Admirals review: is it safe for gold trading?
Founded 2001 · Tallinn, Estonia
- Score (other countries)
- 40 · D
- Best score
- 85 · United Kingdom
- Tier 1–2 for you in
- 4 / 22 countries
- Trader Voice
- 78
- Platforms
- MT4 · MT5 · Own
On this page
Is Admirals safe?
Admirals is a 25-year-old broker headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. The group has 5 regulated companies (CySEC, FCA, ASIC, FSCA, FSA). How safe it is for you depends on which one opens your account: in 4 of the 22 countries we cover that is a Tier 1–2 regulated company. Elsewhere it is Admirals SC Ltd (FSA, Tier 4 · light offshore).
Regulation and licences
| Company | Regulator | Regulator tier | Licence | Retail clients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admirals Europe Ltd | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission ↗ Cyprus (EU) | Tier 2 · strong | Pending check | Yes |
| Admirals UK Ltd | Financial Conduct Authority ↗ United Kingdom | Tier 1 · strictest | Pending check | Yes |
| Admirals AU Pty Ltd | Australian Securities and Investments Commission ↗ Australia | Tier 1 · strictest | Pending check | Yes |
| Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd | Financial Sector Conduct Authority ↗ South Africa | Tier 2 · strong | Pending check | Yes |
| Admirals SC Ltd | Financial Services Authority ↗ Seychelles | Tier 4 · light offshore | Pending check | Yes |
Each regulator name links to its own public register. Search the exact company name from your account agreement there before you deposit. How to verify a licence
Which company holds your account
Admirals assigns clients to different companies depending on where they live. This is the company, regulator and score you would get in each country we cover.
| If you live in | Your account is held by | Regulator | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other countries | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| United States | Not accepted | — | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Admirals UK Ltd | FCA T1 | A+85 | 9 / 13 |
| EU / EEA | Admirals Europe Ltd | CySEC T2 | B+74 | 13 / 20 |
| Australia | Admirals AU Pty Ltd | ASIC T1 | A79 | 11 / 20 |
| Canada | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 17 / 20 |
| Singapore | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 17 / 20 |
| Malaysia | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| Indonesia | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 15 / 19 |
| Thailand | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| Vietnam | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| Philippines | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| India | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| Japan | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 18 / 21 |
| Hong Kong | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 15 / 19 |
| UAE | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 16 / 18 |
| South Africa | Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd | FSCA T2 | B59 | 9 / 18 |
| Kenya | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| Nigeria | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| South Korea | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| Turkey | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| Mongolia | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
| Brazil | Admirals SC Ltd | FSA T4 | D40 | 14 / 18 |
Scores are provisional until our cost, news-spread and withdrawal tests are in. T1 = strictest regulator tier, T5 = company registration only. Licence details pending register check.
Trading gold with Admirals
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, Own platform
- Minimum gold order
- 0.01 lot (1 oz)
- Swap-free account
- Yes
- Minimum deposit
- $25
- Round-trip cost, 1 lot XAUUSD
- Not measured yet
- Spread widening at NFP
- Not measured yet
- Withdrawal time
- Not measured yet
- Overnight swap, 1 lot long
- Not measured yet
Cost, news-spread and withdrawal tests run on live accounts from our gold cost lab. Results appear here as each broker is tested. Gold pip value calculator · Margin calculator
Fees, deposits and withdrawals
What the broker publishes about deposits, withdrawals and fees. These are the broker’s own terms, collected from independent reviews and the broker’s pages, not our lab measurements.
- Minimum deposit
- 100 USD/EUR
- Inactivity fee
- 10 EUR per month after 24 months without activity
- Deposit fee
- Free except Skrill (0.9%)
- Withdrawal fee
- Two free withdrawals per month, then a fee
- Withdrawal time
- Instant to 3 business days
- Account types
- Trade (commission-free) · Zero (commission) · Islamic · Pro
- Raw account commission
- Zero account charges a commission per lot (amount varies by entity)
- Payment methods
- Bank transfer · Visa/Mastercard · Skrill · Local methods by region
- A 2021 EUR 32,000 fine from the Estonian regulator was annulled by the courts
- Parent publishes audited financial reports
Checked 2026-11-05. Terms change; confirm on the broker’s site before you deposit.
Regulatory record
Fine2022 · Finantsinspektsioon (Estonia) · Admiral Markets AS
EUR 20,000 fine for errors in mandatory transaction reporting
Source ↗
Fines and regulator orders in the last five years reduce the protection score: −4 each, up to −12. Self-reported breaches that were compensated, and public warnings, are shown but not scored.
Score breakdown
For clients in countries without a local licence (account held by Admirals SC Ltd): 40 / 100 · Measured so far: 45 of 100 weight points
Protection you actually get · 35%
30- Your entity’s regulator (FSA) is Tier 4 (light offshore)+16
- Negative balance protection promised by the broker only+6
- Holds at least one Tier 1 licence in the group+6
- 25 years in business+6
- Regulatory fines or orders in the last five years (1)-4
Gold trading cost · 25%
Not measured yetExecution under stress · 15%
Not measured yetMoney in and out · 15%
Not measured yetPlatforms and gold conditions · 10%
75- MetaTrader 4+20
- MetaTrader 5+20
- Own platform+5
- 0.01-lot minimum order+15
- Swap-free account available+15
Pros and cons
Pros
- Retail clients can be served by Tier 1 regulated companies (FCA, ASIC).
- In 4 of the 22 countries we cover, your account would sit with a Tier 1–2 regulated company.
- Offers both MT4 and MT5.
- Swap-free account available.
- 25 years in business.
Cons
- Licence details come from the broker’s own pages; our register check is not finished.
- Clients outside its licensed countries are onboarded to Admirals SC Ltd (FSA), a light offshore regulator.
What traders say
The Trader Voice score sits beside our expert score and is never mixed into it. It combines public review scores with ratings from our own readers.
Trader Voice
78
Expert score (other countries): 40
Our readers
No reader ratings yet. Be the first below.
What reviewers praise
- Fast, professional support
- Smooth deposits and withdrawals
- Easy, reliable app
- Low trading costs
What reviewers complain about
- Strict verification and source-of-funds checks
- Unexpected account closures
- Allegations of withheld funds (disputed by the broker)
…
Trustpilot scores reflect who a broker invites to review, so we temper them with the share of one-star reviews. Reader ratings count after an account is 72 hours old; one rating per account per broker. Full methodology and data rules
Trader evidence
What readers report from their own accounts: how long withdrawals took, complaints whose evidence our editors checked, and corrections to our data. Nobody can pay to remove a complaint.
Median withdrawal time
—
No reports yet
Arrived within 24 hours
—
Verified complaints
0
0 resolved
…
Questions
Is Admirals safe for gold trading?
Admirals is a 25-year-old broker headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. The group has 5 regulated companies (CySEC, FCA, ASIC, FSCA, FSA). How safe it is for you depends on which one opens your account: in 4 of the 22 countries we cover that is a Tier 1–2 regulated company. Elsewhere it is Admirals SC Ltd (FSA, Tier 4 · light offshore).
Is Admirals regulated?
Yes. Admirals Europe Ltd is regulated by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (Cyprus (EU)). Admirals UK Ltd is regulated by Financial Conduct Authority (United Kingdom). Admirals AU Pty Ltd is regulated by Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Australia). Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd is regulated by Financial Sector Conduct Authority (South Africa). Admirals SC Ltd is regulated by Financial Services Authority (Seychelles). These details are from the broker’s legal pages and our register check is still pending.
Which countries does Admirals not accept?
Of the countries we cover, Admirals does not accept residents of United States.
Does Admirals offer MT4, MT5 or TradingView for gold?
Admirals offers MT4, MT5, its own platform. The minimum gold order is 0.01 lot.
Does Admirals have a swap-free account?
Yes. Check the account terms: many swap-free accounts charge an admin fee once a position is held for a few days.
What is the Admirals minimum deposit?
$25 on the standard account, according to the broker.
Alternatives
See also
Best brokers by country
Data checked: November 2026 · Sources: [1]
CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Ratings are our opinion, based on the data and rules described in the methodology. They are not investment advice.