- Always search the regulator’s own register, reached from the regulator’s official website.
- Match the company name, licence number, category, address and approved domains.
- Registration of a company is not a licence: Saint Lucia, SVG, Antigua and Dominica registers show companies, not forex licences.
- Check the regulator’s warning list for clones and false claims.
Five steps to verify any forex licence
- Identify the regulator the firm claims, and go to that regulator’s official website yourself, not through a link the firm provides.
- Search the public register by company name and licence number.
- Match every detail: legal name, licence number, licence category (for example a securities dealer or broker-dealer, not an advisor), registered address and status (active, suspended, revoked).
- Check domains and trade names. Some regulators, such as the Seychelles FSA since 2025, record the approved trade names and websites of each licensee. A clone site will not be listed.
- Read the warnings. Most regulators publish notices about unauthorised firms and fake licence claims.
Official registers by jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction | Regulator | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | CySEC | Cyprus investment firms register |
| Dubai (DIFC) | DFSA | DFSA public register |
| Abu Dhabi (ADGM) | FSRA | ADGM FSRA public register |
| UAE (onshore) | Capital Market Authority | Licensed companies |
| South Africa | FSCA | FSCA regulated entities search |
| Mauritius | FSC | Register of licensees |
| Bahamas | Securities Commission | Registered securities firms |
| Seychelles | FSA | Capital markets register (with trade names and domains) |
| Cayman Islands | CIMA | CIMA entity search (licensee vs registered person) |
| British Virgin Islands | FSC | BVI FSC regulated entities |
| Belize | FSC | LicenSys public search |
| Vanuatu | VFSC | VFSC licensee lists |
| Labuan | Labuan FSA | Labuan FSA list of licensed entities |
| Eastern Caribbean (incl. Saint Lucia, SVG, Antigua, Dominica) | ECSRC | Broker-dealer register |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | FSA SVG | Entity name search (registration only) |
| Dominica | FSU | Registered financial entities |
| Antigua and Barbuda | FSRC | Directories of licensees |
| Cabo Verde | AGMVM | Supervised entities |
| Comoros | Central Bank of the Comoros | BCC list of licensed institutions |
Register addresses change from time to time. If a link moves, open the regulator’s home page and look for “public register”, “regulated entities” or “licensees”.
Registration is not a licence
Company registries and some regulators’ entity searches confirm only that a company exists. The SVG entity search, for example, shows registration details but the FSA states it does not license forex. A Saint Lucia IBC certificate proves incorporation, not a licence. Always ask: which regulator licensed this firm, under which law, for which activity?
Red flags when checking a broker or a licence offer
- The licence number cannot be found on the regulator’s own site.
- The website domain is not among the licensee’s approved domains, where the regulator publishes them.
- The firm claims a licence from Saint Lucia, SVG, Antigua and Barbuda or Dominica as forex regulation.
- The “regulator” website differs from the one named by the country’s government or central bank, as with the competing Comoros island authority sites.
- The licence category does not match the activity, for example an advisory or registered-person status used for retail dealing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a forex broker is licensed?
Go to the regulator’s official website, open its public register, search the company name and licence number, and match the details, including approved domains where published.
Is a certificate PDF enough?
No. Certificates are easy to fake. Only the regulator’s own register is reliable.
What if the firm is only “registered”?
Registration of a company is not a licence. In Saint Lucia, SVG, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, regulators state that they do not license forex brokers.
How do I verify a Comoros licence?
The Central Bank of the Comoros tells the public to authenticate licences only with the BCC, and states that MISA and AOFA are not recognised.
Where do I report a fake licence?
To the regulator named in the false claim; most have a complaints or warnings contact on their website.