- Saint Lucia does not licence forex. The FSRA has warned that documents from a forex company claiming to be registered, licensed or affiliated with the Authority are “false and misleading”, so your website must never imply an FSRA licence.
- The accurate statement for a St Lucia IBC is simple: the company is incorporated (registered) in Saint Lucia under the International Business Companies Act, Cap. 12.14, and is not licensed or regulated by the FSRA.
- In the MetaQuotes document list we work with, the website must show the company name, registered and physical addresses, an email or contact form plus a phone number, a risk warning and a jurisdiction disclaimer.
- MetaQuotes’ own brokerage guide also mentions the registration number, risk disclosures and restricted countries, so put all of these in the footer of every page, not only in a PDF.
- Every detail on the site (name, number, addresses, directors) must match the certificate of incorporation, the registers and the bank reference letter exactly.
- The wording examples here are drafting aids, not legal advice. Have the final text reviewed by a lawyer who knows the countries where you take clients.
The short answer
A forex broker website run by a St Lucia International Business Company (IBC) needs a disclaimer that says exactly what the company is and nothing more. Usually that means it is incorporated in Saint Lucia with a stated registration number and registered office, it is not licensed or regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) or any other Saint Lucia authority for forex or CFD business, trading carries a high risk of loss, and services are not offered in listed restricted countries.
This matters for two reasons. First, the FSRA has publicly warned that forex is not licensed in Saint Lucia and that any document claiming FSRA registration, licensing or affiliation for a forex company is false and misleading. Second, MetaQuotes reviews your website as part of its document check before it sells you an MT5 licence. In the document list we work with, the site must show the company name, registered and physical addresses, an email or contact form together with a phone number, a risk warning and a jurisdiction disclaimer.
We are not a law firm. Saint Lucia publishes no official disclaimer wording that we have been able to verify, so treat the examples as a starting point for your lawyer, not as finished legal text.
What the FSRA and the Registry actually say
The starting point for any St Lucia broker disclaimer is the official position, because your wording has to be consistent with it. Two primary sources set it out.
The FSRA warning notices. The FSRA supervises insurance, international banks, international mutual funds, co-operatives, registered agents and trustees, money services businesses and a few others. Forex is not on that list. In warning notices published about forex companies using Saint Lucia entities, the FSRA stated:
“Further, please be advised that forex business is not licensed in Saint Lucia. Therefore, documents provided by a forex business company which indicate that it is registered, licensed or in any way affiliated with the Authority are false and misleading.”
The Registry of IBCs. The registry, run by Pinnacle St. Lucia, says the same thing in its FAQ: “Saint Lucia does not currently regulate or licence Forex Trading or Binary Options business.”
Three practical conclusions follow for your website:
- Never use “licensed”, “regulated” or “authorised” next to “Saint Lucia” or “FSRA”. The FSRA warning covers documents that claim the company is “in any way affiliated” with the Authority, so a website footer counts just as much as a fake certificate does.
- Do not display the FSRA logo, name or address as if it were your supervisor. Mentioning the FSRA only to say it does not licence you is a different matter, and many careful brokers do exactly that.
- “Registered” must mean company registration only. Your IBC is registered on the Register of IBCs. Write “incorporated” or “registered as an International Business Company” rather than a bare “registered in Saint Lucia”, which a reader could take to mean registered with a regulator.
If you hold a real licence elsewhere, for example in Mauritius or the Bahamas, you can say so with the licence number and the regulator’s name. For a broader picture of how the IBC fits a brokerage structure, see our guide to the St Lucia IBC for forex brokers.
What MetaQuotes expects to see on the website
One of the documents in the MetaQuotes pack is proof of domain ownership together with a compliant website. Based on our own correspondence with MetaQuotes, and on its public guide “How to start a brokerage business”, these are the elements to have live before you submit. MetaQuotes decides for itself what it accepts, and nothing here guarantees approval.
| Element | What to show | Practical notes |
|---|---|---|
| Company name | Full legal name, including the “International Business Company” or “IBC” ending | It must match the certificate of incorporation exactly; avoid showing only a trading brand. |
| Registration number | IBC registration number from the certificate | MetaQuotes’ public guide lists it among the website essentials. |
| Registered address | The registered office in Saint Lucia provided by your registered agent | Label it “Registered office” so readers do not mistake it for an operating office. |
| Physical address | The address where the business actually operates | It must match your proof of physical address (utility bill, corporate document or certified confirmation letter). |
| Email or contact form | A working email on your own domain and/or a contact form | A domain email reads better than a free webmail address and also helps show you control the domain. |
| Phone number | A working phone number for client contact | This is part of the MetaQuotes list we work with; make sure the number is answered. |
| Risk warning | A prominent warning that leveraged products carry a high risk of loss | Put it in the footer of every page, and ideally in a banner on the trading and account-opening pages. |
| Jurisdiction disclaimer | Where the company is incorporated and what it is (and is not) licensed for | This is where the FSRA point belongs: no claim of St Lucia licensing. |
| Restricted countries | Countries whose residents you do not serve | MetaQuotes’ guide mentions restricted countries, so state them explicitly. |
| Legal documents | Terms, privacy policy, risk disclosure, AML/KYC policy | Link them from the footer; they should use the same entity name and jurisdiction wording. |
For the full website checklist, including layout and domain points, read our MetaQuotes website requirements guide. To see how the website fits the other nine documents, start with MetaQuotes requirements.
Template wording table: accurate vs misleading
Most problems come from a single word. The table below lists phrases we see on broker websites alongside an accurate alternative for a St Lucia IBC that holds no forex licence. Replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details. These are drafting examples, not legal advice.
| Avoid | Why it is a problem | Accurate alternative |
|---|---|---|
| “Licensed and regulated in Saint Lucia” | Saint Lucia does not licence forex; the FSRA calls such claims false and misleading. | “[Company Name] IBC is incorporated in Saint Lucia under the International Business Companies Act, Cap. 12.14. It is not licensed or regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Saint Lucia.” |
| “Regulated by the FSRA, licence no. …” | No such licence exists for forex business; quoting a number makes it worse. | “Company registration number: [number].” (State it as a company number only.) |
| “Registered with the FSRA” | The FSRA warning names “registered” claims explicitly. | “Registered office: [agent’s address], Saint Lucia.” |
| “A Saint Lucia regulated broker” | It implies supervision that does not exist. | “A company incorporated in Saint Lucia.” |
| “Your funds are protected by Saint Lucia law” | No investor compensation scheme for forex clients is known to us. | Describe your actual client-money arrangements, or leave the statement out. |
| “Official MetaQuotes partner” | Buying an MT5 licence does not make you an official partner. | “The MetaTrader 5 platform is developed by MetaQuotes. [Company Name] IBC is an independent company.” |
| “Risk-free trading” / “guaranteed returns” | It contradicts the risk warning and is misleading in almost any jurisdiction. | “Trading leveraged products carries a high level of risk and may result in the loss of all your invested capital.” |
| “Available worldwide” | It conflicts with your restricted-countries list and with local licensing rules. | “Services are not available to residents of [list of countries].” |
Sample footer blocks you can adapt
Most brokers put the regulatory text in a footer that appears on every page, with a longer version on a separate “Legal” or “Regulation” page.
1. Company identity
“[Company Name] IBC is an International Business Company incorporated in Saint Lucia under the International Business Companies Act, Cap. 12.14, with registration number [number]. Registered office: [registered agent’s address], Saint Lucia. Operating address: [physical address]. Email: [support@yourdomain] · Phone: [number].”
2. Jurisdiction disclaimer
“[Company Name] IBC is not licensed, registered or regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Saint Lucia or by any other authority in Saint Lucia to provide forex or CFD services. Saint Lucia does not currently licence forex trading business. Nothing on this website should be understood as a statement that the company is supervised by a Saint Lucia regulator.”
If you hold a licence elsewhere, add: “[Licensed Entity Name] is authorised by [regulator] in [country] under licence number [number] to provide [services].” Name the exact entity that holds the licence. A group licence does not cover a separate IBC.
3. Risk warning
“Risk warning: Trading foreign exchange and contracts for difference on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Leverage can work against you as well as for you. You could lose some or all of your invested capital, so do not trade with money you cannot afford to lose. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Please read our Risk Disclosure before opening an account.”
4. Restricted jurisdictions
“The information on this website is not directed at residents of [list of countries] or of any country where its distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation. [Company Name] IBC does not offer services to residents of those countries. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are permitted to use our services under the laws of your country of residence.”
Keep the platform credit separate and factual: “MetaTrader 5 is a trading platform developed by MetaQuotes Ltd. [Company Name] IBC is not affiliated with MetaQuotes.” MetaQuotes itself states that it does not provide investment or brokerage services, so your site should not suggest it stands behind your business.
Want the company and the MetaQuotes pack done for you?
We form St Lucia IBCs through licensed registered agents and prepare the complete MetaQuotes document pack around them, including a website that is consistent with your corporate documents. In practice, that covers:
- Incorporation of your St Lucia IBC through a licensed agent, generally within 3–5 business days once due diligence is cleared.
- Corporate documents: certificate of incorporation, registers of directors and shareholders, and incumbency or good standing when the company is older.
- Proof of registered and physical address in a form that matches what your website shows.
- Activities confirmation: memorandum wording or a legal opinion/representation letter covering trading and brokerage activities.
- Website review against the MetaQuotes list: name, registration number, addresses, contact details, risk warning, jurisdiction disclaimer and restricted countries.
- Bank reference letter support and preparation for the SumSub check of your signatory and beneficial owners.
We are not MetaQuotes and cannot promise its approval, but we can make sure the pack you submit is complete and consistent. Tell us about your project through our contact page, compare the options on our packages page, or email info@stluciacompany.com.
Where to place the disclaimer: step by step
A disclaimer that only appears in a PDF nobody opens does not do its job, either with MetaQuotes or with clients. Use this order when you build or fix the site:
- Global footer. Put the company identity block, the short jurisdiction disclaimer and the risk warning in the footer of every page, in readable text rather than a tiny grey line.
- Risk banner. Show a one-line risk warning near the top of the home page, the account-types page and the registration page.
- Legal or Regulation page. Publish the full jurisdiction disclaimer, restricted countries and, if relevant, details of any foreign licence on a dedicated page linked from the footer.
- Contact page. List the registered office and the physical address separately, with the email, the contact form and the phone number.
- Legal documents. Use the same entity name and jurisdiction wording in the client agreement, risk disclosure, privacy policy and AML/KYC policy.
- Account opening. Add a tick box confirming the applicant has read the risk disclosure and is not resident in a restricted country, and back it up with geo-blocking where you can.
- Final check. Before you submit the MetaQuotes pack, compare every page with your certificate of incorporation, registers and address proofs.
The registered office belongs to your registered agent in Saint Lucia, and the IBC Act requires the company to keep one at all times. Do not present it as your trading floor. For the operating address, see our guide to proof of physical address for MetaQuotes.
Make the website match your documents
MetaQuotes reviews the website alongside nine other documents, so inconsistencies tend to be the real reason a pack stalls. Before you submit, check each item against its source document.
| Website detail | Must match | Common mismatch |
|---|---|---|
| Company name | Certificate of incorporation and registers | A trading brand shown instead of the legal name, or the “IBC” ending dropped |
| Registration number | Certificate of incorporation | A typo, or a number from an older or sister entity |
| Registered address | Agent’s registered office confirmation | The agent’s old address, or the physical address shown as the registered one |
| Physical address | Proof of physical address | A virtual office on the site and a different utility bill in the pack |
| Business activity | Memorandum or legal opinion | Website offers crypto or investment management that the activities confirmation does not cover |
| Domain owner | Domain ownership proof | Domain registered to a web developer or a personal name |
The activity point needs care. MetaQuotes expects the company’s activity to cover trading of financial instruments, online forex or brokerage and financial services, and this is usually confirmed by the memorandum or a legal opinion for the MT5 licence. If the website advertises services beyond that scope, the documents and the site tell different stories.
Common mistakes we see
- Copying a competitor’s footer. Text lifted from a broker licensed elsewhere often contains “authorised and regulated by”, which becomes false once you paste in a St Lucia IBC name.
- Treating the agent licence as your licence. Your registered agent is licensed by the FSRA under the Registered Agent and Trustee Licensing Act. That licence belongs to the agent and says nothing about your company.
- No restricted-countries list. “We comply with all local laws” is not a list. Name the countries.
- Assuming the disclaimer solves licensing. A disclaimer describes your status accurately; it does not authorise you to serve clients in countries that require a local licence.
Beyond the disclaimer: the licensing question
An accurate disclaimer keeps your website honest, but it does not decide where you may take clients. Some St Lucia IBC brokers run an offshore model and restrict countries that require local authorisation; others pair the IBC with a licensed entity elsewhere. The right model depends on your target markets and your banking and payment providers. We compare the options in our forex broker jurisdictions guide, and our forex broker setup page shows how formation, the MetaQuotes pack and banking fit together. Whatever you choose, the website must describe the structure you actually have, entity by entity.
Sources
- FSRA warning notice on forex business (index): fsrastlucia.org
- FSRA warning notice, Kanga Exchange Ltd. (PDF): fsrastlucia.org
- FSRA, about the Authority and its supervised sectors: fsrastlucia.org/about-us
- Registry of IBCs (Pinnacle St. Lucia), FAQ: saintluciaifc.com/faq
- International Business Companies Act, Cap. 12.14 (PDF): saintluciaifc.com
- MetaQuotes, How to start a brokerage business: metatrader5.com
- MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 5 for brokers: metatrader5.com/en/brokers/buy
Website requirements reflect MetaQuotes’ public guide and our own correspondence with MetaQuotes; they can change at any time. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can a St Lucia IBC say it is regulated on its website?
No. Saint Lucia does not licence forex business, and the FSRA has stated that documents claiming a forex company is registered, licensed or affiliated with the Authority are false and misleading. The accurate statement is that the company is incorporated in Saint Lucia and is not licensed or regulated by the FSRA.
Is there an official disclaimer text required by Saint Lucia?
We have not found any official prescribed disclaimer wording from the FSRA or the Registry of IBCs. Write an accurate statement of your status and have a lawyer review it.
What does MetaQuotes require on a broker website?
In the document list we work with, the website must show the company name, registered and physical addresses, an email or contact form plus a phone number, a risk warning and a jurisdiction disclaimer. MetaQuotes’ public guide also mentions the registration number, risk disclosures and restricted countries. MetaQuotes makes its own decision on each application.
Should I mention the FSRA at all?
Only in a negative sentence, such as “is not licensed or regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Saint Lucia”. Never use its logo or describe it as your supervisor.
Can I write “registered in Saint Lucia”?
It is safer to write “incorporated in Saint Lucia under the International Business Companies Act, Cap. 12.14”. A bare “registered” can be read as registered with a regulator, which is exactly the kind of claim the FSRA warns about.
Which address goes on the website, the registered or the physical one?
Both, labelled clearly. The registered office is your registered agent’s address in Saint Lucia; the physical address is where the business actually operates, and it must match your proof of physical address in the MetaQuotes pack.
Do I need a phone number on my broker website?
Yes. A phone number, together with an email or contact form, is part of the MetaQuotes website list we work with.
What should the risk warning say?
It should say plainly that trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk and can lead to the loss of all invested capital, and that the products may not suit every investor.
Can I say I am a MetaQuotes partner?
No. Holding an MT5 licence does not create an affiliation with MetaQuotes, and MetaQuotes states that it does not provide investment or brokerage services. Credit the platform factually, for example “MetaTrader 5 is developed by MetaQuotes Ltd.”, and add that your company is independent.
Does a good disclaimer let me accept clients from any country?
No. A disclaimer describes your status; it does not grant permission to serve clients where a local licence is required. Publish a restricted-countries list and enforce it during onboarding, and take legal advice on your target markets.
I hold a licence in another country. How should the site show it?
Name the licensed entity, the regulator, the country, the licence number and the services covered.
Can you check my website before I send the MetaQuotes pack?
Yes. When we form your St Lucia IBC and prepare the MetaQuotes document pack, we review the website against the corporate documents and the MetaQuotes list. We are not a law firm, so the final legal text should still be reviewed by your lawyer. Email info@stluciacompany.com or use our contact page.