A complete guide to CySEC license enquiries

1. Why should I check the CySEC license?

CySEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission) is a key regulatory body under the EU's MiFID framework. Its " Public Directory of Investment Firms (CIFs) " and " Approved Domain Name List " provide direct verification of broker authenticity and consistency with official website domain names, providing crucial evidence for identifying "clone websites/fake licenses." ( Wikipedia , cysec.gov.cy )

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

Step 1: Enter the CySEC Official List (CIF)

• Opens the Investment Firms (Cypriot) directory. This page supports an alphabetical index and the official Excel directory download for easy batch verification.
  👉 CIF Public List (including " CIF REGULATED ENTITIES LIST " and Excel download) ( cysec.gov.cy )

Step 2: Locate the target company in the directory

• Search for the company's full English name or scroll to the first letter group and click on the company details page to view: Licence Number / Licence Date / Company Reg. No. / Address / Email / Telephone , etc.
  For example, the details page for Trading Point of Financial Instruments Ltd (XM) clearly lists fields such as License No. 120/10 and registered address. ( cysec.gov.cy )

Step 3: Exclude "revoked/cancelled" entities

• In the same section, there is also a list of Former Investment Firms (Cypriot) . If a company appears on this list, it means that its license is no longer valid.
  👉Former Investment Firms ( cysec.gov.cy )

Step 4: Check "Approved Domains"

• CySEC has a separate “ List of Approved Domains” which corresponds to the official website domain name of each CIF.
  👉 Approved Domains List

• Exness (Cy) Ltd → www.exness.eu

• Etoro (Europe) Ltd → www.etoro.com

• Trading Point of Financial Instruments Ltd (XM) → www.xm.com , www.trading-point.com
  The above domain names can be found directly in the official list of "Approved Domains". ( cysec.gov.cy )

Step 5: Check investor warnings and the "unauthorized list"

• CySEC publishes warnings about unauthorized/clone websites in the “ Warnings to Investors ” section.
  👉 Warnings to Investors
  Meanwhile, CySEC continues to issue new notices regarding unauthorized websites , recently naming specific domains several times (media reports have also compiled lists). ( cysec.gov.cy , cyprus-mail.com , FX News Group )

Step 6 (optional): EU-level cross-validation

• You can cross-check the registration and activity authorization information of investment companies in EU member states at ESMA Databases & Registers .
  👉 ESMA Databases & Registers ( esma.europa.eu )

III. Example of "Compliance/Risk" Comparison with Evidence

✅ Compliance Example 1: Trading Point of Financial Instruments Ltd (XM)

• CySEC details page : displays company information such as Licence No. 120/10 , address, and contact information.

• Approved domain names : www.xm.com and www.trading-point.com are included in the official Approved Domains list.
  evidence:

• Trading Point company page (120/10). ( cysec.gov.cy )

• Approved Domains list of companies and domain names. ( cysec.gov.cy )

✅ Compliance Example 2: eToro (Europe) Ltd

• CySEC company page : displays Licence No. 109/10 , company address, email address, etc.

• Approved Domains : www.etoro.com is listed in Approved Domains .
  evidence:

• eToro (Europe) Ltd company page (109/10). ( cysec.gov.cy )

• Approved Domains list corresponding entry. ( cysec.gov.cy )

✅ Compliance Example 3: Exness (Cy) Ltd

• CySEC company page : displays Licence No. 178/12 and registration information.

• Approved Domains : www.exness.eu is listed in the Approved Domains .
  evidence:

• Exness (Cy) Ltd company page (178/12). ( cysec.gov.cy )

• Approved Domains list corresponding entry. ( cysec.gov.cy )

❌ Risk Examples: Unauthorized Websites Recently Named by CySEC (Selected)

• CySEC has recently issued multiple announcements (media coverage) regarding lists of unauthorized trading websites , including enfodns.com, ca-xe.pro, and kamislaran.com , all of which are not authorized by CySEC. Investors who see these domains on the warnings page or in announcements should avoid them immediately. ( FX News Group )

⚠️High -risk signals :
1) The company is not found in the CIF Directory; 2) It appears in the Former Investment Firms or has an abnormal status;
3) The official website domain name is not on the Approved Domains list; 4) It is listed in the Warnings /Notices. ( cysec.gov.cy )

4. Common Misunderstandings (Lightning Protection Checklist)

• Look only at the "license number" and not the company page : You must verify the company name + license number + address on the CySEC company details page, not just the official website claims. ( cysec.gov.cy )

• Ignore "approved domains" : Many cloned websites use real company names and license numbers, but the domains are not on the official list. Be sure to check the Approved Domains ( cysec.gov.cy )

• I didn't check "Former Investment Firms" : If the entity has been converted to a "former investment firm," it no longer has current retail qualifications. ( cysec.gov.cy )

• Mistakenly trusting a "fake CySEC website/certificate" : CySEC has issued an " Important Warning " about counterfeit websites and fake listings, so be vigilant. ( cysec.gov.cy )

5. One-step checklist (can be attached to risk control SOP)

1. Find the company in the CIF directory and open its details page → copy down its License No. / Address / Email . ( cysec.gov.cy )

2. Check whether Former Investment Firms have been revoked/deregistered. ( cysec.gov.cy )

3. Approved Domains refers to the official website domain name (including the secondary domain path). ( cysec.gov.cy )

4. Check the Warnings page to see if the domain name/brand has been named. ( cysec.gov.cy )

5. (Optional) Cross-verify EU authorizations and public information with the ESMA Registers ( esma.europa.eu )

VI. Conclusion

CySEC provides a complete, auditable, and publicly available chain of evidence: company details page → list of former investment companies → approved domain name list → warnings/announcements . By strictly following these steps, you can quickly rule out clones and unlicensed websites. In recent announcements, CySEC has repeatedly named unauthorized websites, reminding investors to rely on the official list and approved domain names . ( cysec.gov.cy , cyprus-mail.com )