Reviews

Home / Reviews / AvaTrade / Regulation

AvaTrade regulation

Across a hundred brokers, the licence is what separates the field fastest. Here is AvaTrade's regulatory record in full.

Facts last checked . Read the full AvaTrade review.

Regulation and safety

Regulated by
Central Bank of Ireland (C53877); ASIC (406684); BVI FSC (SIBA/L/13/1049); FSCA (45984); Japan FSA (1662); FFAJ (1574); ADGM FSRA (190018); CySEC (347/17); CMA Kenya (262); Israel Securities Authority
Regulator tier
Tier 1
Register entry
Central Bank of Ireland Register, C53877
Client money segregated
Yes
Held at
NatWest and Barclays for applicable entities; Commonwealth Bank in Australia; other regulated banks by entity
Negative balance protection
Yes
Compensation scheme
Irish Investor Compensation Scheme for eligible EU clients; no compensation scheme under several international entities
Audited by
Independent external auditors
Not available to
United States, Belgium, Iran, North Korea and other restricted/sanctioned jurisdictions

Check the licence yourself: the Central Bank of Ireland registers, ASIC Connect, the FSCA search of financial services providers, the CySEC register of investment firms.

What this means

Across a hundred brokers, the licence is what separates the field fastest.

AvaTrade holds tier-one authorisations from ASIC and CySEC. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

It also operates an offshore entity (FSC and FSA). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.

ASIC caps retail leverage at 1:30, requires negative balance protection, and obliges the broker to hold client money in a separate trust account.

CySEC licences passport across the EU and follow the 1:30 retail leverage cap, with the Investor Compensation Fund covering eligible claims.

The FSCA licenses derivative providers in South Africa without a fixed retail leverage cap, so headline leverage is often higher than an FCA or ASIC entity may offer.

Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at NatWest and Barclays for applicable entities; Commonwealth Bank in Australia; other regulated banks by entity. That separation is what makes your balance recoverable if the company fails, rather than part of the pool its creditors divide up.

Negative balance protection applies, so a losing position cannot take the account below zero and leave you owing the broker money.

Covered by Irish Investor Compensation Scheme for eligible EU clients; no compensation scheme under several international entities, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.

Questions about AvaTrade regulation

Who regulates AvaTrade?

AvaTrade is regulated by Central Bank of Ireland (C53877); ASIC (406684); BVI FSC (SIBA/L/13/1049); FSCA (45984); Japan FSA (1662); FFAJ (1574); ADGM FSRA (190018); CySEC (347/17); CMA Kenya (262); Israel Securities Authority.

Is client money segregated at AvaTrade?

Yes. AvaTrade holds client money separately from its own funds, at NatWest and Barclays for applicable entities; Commonwealth Bank in Australia; other regulated banks by entity.

Does AvaTrade offer negative balance protection?

Yes. AvaTrade offers negative balance protection, so a losing position cannot leave you owing the broker more than your account held.

Regulation at brokers under the same regulator

More about AvaTrade