Use this checklist before opening or funding a forex or CFD account.
1. Find the legal entity in the client agreement
Open the client agreement, account terms, or product disclosure and write down the full legal name of the company responsible for your account. Note its registration or licence number, registered address, and stated regulator.
A group can use separate companies for marketing, onboarding, platform access, execution, payments, or account provision. If the documents name more than one company, ask for a written explanation of each company’s role. This check is particularly useful when comparing forex brokers in the UAE.
2. Use the regulator’s official register
Identify the regulator relevant to the legal entity and the service being offered. Open the official register directly, rather than relying on a screenshot or an advertisement link.
For example, use the DFSA Public Register for firms authorized in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre, and the ADGM FSRA Public Register for relevant firms in Abu Dhabi Global Market. For a firm claiming authorization elsewhere in the UAE, use the register of the authority responsible for that jurisdiction. The UAE licensed-companies register is one official starting point.
Search using the exact legal name and licence number. Check the current status, website or contact details shown in the entry, and any limitations or conditions.
3. Check what the permission covers
Do not stop at the word “licensed.” Read the listed activities and check whether they cover the specific service and product being offered. A company’s incorporation or general commercial licence is not, by itself, proof that it has permission to provide every financial service.
If the register and account agreement do not match, pause and ask the firm and regulator for clarification. Do not assume a permission covers forex, derivatives, client money, or order execution unless the official record supports that conclusion.
4. Match the register to the website and payment instructions
Compare the legal name, domain, address, email, and telephone details in the register with the broker’s website and client documents. Confirm that deposit instructions fit the documented account arrangement. Be cautious if payment details change through an informal message or a personal account is named as beneficiary.
5. Read the account terms before deciding
Once you know which entity provides the account, review spreads, commissions, overnight financing, leverage, margin-call and stop-out conditions, withdrawals, and complaints procedures.
For a broader checklist, see SmartFin’s guide to choosing a forex broker in the UAE and comparison guide to forex brokers in Dubai. If you are preparing an application, read the forex account-opening guide for Dubai and the explainer on account verification that is still pending.
A fictional register-check example
Suppose “Example Markets Ltd” appears in an account agreement. Search that exact name in the regulator’s official register. Confirm the entry is current, the domain matches, and the listed permissions cover the service described in the agreement.
If the website instead names “Example Markets Group” and the agreement names another company, ask which legal entity provides the account and what each company does. This example is fictional; it does not describe SmartFin or any specific provider.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a forex broker is regulated in the UAE?
Identify the exact legal entity named in the client agreement, determine which regulator oversees it, then search that regulator’s official register. Check the firm’s status and listed activities, and compare the details with the account documents.
Is a Dubai office proof that a forex broker is regulated in Dubai?
No. An office location does not establish which company provides the account or what permissions it holds. Verify the legal entity and relevant activities in the appropriate official register.
Does MT5 prove that a broker is regulated?
No. MT5 is trading software. Check the account provider and its permissions separately.
A careful forex broker licence check in the UAE means verifying the legal entity, regulator, permitted activities, and account terms—not relying on a brand name or marketing claim alone. Keep copies of the agreement and register entry you reviewed, including the date.
Risk warning: Forex and CFDs are leveraged products and can result in significant losses. This article is general educational information, not legal, financial, or investment advice.
