Is Swissquote Safe?
Always up-to-date
Our experts continuously verify broker data to provide the most up-to-date information.
- Best for Swiss bank safety
- Best for Multi-asset coverage
- Best for EU traders
- Min deposit
- $1000
- Spread from
- 0.6 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:100
- Regulation
- FINMA · FCA
Quick answer
Yes. Swissquote holds six separate regulatory licences, led by a FINMA (Swiss Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority) Swiss banking licence granted in 2001. Swiss-entity clients receive esisuisse deposit cover up to CHF 100,000, at the same legal tier as a Swiss savings account. UK clients receive FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) cover up to GBP 85,000. Swissquote Group is listed on SIX Swiss Exchange under ticker SQN. Not a scam.
Is Swissquote safe and regulated?
I tested whether Swissquote is safe by opening a live funded account and running SEPA (EU bank-transfer system) and SWIFT (international wire network) withdrawals in 2026. The broker is safe and not a scam.
Swissquote Bank SA holds a full FINMA (Swiss Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority) Swiss banking licence granted in 2001, making it one of a small number of retail forex brokers that operates as a genuine bank under Swiss law. Read the full Swissquote review for spread and platform test data from my real-capital account.
Six active licences cover clients across six jurisdictions:
- FINMA: Swiss Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority, banking licence since 2001
- FCA: UK Financial Conduct Authority, reference FRN 562170
- CSSF: Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, Luxembourg
- DFSA: Dubai Financial Services Authority, operating from DIFC
- MAS: Monetary Authority of Singapore, Capital Markets Services Licence
- SFC: Securities and Futures Commission, Hong Kong, Type 1 and Type 4
The protection level depends on which entity holds your account.
UK clients receive FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) cover up to GBP 85,000 through the FCA entity, plus access to the Financial Ombudsman for external dispute resolution. EU clients via the CSSF Luxembourg entity receive a EUR 100,000 deposit guarantee plus EUR 20,000 investor compensation.
Clients on the Swiss bank entity receive esisuisse cover up to CHF 100,000, at the same legal tier as a Swiss savings account.
Swissquote Group is publicly listed on SIX Swiss Exchange under ticker SQN. Quarterly financial disclosures are public and audited under Swiss listing rules.
I cross-checked all six entity registers in June 2026. None carry an active enforcement action, fine, or public warning on record in the past decade.
⚠️ One genuine caveat: 74% of retail CFD (contracts for difference) accounts at Swissquote lose money. This is the standard EU-mandated disclosure figure and reflects trading risk, not a broker safety concern.
Key facts
| Detail | Swissquote |
|---|---|
| Regulation | FINMA, FCA, CSSF, DFSA, MAS, SFC |
| License | FCA FRN 562170, FINMA Swiss banking licence (2001) |
| Deposit protection | Esisuisse CHF 100,000 (Swiss entity), FSCS GBP 85,000 (UK), EUR 100,000 (Luxembourg) |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Gland, Switzerland |
Should you trade with Swissquote?
Bank-grade protection and access to roughly three million tradable instruments make Swissquote the right choice for serious capital, not beginner accounts. The $1,000 minimum deposit filters out most starters: offshore competitors like XM and Exness open for $5 to $100.
If you are in the UK, verify your account routes to Swissquote Ltd (FCA, FSCS GBP 85,000). EU residents should confirm the CSSF Luxembourg entity applies.
Swissquote excludes US and Canadian residents across all six entities.
Before applying: (1) confirm which entity routes to your country, since protection strength differs between the FINMA Swiss bank tier and the offshore entities; (2) check SEPA withdrawal speed and EUR/USD spread data in the full Swissquote review. For lower-deposit alternatives with FCA or ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) regulation, see the best regulated forex brokers comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Which Swissquote entity will hold my account?
The entity depends on your country of residence. UK clients route to Swissquote Ltd under FCA (UK Financial Conduct Authority) reference FRN 562170, with FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) protection up to GBP 85,000. EU clients route to Swissquote Bank Europe SA under CSSF (Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, the Luxembourg financial regulator), with EUR 100,000 deposit guarantee plus EUR 20,000 investor compensation. UAE and MENA clients route to Swissquote MEA Ltd under DFSA (Dubai Financial Services Authority). Singapore clients route to Swissquote Pte Ltd under MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) Capital Markets Services Licence. Hong Kong clients route to Swissquote Asia Ltd under SFC (Securities and Futures Commission) Type 1 and Type 4 regulated activities. High-net-worth clients outside these regions can request booking to Swissquote Bank SA Switzerland under FINMA (Swiss Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority) with esisuisse CHF 100,000 cover, subject to KYC (Know Your Customer identity verification) and source-of-funds documentation.
Does Swissquote protect client funds?
Yes. All six Swissquote entities hold client funds in segregated accounts (meaning client money is kept separate from company capital). The FINMA Swiss bank entity (Swissquote Bank SA) adds esisuisse depositor protection up to CHF 100,000 per client, the same legal tier as a Swiss savings account. The UK FCA entity (Swissquote Ltd) adds FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) protection up to GBP 85,000. The CSSF Luxembourg entity carries EUR 100,000 deposit guarantee plus EUR 20,000 investor compensation. DFSA, MAS, and SFC entities segregate client funds but do not carry a government-backed compensation scheme.
Is Swissquote a scam?
No. Swissquote is a legitimate, publicly listed Swiss bank and broker founded in 1996. The parent group trades on SIX Swiss Exchange under ticker SQN with quarterly audited financials. No active enforcement action, fine, or public warning appears on any of the six entity public registers checked in June 2026. The main caveat is entity routing: deposit protection strength varies between the FINMA Swiss bank tier (CHF 100,000) and the DFSA, MAS, and SFC entities, which segregate funds but carry no government-backed compensation scheme.
What is the minimum deposit for Swissquote?
The minimum deposit is $1,000 USD on the Standard account. This is higher than most retail forex competitors ($5 to $100 at XM, Exness, and IC Markets), reflecting Swissquote's Swiss bank account structure rather than a pure brokerage entry. SEPA (EU bank-transfer system) wire withdrawals confirmed in 1 to 3 business days across four test payouts in 2026. SWIFT (international wire network) wires took 3 business days with a CHF 20 fee passed from the correspondent bank.
Is Swissquote available in the USA?
No. Swissquote does not accept residents of the United States or Canada on any of its six regulated entities. US retail forex traders can consider OANDA, Forex.com, IG US, or TastyFX, all of which hold NFA (US National Futures Association) registration. Swissquote also excludes residents of Russia, Belarus, Iran, and North Korea.