FSC Belize · Belize
Financial Services Commission (Belize)
A long-running offshore regulator that has updated its laws (the Financial Services Commission Act 2023), but remains a basic offshore regime with limited supervision.
- Retail leverage
- No regulatory leverage limits.
- Compensation
- No investor compensation scheme. Recovering money from a failed broker may mean going to court.
- Capital
- Reported minimum of US$500,000 for a foreign-exchange trading licence, set in 2023.
- Supervision & substance
- A registered office and local staff in Belize, segregated client funds, and annual renewal. Licensees may not serve Belize residents.
- Stocks, futures & crypto
- Its licence categories cover trading in securities and derivatives as well as FX. Belize has also passed rules for digital asset businesses.
- Trade-off
- Higher capital than some offshore peers, but light supervision. Many of the FSC's public warnings concern firms falsely claiming its licence.
What it means for you: Treat it as minimal protection. If Belize is the strongest licence a broker holds, look elsewhere.
Common questions about FSC Belize
Is FSC Belize a good regulator for forex brokers?
In our view, FSC Belize is a minimal-oversight regulator (Tier 4 · Minimal oversight). A long-running offshore regulator that has updated its laws (the Financial Services Commission Act 2023), but remains a basic offshore regime with limited supervision. Treat it as minimal protection. If Belize is the strongest licence a broker holds, look elsewhere.
What leverage can brokers regulated by FSC Belize offer retail clients?
No regulatory leverage limits.
Is there a compensation scheme if a broker regulated by FSC Belize fails?
No investor compensation scheme. Recovering money from a failed broker may mean going to court.
Does FSC Belize regulate stocks, futures, or crypto?
Its licence categories cover trading in securities and derivatives as well as FX. Belize has also passed rules for digital asset businesses.
A licence only protects you if your account is with the entity that holds it. Many broker groups hold several licences and onboard clients through an offshore entity. Check your client agreement, and verify the licence on the regulator's own register.
See how all 31 regulators compareSimilar regulators
We have done the broker homework.
See which brokers made our shortlist, the entities and licences behind each one, and member pricing.
Tiers and ratings are M1 Strategic's own assessment, based on public sources listed in our regulator guide. Rules change: always verify with the regulator directly. Not financial advice.