What is a Seychelles forex licence?

There is no separate statute in Seychelles called a "forex licence." When brokers talk about a Seychelles forex or forex broker licence, they mean the Securities Dealer Licence (SDL), issued by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) under the Securities Act. The SDL authorises a Seychelles company to deal in securities - as principal or agent - and in practice that is exactly what running a forex and contract-for-difference (CFD) brokerage requires. Since FSA Circular No. 3 of February 2025, licensed dealers can also offer CFDs on cryptocurrencies under the same licence, with no separate VASP authorisation. So the page you searched for and the SDL are the same thing, and that's the licence we'll help you apply for.

Why choose Seychelles for a forex licence?

• Lower capital than tier-1 hubs - US$100,000 minimum paid-up capital, versus the much higher thresholds in the UK, Cyprus or Australia.

• One licence, broad permissions - spot forex, CFDs and crypto CFDs all sit under a single Securities Dealer Licence.

• Perpetual licence - since 2025 the licence no longer expires annually; it stays valid unless suspended, revoked or surrendered.

• Competitive tax - structured through a Special Licence Company (CSL), a licensed dealer is taxed at 1.5% on worldwide income, with access to Seychelles' double-tax treaty network.

• Reasonable timeline - the FSA typically processes a complete application in three to four months.

• Established broker jurisdiction - Seychelles is one of the main mid-tier homes for retail forex and CFD brokers, with a regulator that understands the model.

Who is it for?

Good fit:

• retail and institutional forex brokers

• CFD and OTC derivatives brokers

• brokers adding crypto CFDs

• proprietary trading firms

• fintechs building a regulated trading product

Not a fit: anyone who can't meet the capital and local-substance requirements, or who needs a tier-1 badge (FCA, ASIC, CySEC) to onboard institutional clients. If you're early-stage and just testing an idea, an unlicensed IBC will not let you legally take client funds or run a brokerage - the licence is mandatory for that, so talk to us before you commit.

What it actually costs - read this first

Most pages quote one low number and the outdated US$50,000 capital figure. We won't. Our engagement fee - incorporation, application assembly, review and FSA liaison - starts at US$15,000. That is a small fraction of what it takes to get and run a licensed brokerage. You also need to budget for US$100,000+ in paid-up capital (the 2024 amendments raised the minimum from US$50,000, and the FSA can require more for higher-risk models), the US$6,000 annual FSA fee, two fit-and-proper directors, a compliance officer and an MLRO, a physical office, professional indemnity insurance, an auditor and ongoing compliance. A realistic all-in budget for a live, compliant forex broker runs from the mid-six figures into seven figures in the first year. If your budget is below that, the licence isn't the right step yet - and we'll tell you so.

What the FSA Requires

• Minimum paid-up capital of US$100,000 (raised from US$50,000 by the 2024 amendments; the FSA can require more for higher-risk or higher-leverage models), held with an approved bank

• At least two fit-and-proper directors; resident participation is expected for genuine substance and for the CSL tax treatment

• A qualified compliance officer and a Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) - in-house or outsourced

• A physical office in Seychelles and at least one licensed Securities Dealer representative available at all times

• Professional indemnity insurance, effected and maintained for the life of the licence

• A detailed business plan, financial projections and a full AML/CFT framework

• Fit-and-proper documents for each director and shareholder: certified passport, CV, qualifications, police clearance, bank and professional references, and proof of source of capital