Contrary to what you might have heard, there are plenty of Forex / CFD brokers which accept Belgian residents as clients.
I’ve looked at the best Forex brokers in Belgium in detail and compiled the shortlist below. Read on to find the best Forex broker for you, and to learn some important facts about trading in Belgium.
- IFC Markets, 600+ Instruments, 0% deposits, free Autochartist signals .
- BlackBull Markets, Best ECN trading environment, with scalping and hedging.
- AvaTrade, Highly regulated, choice of fixed or floating spreads.
- FP Markets, ECN trading with leverage up to 1:500.
- Eightcap, Competitive pricing + excellent daily videos.
Best Belgian Brokers Comparison
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Regulators | BVI, FSCA, LFSA | FMA, FSA | ASIC, BVI, Central Bank of Ireland, FFAJ, FSCA, KNF, MiFID | ASIC, CMA, CySEC, FSCA | ASIC, CySEC, FCA, SCB |
Year Established | 2006 | 2014 | 2006 | 2005 | 2009 |
Execution Type(s) | ECN/STP | ECN/STP, No Dealing Desk | Market Maker | ECN/STP | ECN/STP, Market Maker |
Minimum Deposit | |||||
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | $4.00 | 1.3 pips | 0.9 pips | 1.2 pips | 1.0 pips |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | $24.00 | 2.0 pips | 1.5 pips | 1.4 pips | 1.2 pips |
Average Trading Cost Gold | $45.00 | $0.90 | $0.29 | $0.16 | $0.12 |
Trading Platform(s) | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, NetTradeX | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, Trading View | Other, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Proprietary platform, Web-based+ | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, Proprietary platform, Web-based | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Trading View |
Islamic Account | |||||
Negative Balance Protection | |||||
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website |
The Most Trusted Trading Platforms in Belgium
IFC Markets
In Summary 600+ Instruments, 0% deposits, free Autochartist signalsIFC Markets is a longstanding broker having been founded in 2006 and today has 165,000 clients from 80 countries. It operates with licenses under multiple jurisdictions including the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission, the Malaysia Labuan Financial Services Authority, and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
IFC has a huge number of Forex pairs available to traders, and many other markets including precious metals, equity indexes, and individual stocks. IFC Markets now has over 600 instruments available to traders.
IFC Markets developed the cutting edge NetTradeX platform for its customers for instant execution and advanced market analytics. They even go so far as to provide a video tutorial on the platform so you can get up and running straight away. If you are more familiar with the highly popular MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, IFC Markets also has those available for its customers who want to stay with the MetaTrader suite. All their platforms can be traded on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
The company is very tech-focused having been awarded a US Patent for their Portfolio Quoting Method.
IFC Markets is best for its technological capabilities and it is best for a trader wanting a wide variety of instruments to trade.
Pros & Cons
- Excellent regulatory track record and secure trading environment
- Outstanding asset selection and patented PQM asset generation technology
- Extremely competitive commission-free trading cost structure
- Valuable research and educational section, low minimum deposit, and high leverage
- No direct support for social trading
BlackBull Markets
In Summary Best ECN trading environment, with scalping and hedgingI rate BlackBull Markets among the best Forex brokers in Belgium amid its institutional-grade trading conditions. Equinix servers located in New York (NY4), London (LD5), and Tokyo (TY3), resulting in an average order execution speed of less than 75 milliseconds, and ECN traders get raw spreading for commissions between $4.00 and $6.00 per lot. Ultra-deep liquidity exists through data feeds of 66+ third-party providers.
Algorithmic traders have their choices of MT4, MT5, and cTrader. Social traders can connect to TradingView and engage with 50M+ peers. BlackBull Markets CopyTrader, ZuluTrade, and Myfxbook Autotrade offer copy traders high-quality diversification opportunities.
Pros & Cons
- ECN/NDD execution model with deep liquidity
- Institution-grade pricing for retail traders via proprietary price aggregation
- ZuluTrade and Myfxbook for social trading
- Leverage of up to 1:500
- Limited deposit options
AvaTrade
In Summary Highly regulated, choice of fixed or floating spreadsAvaFutures, the dedicated futures entity by AvaTrade, offers futures trading on MT5, which supports algorithmic trading, copy trading, and extensive customization options. Traders benefit from free Level 2 data and low-cost trading fees featuring $0.19 for micro and mini futures and $0.49 per standard contract. It places AvaFutures among the most competitively priced futures brokers. Traders can also receive up to 3% interest on free margin.
Traders get a choice of 11 currency futures, 2 cryptocurrency futures, 23 commodities, energies, and metals futures, 21 index futures, and 10 treasury futures. Overall, I rank AvaFutures among the best brokers in Belgium.
Pros & Cons
- High quality educational offering via AvaAcademy
- Excellent choice of trading platforms catering to various trading needs
- Broad asset selection and cross-asset diversification opportunities
- Well-regulated and trusted broker with oversight from a central bank
- Trading costs competitive but nothing special
FP Markets
In Summary ECN trading with leverage up to 1:500FP Markets upgrades MT4/MT5 with 12 plugins, Trading Central, and Autochartist, offers cTrader, the IRESS trading platform, and its proprietary mobile trading app. The reasonable $100 minimum deposit offers Forex traders competitive trading fees featuring raw spreads from 0.0 pips for a commission of $6.00 per 1.0 round lot. The well-balanced asset selection includes cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and bonds.
Copy traders and signal providers can use FP Markets Copy Trading, embedded copy trading services in MT4/MT5/cTrader, fee-based Signal Start, and the well-known Myfxbook Autotrade. It makes FP Markets one of the best Forex brokers in Belgium on my listing.
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 videosEightcap ranks among the best Forex brokers in Belgium due to its cutting-edge trading tools. MT4 traders get Capitalise AI, enabling algorithmic trading in a code-free environment. VPS hosting ensures 24/5 low latency Forex trading. Eightcap upgrades MT5 with Flash Trader, while Cryptocurrency traders get the dedicated cryptocurrency solution Crypto Crusher. Social traders can connect their Eightcap trading account to TradingView, where 50M+ traders discuss and share ideas.
The AI-powered economic calendar is a valuable tool for manual traders, and copy traders can use the embedded MT4/MT5 solution. Completing the excellent trading tools is a competitive commission-based cost structure.
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
Forex in Belgium: Legality, Tax, and Getting Started
Is Forex Trading Legal in Belgium?
The simple answer is that there is no law against a Belgian resident trading Forex. However, Belgium does have strict laws aimed at Forex brokers. In 2016, the Belgian regulator, the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA), banned brokers from offering CFDs, rolling spot Forex contracts, and binary options to retail traders. They also banned most forms of marketing. Of course, the FSMA has no way to enforce these regulations against offshore Forex / CFD brokers outside Belgium who are prepared to accept Belgian residents as clients, and there are several such brokers.
Belgian-regulated brokers can still offer unleveraged trading in stocks, shares, and a few other products.
Also note that if you are resident in Belgium but hold the passport of another country, brokers are probably not going to breaking regulations by accepting you as a retail client and offering you trading in Forex products.
Is Forex Trading Taxable in Belgium?
Yes, Forex trading is taxable in Belgium. However, as Forex trading is domestically prohibited for retail traders in Belgium, it is hard to find publicity about tax details which apply to profitable Forex traders using an offshore brokerage, although it is clear the individual trader breaks no Belgian law in this example.
Any Belgian tax resident making a profit trading Forex should always consult with a professional tax adviser for details of their tax liability. It is possible that Forex trading profits will be taxed at the same rate as a “professional salary” under the Belgian tax code.
How Much Do I Need to Start Trading Forex in Belgium?
Although some Forex brokers have no minimum deposit requirements, or very low minimums, beginners should ideally aim to deposit at least $120 to trade with a safe level of risk. Depositing an affordable amount every month can also work well after the initial deposit.
How to Verify a Broker’s Regulation in Belgium
All brokers regulated in Belgium are listed at the website of the Belgian financial regulator, the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA). A search can be made easily by choosing the “Consumer” tab, then clicking on “search function” under “Check your provider”. If the broker you are searching for is not listed, it is not regulated in Belgium.
Retail Forex traders wishing to trade spot Forex or CFDs will anyway have to use a broker which is not regulated in Belgum.
How to Choose a Forex Broker in Belgium
Finding the right competitive Forex broker for you can be a challenge, as there are literally hundreds of international Forex brokers. We give you a head start in building a shortlist to choose from by composing a list of the best Forex brokers in Belgium to help you make the best choice.
Here is a checklist on how to choose a Forex broker:
1. Regulation – As most Belgian resident traders are going to need to use a broker based outside Belgium, it is especially important to choose a well-regulated, trustworthy broker with a good reputation. It is important to avoid unregulated brokers.
2. User Reviews – These can be inaccurate, with some reviews likely posted by traders who have failed to understand terms and conditions or by employees of brokers to post fake positive reviews about their services and fake negative ones on competitors. So, while you should take an individual review with a pinch of salt, if many reviews are mostly positive or negative, this is something worth noting.
3. Trading Platforms - The MT4 trading platform, fully supportive of algorithmic and copy trading, remains the best choice for Forex traders, as it comes with 25,000+ EAs, plugins, and custom indicators. In any case, if there is a particular trading platform you are determined to use, you must make sure your chosen broker offers it. However, the importance of trading platforms is very exaggerated, as most traders can get used to new platforms without much of a problem.
4. Trading Fees – Every broker has a different cost structure which will impact the cost of trading and therefore profit and loss. Some brokers will have a better overall offer for shorter-term traders or longer-term traders, and some will be more competitive on some asset classes than others. It is very important to carefully examine the spreads, commissions, and overnight fees typically offered by any broker before making a choice.
5. Customer Support - A 24/5 multilingual customer support team, a phone number, and live chat are essential for quality customer support.
6. Risk Management – Anyone trading Forex on a leveraged basis should be looking for a broker offering negative balance protection, Forex traders must ensure negative balance protection and an automatic stop-out level exist., and ideally automatic loss limiting stops.
7. Selection of Assets – Your trading style will determine how many currency pairs or other instruments you will want to trade. Some brokers with wide asset offerings are better for traders needing to be strongly diversified across asset classes. If you are a more narrowly focused trader and only want to trade a few different assets, then a wide choice will not be an important factor for you.
How to Trade Forex in Belgium
The number one step for anyone wanting to get started trading Forex is to learn the basics about Forex trading and understand what they are trying to achieve: to profit by selling higher than buying, or by buying lower than selling.
Once you have educated yourself in the basics, you are ready to start looking for a Forex / CFD broker. It is a good idea to open a demo account with your chosen broker to familiarize yourself with their offering before depositing real funds, as a kind of road test.
The following steps are a good guide in your search:
- Select a trustworthy Forex broker from this best Forex brokers in Belgium list
- Ensure a low-cost Forex cost structure exists, with total trading fees per lot not exceeding $7.00
- If you have any special algorithmic, social, or mobile trading needs, you will probably need a broker which offers one of the MT4, MT5, or cTrader trading platforms
- A competitive and appropriate leverage offer, plus negative balance protection
Final Thoughts
Although many people in Belgium think Forex and CFD trading has been effectively banned, it is quite possible for Belgian resident traders to open accounts with offshore Forex brokers and generate profits from these markets without breaking any Belgian laws, provided any profits are declared, and taxes paid.
There are a reasonable number of Forex brokers which will accept Belgian residents of clients, and several of them enjoy regulation in Tier 1 jurisdictions. Regulatory excellence is an especially important factor when you are choosing an offshore Forex broker.
