10 Best Forex Brokers in Austria for 2025

Yes, Forex trading is legal in Austria. The Austrian Forex trading market legality is regulated by the Financial Market Authority (FMA). The FMA ensures that Forex brokers engage with Austrian Forex traders legally by checking their compliance with laws, safety protection (like segregated bank accounts), and transparency.

The FMA upholds the legality of the Austrian Forex trading market. The FMA was established in 2002 and operates as an independent supervisory authority. The FMA collaborates with the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to harmonize financial Forex regulations between the Forex market in Austria and the European Forex market.

The Austrian Forex trading legality is regulated by the Securities Supervision Act (Wertpapieraufsichtsgesetz 2018 – WAG 2018), providing the foundation for the FMA’s regulatory framework. The FMA enforces Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations to prevent illicit activities in the Forex market.

In 2019, the FMA imposed a fine of €2.7 million on Meinl Bank AG for breaches of due diligence obligations for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, highlighting the FMA’s commitment to enforcing compliance in financial markets.

To verify FMA authorization of Forex brokers in Austria, first, go to the FMA official website. Second, go to the FMA register of licensed companies. Third, enter the forex broker’s name into the FMA register. Finally, match the broker information with the FMA database information.

First, go to the official FMA website, which contains all the information needed to check the forex brokers compliance to the Austrian FMA.

Second, go to the Company Database (Unternehmensdatenbank) on the FMA website by navigating the top menu. Click on “supervision” and then “search company database”. The database contains all information regarding Forex brokers and financial firms operating within Austria.

Third, insert the Forex broker’s name (or the business name which can be found in the broker’s website footer) into the database by using the “company” text box. If the FMA doesn’t find a match, it means the Forex broker is not regulated by the FMA and may be operating fraudulently.

Finally, check the information of the Forex broker by making sure the broker’s business name is listed and that its license is valid. Click on the Forex broker name to know the details, including where the headquarters is located and what type of activities the broker is allowed to carry out in Austria.

The Financial Market Authority is important because it ensures fair market conditions, oversight, and protection to Forex traders based in Austria. FMA requires Forex brokers in Austria to treat customers fairly, store Forex traders’ money in segregated client accounts, and provide transparent Forex trading services.

The FMA regulation is important as it enforces strict leverage controls to protect inexperienced traders, provides compensation up to €20,000 under the investor compensation scheme for broker insolvencies, and has the power to fine and ban fraudulent brokers from the Austrian trading market. FMA ensures Forex brokers in Austria respect local laws such as the Securities Supervision Act (WAG 2018), the Alternative Investment Fund Manager Act (AIFMG), and the Austrian Banking Act (BWG), ensuring minimum standards, transparency, fairness, and the efficiency of the financial markets in Austria.

The FMA also enforces the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II), which includes provisions on investor protection, transparency, and market integrity.

There are 6 factors to consider when choosing the best Forex broker in Austria. The factors to choose the best Forex broker in Austria are listed below.

1. Check the FMA regulation of the broker: Checking the FMA regulation helps traders to understand if a broker is allowed to sell and promote Forex and CFD trading services in Austria, as well as ensuring the broker respects traders’ privacy when complying with KYC laws.
2. Check the Austrian FX broker reputation: Check if the Austrian Forex broker has negative reviews from users on websites like Trustpilot, and verify on the FMA official website if the broker has received complaints in the past.
3. Check the spreads: Check the minimum and average spreads of the Austrian Forex broker. The average spread in the trading industry is 1 pip calculated on a benchmark on the EUR/USD Forex pair.
4. Check technical features: Check if the Forex broker has servers located in Austria or nearby European countries. Trading servers located in or near Austria help Austrian traders to reduce latency time, improving the slippage ratio of Forex trades.
5. Check the FX broker’s presence in Austria: Check if the Forex broker has offices in Austria. Offices in Austria ensure the broker has a physical location, allowing Austrian authorities to better oversee their financial activities.
6. Check for liquidity providers: Check the Austrian broker’s liquidity provider and their quality. High-quality liquidity providers enable Forex brokers to offer lower and more stable spreads, even during periods of high market volatility.

The table to compare Forex Brokers in Austria is shown below.

brokers	Spreads from	Min. dep	Bonus	Accepts Austrian traders
IC Markets	0 pips	$0	No	Yes
Pepperstone	0 pips	$0	No	Yes
IG Markets	0,6 pips	$300	No	Yes
eToro	1 pip	$100	No	Yes
XM	0 pips	$5	No	Yes

The table to compare Forex Brokers in Austria for spread is shown below.

brokers	EUR/USD avg spread	GBP/USD avg spread	EUR/GBP avg spread
IC Markets	0.62 pips	0.82 pips	0.27 pips
Pepperstone	0.09 pips	0.38 pips	0.41 pips
IG Markets	0.7 pips	1.52 pips	0.9 pips
eToro	1 pip	2 pips	2 pips
XM	0.1 pips	0.2 pips	0.2 pips

The table to compare Forex Brokers in Austria for commission is shown below.

brokers	Commission per lot traded	Inactivity fee	Currency Conversion fee
IC Markets	$7 round turn	No	No
Pepperstone	$7 round turn	No	Yes
IG Markets	No	$12/month	Yes
eToro	No	$10/month	Yes
XM	$7 round turn	$5/month ($15 for the first month)	No

The table to compare Forex Brokers in Austria for popularity is shown below.

brokers	Number of customers	Number of app downloads
IC Markets	N/A	500,000+
Pepperstone	~300,000+	~500,000+
IG Markets	~300,000+	~1,000,000+
eToro	~32,000,000+	~10,000,000+
XM	N/A	1.000.000+

The table to compare Forex Brokers in Austria for inactivity fee is shown below.

brokers	Inactivity fee	Inactivity fee activation time
IC Markets	No	No
Pepperstone	No	No inactivity fee
IG Markets	$12/month	24 months
eToro	$10/month	12 months
XM	$5/month ($15 for the first month)	12 months

The table to compare Forex Brokers in Austria for currency pairs is shown below.

brokers	Number of currency pairs
IC Markets	63
Pepperstone	70
IG Markets	90
eToro	47
XM	57

The table to compare Forex Brokers in Austria for minimum deposit is shown below.

brokers	Minimum deposit
IC Markets	$0
Pepperstone	$0
IG Markets	$300
eToro	$100
XM	$5

The best Forex broker for beginners in Austria is eToro. eToro is the best Forex broker for beginners in Austria due to its unlimited demo account, low minimum deposit of $100, and advanced social/copy trading features, helping traders develop their skills and knowledge by learning from other Forex traders.

The alternatives to eToro as the best Forex brokers for beginners in Austria are AvaTrade for its fixed spreads policy (from 0.9 pips), XTB for its no minimum deposit requirement, and XM for its small minimum trade size available (from 0.01 lots).

Criteria for ranking Forex brokers for beginners in Austria are regulation, ease of use, customer support, and low minimum deposit.

The best Forex broker for volume ranking in Austria is Oanda. Oanda is a globally recognized Forex broker with an average daily transaction volume (ADVT) of over 10.7 billion USD, meaning that Oanda manages approximately 3.9 trillion USD in Forex transactions on average every year.

Other Forex brokers with high ADVT available in Austria are IG Markets, with an average daily transaction volume of 6.8 billion USD, Saxo Bank with an ADVT of 6.7 billion USD, and FxPro with an ADVT of 6.5 billion USD.

Criteria for ranking Forex brokers for volume in Austria is the average daily transaction volume (ADVT). The ADVT is a metric showcasing the total value of all Forex transactions and Forex trades processed by the servers of the Forex broker.

To open a Forex trading account with a broker in Austria, first go to the official website of the Forex broker and ensure it is legitimate. Second, open a trading profile. Third, verify your identity. Fourth, make your first deposit. Finally, wait for the transaction to be processed.

The first step to open a Forex trading account as a trader in Austria is to visit the broker’s official website homepage. Make sure to check the broker’s regulation by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) or other reputable European regulators before creating a demo account.

Secondly, open a trading profile. Opening a demo account in Austria with a Forex broker requires an email, a password, and sometimes a valid phone number.

Thirdly, verify your identity with the Forex broker. Forex brokers in Austria adhere to international AML laws and follow Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines, which require Forex traders based in Austria to submit proof of address with utility bills or bank statements, and proof of identity with an ID card or passport. The KYC verification process in Austria takes between 1 to 5 business days to be processed.

Fourth, deposit money into your account. Forex brokers in Austria require traders to meet the minimum deposit amount required to set up a Forex account. The minimum deposit is often expressed in USD or EUR, which means traders need to calculate the amount in EUR to meet the required minimum once the money reaches the trading account.

Finally, wait for the deposit to be processed. The deposit processing time with Forex brokers in Austria varies between a few hours and a couple of days, depending on the method chosen.

The amount of money needed to start a Forex trading account in Austria ranges from $10 to $1,000. The minimum amount to open a Forex trading account in Austria is $10 with a cent or nano account, increasing to $1,000 for traders wanting to trade with lower or no leverage.

The minimum amount needed to open a Forex trading account in Austria is $10 with a Cent Account with brokers like XM. Forex Cent trading accounts are trading accounts that measure the account balance in cents and allow traders to open trades with less than $1.

The minimum amount required to trade on a Standard Forex trading account with an EU-regulated Forex broker is $33. Forex trading accounts in Austria are limited to 1:30 leverage (3.33% margin), and standard trading accounts don’t allow traders to open trades with volumes below 1 micro lot, or $1,000. The margin needed to open a Forex trade with a standard trading account in Austria is $33 (3.33% margin of $1,000). EU-regulated Forex brokers like Pepperstone require at least $33 to open a trade but suggest a deposit of at least $200 for sustainable trading.

The minimum amount to open a Forex trading account with no leverage in Austria is $1,000, as it allows for trading with 1 micro lot. Micro lots are available with most of the best Forex brokers in Austria, such as IC Markets.

The payment options accepted by Forex Brokers in Austria are listed below.

• Wire Transfers: Wire transfers are always available with EU-regulated Forex brokers. Wire transfers are the most common and reliable deposit method for traders based in Austria.
• Credit Cards: Credit cards are a fast method to deposit money with Forex brokers in Austria. Austrian Forex traders can choose between Visa and Mastercard credit card deposits.
• Debit Cards: Debit cards are a flexible deposit method in Austria as they allow depositing and withdrawing any amount of money. Debit card deposits are available with Visa and Mastercard.
• eWallets: eWallets Forex trading deposits in Austria are available in the form of Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal.
• Local Payment Methods: Some Forex brokers accept local payment methods popular in Austria, such as SOFORT (Klarna) and Giropay, offering fast and convenient transactions.

Wire transfers are reliable and available worldwide, Austria included, but are slower and may charge fees for international wire transfers. Wire transfers are considered international when processed outside the region or country where the Forex broker operates.

Debit card deposits are a flexible deposit method in Austria as they are fast and usually charge low fees. The main difference between depositing with credit cards and debit cards in Austria is that credit card deposits may sometimes incur additional fees.

eWallets are the fastest deposit method to process in Austria but compared to wire transfers and debit/credit cards, they may come with higher fees between 1–3% of the deposit.

The disadvantages of Forex Brokers in Austria are listed below.

• Higher Trading Costs: The Austrian market is not as profitable for Forex brokers due to high regulatory compliance costs, taxes, limitations on leverage, and operational expenses to run businesses in European countries like Austria.
• Limited Leverage: The Forex trading market in Austria is regulated under the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) guidelines, imposing strict leverage limits of 1:30. These leverage limits serve to protect retail investors from excessive risk but also reduce flexibility for experienced traders.

Yes, Forex traders pay taxes in Austria. Forex trading profits in Austria are treated as capital gains tax (Kapitalertragsteuer – KESt) for Austrian retail Forex traders, or income tax if treated as business income. The standard capital gains tax rate in Austria is 27.5%.

For instance, if a trader in Austria has a €10,000 trading account and doubles the equity to €20,000, the trader must pay 27.5% of the €10,000 profit, which amounts to €2,750.

The Forex income tax in Austria varies from 0% to 55% based on the total taxable income. The basic Forex income tax is 20% if the business earns between €11,694 and €19,134. A higher rate of 30% is applied to businesses earning between €19,135 and €32,075. The maximum 55% income tax rate for Forex is applied to businesses whose income is above €1,000,000.

Austrian Forex traders and businesses have a tax allowance of €11,693 in case of income tax. Forex traders based in Austria are subject to capital gains tax on their trading profits, and there is no exemption for spread betting earnings, as spread betting is not tax-free or commonly available in Austria.

The table with the best MetaTrader brokers in Austria is shown below.

brokers	MT4 availability	MT5 availability	Premium tools for MetaTrader	MetaTrader demo	Minimum deposit
IC Markets					$0
Pepperstone	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	$0
IG Markets	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	$300
eToro					$100
XM	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	$5

MetaTrader is a trading platform owned by MetaQuotes and is common among Forex brokers regulated in Austria. MetaQuotes provides two MetaTrader platforms, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), both available for Forex traders in Austria.

The Forex trading statistics for Austria are listed below.

• Retail Traders’ Losses in Austria: Similar to other European countries, approximately 70–80% of retail Forex traders in Austria experience losses when trading CFDs, according to data from EU-regulated brokers.
• Number of Forex Traders in Austria: While exact numbers are not publicly disclosed, Austria has a growing community of Forex traders, albeit smaller compared to major trading hubs like Germany or the UK.
• EUR/USD Trading Volume: The Euro (EUR), Austria’s official currency, is one of the most traded currencies globally. Austrian traders actively participate in trading the EUR/USD pair, which is the most liquid currency pair in the Forex market.
• Regulatory Oversight: Forex trading in Austria is regulated by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), ensuring a secure and transparent trading environment for Austrian traders.
• Use of Trading Platforms: Popular trading platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) are widely used by Austrian traders for their advanced features and user-friendly interfaces.

The Austria-specific Forex terminology that traders should learn includes.

• FMA (Financial Market Authority): The FMA is Austria’s financial regulatory body that oversees Forex brokers and ensures they comply with strict standards to protect traders.
• Euro (EUR): As Austria uses the Euro, understanding the factors that influence the EUR is crucial for Austrian Forex traders.
• Bunds: Refers to German government bonds. Since Austria’s economy is closely linked with Germany’s, movements in Bunds can impact the Euro and are significant for Austrian traders.
• ECB Monetary Policy: The European Central Bank’s policies directly affect the Euro’s value. Austrian traders should stay informed about ECB announcements and interest rate decisions.
• Vienna Stock Exchange (Wiener Börse): While primarily focused on equities, fluctuations in the Austrian stock market can influence investor sentiment and indirectly affect Forex markets.

Yes, Austrian Forex traders can use various trading strategies, including scalping, day trading, swing trading, and algorithmic trading. However, traders should ensure that their chosen strategies comply with their broker’s terms and conditions and adhere to regulatory requirements set by the FMA.

Forex traders in Austria should verify with their brokers if specific trading strategies are permitted. Some brokers may have restrictions on strategies like scalping or hedging. Additionally, traders should stay updated on economic news and events affecting the Euro to make informed trading decisions.

The countries similar to Austria for Forex trading are Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, considering leverage ratios, CFD trading status, investor compensation schemes, availability of negative balance protection, and the presence of retail/professional trader status.

• Germany: Germany shares many similarities with Austria in terms of language, regulatory environment, and trading conditions. Both countries are part of the EU, follow ESMA regulations, and Forex brokers in Germany impose a maximum leverage of 1:30 for retail traders.
• UK: The UK offers a robust regulatory framework and compensation schemes up to 85,000£. UK forex brokers provide trading conditions similar to those in Austria, with high standards of financial regulation.
• Netherlands: The Netherlands, like Austria, is an EU member and adheres to ESMA regulations. Dutch Forex brokers offer similar trading conditions, including leverage limits, negative balance protection, and investor compensation schemes.