Swissquote Regulation & Safety — Licenses Explained

Is Swissquote Safe?

Swissquote holds 1 regulatory license across different jurisdictions. The highest-tier regulation is Unrated, which means the regulatory requirements are lighter than top-tier jurisdictions, and traders should be aware of reduced protections.

Regulatory Licenses

Understanding Regulation Tiers

We classify regulators into three tiers based on the strength of their oversight, enforcement history, and client protection measures:

• 🟢 Tier 1 — Top-tier regulators like FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), CySEC (EU), BaFin (Germany), MAS (Singapore). These require segregated client funds, participation in investor compensation schemes, regular audits, and strict capital adequacy. If a Tier 1-regulated broker fails, clients typically have recourse through compensation funds.
• 🔵 Tier 2 — Reputable regional regulators like DFSA (Dubai), FSCA (South Africa), SCA (UAE), CBB (Bahrain). These maintain reasonable standards but may lack the compensation schemes and enforcement resources of Tier 1 jurisdictions.
• 🟡 Tier 3 / Offshore — Lighter-touch regulators like FSA (Seychelles), IFSC (Belize), VFSC (Vanuatu), SCB (Bahamas). These provide a basic regulatory framework but with lower capital requirements and limited client protections. Brokers regulated only at this level require extra due diligence from traders.

Swissquote's best regulation is Unrated. Traders should consider whether the level of protection meets their requirements.

Client Fund Protection

Swissquote's fund protection measures depend on which entity you trade under. Always check which regulated entity holds your account and what protections apply in that jurisdiction.

Negative Balance Protection

Negative balance protection availability at Swissquote depends on your account entity and client classification. Under offshore entities, this protection may not be guaranteed. Confirm with Swissquote's support team which protections apply to your specific account before trading.

Compensation Schemes

Regulatory History

Swissquote was founded in 1996 and has been operating for 30 years. As one of the longer-established brokers in the industry, they have a substantial track record. During our research, we did not find any major regulatory sanctions or significant enforcement actions against Swissquote in recent years.

That said, regulatory compliance is not static. Brokers can face regulatory changes, and past clean records do not guarantee future conduct. We recommend verifying Swissquote's current license status directly on the regulator's registry before opening an account.

Our Regulation Score

Swissquote scores 10.0/10 for regulation in our assessment. This is among the highest regulation scores in our database, reflecting multiple top-tier licenses and strong client protection measures.