Skip to content
Risk·77–82% of retail CFD accounts lose money. Trade only with capital you can afford to lose.
Disclosure·Affiliate links. Editorial ranking is independent. How we're paid
Forex Brokers2026

Regulator profile · CY

CySEC — Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission

Tracked byUpdated

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) is the Cypriot financial-services regulator and the most common EU passport for retail forex and CFD brokers serving European retail clients.

Brokers in Cyprus accepting residents under CySEC
Jurisdiction
Republic of Cyprus · with EU passporting rights to all EEA member states.
Founded
2001
Mandate
Established under Law 64(I)/2001 and operates under the EU MiFID II framework. CySEC licenses Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs), enforces ESMA product-intervention measures and supervises member-firm capital adequacy.
Consumer protection
Authorised CIFs must contribute to the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF), which covers up to €20,000 per eligible client if the firm fails. Client funds must be segregated in tier-1 EU banks. Negative balance protection is mandatory for retail.
Retail leverage caps
ESMA-aligned: 1:30 majors, 1:20 minors and gold, 1:10 non-gold commodities and major indices, 1:5 individual equities, 1:2 crypto CFDs. CIFs may classify clients as professional with reduced protection.
Public register
Public list of every CIF licensed by CySEC, including authorised activities, passporting countries and historical sanctions. Open register ↗
Dispute resolution
Complaints unresolved by the CIF go to the Financial Ombudsman of the Republic of Cyprus, with binding decisions up to €170,000. Cross-border ADR is available via FIN-NET for EU-resident clients.
Editor notes
CySEC is the most-cited EU regulator on broker websites because the licence costs less than UK FCA or German BaFin while granting full MiFID passporting. Critics argue supervision intensity is lower than in larger EU jurisdictions; CySEC has stepped up enforcement since 2018, including high-profile fines on Iron FX, Forex Time and others.

Brokers we track with a CySEC licence

3 brokers

  1. Editorial top pick

    01FxPro

    FCACySECSCBFSCA
    Open account at FxPro →
    Avg spread
    0.30pip
    midpoint of broker range
    Cost / lot
    $10.00
    incl. $7 commission
    Min deposit
    $100
    Max leverage
    1:500
    EU/UK retail: 1:30 · SCB (Bahamas) entity: 1:500

    Four diversified regulators (FCA, CySEC, FSCA, SCB) with 18+ years operating history · MT4/MT5 Standard accounts are spread-only at ~1.2 typical pips — only use cTrader or Raw if you want commission-based pricing

    Fits ifYou are EU or UK retail and want double tier-1 cover (FCA + CySEC) at one broker
    PlatformsMetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, FxPro Edge

    Founded in 2006 · Verified Jun 1, 2026

    Full FxPro details →

  2. 02Tickmill

    FCACySECFSAFSCA
    Open account at Tickmill →
    Avg spread
    0.20pip
    editorial estimate
    Cost / lot
    $8.00
    incl. $6 commission
    Min deposit
    $100
    Max leverage
    1:1000
    EU/UK retail: 1:30 · Seychelles entity: 1:1000

    Raw account: 0.0 from-spread + $6 round-turn — ECN-style pricing in a commission-based tier · Broker publishes "from" spreads only — realised typical is not disclosed on the accounts page

    Fits ifYou are EU or UK retail and want FCA + CySEC double cover with ECN-style commission pricing
    PlatformsMetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5

    Founded in 2014 · Verified Jun 1, 2026

    Full Tickmill details →

  3. 07XM Group

    ASICCySECIFSC
    Open account at XM Group →
    Avg spread
    1.30pip
    midpoint of broker range
    Cost / lot
    $13.00
    no commission
    Min deposit
    $5
    Max leverage
    1:1000
    EU/AU retail: 1:30 · XM Global (offshore entity): up to 1:1000

    $5 minimum makes starting cheap · Standard account EUR/USD spread 1.0–1.6 pip (broker-published range) + $0 commission ≈ $13/lot — one of the highest costs in our list

    Fits ifYou want the lowest-friction entry in our list — $5 minimum deposit
    PlatformsMetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Web Trader

    Founded in 2009 · Verified Jun 1, 2026

    Full XM Group details →

Frequently asked

How do I verify a broker is CySEC-regulated?
CySEC publishes a public register at cysec.gov.cy listing every Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) by name, licence number, authorised activities and EU passporting status. A genuine CIF is a member of the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF). Always confirm the licence number on the broker's website matches the CySEC register entry.
What's the Investor Compensation Fund coverage?
ICF covers up to €20,000 per eligible client if a CIF fails. It is funded by mandatory contributions from all CIFs, not by the Cypriot state. Coverage applies to retail and small-firm clients; large institutional clients are excluded. Recent payouts include the IronFX and CIF.com restitution programmes.
Why do so many brokers cluster at CySEC rather than FCA or BaFin?
Cyprus offers MiFID II passporting to all 30 EEA member states with lower regulatory cost and faster authorisation timelines than FCA, BaFin or French AMF. Critics argue supervision intensity is lower than larger EU regulators. CySEC has stepped up enforcement since 2018, including high-profile fines on multiple CIFs.
Are CySEC-passported brokers fully regulated in my EU country?
Yes — under MiFID II, a CySEC-licensed broker passporting into Germany, France, Spain etc. operates under EU consumer-protection rules. Disputes can go through your national ombudsman or via FIN-NET cross-border ADR. The home regulator (CySEC) handles supervision; your local regulator handles consumer-protection enforcement.
What is "professional client classification" and should I accept it?
A retail client can apply to be reclassified as professional, which removes ESMA leverage caps (allowing 1:100+ instead of 1:30), removes negative balance protection and removes ICF eligibility. Most retail traders should not opt for professional status — the protections lost outweigh the access gained for typical position sizes.