Swissquote regulation & licences
Our take
Swissquote is a Swiss online bank listed on SIX Swiss Exchange and supervised by FINMA. It acquired MIG Bank in 2013 to expand its forex business and has licensed subsidiaries in the UK, Malta, Luxembourg, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Best suited to: Traders who want a Swiss-bank counterparty
Licences on record 7
1 Tier 1 — top-tier regulation
2 Tier 2 — strong regulation
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
Swissquote is a trading bank founded in 1996 and headquartered in Switzerland. The group is listed on a public stock exchange (SIX:SQN), which means audited financial statements are published regularly — a meaningful transparency advantage.
In our database Swissquote is matched to 7 licences from FCA, FINMA, MAS, SFC, CSSF, DFSA and MFSA. The strongest of these, the FCA (United Kingdom), the FINMA (Switzerland), the MAS (Singapore) and the SFC (Hong Kong) are among the regulators we classify as tier 1 — regulators that combine high capital requirements with meaningful retail protections.
Depending on the entity, eligible clients may be covered by FSCS (FCA), esisuisse deposit protection up to CHF 100,000 (bank-licensed brokers) (FINMA) and SIIL (CSSF). Negative balance protection is mandatory for retail clients under FCA, CSSF and MFSA rules. Retail leverage caps apply at the FCA, FINMA and MAS-regulated entities (for example 30:1 on major FX pairs at FCA).
Swissquote supports MT4, MT5 and its own proprietary platform. The advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$1000 — minimums often vary by account type and entity.
Regulatory strengths
- FINMA-supervised bank
- Publicly listed
- Deposit protection for cash at the Swiss bank
Points to check
- Higher minimum deposit than typical CFD brokers
Protection by entity
| Regulator | Compensation | Retail leverage | Negative balance protection | Disputes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 FINMA | esisuisse deposit protection up to CHF 100,000 (bank-licensed brokers) | Set by the bank; typically up to 100:1 for retail | Not a regulatory requirement | Swiss Banking Ombudsman |
| 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) |
| 1 SFC | Investor Compensation Fund does not cover leveraged OTC FX | 20:1 on FX for retail | Not a regulatory requirement | Financial Dispute Resolution Centre (FDRC) |
| 2 CSSF | SIIL — up to €20,000 | 30:1 on major FX pairs (ESMA rules) | Required for retail clients | CSSF out-of-court complaint resolution |
| 2 DFSA | No compensation scheme | Set under DFSA conduct rules for retail clients; check the firm's disclosures | Not confirmed — check with the broker | DFSA complaints / DIFC Courts |
| 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 |
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Swissquote regulation FAQ
Is Swissquote regulated?
Yes — in our database Swissquote is matched to 7 licences: FCA (United Kingdom), FINMA (Switzerland), MAS (Singapore), SFC (Hong Kong), CSSF (Luxembourg), DFSA (United Arab Emirates) and MFSA (Malta). 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 Swissquote a tier-1 regulated broker?
Swissquote holds 4 licences from regulators we classify as tier 1: FCA, FINMA, MAS and SFC.
Does Swissquote accept US clients?
Swissquote 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 Swissquote generally cannot accept US retail forex clients.
Is my money protected with Swissquote?
Clients of Swissquote's FCA, FINMA, CSSF and MFSA-regulated entities may be eligible for statutory compensation (FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm; esisuisse deposit protection up to CHF 100,000 (bank-licensed brokers); SIIL — up to €20,000; 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 Swissquote?
Swissquote's advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$1000. It can differ by account type, payment method and the entity you are onboarded to.
How can I verify Swissquote's licence?
Find the company name and licence number in Swissquote'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.