DFSA Regulatory License Inquiry Steps | How to Verify a Forex Platform is Regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority

1. Why should I check my DFSA license?

The DFSA (Dubai Financial Services Authority) is an independent regulator of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), specifically responsible for supervising companies providing financial services within the DIFC.

Importance of checking DFSA licence:

• Fund security : Only companies authorized by the DFSA can legally provide financial services within the DIFC.

• Identifying Black Platforms : A large number of overseas platforms falsely claim to be “regulated in Dubai”, but are not registered with the DFSA.

• Investment reference : Different license categories represent different business scopes (foreign exchange, fund management, investment consulting, etc.).

📌 Official website:

• DFSA Public Register

2. Quick Verification Steps (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Enter the DFSA Public Register 👉 Open the DFSA Public Register .

Step 2: Enter key information

• Company full English name

• or DFSA License Number

Step 3: Confirm license status

• Status : Authorised (valid) / Withdrawn (withdrawn) / Suspended (suspended)

• License Category : Fund Management / Dealing in Investments / Advising on Financial Products, etc.

• Permitted Activities : Verify whether the company is authorized to engage in foreign exchange, CFDs or asset management

Step 4: Check basic company information

• Are the address and contact information consistent with the official website?

• Is the operating domain name included in the registration information?

Step 5: Identify suspicious situations

• If the search yields no results → Highly suspicious

• If it shows "Withdrawn" or "Suspended" → Not compliant

Step 6: Cross-third-party verification

• 🔗 DIFC Registrar of Companies to check company registration information

• Check whether the directors and registered address are consistent with the DFSA data

3. Practical Cases

✅ Compliance case: Emirates NBD Asset Management Limited

• Firm Name : Emirates NBD Asset Management Limited

• Status : Authorized

• License Category ：Fund Management

• DFSA registration page : DFSA enquiry results

• Official website : 🔗 Emirates NBD official website

• Conclusion : Information matching → Compliance✅

❌ Risk Case: Black Platform Pretending to Be “Dubai Regulated”

• Company statement : The official website claims to be "regulated in Dubai".

• Verification result : No record in DFSA Public Register .

• Conclusion : False advertising → High risk ❌

4. Common Misconceptions

1. Confusion between DIFC and other UAE regulators

• The Central Bank of the UAE and ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) are not DFSAs.

• Only companies registered in the DIFC and authorised by the DFSA are regulated by the DFSA.

2. fictitious license plate number

• Black platforms often forge a “License No.”, but this number cannot be found in the DFSA system.

3. The official website does not match the registration

• The registered address is shown in DIFC, but the official website contact information is overseas.

5. Investor Recommendations

• Before investing, you must check whether the company is an Authorised Firm on the DFSA Public Register.

• Be wary of vague terms such as “Dubai Regulated”, which do not necessarily mean DFSA regulation .

• Cross-verification of three elements: company name + license number + address.

• If you encounter false advertising or no results, you should stay away immediately.

VI. Conclusion

The DFSA is one of the most internationally reputable regulators in the Middle East.

• Compliant firms (such as Emirates NBD Asset Management Limited) can be easily verified in the DFSA system.

• Non-compliant companies often use the name “Dubai” to confuse the public, but cannot be verified through the DFSA public register.

Investors must strictly follow the step-by-step process to verify and ensure the safety of funds.

📌Further reading

• 🔗 FCA Register Official Inquiry

• ASIC Connect license query

• 🔗 NFA BASIC Official Inquiry

• 🔗 MAS Directory Official Search

• 🔗 SFC Public Register Official Inquiry

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