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15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the ISA platform licence, including banking and payment rails.
Forex license in Israel: ISA trading-platform licence for CFDs.
A forex license in Israel is a trading-platform licence from the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) under Chapter Seven C of the Securities Law, and the CFD is the only instrument the ISA has approved. Applying costs NIS 59,385 in 2026; equity minimums are confirmed in the quote. Client documents default to Hebrew, and running an unlicensed platform for Israeli clients carries two years' imprisonment. We file from Tel Aviv.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated · Reviewed by the Prifinance team
Israel in brief
Forex license in Israel: a CFD-only platform licence, run in Hebrew.
Israel licenses forex and CFD brokerage as the management of a trading platform. Chapter Seven C of the Securities Law, 5728-1968, came into force on 26 May 2015 with the Securities Regulations (Trading Platform for Own Account), 5775-2014, the Trading Platform Regulations. The Law defines a platform as a computerised system through which a firm buys financial instruments from clients or sells them to clients for its own account, in an organised, frequent and systematic way, or a system that gives clients access to one. Nobody may manage a platform without an ISA licence, and the duty reaches firms abroad that approach clients in Israel. So far one instrument is approved: the CFD, sometimes called rolling spot. Required collateral is at least 1% of nominal value on currencies and gold, 2.5% on recognised foreign indices and highly rated government bonds and 5% on everything else (reg. 4), and a client's losses may not exceed the collateral (reg. 5).
The fees are published and move with the CPI every January. From 1 January 2026 the ISA charges NIS 59,385 to apply, NIS 29,690 for a restricted company, and an annual fee by revenue band, from NIS 76,515 up to NIS 550,875 once revenue passes NIS 29.4 million. Minimum equity, liquid assets and insurance sit in Chapter 12 of the regulations, and we confirm those amounts in the quote. Reports to the ISA are written in Hebrew (reg. 46), and records are kept in Israel unless the ISA grants an exemption (reg. 36). The field is small. The ISA's list of 1 October 2020 shows four licensees, all Israeli companies, although the regulations provide for a foreign applicant with an Israeli address for service. The ISA's regulatory plan for 2026 opens with a proposed broker-dealer law; its effect on platforms is not yet known.
The ISA licenses trading platforms under Chapter Seven C of the Securities Law. One instrument is approved, the CFD; collateral is at least 1% on currencies, so 1:100, and losses stop at the collateral.
Fees for 2026: NIS 59,385 to apply, NIS 76,515 to NIS 550,875 a year. Paperwork in Hebrew, records in Israel, four licensees on the 2020 list. Equity minimums in the quote.
The two platform models
One ISA licence, two kinds of platform company.
The ISA grants a single licence, and the Trading Platform Regulations sort its holders by what they do (reg. 1). A company that buys from and sells to its own clients is their counterparty; a restricted company runs a system that only gives clients access to a licensed platform and is not a counterparty to anything it offers.
One ISA licence: a dealing company, or a restricted company that never deals.
01 - PLATFORM COMPANY · COUNTERPARTY
The platform company that deals with its clients
An Israeli platform company buys CFDs from its clients and sells CFDs to them for its own account, and its written ads must warn that it is the seller when the client buys and the buyer when the client sells (reg. 40(c)). It pays NIS 59,385 to apply in 2026 and may neither advise on the instruments it trades nor trade for clients at its discretion (reg. 10).
An Israeli platform company buys CFDs from its clients and sells CFDs to them for its own account, and its written ads must warn that it is the seller when the client buys and the buyer when the client sells (reg. 40(c)). It pays NIS 59,385 to apply in 2026 and may neither advise on the instruments it trades nor trade for clients at its discretion (reg. 10).
- ✓Counterparty to every client trade
- ✓Application fee NIS 59,385 (2026)
- ✓Annual fee NIS 76,515-550,875 by revenue
- ✓Collateral from 1% - 1:100 on FX
- ✓No advice, no discretionary trading - reg. 10
- ✓Equity and insurance minimums - Chapter 12
02 - RESTRICTED COMPANY
NIS 29,690 to applyThe restricted company that never deals
A restricted company manages a system that gives clients access to a licensed dealing platform, provided it is not a counterparty to the instruments it offers (reg. 1). It holds the same ISA licence but pays half the application fee, NIS 29,690 in 2026 (reg. 92(b)).
Gives clients access to a licensed platform and is never a counterparty; half the application fee, NIS 29,690.
- ✓Gives clients access to a licensed platform
- ✓Not a counterparty - reg. 1
- ✓Half the application fee - reg. 92(b)
- ✓NIS 29,690 to apply in 2026
- ✓Chapter 12 minimums in the quote
- ✓Licensed under the same Chapter Seven C
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. A change to the conditions of a licence costs a further NIS 29,690 (reg. 93), and the ISA indexes its fees to the CPI each January.
Why Israel
What an ISA licence allows that EU rules do not, and what it asks in return.
The Trading Platform Regulations spell out margin, client money and advertising in detail, so a founder can price the model before filing.
✓
1:100 on currencies and gold
A collateral floor of 1% on currencies, gold and futures on them gives leverage of 1:100 (reg. 4). The ISA's own example is a USD/ILS CFD of USD 100,000 held on USD 1,000. In Cyprus and the UK retail leverage tops out at 30:1.1% collateral on currencies and gold.
✓
A licence list the ISA enforces
The ISA states that a company managing a platform without appearing on its licence list breaks the law, and offering trades on an unlicensed platform is a separate offence under the Securities Law. Licensees face financial sanctions too, and the Administrative Enforcement Committee may suspend or revoke a licence.Unlicensed platforms break the law.
✓
An opt-out for large clients
Investors listed in the First Schedule, and individuals with over NIS 12 million in cash, deposits and securities or an average monthly turnover of at least NIS 10 million over six months, may leave the collateral rules by prior written consent (reg. 4(e)), renewed yearly in some cases.Over NIS 12 million, written consent.
✓
Client money in a trust account
Client money goes into a trust account at an Israeli banking corporation, or with a foreign deposit-taking institution rated in one of the two top grades (reg. 21). The auditor files a monthly special report on it, reconciliation is daily (reg. 20), and withdrawals are paid by the next business day (reg. 25).Israeli bank, daily reconciliation.
✓
Fees fixed by notice
Every ISA fee is a printed amount. The notice of 8 January 2026 sets NIS 59,385 to apply and an annual fee from NIS 76,515, and the amounts are indexed to the CPI each January, so the regulator's share of a launch budget is known before filing.Indexed to the CPI each January.
✓
Warning: one product, Hebrew paperwork
The CFD is the only instrument licensed platforms may offer, no licence goes to a firm selling binary options, and bonuses, gifts and other benefits to clients are banned (reg. 43). Framework agreements and risk warnings are drafted in Hebrew.CFDs only, paperwork in Hebrew.
How it compares
How Israel differs from other routes.
Israel allows 1:100 on currencies where Cyprus and the UK stop at 30:1. A dealer holds €750,000 of capital in Cyprus, £750,000 in the UK and US$2 million for DFSA Category 2 in Dubai; the Israeli minimums are confirmed in the quote. Cyprus adds an EU passport, and the ISA licence carries none.
Israel vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Israel | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Retail leverage | 1:100 FX and gold · 1:40 · 1:20 | 30:1 to 2:1 Cyprus · 30:1 to 5:1 UK |
| Dealer's capital | Chapter 12 minimums · in the quote | €750,000 Cyprus · £750,000 UK · US$2M DIFC |
| Market access | No passport · Hebrew client documents | EU passport Cyprus · none from the UK or DIFC |
| Realistic timeline | We plan for 12-18 months | 8-14 months Cyprus and DIFC 3A · 9-15 UK |
Retail leverage
Israel1:100 FX and gold · 1:40 · 1:20
Other jurisdictions30:1 to 2:1 Cyprus · 30:1 to 5:1 UK
Dealer's capital
IsraelChapter 12 minimums · in the quote
Other jurisdictions€750,000 Cyprus · £750,000 UK · US$2M DIFC
Market access
IsraelNo passport · Hebrew client documents
Other jurisdictionsEU passport Cyprus · none from the UK or DIFC
Realistic timeline
IsraelWe plan for 12-18 months
Other jurisdictions8-14 months Cyprus and DIFC 3A · 9-15 UK
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | ISA trading-platform licence | 23% CIT | CFDs only, NIS 59,385 fee, Hebrew |
 Cyprus | CySEC CIF | 15% CIT (2026) | IFD tiers, EU passport |
 United Kingdom | FCA investment firm | 25% CIT · 19% small | MIFIDPRU tiers, CASS, PS19/18 |
 UAE · DIFC | DFSA Cat 3A/2 | 9% · 0% qualifying | US$500k-2M, common law |
IsraelLicense typeISA trading-platform licence
Taxation23% CIT
RequirementsCFDs only, NIS 59,385 fee, Hebrew
CyprusLicense typeCySEC CIF
Taxation15% CIT (2026)
RequirementsIFD tiers, EU passport
United KingdomLicense typeFCA investment firm
Taxation25% CIT · 19% small
RequirementsMIFIDPRU tiers, CASS, PS19/18
UAE · DIFCLicense typeDFSA Cat 3A/2
Taxation9% · 0% qualifying
RequirementsUS$500k-2M, common law
The Middle East, Asia and Oceania
Forex licences in neighbouring jurisdictions
All 79 forex licence jurisdictions →
How to start a forex brokerage: license, capital and steps →
Before you apply
Forex license requirements in Israel: what the ISA checks.Israel forex license requirements.
Regulation 2(a) of the Trading Platform Regulations lists what the application must contain, and the ISA may ask for more (reg. 2(e)). The ten points below follow that list.
01
Applicant - an Israeli company, or a foreign applicant that names a person resident in Israel authorised to accept service and files a lawyer's opinion on its home-country law, funding and governance (reg. 2(a)(8)).
02
Model - a company dealing with its clients for its own account, or a restricted company that gives access to a licensed platform without being a counterparty (reg. 1); the application fee is NIS 59,385 or NIS 29,690.
03
Financial reports - a periodic report no older than 14 months and a report on risk allocations and regulatory equity.
04
Client and risk reports - reports on losing and winning clients, activity, credit risk and credit-risk policy, and market risk, each no older than one month.
05
People - directors, senior officers and controllers with five years' business history, their regulators and consent to a criminal-record check, plus a group chart.
06
Rulebook and organisation - the proposed rulebook with its close-out levels and a three-part conflicts policy (regs 6-8), an organisation chart with each department head's qualifications, and the outsourced functions.
07
Trading system - the IT system with an expert opinion that it meets accepted standards, including SAE 3402 and COBIT, and the liquidity and quote providers behind it.
08
Client money - the bank that will hold it in trust, an Israeli banking corporation or a foreign institution in one of the two top rating grades (reg. 21), with daily reconciliation and a monthly auditor's report (reg. 20).
09
Equity and insurance - the minimum equity, liquid assets and insurance of Chapter 12 (regs 84-88), with the insurance certificate and the board decision attached; amounts confirmed in the quote.
10
Hebrew, records and AML - reports to the ISA in Hebrew (reg. 46), records kept in Israel for at least seven years (regs 33, 36), and the 2015 AML order for platforms: face-to-face identification and reports on transfers of NIS 50,000 or more.
01
Israeli company or foreign applicant.
02
Dealing company or restricted company.
03
Periodic and regulatory-equity reports.
04
Client, credit and market-risk reports.
05
Five-year histories of directors, owners.
06
Hebrew rulebook, conflicts policy.
07
IT opinion: SAE 3402, COBIT.
08
Trust account at an Israeli bank.
09
Chapter 12 equity and insurance.
10
Hebrew reports, records, AML order.
Reflects Chapter Seven C of the Securities Law, the Trading Platform Regulations in the ISA's consolidated text with the 2018 and 2021 amendments, and the ISA's fee notice of 8 January 2026, as of October 2026.Securities Law, Chapter Seven C, and the 2014 regulations, as of October 2026.
Verify it yourself
Official sources
Regulator pages, legal texts and public registers the figures on this page are based on.
- LawISA - Securities Regulations (Trading Platform for Own Account), 5775-2014, consolidated text (Hebrew)new.isa.gov.il
- GuidanceISA - Investor guide: Trading platforms (Hebrew)new.isa.gov.il
- FeesISA - Notice on fee amounts from 1 January 2026 (Hebrew)new.isa.gov.il
- RegisterISA - List of companies holding a trading platform licence, 1 October 2020 (Hebrew)new.isa.gov.il
- RegulatorISA - Memorandum to amend the Securities Law on trading platforms, 23 February 2017 (Hebrew)new.isa.gov.il
How it works
From the platform model to an ISA licence.
01
Model and definition
The CFD book is mapped to paragraph (1) or (2) of the definition, which decides between a dealing company and a restricted company and fixes the application fee.Paragraph (1) or (2) of the definition.
02
Reports and people
The periodic report, the regulatory-equity report, the one-month client and risk reports and the five-year histories of directors, officers and controllers are prepared.Equity, client and risk reports, histories.
03
Rulebook, IT and bank
The Hebrew rulebook with its conflicts policy and close-out levels, the IT expert opinion, the trust-account bank and the liquidity providers complete the file.Hebrew rulebook, IT opinion, bank.
04
Filing and review
The application goes to the ISA with the NIS 59,385 fee. While it is under review, the applicant updates the file within a week of any material change (reg. 2(c)).NIS 59,385 fee, updates within a week.
05
Licence and launch
The ISA licenses the platform with conditions on the types of instruments it may trade. Signed framework agreements, CEO-approved ads and the ISA reporting cycle start with the first client.Instrument conditions, then the first client.
Quick facts
RegulatorISA · platforms department in Tel Aviv (2020 list)
LawSecurities Law, Chapter Seven C
InstrumentCFDs only · no binary options
Retail leverage1:100 · 1:40 · 1:20
Application feeNIS 59,385 · NIS 29,690 restricted
Annual feeNIS 76,515-550,875 (2026)
Decision periodConfirmed with the ISA per case
Plan for12-18 months end to end
The regime came into force on 26 May 2015, and the licences on the ISA's 2020 list took effect on 31 October and 7 December 2016. For a new file we plan for 12-18 months and confirm the ISA's timing case by case.
On the ground in Israel
Run from our Tel Aviv office.
Prifinance - Israel
Tel Aviv · Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
01
Model and licence type
We map the business to the two limbs of the Law's definition before anything is drafted: a company dealing for its own account, or a restricted company that only gives access and pays half the application fee.Dealing or restricted company.
02
The Hebrew file
Rulebook, framework agreement, risk warnings and reports to the ISA, drafted in Hebrew, with English working copies for founders who read the file in English.Rulebook, agreements, ISA reports.
03
Bank, systems and auditor
A trust account at an Israeli bank, an expert opinion on the trading system against SAE 3402 and COBIT, and an auditor set up for daily reconciliation and the monthly special report.Trust account, SAE 3402 opinion, auditor.
04
Close to the supervisor
The ISA's list of 1 October 2020 places its Department for Supervision of the Stock Exchange and Trading Platforms at 35 Montefiore St, Tel Aviv. We take the ISA's follow-up questions, the people and the AML procedures through from the same city.Platforms department in Tel Aviv (2020 list).
We also have offices in
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Good to know
Taxation of forex brokers in Israel.
An Israeli platform company pays corporate tax at 23%. Its dividends carry 25% or 30% withholding by the size of the holding, except those paid to another Israeli company out of Israeli income.
Corporate tax 23%
Israel taxes company income at 23%. The reduced rates of 5%-16% belong to Priority and Special Priority Enterprises under the Encouragement of Capital Investment Law.The standard company rate.
Withholding 25% or 30%
Dividends to a shareholder holding under 10% carry 25% withholding; above 10%, the rate is 30%. Treaty rates are checked per structure before the group chart is fixed.25% under 10%, 30% above.
Dividends inside Israel
A dividend that one Israeli company pays another out of income produced in Israel is exempt, which matters when the platform sits under an Israeli holding company.Exempt between Israeli companies.
VAT at 18%
The standard VAT rate went up to 18% on 1 January 2025 under the VAT Order (Amendment) 5784-2024, as the Israel Tax Authority's directive 01/2025 of 5 December 2024 confirms.Since 1 January 2025.
Wage and profit tax instead of VAT
Financial institutions pay wage tax and profit tax instead of VAT. Whether a platform licensee counts as a financial institution is confirmed per structure.Financial institutions, confirmed per structure.
The ISA fee by revenue
The annual ISA fee climbs through five revenue bands in 2026: NIS 76,515 up to NIS 2,354,250 of revenue, then NIS 137,720, NIS 274,610 and NIS 413,150, and NIS 550,875 above NIS 29,427,025.NIS 76,515-550,875 by revenue band.
Tax summary
Corporate tax23% · standard company rate
Dividend withholding25% under 10% · 30% above
VAT18% · since 1 January 2025
Financial institutionsWage and profit tax instead of VAT
ISA annual feeNIS 76,515-550,875 · 2026
*As of 2026 per the Ministry of Economy's Invest in Israel tax guide, the Israel Tax Authority's directive 01/2025 and the ISA's fee notice of 8 January 2026. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
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.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Israeli company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
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.
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Israel · ISA
Get your forex license in Israel with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the choice between a platform company and a restricted company to the Hebrew rulebook, the IT opinion and the trust account - run through our Tel Aviv office.
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Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
Founders' questions on the ISA, CFDs and Hebrew paperwork.
What licence does a forex broker need in Israel?+
A trading-platform licence from the ISA under Chapter Seven C of the Securities Law and the Trading Platform Regulations of 2014. There is one licence; the regulations then separate a company dealing with clients for its own account from a restricted company that only gives access to a licensed platform.
Which products may a licensed platform offer in Israel?+
CFDs only. In the ISA's words the CFD is, at this stage, the only instrument approved for licensed platforms; it settles in cash and gives the client no rights in the underlying asset. A company offering binary options gets no licence, under an ISA decision of March 2016.
What leverage can an Israeli platform give retail clients?+
At most 1:100 on currencies and gold, 1:40 on recognised foreign indices and highly rated government bonds, and 1:20 on everything else, from collateral floors of 1%, 2.5% and 5% (reg. 4). Client losses may not exceed the collateral (reg. 5); each platform's rulebook sets its close-out level.
How long does a forex license in Israel take?+
We plan for 12-18 months from the first mapping of the model to the licence, and confirm the ISA's timing for the specific file. The ISA may ask for further documents during review (reg. 2(e)), and every material change has to reach it within a week.
What does a forex license in Israel cost?+
In ISA fees for 2026: NIS 59,385 to apply, or NIS 29,690 for a restricted company, then an annual fee of NIS 76,515 to NIS 550,875 by revenue. The equity, liquid-asset and insurance minimums of the 2014 regulations and our own fees are confirmed in the quote.
Does a foreign broker need an ISA licence for Israeli clients?+
Yes, once it approaches clients in Israel: the licensing duty covers platforms abroad as well, and a foreign applicant names a person resident in Israel to accept service (reg. 2(a)(8)). The Law also reaches a platform managed from Israel; whether a back office in Israel counts is confirmed per structure.
Must an Israeli platform work in Hebrew?+
Largely, yes. Information to clients is in Hebrew unless a client asks for another language and the company agrees (reg. 32), every written advertisement carries the fixed Hebrew risk warning of reg. 40(c), and reports to the ISA are in Hebrew. Records stay in Israel for seven years or more.
Is there investor compensation for clients of Israeli platforms?+
No. The ISA says it cannot return a client's money or grant financial compensation, and a client must sue in court. Protection comes from the regime instead: a trust account, daily reconciliation, the auditor's monthly report and losses capped at the collateral.
Israel or Cyprus for a CFD broker?+
Cyprus, if the clients are in the EU: a CySEC CIF passports across the EU, a dealer holds €750,000, corporate tax is 15% from 2026, and 8-14 months is realistic. Israel is the licence for Israeli clients, with 1:100 on currencies against 30:1 in Cyprus and its paperwork in Hebrew.
Why Prifinance for Israel?+
We settle with you whether the model is a dealing company or a restricted company, then build the Hebrew rulebook, the reports, the IT opinion and the trust account the ISA reviews. The file runs through our Tel Aviv office, in the city where the ISA's 2020 list places its platforms department.
Which licence?+
ISA trading-platform licence.
Products?+
CFDs only; no binary options.
Leverage?+
1:100 FX and gold, 1:40, 1:20.
How long?+
12-18 months planned; ISA timing per case.
Cost?+
NIS 59,385 to apply; from NIS 76,515 a year.
Foreign broker?+
Needs the licence for clients in Israel.
Hebrew?+
Client documents and ISA reports, largely.
Compensation?+
None; trust account and loss cap instead.
Or Cyprus?+
Cyprus for EU clients, Israel for Israeli ones.
Why you?+
Tel Aviv office, Hebrew file built.
Client notes
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