Regulator profile · IE
CBI — Central Bank of Ireland
Tracked byBrokerlist Editorial · Independent review teamUpdated
The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) is the financial regulator and central bank for the Republic of Ireland. It supervises Irish-domiciled investment firms — including a growing number of retail forex and CFD brokers using Ireland as their EU passporting base.
Brokers in Ireland accepting residents under CBI- Jurisdiction
- Republic of Ireland · with EU passporting rights to all EEA member states.
- Founded
- 1943
- Mandate
- Operates under the Central Bank Act 1942 (consolidated) and the EU MiFID II framework. Authorises MiFID Investment Firms, enforces ESMA product-intervention measures and supervises capital adequacy and conduct under the Consumer Protection Code.
- Consumer protection
- Authorised investment firms must contribute to the Investor Compensation Company DAC (ICCL), which covers up to €20,000 or 90% of net loss per eligible client if a firm fails. Client funds segregation in EU credit institutions is mandatory; negative balance protection is mandatory for retail CFD clients.
- Retail leverage caps
- ESMA-aligned: 1:30 majors, 1:20 minors and gold, 1:10 non-gold commodities and major indices, 1:5 individual equities, 1:2 crypto CFDs. Professional client classification reduces these protections.
- Public register
- Public lookup of all CBI-authorised firms with reference number, authorised activities and any current restrictions or warnings. Open register ↗
- Dispute resolution
- Retail clients can escalate unresolved complaints to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO), which can issue legally binding awards up to €500,000 (or €26,000 per year for ongoing financial loss) at no cost to the consumer.
- Editor notes
- Brexit drove several major brokers (Interactive Brokers Ireland, eToro Europe and others) to relocate or open Irish entities for EU passporting. CBI applies a stricter conduct lens than CySEC; authorisation timelines are longer and capital expectations higher.
Brokers we track with a CBI licence
No brokersNo tracked broker currently holds a CBI licence in our database.