15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the ECSRC licence, including banking and payment rails.
Forex license in Antigua and Barbuda: ECSRC broker-dealer licence.
A forex license in Antigua and Barbuda is a regional licence: Antigua issues none, and the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission (ECSRC) licenses broker-dealers across the eight-member currency union. Paid-up capital is EC$1.0 million (Eastern Caribbean dollars); the Securities Act, 2020 sets no decision period. On 24 October 2026 none of the 16 broker-dealers on the register was identified as a forex dealer. We run the file from St John's.
Updated · Reviewed by the Prifinance team
Forex license in Antigua and Barbuda: a regional ECSRC licence, no national one.
Antigua and Barbuda has no national forex or CFD licence. The ECSRC, seated in Basseterre, St Kitts, regulates securities business for all eight members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), and s. 31(1) of Antigua's Securities Act, 2020 (No. 7 of 2020) bars anyone from carrying on securities business "in or from within the Currency Union" as a broker-dealer without its licence. The Act counts "a derivative" as a security and leaves "currency" out (s. 2). As we read s. 2, a CFD or a rolling leveraged FX contract fits the derivative definition and spot currency does not; we confirm each product with the ECSRC before filing. The 2020 Act takes effect on a date the Minister appoints by notice in the Gazette (s. 1(2)), and the ECSRC's advisory of 17 July 2020 still named the Securities Act 2001 (No. 14 of 2001) as the governing law, so which Act governs a new file is confirmed per case.
The ECSRC asks for a company established under the laws of an ECCU member territory and paid-up capital of at least EC$1.0 million, one figure whether the firm deals as agent or as principal. It also wants at least two people it has licensed, a principal and a representative who have both passed the ECSM Certification Examination, premises it accepts and inspects at the applicant's cost, and indemnity insurance or a fidelity bond. Fees are EC$1,000 to apply, non-refundable, EC$3,000 on approval and EC$2,000 at each renewal on 1 April. Antigua taxes company profits at 25%. No ECSRC rule caps retail leverage, fixes a close-out level or requires negative balance protection by name; we confirm the product terms with the ECSRC before launch. On 24 October 2026 the register listed 16 broker-dealers, mostly banks and bank-group investment firms, and none was identified as a forex or CFD dealer.
Antigua has no national forex or CFD licence. A broker applies to the ECSRC in St Kitts for a broker-dealer licence that covers all eight ECCU members.
Entry: an ECCU company, EC$1.0 million paid up, a licensed principal and representative, EC$1,000 to apply. On 24 October 2026 none of the 16 broker-dealers on the register was identified as a forex dealer.
An ECSRC licence from St Kitts, held by an Antigua company.
Under s. 31(2) of the 2020 Act each licence names the securities business it permits and is restricted to it, so a market maker asks for own-account dealing and an agency broker for dealing as agent.
A regional ECSRC licence, held by an Antigua company.
The broker-dealer as market maker
A market maker buys and sells for its own account and holds itself out as willing to deal at prices it sets, which is securities business under s. 2 (a)(ii) of the 2020 Act; its ECSRC licence has to name that activity. Paid-up capital is EC$1.0 million, the same as for an agency licence. The licence covers the place of business it designates and any other place the ECSRC approves in writing (s. 36(1)).
A market maker buys and sells for its own account and holds itself out as willing to deal at prices it sets, which is securities business under s. 2 (a)(ii) of the 2020 Act; its ECSRC licence has to name that activity. Paid-up capital is EC$1.0 million, the same as for an agency licence. The licence covers the place of business it designates and any other place the ECSRC approves in writing (s. 36(1)).
- ✓Own-account dealing - s. 2 (a)(ii)
- ✓EC$1.0 million paid-up capital
- ✓Licensed principal and representative
- ✓Licensed compliance officer - s. 31(1)(f)
- ✓Contract notes by the next trading day
- ✓Renewal every 1 April at EC$2,000
Antigua supplies the company, not the licence
Antigua's own regulator, the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC), licenses international banks, while dealing licences come from the ECSRC, so what Antigua adds is the applicant: a company formed under its laws qualifies for the ECSRC licence and pays 25% corporate tax. For written CFD rules, look to the Bahamas, whose CFD Rules set a 0.5% retail margin floor on major pairs (200:1) and negative balance protection.
No national forex licence; the FSRC issues international banking licences. Antigua adds the company and 25% tax.
- ✓No national forex or CFD licence
- ✓FSRC: international banks; ECSRC: dealing
- ✓An Antigua company can be the applicant
- ✓25% corporate tax - Cap. 212, s. 32
- ✓Bahamas: CFD Rules, 200:1, NBP
- ✓Belize: BZ$1,000,000 for a principal
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. The ECSRC's on-site due-diligence examinations are charged at the applicant's cost on top of the prescribed fees, and the licence fees for the principal, the representative and the compliance officer go into the quote.
One ECSRC licence for the eight ECCU markets.
The ECSRC licence covers the whole currency union for EC$1,000 to apply and EC$2,000 a year, but it comes with no retail CFD rule by name and no identified forex peer on its register.
All offices and branches of a licensed intermediary in the Currency Union count as one licensed intermediary (s. 35), and the licence covers business in or from within the Currency Union at its designated place of business (s. 36(1)). The members are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The ECSRC notes that each member's Parliament is sovereign, so we check each market's own Act.One licence across the ECCU.
One paid-up figure, EC$1.0 million, applies whether the firm deals as agent or for its own account. Belize splits the two: BZ$1,000,000 for a principal, BZ$240,000 for an agent.Same capital for agent or principal.
EC$1,000 with the application, EC$3,000 on approval, then EC$2,000 every 1 April. The BVI charges US$2,200 to apply and US$3,300 a year for its Category 1 licence.EC$1,000 to apply, EC$2,000 a year.
ECSRC news of 18 March 2022 announced its membership of IOSCO. Its register of licensees is public and shows each firm's principal, address, licence number and effective date, which a bank or liquidity provider can check itself.Public register of licensees.
The 2020 Act puts customers' interests first and asks for conflicts to be avoided or disclosed (s. 41), contract notes by the end of the next trading day (s. 44) and client money kept out of reach of the dealer's creditors (s. 45). A customer who suffers loss from a breach of s. 41 can sue (s. 43).Customers first, contract notes, client money.
On 24 October 2026 none of the 16 broker-dealers on the ECSRC register was identified as a forex or CFD dealer. The ECSRC's public voice on forex so far is warnings: an advisory of 17 July 2020 on unauthorised forex trading scams, which names CFDs, and a market notice on forex and binary options dated 30 December 2021.No forex dealer identified on the register.
How Antigua and Barbuda differs from other routes.
Against the ECSRC's EC$1.0 million paid up and EC$1,000 application fee, a principal dealer in Belize holds BZ$1,000,000 and the BVI fits capital to the model under its Regulatory Code. For product rules the Bahamas is the reference, with CFD Rules that set a 0.5% retail margin floor and negative balance protection; no ECSRC rule sets retail CFD terms by name, so we confirm them with the ECSRC before launch. Antigua taxes profits at 25%. The Bahamas and the BVI levy no corporate income tax.
| Feature | Antigua and Barbuda | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer's capital | EC$1.0 million paid-up · agent or principal | BZ$1,000,000 Belize · Regulatory Code BVI · risk-based Bahamas |
| Regulator's fees | EC$1,000 to apply · EC$3,000 on approval · EC$2,000 a year | US$2,200 to apply · US$3,300 a year BVI |
| Retail CFD rules | None by name · confirmed with the ECSRC | 0.5% margin floor and NBP by rule · Bahamas |
| Corporate tax | 25% | None in the Bahamas and BVI · territorial Belize |
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
Antigua and Barbuda | ECSRC broker-dealer (regional) | 25% corporate tax | EC$1.0M paid-up, two licensed individuals |
Bahamas | SCB registration + CFD Rules | No corporate income tax | 0.5% margin floor, NBP, reports |
Belize | FSC registration (principal) | Territorial business tax | BZ$1M (~US$500k) in Belize |
BVI | FSC Category 1 dealing | No corporate income tax | Code capital, vetted people |
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Belize
BVIForex licences in neighbouring jurisdictions
All 90 forex licence jurisdictions →
How to start a forex brokerage: license, capital and steps →
Forex license for sale: ready licensed companies →
Forex license cost: official fees and capital by country →
Offshore forex license: jurisdictions compared →
Forex license in Europe: MiFID II investment firm, countries compared →
Forex license requirements in Antigua and Barbuda: what the ECSRC checks.Antigua and Barbuda forex license requirements.
The ECSRC reads a broker-dealer file against its published requirements and the licensing and conduct sections of the 2020 Act.
Reflects the Securities Act, 2020 (No. 7 of 2020), the ECSRC's broker-dealer requirements and application procedures and its register of 24 October 2026, as of October 2026.Securities Act, 2020 and ECSRC requirements, as of October 2026.
Official sources
Regulator pages, legal texts and public registers the figures on this page are based on.
- LawSecurities Act, 2020 (No. 7 of 2020) - laws.gov.aglaws.gov.ag
- RegulatorECSRC - Requirements for Broker Dealer Licenceecsrc.com
- GuidanceECSRC - Licence Application Proceduresecsrc.com
- RegisterECSRC - Register of Licensees: Broker Dealerecsrc.com
- LawIncome Tax (Amendment) Act, 2008 (No. 3 of 2008) - laws.gov.aglaws.gov.ag
From the product question to the licence and its 1 April renewal.
We map the book against s. 2 of the 2020 Act, with CFDs and rolling FX contracts as derivatives and spot currency outside, and settle product scope and the governing Act with the ECSRC before anything is filed.Products mapped to s. 2.
The Antigua company is formed with EC$1.0 million paid up. A start-up files an audited opening balance sheet and three-year projections in place of three years of audited accounts.EC$1.0 million paid up.
The principal and the representative sit the ECSM Certification Examination, and their licence applications can go in with the firm's. The compliance officer is licensed as well.ECSM exams, licences filed.
Form 1, the documents and the EC$1,000 fee go to the Secretary of the ECSRC in Basseterre, the signed original plus soft copies by email. If information is missing, the ECSRC may give a timeframe to supply it and then reject an incomplete file.Form 1 and EC$1,000 to Basseterre.
The ECSRC inspects the premises at the applicant's cost and decides under s. 32(1); a refusal comes in writing with reasons and can be appealed (s. 32(2)-(3)). The EC$3,000 licence fee falls due on approval.Inspection, s. 32(1), EC$3,000.
The 2020 Act gives the ECSRC no deadline: it grants a licence once satisfied that the prescribed requirements are met and that the grant is in the public interest (s. 32(1)). We set the timing per case once the product and Act questions are answered.
Run from our St John's office.

Each CFD and FX product is checked against s. 2 of the 2020 Act, and two questions go to the ECSRC before filing: which products need the licence, and which Act governs the file.Scope and governing Act settled first.
A company formed under Antigua's laws with EC$1.0 million paid up, its memorandum and articles, and an audited opening balance sheet with three-year projections for Form 1.EC$1.0 million paid up, Form 1 papers.
A principal and a representative through the ECSM Certification Examination, their applications filed with the firm's, and a licensed compliance officer.ECSM exams, compliance officer.
Premises in St John's ready for the ECSRC's pre-licensing on-site examination, and indemnity insurance or a fidelity bond the ECSRC accepts.Inspection-ready, insured.






Taxation of forex brokers in Antigua and Barbuda.
An Antigua company pays corporate income tax at 25% of chargeable income under s. 32 of Cap. 212, the rate set from the 2008 income year.
The Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2008 (No. 3 of 2008), gazetted on 4 December 2008, replaced s. 32 of the Income Tax Act Cap. 212. Companies pay 25% of chargeable income for income years from 1 January 2008.Cap. 212, s. 32, since 2008.
Banks licensed under the Banking Act may pay 22.5% if they meet mortgage-rate or small-business lending conditions (s. 32(3)). A non-bank broker-dealer stays at 25%.Not for a broker-dealer.
Cap. 212 deals with tax on dividends in s. 33 and with deductions from payments to non-residents in s. 40. The rate on a 2026 dividend to a foreign shareholder is confirmed per structure before the group model is fixed.Rate confirmed per structure.
Interest and other annual payments to non-residents bear 20% where the payee is an individual, and the s. 32 company rate of 25% where it is a company (s. 39(1)).20% individuals, 25% companies.
EC$1,000 with the application and EC$3,000 on approval, then EC$2,000 each 1 April. The ECSRC's on-site examinations before and after licensing are charged to the applicant, apart from those fees.EC$2,000 each 1 April, inspections extra.
The 2008 amending Act names the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax Act 2006 (ABST). How ABST treats a dealer's spreads and commissions is confirmed per structure.Spreads and commissions, per structure.
*As of 2026 per Antigua's Income Tax Act (Cap. 212) and the Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2008 (No. 3 of 2008). Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Builds the application itself: ECCU company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed broker.
Active across our channels.
Get your forex license in Antigua and Barbuda with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the product and Act questions and the Antigua company to the ECSM examinations, the Form 1 file and the pre-licensing inspection - run through our St John's office.
Get a consultation →Is Antigua and Barbuda the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Founders' questions on the ECSRC broker-dealer licence.
Does Antigua and Barbuda have its own forex licence?+
No. Antigua has no national forex or CFD licence, and its own regulator, the FSRC, licenses international banks. A broker in or from Antigua needs a broker-dealer licence from the ECSRC, the regional securities regulator for the eight ECCU members, seated in Basseterre, St Kitts.
Do CFDs and leveraged FX need an ECSRC licence?+
In our view, yes: s. 2 of the Securities Act, 2020 counts "a derivative" as a security, and the definition reaches contracts based on a price, rate or index, which takes in CFDs and rolling leveraged FX. Spot currency is excluded. We settle it with the ECSRC product by product before filing.
Which Act governs an ECSRC licence in Antigua?+
The Securities Act, 2020 or its 2001 predecessor, confirmed per case. The 2020 Act starts on a date the Minister appoints by Gazette notice (s. 1(2)) and repeals the Securities Act 2001 (s. 177), yet the ECSRC's advisory of 17 July 2020 still named the 2001 Act as the governing law.
How long does a forex license in Antigua and Barbuda take?+
Per case: Antigua's Securities Act, 2020 gives the ECSRC no decision period, and it decides when satisfied that the requirements are met and the grant is in the public interest (s. 32(1)). Before that come the ECSM examinations for the principal and representative and the pre-licensing inspection of the premises.
What does a forex license in Antigua and Barbuda cost?+
The ECSRC charges EC$1,000 with the application, EC$3,000 on approval and EC$2,000 at each renewal on 1 April, and the company holds EC$1.0 million of paid-up capital. On-site inspections are billed at the applicant's cost; the individual licences, the insurance and our fees are confirmed in the quote.
Does one ECSRC licence cover all eight ECCU members?+
Yes, from the place of business it designates: the licence covers business in or from within the Currency Union there and at other places the ECSRC approves in writing (s. 36(1)), and all offices and branches in the Currency Union count as one licensed intermediary (s. 35). New places need prior approval; each member's own Act is confirmed per case.
Does the ECSRC cap retail leverage?+
No ECSRC rule caps retail leverage by name, and the same holds for close-out and negative balance protection, so we confirm the product terms with the ECSRC before launch. The 2020 Act still binds the dealer: clients first and assets segregated (s. 41), client money kept from creditors (s. 45), and liability for losses from a breach (s. 43).
Are any forex brokers licensed by the ECSRC?+
None is identified on its register: the list of 24 October 2026 has 16 broker-dealers, mostly banks and bank-group investment firms, and no entry marks a forex or CFD dealer. The ECSRC's public statements on forex so far are warnings, such as its advisory of 17 July 2020 on unauthorised forex trading scams.
Antigua and Barbuda or Belize for a forex dealer?+
Belize, for a known flag: a generation of brokers built books on Belizean licences, the 2023 regulations set BZ$1,000,000 (about US$500,000) for a principal dealer, and business tax is territorial. Antigua's ECSRC licence covers eight ECCU markets at EC$1.0 million paid-up and EC$1,000 to apply, but no forex peer is identified on its register and profits are taxed at 25%.
Why Prifinance for Antigua and Barbuda?+
Before any filing we put two questions to the ECSRC: which of your products need its licence, and which Act governs the file. From St John's we form the Antigua company with EC$1.0 million paid up and see the Form 1 file, with the licensed principal and representative, through to Basseterre.
Own forex licence?+
No; the regional ECSRC licenses dealers.
CFDs covered?+
As derivatives, confirmed per product.
Which Act?+
2020 or 2001, confirmed per case.
How long?+
Per case; none in the 2020 Act.
Cost?+
EC$1,000 + EC$3,000; EC$1.0 million capital.
All ECCU?+
Yes, under ss. 35-36; confirmed per case.
Leverage cap?+
None by name; confirmed with the ECSRC.
Forex peers?+
None identified among 16 on 24 October 2026.
Or Belize?+
Belize for recognition; Antigua for eight markets.
Why you?+
St John's office, ECSRC questions first.
Founders who wanted it done right.
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”

“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”

“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”

“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”

“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”

“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”

One message away from your Antigua and Barbuda forex licence.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: whether your CFD and FX book fits an ECSRC broker-dealer licence, under which Act, and what it will cost.
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission (ECSRC) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.