Admirals regulation & licences
Our take
Admirals (formerly Admiral Markets) began in Estonia in 2001. Group companies are licensed by the FCA, CySEC, ASIC, the Estonian FSA, the Jordan Securities Commission, the FSCA and CMA Kenya.
Best suited to: European traders who want a long-established MetaTrader broker
Licences on record 8
1 Tier 1 — top-tier regulation
2 Tier 2 — strong regulation
3 Tier 3 — moderate regulation
4 Tier 4 — light / offshore
Licences are matched from public sources and regulator registers, and entities change over time. A licence held by one company in a group does not cover clients of another. Always confirm on the official register.
Regulatory profile
Admirals is a forex & CFD broker founded in 2001 and headquartered in Estonia. Formerly Admiral Markets.
In our database Admirals is matched to 8 licences from ASIC, FCA, CySEC, EFSA, FSCA, CMA (Kenya), JSC and FSA (Seychelles). Most importantly, the ASIC (Australia) and the FCA (United Kingdom) are among the regulators we classify as tier 1 — regulators known for demanding capital and client-money standards and active enforcement.
Like many international brands, Admirals combines onshore and offshore entities. Clients in the UK, EU or other markets where it holds a strong licence are usually onboarded there, while clients elsewhere may be placed with its CMA (Kenya)-licensed company, its JSC-licensed company or its FSA (Seychelles)-licensed company. The protections differ substantially, so check which company is named in your client agreement.
Depending on the entity, eligible clients may be covered by FSCS (FCA), Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) (CySEC) and Guarantee Fund (EFSA). Negative balance protection is mandatory for retail clients under ASIC, FCA, CySEC and EFSA rules. Retail leverage caps apply at the ASIC, FCA and CySEC-regulated entities (for example 30:1 on major FX pairs at ASIC).
Admirals offers MT4 and MT5. The advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$100 — minimums often vary by account type and entity.
Regulatory strengths
- Multiple tier-1 and tier-2 licences
- Over two decades of operation
Points to check
- Has scaled back some regional operations in recent years
Protection by entity
| Regulator | Compensation | Retail leverage | Negative balance protection | Disputes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ASIC | No statutory compensation fund for OTC derivatives; complaints go to AFCA | 30:1 on major FX pairs for retail clients since March 2021 | Required for retail clients | Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) |
| 1 FCA | FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm | 30:1 on major FX pairs for retail clients (20:1 minors, gold and major indices) | Required for retail clients | Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) |
| 2 CySEC | Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) — up to €20,000 | 30:1 on major FX pairs (ESMA rules) | Required for retail clients | Financial Ombudsman of Cyprus |
| 2 EFSA | Guarantee Fund — 90% of claim up to €20,000 | 30:1 on major FX pairs (ESMA rules) | Required for retail clients | Consumer Disputes Committee |
| 2 FSCA | No compensation scheme; FAIS Ombud handles complaints | No statutory retail leverage cap | Not a regulatory requirement | FAIS Ombud |
| 3 CMA (Kenya) | No dedicated compensation scheme for online forex clients confirmed | Maximum 400:1 | Not confirmed — check with the broker | CMA complaints |
| 3 JSC | No compensation scheme | Set by JSC rules | Not a regulatory requirement | JSC |
| 4 FSA (Seychelles) | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | FSA Seychelles |
Trader reviews
No reviews yet. If you've used Admirals, share what withdrawals, support and execution were like.
Write a review of Admirals
Admirals regulation FAQ
Is Admirals regulated?
Yes — in our database Admirals is matched to 8 licences: ASIC (Australia), FCA (United Kingdom), CySEC (Cyprus), EFSA (Estonia), FSCA (South Africa), CMA (Kenya) (Kenya), JSC (Jordan) and FSA (Seychelles) (Seychelles). Which of these protects you depends on the legal entity you open an account with. Always confirm the licence on the regulator's official register.
Is Admirals a tier-1 regulated broker?
Admirals holds 2 licences from regulators we classify as tier 1: ASIC and FCA.
Does Admirals accept US clients?
Admirals is not matched to a CFTC/NFA registration in our database. Only CFTC-registered, NFA-member firms may offer retail forex to US residents, so Admirals generally cannot accept US retail forex clients.
Is my money protected with Admirals?
Clients of Admirals's FCA, CySEC and EFSA-regulated entities may be eligible for statutory compensation (FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm; Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) — up to €20,000; Guarantee Fund — 90% of claim up to €20,000). Clients of other entities rely on segregation of funds and the firm's financial strength.
What is the minimum deposit at Admirals?
Admirals's advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$100. It can differ by account type, payment method and the entity you are onboarded to.
How can I verify Admirals's licence?
Find the company name and licence number in Admirals's client agreement or website footer, then search it on the regulator's official register (linked from each licence on this page). Confirm that the website domain you use is listed on the register, and check the regulator's warning list for clones.