Contrary to what you might have heard, there are plenty of Forex / CFD brokers which accept Netherlands residents as clients. I’ve looked at the best Forex brokers in the Netherlands in detail and compiled the shortlist below. Read on to find the best Forex broker for you, and to learn some important facts about trading in the Netherlands.
- Eightcap, Competitive pricing + excellent daily videos.
- BlackBull Markets, Best ECN trading environment, with scalping and hedging.
- AvaTrade, Highly regulated, choice of fixed or floating spreads.
- FP Markets, ECN trading with leverage up to 1:500.
- Pepperstone, Great ECN execution on MT4 platform.
The Most Trusted Trading Platforms in the Netherlands
Eightcap
In Summary Competitive pricing + excellent daily videosEightcap established itself among the best Forex brokers due to its superb trading infrastructure, excellent order execution amid deep liquidity, competitive fees, and cutting-edge trading tools. Manual traders get a well-designed AI-powered economic calendar, and Eightcap upgrades MT4 via Capitalise AI, which enables algorithmic trading in a code-free environment. MT5 traders benefit from Flash Trader, while the dedicated cryptocurrency solution Crypto Crusher caters to cryptocurrency traders.
Copy traders get the embedded MT4/MT5 services, and Eightcap connects social traders to the active TradingView community. Beginner traders get an outstanding educational and research offering via Eightcap Labs and Eightcap Trade Zone.
Pros & Cons
- Low minimum deposit and high leverage of up to 1:500
- Competitive cost structure
- Excellent technology infrastructure and seasoned management team
- Daily research and quality educational content
- Limited leverage in some areas
BlackBull Markets
In Summary Best ECN trading environment, with scalping and hedgingBlackBull Markets was founded in 2014 in New Zealand. Like many antipodean Forex brokers, BlackBull Markets is an ECN broker, offering raw spreads and commissions. They are regulated in New Zealand by the Financial Services Providers Register (FSPR) and offer a maximum leverage on some Forex currency pairs as high as 500 to 1. In addition to their global headquarters in New Zealand, BlackBull Markets also has presences in the form of branch offices in New York and Malaysia. BlackBull Markets offers a relatively tight range of tradable assets: 27 Forex currency pairs and crosses, gold, silver, crude oil, natural gas, and 6 major equity indices. That should be sufficient for those traders with more focused strategies not requiring wide diversification.
Pros & Cons
- ECN/NDD execution model with deep liquidity
- Institution-grade pricing for retail traders via proprietary price aggregation
- ZuluTrade and Myfxbook for social trading
- Leverage of up to 1:500
- Limited deposit options
AvaTrade
In Summary Highly regulated, choice of fixed or floating spreadsAvaTrade ranks among the best online brokers in the Netherlands provides due to a quality choice of trading platforms. They include upgraded MT4/MT5 platforms for algorithmic traders, the proprietary web based AvaTrade WebTrader, AvaOptions, and mobile app AvaTradeGO. Social traders can use integrated MT4/MT5 services, Ava Social, ZuluTrade, or DupliTrade.
Traders also benefit from a balanced asset selection, where equity CFD traders get the most assets, including ETFs, while vanilla options support complex trading strategies for advanced traders. AvaTrade is also home to a highly lucrative partnership program with 70,000+ partners from 150+ counties and 250M+ commission payouts, ideal for passive income generation. Beginner traders get quality educational content and market commentary, plus the high-quality, spun-out trading academy SharpTrader.
Pros & Cons
- High-quality educational offering via SharpTrader
- Excellent choice of trading platforms catering to various trading needs
- Broad asset selection and cross-asset diversification opportunities
- Well-regulated and trusted broker with oversight from a central bank
- Trading costs competitive but nothing special
FP Markets
In Summary ECN trading with leverage up to 1:500fpmarkets is an ASIC-regulated Australian brokerage which launched in 2005. For most traders, the unique selling point of this broker is in the extremely wide range of tradable assets offered, providing the opportunity to trade over ten thousand individual stocks and shares including publicly quoted Hong Kong and Australian companies. Ffpmarkets also offers 60 Forex pairs and crosses, 11 equity indices, the major commodities, and 5 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin. fpmarkets offers an unusual hybrid ECN/STP execution model, meaning their clients can choose between ECN style of execution giving a very high level of speed, and a “straight through processing” execution style which allows for more “natural” spreads.
Pros & Cons
- Choice of trading platforms and auxiliary trading tools
- Very competitive cost structure and excellent asset selection
- Low minimum deposit requirement and leverage of up to 1:500
- Well-regulated and trustworthy
- Availability of Iress geographically restricted
Pepperstone
In Summary Great ECN execution on MT4 platformThe best online broker in the Netherlands ranking is incomplete without Pepperstone, where traders receive one of the most competitive MT4/MT5 trading environments due to the Smart Trader Tools upgrade, consisting of twenty-eight add-ons plus the Autochartist plugin. It also offers cTrader, the leader for ECN trading, API trading for advanced solutions, and Capitalise AI, a code-free environment to automate trading.
Pepperstone supports social trading via integrated services in MT4, MT5, cTrader, Myfxbook Autotrade, and DupliTrade. The active TradingView community is also available. The balanced asset selection consists of 1,200+ instruments, a competitive commission-based cost structure, and a volume-based rebate program. Beginners get quality educational content and market commentary created by its in-house analytics team and in partnership with FX Evolution.
Pros & Cons
- Excellent choice of trading platforms consisting of MT4/MT5, and cTrader
- Market-leading MT4/MT5 upgrade package, Autochartist, and API trading
- Social trading support via Myfxbook, MetaTrader Signals, and DupliTrade
- Leverage of up to 1:30 and superb trade execution
- Demo accounts have 30-day time limits
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Regulators | ASIC, CySEC, FCA, SCB | FMA, FSA | ASIC, BVI, Central Bank of Ireland, FFAJ, FSCA, KNF, MiFID | ASIC, CySEC, FSCA | ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, SCB |
Year Established | 2009 | 2014 | 2006 | 2005 | 2010 |
Execution Type(s) | ECN/STP, Market Maker | ECN/STP, No Dealing Desk | Market Maker | ECN/STP | No Dealing Desk, NDD |
Minimum Deposit | |||||
Average Trading Cost EUR/USD | 1.0 pips | 1.3 pips | 0.9 pips | 1.1 pips | 1.1 pips |
Average Trading Cost GBP/USD | 1.2 pips | 2.0 pips | 1.5 pips | 1.4 pips | 1.6 pips |
Average Trading Cost Gold | $0.12 | $0.90 | $0.29 | $0.21 | $0.20 |
Trading Platform(s) | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Trading View | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Trading View | Other, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, Web-based+ | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, Proprietary platform, Web-based | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, Trading View |
Islamic Account | |||||
Negative Balance Protection | N/A | ||||
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website |
Is Forex Trading Legal in the Netherlands?
Yes, Forex trading is legal in the Netherlands. Traders resident in Holland can trade Forex and other markets, including futures, stocks, CFDs, options, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. There are regulatory and legal issues affecting brokers, but Netherlands residents do not face any legal hurdles, provided of course that profits are declared for tax purposes.
Do Forex Traders Pay Tax in the Netherlands?
Traders may have to pay tax depending on the nature of their trading and the value of their assets. The rules can change, and professional advice should always be taken from qualified individuals.
- Owning shares, crypto assets, or occasional trading of Forex is reported in “Box 3,” and the first €50,000 of assets are tax-free. After that, the box 3 tax rate is assessed against a hypothetical yield, not on actual gains.
- However, if trading or speculating activities exceed normal, active asset management, then there is a risk of the activity being deemed as ‘entrepreneurship’ and being taxed in “Box 1” with a tax rate on actual net income and net gains.
Forex Regulations in the Netherlands
The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) regulates the entire financial markets sector in the Netherlands, including Forex and other financial markets brokers.
Which brokers can legally offer services to Dutch traders?
- AFM allows brokers based in the Netherlands or the European Economic Area to offer services to Dutch residents, but AFM regulates the two categories differently.
Brokers based in the Netherlands:
- AFM directly regulates Forex brokers based in the Netherlands, which means they must comply with Dutch financial market regulations.
Brokers from the European Economic Area (the European Union + Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland):
- European Economic Area brokers outside the Netherlands must first have a European passport. The AFM registers the broker before they can offer services in the Netherlands.
- Remember, the AFM does not directly regulate European brokers (unless they have a branch office in the Netherlands)—it only provides a license to operate in the Netherlands.
- European brokers with an AFM license are subject to supervision by their home countries’ regulators, not the AFM.
- A Dutch resident with a complaint against a European broker must first go to the broker’s domestic regulator for a resolution.
Where can I get more information on regulations for the Netherlands?
- You can read more about broker licenses and European passports at AFM.
- For further questions, you can contact AFM.
Dutch regulations key takeaway:
- Both Dutch and European brokers can offer services to Dutch residents, but a broker’s home country’s regulations apply in this case. Make sure that you are satisfied with your home country’s regulations if taking this route, such as operating capital requirements for brokers, dispute resolutions, and rules for client funds.
Cryptocurrencies in the Netherlands
- The AFM allows Cryptocurrency trading, and many brokers offer Crypto trading to Dutch residents.
- Trading Crypto assets can be subject to tax on any profits, like trading other assets such as stocks.
Islamic Accounts in the Netherlands
What is an Islamic account?
- Islamic accounts, also known as “swap-free accounts,” do not pay or earn interest in line with Shariah rules prohibiting riba (interest).
Are there different fees instead of interest?
- Yes. Instead of interest, Islamic accounts can charge:
- A flat rate financing charge or admin fee on trades open for more than 1 day.
- Increased spreads.
Can you trade any market with Islamic accounts?
- Brokers typically restrict you from trading some markets with an Islamic account, such as cryptocurrencies and exotic Forex pairs, e.g., involving the South African Rand or Mexican Peso.
Islamic Account key takeaway:
- If you are interested in an Islamic trading account, make sure you can trade the types of markets you want in this account type, and that you are comfortable with brokers’ fees that replace interest.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Broker in the Netherlands
Quality of execution:
- Next to regulation, this should one of the most significant factors in choosing a broker. Trade execution should be fast with low slippage.
Trading costs and fees:
- Commissions and spreads make up trading costs, and you want these to be as low as possible without sacrificing good execution.
Support:
- Some brokers only offer email support, and others also offer phone support.
- Some brokers offer live support 24 hours a day, and others only during certain hours.
Deposit & withdrawal methods:
- Brokers offer a variety of methods to deposit and withdraw funds, from wire transfers, credit cards, and PayPal. Find a broker offering at least one method that suits you.
Netherlands Trading Advantages
- The Netherlands is in one of the best time zones in the world for trading Forex, with the London, European, and New York opens easily tradeable during normal daytime business hours.
- The AFM only allows Forex brokers in the Netherlands or European Economic Area to provide services to Dutch residents. When looking for the best online broker in the Netherlands, you can be assured of a solid minimum level of regulation and safety of client funds.
Trading with Netherlands Brokers
- Decide first if you want a broker in the Netherlands or a European broker with a passport and license to operate in the Netherlands. The AFM will only directly regulate Netherlands brokers (or a broker with a Netherlands branch office). European brokers are regulated by their home countries’ regulators.
- Then consider factors such as execution, available markets, and trading platforms to help you find the best online broker in the Netherlands.
Bottom Line
The Netherlands has an effective regulatory framework to promote fair and transparent trading conditions. Dutch traders can legally access Forex, shares, futures, crypto and other markets from Dutch and European brokers.
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