/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, DFSA

Exness 7.7/10

Tier-one regulated Seychelles FSA, FSCA South Africa, CySEC, FCA, CBCS Curacao, BVI FSC, Mauritius FSC, Kenya CMA, Jordan JSC, UAE CMA, Belize FSC

FOREX.com 7.7/10

Tier-one regulated CFTC/NFA, FCA, ASIC, CIRO, CIMA, MAS, JFSA, CySEC

Swissquote 7.7/10

Tier-one regulated FINMA, FCA, CySEC, DFSA, MAS, SFC Hong Kong, MFSA

FXCM 7.6/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSCA

Skilling 7.5/10

Tier-one regulated CySEC, Seychelles FSA

Trade.com 7.5/10

Tier-one regulated Mauritius FSC, CySEC, FCA, FINRA/SEC

Trading.com 7.5/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, CFTC/NFA

XTB 7.5/10

Tier-one regulated KNF Poland, FCA, CySEC, DFSA, FSC Belize, additional regional authorisations

LiteFinance 7.4/10

Tier-one regulated CySEC, Mauritius FSC, international SVG entity incorporated but not locally licensed as a securities dealer

ATFX 7.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, Hong Kong SFC, South Africa FSCA, Mauritius FSC, Seychelles FSA, UAE CMA, Cambodia SERC

Fortrade 7.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, CIRO Canada, Mauritius FSC, DFSA

Mitrade 7.3/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, CySEC, CIMA, Mauritius FSC, FSCA, UAE CMA

Octa 7.3/10

Tier-one regulated CySEC, Mauritius FSC, FSCA South Africa, MISA Comoros

Tradu 7.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSCA, Israel Securities Authority, Seychelles FSA

FXCC 7.2/10

Tier-one regulated MISA, CySEC through EU entity, VFSC registration/licensing also disclosed for Central Clearing Ltd

FXORO 7.2/10

Tier-one regulated CySEC, authorisation being voluntarily renounced following cessation of services

iFOREX 7.0/10

Tier-one regulated British Virgin Islands FSC, CySEC through European group entity

IQ Option 7.0/10

Tier-one regulated International entity: registered in Antigua, Barbuda, not regulated by a major financial-services regulator, EEA entity: CySEC

TopFX 7.0/10

Tier-one regulated BVI FSC, CySEC, Seychelles FSA

Trading 212 6.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA 609146, BaFin 10109603, CySEC 398/21, ASIC AFSL 541122, Bulgarian FSC RG-03-0237

Regulatory facts are the authority's own published position at the last check. Verify any licence on the register before depositing.