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XTB regulation
Across a hundred brokers, the licence is what separates the field fastest. Here is XTB's regulatory record in full.
Facts last checked . Read the full XTB review.
Regulation and safety
- Regulated by
- KNF Poland; FCA (522157); CySEC (169/12); DFSA (F006316); FSC Belize (000000587 / 6442514); additional regional authorisations
- Regulator tier
- Tier 1
- Register entry
- FCA Financial Services Register, FRN 522157
- Client money segregated
- Yes
- Held at
- Regulated banking institutions
- Negative balance protection
- Yes
- Compensation scheme
- Applicable statutory schemes by entity, including FSCS up to £85,000 for eligible UK clients
- Audited by
- PricewaterhouseCoopers Polska sp. z o.o. Audyt sp.k.
- Not available to
- United States, Canada, Japan and other jurisdictions where XTB does not provide its services
Check the licence yourself: the FCA Register, the CySEC register of investment firms, the DFSA public register.
What this means
Across a hundred brokers, the licence is what separates the field fastest.
XTB holds tier-one authorisations from FCA 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). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.
The FCA caps retail leverage at 1:30, mandates negative balance protection, and covers eligible clients under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
CySEC licences passport across the EU and follow the 1:30 retail leverage cap, with the Investor Compensation Fund covering eligible claims.
The DFSA regulates from the Dubai International Financial Centre, a separate legal jurisdiction from the wider UAE.
Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at Regulated banking institutions. 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 Applicable statutory schemes by entity, including FSCS up to £85,000 for eligible UK clients, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.
Questions about XTB regulation
Who regulates XTB?
XTB is regulated by KNF Poland; FCA (522157); CySEC (169/12); DFSA (F006316); FSC Belize (000000587 / 6442514); additional regional authorisations.
Is client money segregated at XTB?
Yes. XTB holds client money separately from its own funds, at Regulated banking institutions.
Does XTB offer negative balance protection?
Yes. XTB 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
- XM regulation also licensed by CySEC
- Exness regulation also licensed by FCA
- HF Markets regulation also licensed by FCA
- Tickmill regulation also licensed by FCA
- Plus500 regulation also licensed by FCA