OANDA regulation & licences
Our take
OANDA was founded in 1996 and was one of the first companies to offer online currency data and trading. It is one of the very few brokers authorised to serve US retail forex clients, registered with the CFTC and a member of the NFA, and it also holds licences in the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Japan and Malta. Its long-standing OANDA Rates data is widely used as a reference by accountants and businesses.
Best suited to: US and Canadian traders, and anyone who values a long track record
Licences on record 8
1 Tier 1 — top-tier regulation
2 Tier 2 — strong 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
OANDA is a forex & CFD broker founded in 1996 and headquartered in United States. It is part of OANDA Global Corporation.
In our database OANDA is matched to 8 licences from ASIC, CFTC / NFA, CIRO, FCA, JFSA, MAS, MFSA and BVI FSC. At the top of that list, the ASIC (Australia), the CFTC / NFA (United States), the CIRO (Canada), the FCA (United Kingdom), the JFSA (Japan) and the MAS (Singapore) are among the regulators we classify as tier 1 — regulators that combine high capital requirements with meaningful retail protections.
Like many international brands, OANDA 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 BVI FSC-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 CIPF (CIRO), FSCS (FCA) and Investor Compensation Scheme (MFSA). Negative balance protection is mandatory for retail clients under ASIC, FCA and MFSA rules. Retail leverage caps apply at the ASIC, CFTC / NFA and CIRO-regulated entities (for example 30:1 on major FX pairs at ASIC).
OANDA offers its own proprietary platform, MT4, MT5 and TradingView. The advertised minimum deposit starts at zero (no minimum) — minimums often vary by account type and entity.
Regulatory strengths
- Accepts US clients under CFTC/NFA rules
- Multiple tier-1 licences
- Operating since 1996
Points to check
- US accounts are subject to 50:1 leverage caps and FIFO rules
- Offering varies significantly by country
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 CFTC / NFA | No compensation scheme for retail forex (SIPC does not cover spot FX) | 50:1 on major FX pairs, 20:1 on other pairs | Not a regulatory requirement | NFA arbitration |
| 1 CIRO | CIPF — up to CAD 1,000,000 per account category | Margin set by CIRO rules; up to roughly 50:1 on major pairs | Not a regulatory requirement | OBSI (Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments) |
| 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) |
| 1 JFSA | No compensation fund, but client funds must be held in a mandatory trust (kubun kanri shintaku) | 25:1 on FX for individual traders | Not a regulatory requirement | FINMAC (Financial Instruments Mediation Assistance Center) |
| 1 MAS | No compensation scheme for leveraged FX | 20:1 on major FX pairs for retail investors | Not a regulatory requirement | Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC) |
| 2 MFSA | Investor Compensation Scheme — 90% of loss up to €20,000 | 30:1 on major FX pairs (ESMA rules) | Required for retail clients | Office of the Arbiter for Financial Services |
| 4 BVI FSC | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | BVI FSC |
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OANDA regulation FAQ
Is OANDA regulated?
Yes — in our database OANDA is matched to 8 licences: ASIC (Australia), CFTC / NFA (United States), CIRO (Canada), FCA (United Kingdom), JFSA (Japan), MAS (Singapore), MFSA (Malta) and BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands). 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 OANDA a tier-1 regulated broker?
OANDA holds 6 licences from regulators we classify as tier 1: ASIC, CFTC / NFA, CIRO, FCA, JFSA and MAS.
Does OANDA accept US clients?
OANDA is matched to a CFTC/NFA registration in our database, so a US-regulated entity exists. US accounts are subject to 50:1 leverage caps, FIFO and no-hedging rules.
Is my money protected with OANDA?
Clients of OANDA's CIRO, FCA and MFSA-regulated entities may be eligible for statutory compensation (CIPF — up to CAD 1,000,000 per account category; FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm; Investor Compensation Scheme — 90% of loss 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 OANDA?
OANDA advertises no fixed minimum deposit on its standard account, although some account types, payment methods or entities may require one.
How can I verify OANDA's licence?
Find the company name and licence number in OANDA'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.