Croatia is a sought-after Forex market, as an EU and Eurozone member with a high-income economy. While Croatia lacks domestic online retail Forex brokers, dozens of EU-licensed Forex brokers and even more offshore Forex brokers cater to the retail demand in Croatia. I have summarized the core aspects the best Forex brokers in Croatia must provide and added a brief guide on getting started to avoid beginner mistakes. Consider my findings below, and get a head start on your Forex journey.
- FP Markets, ECN trading with leverage up to 1:500.
- Eightcap, Competitive pricing + excellent daily videos.
- Pepperstone, Great ECN execution on MT4/5, cTader, TradingView and Pepperstone proprietary platform.
FP Markets
In Summary ECN trading with leverage up to 1:500FP Markets upgrades MT4/MT5 with 12 plugins to deliver a competitive advantage. Traders also get cTrader, while social traders can connect to TradingView and engage with 50M+ peers. The minimum deposit is €50, and the maximum leverage is 1:30 with negative balance protection. Qualifying traders can upgrade to a Pro account.
Forex traders benefit from competitive, commission-based fees ideal for scalpers with raw spreads from 0.0 pips for a commission of $6.00 per 1.0 standard lot. The well-balanced asset selection covers six sectors, including cryptocurrency CFDs. Therefore. I rank FP Markets among the best Forex brokers in Croatia.
Pros & Cons
- Choice of trading platforms and auxiliary trading tools
- Very competitive cost structure and excellent asset selection
- Low minimum deposit requirement and leverage of up to 1:500
- Well-regulated and trustworthy
- Availability of Iress geographically restricted
Eightcap
In Summary Competitive pricing + excellent daily videosTraders receive the FlashTrader for MT5, and Eightcap connects social traders with 50M+ peers at TradingView, where they share ideas and discuss markets. Traders also get an AI-powered economic calendar, and Eightcap has no trading strategy restrictions. I rank Eightcap among the best Forex brokers in Croatia as its well-balanced asset selection has 800+ assets covering five sectors, including cryptocurrencies.
Eightcap has a €100 minimum deposit, and traders can choose between the expensive commission-free cost fees for TradingView or the cheaper, commission-based Raw account for spreads from 0.0 pips for a $7.00 commission per 1.0 standard lot for MT5.
Pros & Cons
- Low minimum deposit and high leverage of up to 1:500
- Competitive cost structure
- Excellent technology infrastructure and seasoned management team
- Daily research and quality educational content
- Limited leverage in some areas
Pepperstone
In Summary Great ECN execution on MT4/5, cTader, TradingView and Pepperstone proprietary platformI rank Pepperstone among the best Forex brokers in Croatia due to its cutting-edge trading infrastructure featuring deep liquidity pools and fast execution. Traders receive the Smart Trader Tools upgrade package of 28 plugins plus Autochartist for MT4/MT5. Pepperstone also offers API trading for advanced algo traders, and pro traders receive VPS hosting for 24/5 low-latency Forex trading.
Pepperstone also offers cTrader, and social traders can connect and engage with 50M+ peers at TradingView. The commission-based Razor account offers raw spread trading for a €5.20 commission per 1.0 standard round lot, and the balanced asset selection features 1,200+ assets.
Pros & Cons
- Excellent choice of trading platforms consisting of MT4/MT5, cTrader, TreadingView and Pepperstone Platform
- Market-leading MT4/MT5 upgrade package, Autochartist, and API trading
- Social trading support via Signal Start, MetaTrader Signals, Copy Trading by Pepperstone, DupliTrade
- Leverage of up to 1:400 depends on jurisdiction and superb trade execution
- Demo accounts have 60-day time limits
Croatian Forex Brokers Comparison
| | | |
Regulators | ASIC, CMA, CySEC, FSCA | ASIC, CySEC, FCA, SCB | ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, SCB |
Year Established | 2005 | 2009 | 2010 |
Execution Type(s) | ECN/STP | ECN/STP, Market Maker | No Dealing Desk, NDD |
Minimum Deposit | |||
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | 1.2 pips | 1.0 pips | 1.1 pips |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | 1.4 pips | 1.2 pips | 1.4 pips |
Average Trading Cost Gold | $0.16 | $0.12 | $0.15 |
Trading Platform(s) | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, Proprietary platform, Web-based | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Trading View | Other, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, Proprietary platform, Trading View+ |
Islamic Account | |||
Negative Balance Protection | N/A | ||
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Get Started Visit Website75-95% of traders on margin lose |
How to Choose a Forex Broker from Croatia
My analysis focused on the criteria below, as they are necessary to ensure competitive trading conditions and apply to all Forex traders.
All competitive Croatian Forex brokers should offer the following:
- Regulation: A clean regulatory record exceeding 10+ years. Croatian Forex traders can trade with an EU-regulated Forex broker or offshore Forex brokers, where more competitive trading conditions exist. Please note that multi-regulated Forex brokers with an EU entity will always onboard new Forex traders from Croatia via the EU entity.
- Trading Fees: The competitiveness of the trading environment depends on low Forex trading fees. The EUR/USD should not exceed costs of $8.00 per 1.0 standard round lot or 0.8 pips. I also recommend volume-based rebates to decrease final trading fees.
- Trading Platforms: MT4/MT5 support algorithmic trading and copy trading. They also enable API trading, connect to third-party trading tools, and have 25,000+ add-ons, custom templates, scripts, and EAs.
- Asset Selection: Diversification and cross-asset trading opportunities require a balanced asset selection exceeding 300+ trading instruments.
- Deposits and Withdrawals: No internal transaction fees and low minimum requirements with a choice of e-wallets and EUR payment processors.
How to Start Forex Trading in Croatia
I advise beginners to consider my tips below to shorten the learning curve and highlight areas of study to focus on before opening a trading account with the best Forex brokers in Croatia.
Here are my Forex trading tips:
1. Focus on in-depth education.
2. You must approach and respect Forex trading as a highly skilled profession.
3. Trading psychology separates up to 90% of unprofitable traders from profitable ones.
4. Master the leverage-risk management relationship.
5. Comprehend how lot sizes impact risk management.
6. Risk management is as important as the trading strategy.
7. Use a trading strategy that reflects your personality.
8. Low trading fees determine a competitive trading environment.
9. Learn proper take profit and stop loss placement.
What Is the Maximum Forex Leverage in Croatia?
Per ESMA restrictions, the maximum Forex leverage in Croatia is 1:30 with negative balance protection, and the best Forex brokers in Croatia engage in forced liquidation once the account breaches select ratios. Offshore Forex brokers usually offer 1:500 Forex leverage. Forex traders must always use proper risk management when trading leveraged accounts and understand the relationship between leverage and risk management and lot sizes and risk management.
The ESMA allows Forex brokers in Croatia to offer a professional trading account. The trading conditions a professional trader receives in Croatia and the entire EU are identical to what offshore Forex brokers provide retail traders and match the trading conditions all EU traders benefited from before the misguided ESMA crackdown on leverage.
To receive professional trader classification in Croatia, traders must meet two of the three criteria below:
- Have made at least 10 transactions of sufficient amount per quarter in the previous 12 months
- Have at least one year of experience working in the financial markets sector
- Have a financial instruments portfolio that is worth at least €500,000
Forex Trading Regulations in Croatia
Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (HANFA) regulates the Croatian Forex market, ensuring all Forex brokers comply with ESMA regulations, including the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) and an investor compensation fund. HANFA cannot control leverage restrictions by offshore Forex brokers, which do not require a HANFA license, as Croatian Forex traders are free to open trading accounts with offshore Forex brokers.
Forex Trading Taxation in Croatia
Croatian Forex traders are liable to pay taxes on their income. During my research identifying the best Forex brokers in Croatia, I uncovered that Croatia applies a capital gains tax of 12%, 24%, or 33%, dependent on the annual income. Otherwise, a 15% to 23% tax applies on monthly income up to €5,000 (€60,000 per year) and a 25% to 33% tax rate on income above that if the income is from self-employment or other income. I urge Croatian Forex traders to consult a licensed professional for up-to-date tax advice, to improve tax efficiency, and to ensure total compliance with the Croatian tax code.
Bottom Line
Croatia does not have many domestic Forex brokers, but Croatian Forex traders can open accounts with ESMA-compliant Forex brokers headquartered in the EU or well-regulated offshore Forex brokers. Croatian trading conditions mirror those across the Eurozone, as Croatia is a member. The best Forex brokers in Croatia are well-regulated offshore brokers who consider Croatia a core market, and many have EU-regulated entities offering EUR accounts and financial transactions. They offer Croatian traders algorithmic trading, copy trading, social trading, and mobile apps.
