Ultimate guide to Forex trading in Sri Lanka and list of the best brokers

The Forex market in Sri Lanka has no regulation since trading Forex is illegal in the country. There is an institution that oversees the financial markets of Sri Lanka – the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, or CBSL. However, CBSL is not concerned with Forex trading, and there is no separate independent entity monitoring the securities and exchange markets. Therefore, CBSL administers all financial regulations applicable to Sri Lankan brokers and passes laws that prohibit trading foreign exchange currency pairs for Sri Lankan residents. Therefore, those Sri Lankans who want to join the Forex trading community have to bear in mind that it is considered an illegal activity in the country.

Since it is impossible for Sri Lanka to produce local brokerage companies, due to the legal framework existing in the country, most Forex traders rely on international brokers with regulations from the regional market authorities. There are numerous market regulators in Asia that license the brokers operating in Sri Lanka including the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the Financial Services Agency of Japan (FSA), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

The domestic currency Sri Lankan rupee, LKR, on the other hand, is not to be found among the tradable Forex assets. However, Sri Lankan Forex traders often trade on Singapore Dollars which is one of the most common Forex assets found within the portfolios of best Forex brokers Sri Lanka.

Furthermore, since trading Forex in Sri Lanka is not legal the traders cannot file their Forex earnings for taxation purposes. Therefore, we can say that trading Forex cannot be taxed in the country. Those who decide to trade Forex need to keep in mind to avoid Forex transactions going through local banks. Fortunately, the residents of Sri Lanka can access numerous online payment methods like Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal to deposit and withdraw their funds with the brokers. Even though the brokers do not charge for deposits and withdrawals, the payment solution providers might demand a transaction cost depending on how quickly you expect your transaction to be processed.

Check out the best Forex brokers in Sri Lanka

As we mentioned, you cannot find legally approved or accredited brokerage companies in Sri Lanka. However, you can definitely seek the brokers that are regulated by regional financial authorities and operate with Sri Lankan traders. Most of the top Forex brokers in Sri Lanka will be authorized by either SEBI, FSA, MAS, or SFC, which are the main regulatory bodies in the Asian region. Below is the list of the authorized Forex brokers that accept clients from Sri Lanka.

XM Group

XM Forex Review

Minimum deposit

5$

Regulation

CySEC, FCA, ASIC

Bonus

30$, 50%+20%

Maximum leverage

1:1000

Year founded

2009

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, WebTrader

AvaTrade

Review of AvaTrade – Broker with over 15 years of experience

Minimum deposit

$100

Regulation

CySEC, CBI, FSA, FFAJ, BVI FSC, FSCA, FSRA

Bonus

Maximum leverage

1:400

Year founded

2006

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, WebTrader, AvaTradeGO

SAXO Bank

SAXO Bank Forex Review

Minimum deposit

USD 5,000

Regulation

FINMA, FCA, ASIC, FSA, MAS, AFM

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:30

Year founded

1992

Trading platform

SaxoTraderGo, SaxoTraderPro

HotForex

HotForex Review – Trade 1,000+ of Symbols with this Broker

Minimum deposit

$5

Regulation

SVGFSA, FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA

Bonus

From 30% to 100%

Maximum leverage

1:1000

Year founded

2010

Trading platform

MT4, MT5

ForexMart

ForexMart Review – High-class trading experience

Minimum deposit

15

Regulation

CySEC

Bonus

30%

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

2015

Trading platform

MT4, WebTrader

CM Trading

CM Trading FX broker review – Is it legit?

Minimum deposit

$250

Regulation

FSCA

Bonus

Maximum leverage

1:200

Year founded

2012

Trading platform

MT4, WebTrader

Plus500

Plus500 Review

Minimum deposit

100$

Regulation

FCA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

30:1

Year founded

2008

Trading platform

Custom

IQ Option

An in-depth IQ Option Review of fees, opportunities and more

Minimum deposit

$10

Regulation

Risk Warning: YOUR CAPITAL MIGHT BE AT RISK

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:1000

Year founded

2013

Trading platform

Proprietary

Exness

Exness Broker Review – Should You Trade With It?

Minimum deposit

10 USD

Regulation

FCA, CySEC, FSA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:Unlimited

Year founded

2008

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, WebTerminal

OspreyFX

OspreyFX review – regulations, features and possibility of OspreyFX scam

Minimum deposit

$10

Regulation

N/A

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

2019

Trading platform

MT4, custom

EagleFX

EagleFX review – Start trading with safe and secure broker

Minimum deposit

$10

Regulation

Bonus

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

Trading platform

MT4

Forex.com

Forex.com Review

Minimum deposit

250$

Regulation

FCA, NFA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

200:1

Year founded

1999

Trading platform

MT4

easyMarkets

Can You Trust easyMarkets? There Are Things You Need To Know

Minimum deposit

$25

Regulation

ASIC, CySEC, FSA, BVI

Bonus

50%

Maximum leverage

1:400

Year founded

2001

Trading platform

WebTrader, MT4, TradingView

HYCM

Can you trust HYCM Forex broker? What you need to know?

Minimum deposit

100

Regulation

FCA, CySEC, DIFC, CIMA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

500:1

Year founded

1977

Trading platform

MT4, MT5

FPMarkets

Is FPMarkets reliable broker? Is it licensed to trade?

Minimum deposit

$100 AUD

Regulation

ASIC

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

500:1

Year founded

2005

Trading platform

WebTrader, MT4, MT5, IRESS

Pepperstone

Pepperstone FX Broker – Everything You Need To Know About This Broker?

Minimum deposit

AUD$200

Regulation

ASIC, SCB, CMA, CySEC, FCA, BaFin and DFSA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:400

Year founded

2010

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView

FXRoad

Review of FXRoad – Broker with Superior Islamic Accounts

Minimum deposit

250 EUR

Regulation

FSA (Seychelles)

Bonus

None

Maximum leverage

1:200

Year founded

2023

Trading platform

FXRoad web & mobile platforms

IMGFX

IMGFX Broker Review – Your Best Trading Experience

Minimum deposit

$50

Regulation

N/A

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

2015

Trading platform

MT4

FXOpen

FXOpen Review – The most experienced broker

Minimum deposit

1 USD

Regulation

ASIC, FCA

Bonus

10 USD

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

2005

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, WebTrader

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% of the retail investor, accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Who regulates the Forex brokers in Sri Lanka?

The main financial market regulator in the country is the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). It operates under the governance of the Foreign Exchange Act, which came into force in 2017. Notably, under that act, there were three groups of individuals/institutions created that were officially permitted to deal with Forex operations in Sri Lanka. Those are:

  • Authorized Dealers
  • Restricted Dealers
  • Dealers for a Specific Purpose

forex regulations sri lankaThe first group consists of banks mainly, either private or public ones. The second group represents the bodies that were officially prohibited by the CBSL from carrying out any financial operations including the local brokerage companies. And, finally, the last group includes those individuals/organizations that were appointed by the central bank to deal in foreign exchange for specific purposes subject to terms and conditions. Unfortunately, CBSL together with the government announced trading Forex completely illegal for Sri Lankan citizens both inside and outside of the country. That is why Forex traders residing in Sri Lanka trade with international brokerage companies licensed and regulated by leading Asian market regulators.

Asian Forex regulatory authorities

There are numerous regulatory bodies safeguarding the currency exchange market in Asia. However, the most notable ones are the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong, the Securities and Exchange Board in India (SEBI), the Financial Services Agency in Japan (FSA), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). All these organizations serve as a protecting shield against potential scams, frauds, and otherwise illegal behaviors on the securities markets. Some of these organizations, like SFC, are non-governmental organizations, whereas SEBI and FSA are government-appointed institutions and directly reporting to the ministries of the countries. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has been a central bank of the country at first until later adopting the functions of financial regulatory authority. MAS is actually one of the most respected regulatory bodies for Sri Lankan traders.

Trade with FSA-regulated broker – AvaTrade

How is Forex trading taxed in Sri Lanka?

Forex trading is not taxable in Sri Lanka for one simple reason – it is considered to be an illegal activity. Usually, earnings generated through trading on other financial markets would be subject to capital gains tax, which is 10% of the net gains. However, since illegal activities cannot be reported on the tax files (technically it can be but would result in legal consequences), Forex earnings of Sri Lankan traders cannot appear in the revenue authority system. Hence, trading Forex is tax-free in the country. But, the traders in Sri Lanka have to be extremely careful about the earnings that they generate through trading Forex. Since in some cases, whenever banks notice a regular income from unauthorized sources (brokerage companies for instance), they might delegate the case to the special investigating organ.

Are local currency pairs available?

forex trading in sri lankaSri Lankan rupee is not available for trading within the Forex currency pairs portfolio, because it does not represent attractive enough features for traders. LKR is not in high demand for international transactions. Hence, traders in Sri Lanka usually go for popular regional currencies available in the portfolio of the best Sri Lankan Forex brokers. One of the most popular Forex currencies is the Japanese Yen (JPY), which is in fact, part of the seven major Forex currencies and dominates the Asian market. You can find JPY currency pairs with almost every leading brokerage company operating with Sri Lankan traders. However, you can also come across certain exotic regional currencies within the tradable Forex assets of the brokers. For instance, you can trade Hong Kong dollar and Singapore dollar currency pairs against USD, EUR, or GBP.

The most popular Forex pairings with the Japanese Yen (JPY) are:

  • USD/JPY
  • EUR/JPY
  • GBP/JPY
  • AUD/JPY
  • CHF/JPY

Trade JPY currency pairs with AvaTrade

Is there a cap on leverage for Sri Lanka Forex brokers?

There is no cap on leverage for Sri Lankan Forex brokers since Forex is not a regulated or legal trading market in the country. Therefore, you can enjoy the flexible leverages without any further restrictions. However, you have to be especially careful with high leverages since they impose great risks on your finances. Regard it as borrowed funds from the broker, a loan, and carefully measure your risk tolerance before you commit to leveraging levels of 1:2000. You can check the leverage caps of the largest financial authorities and dictate your risk allowance accordingly. For example, in Europe, the leverage limit is 1:30 which is quite restrictive. The optimal leverage level that you can find with the best brokers Sri Lanka is between 1:200 and 1:1000. Anything below or above the limits is considered to be more or less unprofitable or inconvenient for you. If you are an experienced Sri Lankan trader then you can highly benefit from flexible leverages.

What Payment systems are available in Sri Lanka?

skrill payments sri lankaAs we have previously mentioned it is better to avoid bank wire transfers for Sri Lankan Forex traders not to reveal to the banks and potentially the government that you are involved in trading Forex illegally. Therefore, you need to use alternative payment methods, which are available in abundance with the top Forex brokers Sri Lanka. The extensive list of the available payment solutions will usually include some of the most popular methods like Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal, as well. These online payment systems are highly secure and reliable for all kinds of transactions and especially Forex. In most cases, you will not be charged for deposits and withdrawals using these methods from the broker’s side. However, the payment method providers might have certain fees depending on the time frame of processing the transfer. Instant payment options are the most expensive ones, therefore, if you want to save your money, be prepared to wait for the transaction to be completed for 2 to 7 working days.

Use skrill payments with AvaTrade

What should you look out for when trading Forex in Sri Lanka?

Scamming has been around roughly the same amount of time that humans have been around. And that is not an exception for the Forex Sri Lanka market as well. It has come a long way and embedded itself in today’s technologically developed world. As in any other country, Sri Lanka demands that you be as vigilant as ever when trading Forex on its market. Reports of Forex scams began to circulate in early 2009. Over the years big corporations have become too big of a target for scammers, therefore, they decided to venture out in the sea of untrained and inexperienced traders to hunt. In 2016, LKR currency was very fragile, the only way the CBSL was seeing was inflating the currency by themselves. This was probably a gold mine for Forex scammers in Sri Lanka when they would offer high returns in future deals, hoping to fool traders that didn’t know of the inflation plans. This was the reason the IMF actually criticized the CBSL and connected them to the increasing amount of online Forex scams.

Fortunately for the traders, most of the scammers were warded off by the CBSL,  but it also resulted in prohibiting Forex trading in the country. No matter how under control a webspace can be, there will always be a scammer that can squeeze through, so we advise you that you conduct thorough research on individual brokers before you commit to any of them and double-check that they are regulated by one of the regulatory authorities mentioned above in the text.

FAQs about best Forex brokers Sri Lanka

What is the best forex broker in Sri Lanka?

The best option for Sri Lankan Forex traders is the AvaTrade. This company holds multiple regulations within different jurisdictions all around the world. The broker is constantly developing to offer a diversified trading portfolio, multiple bonus programs, and promotional campaigns, the lowest trading costs, and the most reliable trading platforms. AvaTrade has won numerous industry awards as the most transparent and secure Forex broker.

What are the best times for trading Forex in Sri Lanka?

For Sri Lankan traders the best trading time is between 8 AM and 12 PM EST. Usually, the best time for trading Forex is when most of the markets are open simultaneously. All the markets have different opening and closing times in various regions, including the US, Europe, and Asia. They overlap for short periods of time and that is the perfect moment to enter the trades. During these periods, the prices will be fluctuating the most and the market will be the most active and dynamic.

Can you get rich by trading forex?

Yes, George Soros earned over a billion GBP when trading against the British pound at the right time. The amount of profit that you generate as a Forex trader solely depends on you. However, it is an extremely time-consuming process to come up with the most appropriate trading strategy that will at the same time suit your trading goals, budget, market movements, and the trading assets that you choose. If you carefully pick your currency pairs and set the right strategy you can earn more than for living with trading Forex. Some of the notable Forex traders, such as George Soros, became millionaires thanks to the correct bets placed on popular currency pairs just before the significant price drops in the market.