How to Get an MT5 License in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide for Brokers

What an MT5 license actually is

An MT5 license is a commercial agreement between MetaQuotes Ltd, the company that develops MetaTrader, and a business that wants to offer the MetaTrader 5 platform to its own clients. The license lets you run your own trading server, brand the terminal with your company name and website, and manage client accounts under your own entity.

MetaQuotes has changed how it licenses its software. New MetaTrader 4 licenses are no longer sold, and since early 2024 the company has cut off platform access for firms that used MetaTrader without a direct agreement. This hit a number of prop trading firms and white-label arrangements hardest. In practice, the reliable way to offer MT5 in 2026 is to hold a license in your own company's name.

Step 1: Meet the basic conditions

Before MetaQuotes looks at any documents, your company must meet three conditions:

1. MT5 only. MetaQuotes sells MetaTrader 5 licenses only.
2. Upfront payment. The first payment for a new license covers three months of the license fee.
3. The right company activity. The company must be established for one of these activities: trading of financial instruments, online forex services/trading, or brokerage and financial services. MetaQuotes recommends obtaining a legal opinion about the country where you set up the company.

The third condition is where the choice of jurisdiction matters. Your company's Memorandum should name these activities, and a local legal opinion should confirm that the company may lawfully carry them out from its jurisdiction.

Step 2: Choose a jurisdiction and incorporate

You can apply with a company from many countries, but brokers and prop firms favour jurisdictions where a trading company can be formed quickly, is accepted by platform vendors, and can lawfully serve international clients.

Saint Lucia has become one of the most popular choices. A Saint Lucia International Business Company (IBC):

• can be 100% foreign-owned, with a minimum of one director and one shareholder;
• does not currently need a local FSRA licence to offer FX/CFD services to clients outside Saint Lucia and CARICOM;
• is typically incorporated within 3–5 business days once due diligence documents are received;
• has been used by prop trading firms that publicly regained MT5 access in 2025.

Make sure the company is incorporated with forex, brokerage and financial services objects from the start. Changing them later costs time.

Step 3: Prepare the 10 documents MetaQuotes asks for

MetaQuotes sends applicants a checklist of ten items:

Items 1–6 and 8 come from your registered agent and legal counsel. Item 7 is your responsibility or your web developer's. Item 9 comes from your bank, and item 10 is completed by you online. You can find a detailed explanation of each item on our MetaQuotes requirements page.

Step 4: Get your website compliant

The website is the item applicants most often underestimate. It is the site that will appear inside the MetaTrader terminal, so MetaQuotes wants proof that your company owns the domain (a registrar invoice, certificate or account screenshot) and that the site is secure and operational. The site must show:

• the full company name;
• the full registered address;
• the full physical/business address;
• an email address or contact form, and a contact telephone number;
• a risk warning;
• a disclaimer on the jurisdictions where you do and do not offer services.

Make sure every name and address on the website matches your corporate documents exactly. Small inconsistencies, such as an abbreviated company name or a different address format, lead to follow-up questions.

Step 5: Open a corporate bank account

MetaQuotes asks for a bank reference letter addressed to MetaQuotes. If one is not available, a certified bank statement may be considered. This means your company needs an operational corporate account before you apply, so start this step in parallel with the document pack.

If your business will operate mainly through a payment service provider (PSP), a certified PSP confirmation letter can support your file. Bank onboarding is always at the bank's discretion, and a clean, consistent corporate file makes it far smoother.

Step 6: Apply, verify and pay

With everything ready, you submit the application in your company's name. The authorised signatory and the UBO complete SumSub verification through the link MetaQuotes provides. MetaQuotes may ask follow-up questions about your ownership, business model or target markets. Answer them promptly and consistently.

MT5 licenses come in tiers by the number of real accounts: Entry (up to 1,000), Standard (up to 25,000) and Enterprise (up to 200,000). Fees are set by MetaQuotes and paid monthly, with the first payment covering three months.

How long does it take?

With a Saint Lucia company, a realistic timeline looks like this:

• Days 1–2: due diligence (KYC) documents collected and checked.
• Days 3–7: company incorporated (3–5 business days).
• Week 2: legal opinion, updated corporate documents, incumbency and address proofs issued (around one week).
• In parallel: bank account or PSP letter, and the website brought into line with the checklist.
• Then: application, SumSub verification and MetaQuotes review. The time this takes depends on MetaQuotes and on how complete your file is.

The fastest applications are the ones where every document tells the same story: the same company name, the same owners and the same addresses, everywhere.

Frequently asked questions