Is Exness Legal in Pakistan? (2025)

Paul Titus
Barry Edwards
Last Updated on June 11, 2025
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Exness is a global CFD trading platform offering high leverage, advanced tools, and access to forex, stocks, crypto, and other global markets. The broker is popular among Pakistani traders who want fewer trading restrictions and more asset variety, but is Exness legal in Pakistan? The short answer is:


Exness is not illegal in Pakistan, even though it is not licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), because it is not banned and does not actively promote its services in the country.


So, Pakistani traders can legally use Exness, but their funds are protected by international regulators such as the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa, not by the SECP.

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Exness legal regulation

Exness is heavily regulated by 9 different financial regulators, so the capital of Exness traders are very safe.

In this article, we’ll explain Pakistan’s online trading laws, why Exness is not considered illegal, and how Pakistani traders can use it safely despite the lack of SECP licensing.

Online Trading Laws in Pakistan

To understand why Exness is not considered illegal in Pakistan, it’s important to understand the online trading laws and regulations, like Securities Act, 2015, and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Act, 1997. Online trading is regulated primarily by Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

Here are the key trading laws and restrictions relevant to Pakistani traders:

  • Securities Act, 2015 defines and regulates legal brokers, and any trading platforms that offer and market their trading services to Pakistani residents must have SECP license and follow licensing procedures, terms, and standards of Securities Brokers (Licensing and Operations) Regulations, 2016.
  • Forex and contracts for differences (CFD) trading are legal in Pakistan, but only on SECP-licensed brokers and exchanges. While you can access most offshore brokers, like Exness, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regulates foreign currency remittances. If the offshore broker violates Pakistan’s trading laws or is explicitly blocked by SECP, you will likely face remittance restrictions, and deposits or withdrawals through local banks are delayed or blocked.
  • Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) are government agencies unauthorized to block trading websites based on SECP referrals.

Note: Pakistan tolerates offshore brokers, and they are not automatically illegal, even without an SECP license, as long as they don’t violate online trading laws or actively market in Pakistan through official marketing, paid advertising, local sponsorships, and direct client acquisition.

Exness operates like this, though traders must navigate SBP’s funding limitations by using alternative funding methods like cryptocurrency or international e-wallets (e.g., Neteller, Skrill).

Why is Exness Considered Not Illegal in Pakistan?

Exness is not considered illegal in Pakistan because it is not blacklisted, not offering prohibited financial instruments, and not actively promoting itself for Pakistani traders. While Exness doesn’t have SECP license, it operates legally because it holds licenses from reputable international regulators, like FCA (UK), FSCA (South Africa), and CySEC (Cyprus).

Let’s break down the main reasons why you can still use Exness in Pakistan legally:

Does Not Promote Itself in Pakistan

The primary reason Exness is considered not illegal in Pakistan is that the broker does not actively market or promote its services to Pakistani residents. Unlike blacklisted platforms that run region-specific campaigns and target Pakistani users directly (e.g., through local URLs, influencer marketing, or Pakistani-language ads), Exness operates as an offshore CFD broker without violating any Pakistani laws.

Some Pakistani affiliates may target users from Pakistan as well, but Exness remains legal as long as the broker does not advertise, solicit traders, sponsor events, or run localized campaigns within Pakistan.

Not Blacklisted or Referred for Blocking by SECP

Exness can be used by Pakistani traders legally because it has not been blacklisted or referred to the FIA, PTA, or Google for blocking. Platforms that appear on the SECP’s unauthorized broker list are typically brokers that either directly violate the law or pose significant financial risks to retail investors in Pakistan.


Exness doesn’t pose significant risks to Pakistani investors nor harm the local market at all, which is why SECP doesn’t have a public advisory or official statement warning traders against using the platform.

Multiple Regulatory Licenses

While Exness is not SECP-licensed, it is regulated by multiple respected financial authorities globally, with likely similar regulatory standards or rules set by SECP that Exness follows. So, if you encounter issues, Exness still provides legal aid, fund compensation, or dispute resolution from reputable legal entities.

According to the Exness website, the broker currently holds licenses from the below regulatory authorities:

  • Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa
  • Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) in Cyprus
  • Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK
  • Financial Services Authority (FSA) in Seychelles
  • Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) in Curaçao
  • Financial Services Commission (FSC) in the British Virgin Islands
  • Financial Services Commission (FSC) in Mauritius
  • Capital Markets Authority (CMA) in Kenya
  • Jordan Securities Commission (JSC) in Jordan
Exness regulatory status

These regulatory bodies enforce client fund segregation, transparent pricing, risk disclosures, and regular audits. For Pakistani traders, this means that Exness is more accountable and trustworthy than unregulated or blacklisted platforms while being a more flexible and less strict alternatives to SECP-licensed CFD brokers. It also offers traders recourse and protection under international financial law, even if not under Pakistani law.


If you want to use Exness in Pakistan, you are not violating any law, but be aware that Exness is not SECP-licensed, so you are not covered by local investor protection rules, and you have to reach out to the regulators abroad. To avoid remittance issues due to SBP restrictions, consider using globally used e-wallets like Skrill or crypto-based methods for funding and withdrawals.

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Conclusion

Exness is not illegal in Pakistan even if it does not hold a SECP license, because it does not actively promote itself in SECP jurisdictions and does not violate any Pakistani laws.

Exness is regulated by multiple internationally recognized financial authorities like the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa), and CMA (Kenya). While it is not supervised by Pakistani regulators, these licenses don’t necessarily conflict with SECP regulations, they provide a strong layer of oversight, transparency, and user protection that most offshore brokers don’t offer.

If you’re a Pakistani trader who wants more trading instruments, advanced tools, and better trading conditions than what SECP-regulated brokers currently provide, Exness is a great alternative because it is one of the safest international platforms you can use as long as you understand its legal status and use supported payment methods to avoid remittance issues from local banks. Just always verify your account fully, manage your risk, and fund your account through e-wallets or crypto to minimize SBP-related restrictions.

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table of contents
1)
Online Trading Laws in Pakistan
2)
Why is Exness Considered Not Illegal in Pakistan?
3)
Conclusion