Is Admirals Regulated in Germany? Is it Legit? - TU Expert review
A license is crucial for a broker, providing the legal framework for its operations and confirming compliance with established financial oversight regulations in each country. In light of this, many traders in Germany wonder, “Is Admirals operating legally in Germany? Is it legitimate?”
TU experts have investigated all aspects of Admirals operations and are prepared to answer questions regarding the broker's regulation and legality of operation in Germany.
Short summary about the broker Admirals
Admirals was founded in 2001. In more than 20 years of operation, a regional Estonian broker has grown into an international financial group of companies providing access to over-the-counter markets in more than 130 countries, as well as to exchange-traded stock instruments. Following the 2021 rebranding, Admirals became Admirals. The updated platform received new integrated risk management solutions.
The Admirals group of companies comprises:
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Admirals AU Pty Ltd.
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Admirals UK Ltd.
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Admirals Cyprus Ltd.
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Admirals AS Jordan Ltd.
Regulators of the Admirals group of companies include FCA (UK, 595450), CySEC (Cyprus, 201/13), ASIC (Australia, 410681), JSC (Jordan, 57026), and CIPC (South Africa, 2019 / 620981 / 07).
| 💰 Account currency: | ASIC - AUD, USD. FCA - EUR, USD, GBP, CHF, RUB. CySEC - EUR, USD, GBP, CHF, BGN, RON, PLN, HUF, HRK, CZK. JSC - EUR, USD, JOD, AED, GBP. |
| 🚀 Minimum deposit: | $1 — $100, $250 |
| ⚖️ Leverage: | Up to 1:20-1:30 for retail traders subject to the asset type, up to 1:10-1:500 for professional traders, and up to 1:10-1:500 for all traders with JSC. |
| 💱 Spread: | From 0-0.5 pips. |
| 🔧 Instruments: | stocks, ETFs, as well as CFDs on currency pairs, commodities, stocks, indices, bonds, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. |
| 💹 Margin Call / Stop Out: | 50% for retail traders and 30% for professional traders. |
Pros and cons of Admirals
👍 Advantages of trading with Admirals:
•5,000+ trading assets, with stock assets trading on exchange markets available.
•The company’s proprietary social trading platform (copy trading).
•Relatively tight spreads on most assets.
•The company’s own Supreme Edition plug-in for MT4 and MT5, which expands their technical and chart functionality.
•FCA and CySec licenses, which are the most reputable regulators.
•Compensation fund with insurance coverage of up to €20,000 per trader.
•Relatively low initial deposit that provides for opening trades within risk management subject to leverage.
👎 Disadvantages of Admirals:
•Restrictions on leverage for retail traders without the “professional” status as required by regulators.
•Withdrawal fee is charged.
Why is it important for a broker to have the license in Germany?
A financial license is the key document for any broker. It confirms that the company complies with the requirements of the financial regulator and observes the law. It is important for traders to choose a broker registered their jurisdiction for the following reasons:
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Any claim is filed at the place of the broker’s registration. Accordingly, in case any dispute arises, it will be easier for the trader to file a claim.
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A license issued in Germany guarantees that the broker operates in compliance with the laws of this country and reports to the local regulatory authorities.
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Traders can claim compensation under the government programs of deposit guarantees in case the broker experiences financial problems.
It is also possible to choose a broker that is not regulated in Germany. In that case, however, the company must have a license from a reliable regulator, for example of an EU country, the UK, USA, Australia, etc.
Is Admirals regulated in Germany? Broker’s license
Security (Protection for Investors)
Information
The Admirals group comprises several companies operating in different jurisdictions. This separation allows the broker to provide its services in more than 130 countries without violating local laws. The group regulators and corresponding security measures are:
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FCA (UK). The broker operates in compliance with the European MiFID directive, which defines the rules of providing financial services. In the event of the bank’s bankruptcy where clients' money is held, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is provided for traders with an insurance coverage of up to GBP 85,000 per client.
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CySEC (Cyprus). The broker operates in compliance with the MiFID Directive. Clients' money is held separately from the broker's money in European banks. The broker is a member of the IFC Compensation Fund with coverage of up to €20,000. Professional clients are insured against a negative balance in the amount of up to €50,000.
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ASIC (Australia). Segregation: Clients' money is held by Westpac Banking Corporation. The broker annually undergoes an external audit and is a member of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).
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JSC (Jordan) and CIPC (South Africa). Availability of licenses means that brokers are controlled by local regulators.
👍 Advantages
- Licenses of some of the most reputable regulators in the world
- Regular external audit
- Availability of the compensation fund
👎 Disadvantages
- It is difficult for private traders to file a complaint. Regulators generally consider only collective claims. Complaints from private traders can be ignored
Brokerage fees
TU experts have analyzed trading conditions (spreads and fees) of the Admirals group of companies. Results are provided as a list:
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Spreads and fees are not subject to the broker. It means that liquidity providers are the same for the entire group.
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The Zero MT4/MT5 account has a fixed fee per 1 full standard lot. Forex and metals are charged with a fee ranging from $1.8 to $3 per 1 lot. Energies are charged with a $1 fee per lot. The fee is indicated per one transaction, thus it is doubled when closing a trade.
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There is a $0.02 fee per transaction for trading stocks and ETFs.
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There is a withdrawal fee which is subject to the payment system and the broker. Its minimum ranges from $1 to $15. All withdrawal fees are discussed in detail in the following blocks.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commission |
| Trade MT4/MT5 | from $5 | Yes |
| Zero MT4/MT5 | from $0 | Yes |
| Zero MT4/MT5 | from $0 | Yes |
Brokers that are similar to Admirals
In addition to Admirals, also other brokers from this jurisdiction have the license of Germany. Admirals has many competitors, and before you start working with this broker, you need to compare it to other companies. TU analysts have prepared a comparison of brokers that operate in the Germany market and have a license of this or another reliable jurisdiction.
Comparison of Admirals with other Brokers
| Admirals | RoboForex | Pocket Option | Exness | XM Group | FxGlory | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trading platform |
MT4, MT5, WebTrader, Mobile platforms |
MT4, MT5, R MobileTrader, R StocksTrader, R WebTrader |
Pocket Option, MT5, MT4 |
Exness Trade App (mobile), Exness Terminal (web), MetaTrader5, MetaTrader4 |
MT4, MT5, MobileTrading, XM App |
MT4, MobileTrading, MT5 |
Min deposit |
$250 |
$10 |
$5 |
$10 |
$5 |
$1 |
Leverage |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
Trust management |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Accrual of % on the balance |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
8.00%% |
Spread |
From 0.5 points |
From 0 points |
From 1.2 point |
From 1 point |
From 0.6 points |
From 2 points |
Level of margin call / stop out |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Execution of orders |
Exchange execution, Market Execution |
Market Execution, Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution, Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Instant Execution, Market Execution |
No deposit bonus |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Cent accounts |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Is it safe to trade with Admirals in Germany?
Admirals is quite popular in Germany. The broker does not have a license of the local financial regulatory authority, but it is regulated in a reliable jurisdiction. Therefore, this company can be trusted. The trading conditions of Admirals are rather beneficial compared to competitors. Accordingly, trading with this company is a good decision.
FAQ
How do I check a broker’s license?
Brokers should provide their license on their official website. It is also recommended to check it on the official website of the financial regulatory authority.
Does a broker need to have an official representative office in Germany?
Yes. According to the rules of Germany, brokers must have an office in Germany. This is a mandatory condition for obtaining the license.
Can the license issued by Germany be considered reliable protection against fraud?
Yes. The rules of the financial regulator of Germany are very strict, which makes obtaining a license in this jurisdiction extremely difficult for scammers.
What kind of information should a broker provide for traders?
On their official websites, brokers must provide the name of the managing company, r egistration certificate, legal address and internal regulatory documents.
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Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Dr. BJ Johnson is a PhD in English Language and an editor with over 15 years of experience. He earned his degree in English Language in the U.S and the UK. In 2020, Dr. Johnson joined the Traders Union team. Since then, he has created over 100 exclusive articles and edited over 300 articles of other authors.