Find a firm, protection or complaint route
Start with the company in your agreement
A CySEC licence belongs to a legal entity with specified services and instruments. A group brand, company-registration number or approved website does not establish the terms of every account offered under that brand.
Use the Cypriot investment-firm list for a Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF). Also check the separate former-firm list when researching an older licence. A historical licence date alone is not a current permission check.
- Record the contract: copy the full company name, licence number, product and customer category. Save the dated agreement rather than a promotional screenshot.
- Open the entity: compare the company number, approved domain, address and independently published contact channel. Keep the company number separate from the financial licence.
- Read the scope: services are linked to instrument categories. Check the relevant service, instrument and cross-border entry; do not infer all permissions from the existence of a company profile.
- Reconcile the account: ask the firm which agreement and local restrictions apply to your residence. If the agreement names a different group company, review that company separately.
The tied-agents register is a separate check for an intermediary acting for a firm. Match the agent to the principal; do not assume that any salesperson using the brand is registered. This review has not checked an individual agent.
CySEC also maintains separate MiCAR crypto-asset entity records. A CIF record or permission for a crypto-linked derivative should not be treated as a blanket approval of an unrelated crypto custody or exchange service.
IC Markets EU: a licence number and two approved web routes
The actual CySEC profile for IC Markets (EU) Ltd was opened directly for this example. It displays the following identity fields:
- Financial licence
- 362/18 · licence date 25 June 2018
- Company registration
- 356877 · the provider’s legal page writes this as HE 356877
- Approved domains
- www.icmarkets.eu; https://www.ic.com/eu
- Address and compliance contact
- 86 Franklinou Roosvelt, 4th floor, Office 401, 3011 Omonoia, Limassol, Cyprus · [email protected]
The main service table lists reception/transmission, execution and dealing on own account against instrument codes 1 and 9. The country tabs have their own scope: the Germany tab checked here displays 1,9; Belgium displays 9. These are instrument codes, not licence counts or performance ratings. The complete instrument and permission set has not been independently assessed.
A cross-border entry is different from accepting an applicant
IC Markets EU’s legal-document page matches the company, licence and address. Its website disclosure also excludes intended use by residents of Belgium, Brazil, the UK and the US. The Belgium tab in the regulator record therefore should not be read as proof that the provider currently accepts Belgian retail applicants.
Confirm both the regulatory entry and the provider’s current account restrictions. Keep the exact approved web route, including the regional path, rather than treating every page on a similarly named domain as the same service. An FXCN IC Markets record is a research starting point; it does not authenticate a payment instruction or every group company.
The non-approved-domain list offers another warning check. Absence from a warning list is not a substitute for finding the exact firm and approved domain. Investigate an unfamiliar recipient or changed bank details through an independently verified company channel before paying.
Retail CFD protections depend on product, category and residence
CySEC’s PS-04-2019 final policy adopted retail leverage limits of 30:1 for major currency pairs, 20:1 for non-major pairs/gold/major indices, 10:1 for other commodities/non-major indices, 5:1 for individual equities/other reference values and 2:1 for crypto-assets.
It also provides account-level margin close-out and negative balance protection, restrictions on trading incentives and standardised risk warnings. Negative balance protection concerns aggregate CFD liability against funds in that CFD account; it does not guarantee profitable trading or protect every product held elsewhere.
The policy’s territorial section incorporates the relevant host authority’s measures where another Member State has introduced them. A residence-specific check remains necessary. Read the final decision rather than the earlier consultation’s proposed leverage tiers. Ask for written confirmation of the rules and classification applying to your account; an offer of higher leverage is not evidence that you should become a professional client.
€20,000 is a ceiling on eligible claims, not a balance guarantee
The official ICF information concerns covered clients and services when a member cannot return money or instruments and the compensation procedure is activated. Eligibility and an established claim come before the calculation. It is not automatic reimbursement of trading losses.
| Established covered claim | 90% calculation | Lower of 90% and €20,000 |
|---|---|---|
| €10,000 | €9,000 | €9,000 |
| €30,000 | €27,000 | €20,000 |
The formula applies to cumulative covered claims against a member across covered services and accounts. Opening several accounts does not multiply that ceiling. The official notice for an activated procedure sets the filing process and deadline; retain the agreement, account statements, deposit/withdrawal records and correspondence. A withdrawal dispute alone does not establish that the fund has been activated or your claim accepted.
ICF membership, retail CFD negative balance protection and an Ombudsman decision answer different questions. Establish which company holds the disputed assets and which process applies before relying on a numerical limit.
Keep the reference number and check the current deadline
CySEC’s CIF complaint guide directs you first to the investment firm. It describes acknowledgement within five days, a written response within two months or an explanation with a maximum three-month period. Retain the Unique Reference Number for subsequent correspondence.
CySEC uses complaints for supervision and has no restitution powers. Its form with a reference number and form without one serve that reporting route. Submitting either is not an order for the firm to compensate you.
The regulator guide and Ombudsman site give different timetables
The CySEC guide checked on 9 October still says to contact the Financial Ombudsman within four months of a final response. The Ombudsman’s current natural-person page and FAQ describe a different timetable. Do not calculate your eligibility from that four-month statement alone; check directly with the Office.
The Office’s natural-person guidance requires the written complaint to the institution within six months of knowing, or reasonably being expected to know, of the harmful act. Its FAQ describes referral within twelve months of complaining to the institution, or eighteen months from awareness of the difference. Confirm the applicable condition for your case promptly; this page does not determine an individual legal deadline.
The current guidance lists a complaint-value threshold of €250,000 and a €20 filing fee, subject to other eligibility and examination conditions. It separately describes compensation up to €100,000, with possible recommendation of an additional voluntary amount. The complaint threshold is not a guaranteed award. Decisions up to €20,000 are described as binding, subject to court challenge; larger awards require both parties’ written acceptance within two months.
Use the Office’s current contact page to confirm the correct submission channel. Its site is financialombudsman.org.cy while its published email uses financialombudsman.gov.cy. The older gov.cy website linked by CySEC redirected to the current site in our browser. No complaint or payment was submitted for this review.
Keep the original complaint, dispatch receipt, reference number, reply and supporting transaction records together. Avoid posting identity documents or full account information publicly. An FXCN report does not file with CySEC, the Ombudsman or the ICF, and does not preserve a deadline.
Questions and review limits
Does a CySEC record cover every country and group company?
Check the exact company, services, instruments and regional account terms. This guide’s IC Markets EU example does not revalidate other group entities, every country tab or all firms listed below.
Is €20,000 paid whenever an account loses money?
The ICF requires an activated procedure, covered client/service and accepted claim. The illustration is arithmetic under assumed eligibility, not an assessment of anyone’s claim or expected payout.
Will a report to CySEC recover my money?
CySEC distinguishes supervisory information from individual restitution. The firm’s complaint route, Ombudsman eligibility, an activated ICF process and legal proceedings are separate matters.
Were accounts or historical scores tested?
No. This independently written English guide reviews selected official records and procedures. It does not test trading, withdrawals, customer acceptance or the historical broker scores. Other language introductions still need separate research.
