Are there any restricted countries at FTMO?
💡 Answer
Traders from given below countries are not allowed at FTMO
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Barbados, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Guam, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Myanmar, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Puerto Rico, Russia, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine (Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk), United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (US), Yemen, Zimbabwe
More FAQs about FTMO
- Are expert advisors (EAs), news trading, weekend trading, and copy trading allowed at FTMO, and which strategies are prohibited?
- What payment methods does FTMO accept, and what is its refund policy?
- How do payouts work at FTMO, including minimum payout, payout frequency, processing time, and payout methods?
- What is the maximum profit split offered by FTMO?
- What assets and markets can traders trade at FTMO?
- What leverage does FTMO offer for forex, indices, metals, and crypto trading?
- What trading platforms does FTMO support, and which broker does it use?
- What are the trading conditions at FTMO regarding spread quality, commissions, and slippage policy?
- What trading strategies are prohibited at FTMO, is martingale allowed, and are there any lot size limits?
- What type of drawdown does FTMO use for its trading accounts?
- What risk management and consistency rules must traders follow at FTMO?
- What program types does FTMO offer to traders?
- What challenge structure does FTMO use for its evaluation process?
- What is the maximum funding offered by FTMO, and is a scaling plan available for traders?
- What is the current Trustpilot rating and number of reviews for FTMO?
- What program types are available at FTMO?
- What are the account limits at FTMO, including the maximum number of accounts, account merging rules, and lot size limits?
- Is KYC required at FTMO, and at which stage does identity verification take place?
Guides Where FTMO Is Featured
- Prop Firms Offering Crypto Leverage of 1:2 or Higher
- Prop Firms Offering FX Leverage of 1:100 or Higher
- Prop Firms Offering Maximum Profit Split of 80% or Higher
- Prop Firms Offering Metals Leverage of 1:10 or Higher
- Prop Firms Offering More Than $300k in Funding
- Prop Firms Offering Profit Split Starting at 75% or Higher
- Prop Firms Offering Stocks Trading
- Prop Firms With At Least 3 Years in Operation
- Prop Firms with More Than 30000 Trustpilot Reviews
- Prop Firms With MT5 Platform
- Prop Firms With Trustpilot rating of 3.4 or higher
- Top Prop Firms That Accept Clients From Ethiopia
These guides include FTMO alongside other prop firms, grouped by trading features, platforms, availability, and trader requirements.
FTMO vs Eightcap Challenges vs Seacrest Markets - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)
Side-by-side comparison of FTMO vs Eightcap Challenges vs Seacrest Markets. Quickly scan maximum funding, profit splits, risk rules, leverage, platforms, instruments, payout schedules, payment options, trading permissions and KYC restrictions to narrow down your prop trading firm shortlist. Data updated March 2026.
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FTMO
FTMO is a Prague-based prop trading evaluation company founded in 2015 that uses a two-step challenge (FTMO Challenge + Verification) with unlimited time, strict 5% max daily loss and 10% max loss limits, and Normal or Swing funded account types....
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Eightcap Challenges
Eightcap Challenges is a broker-backed simulated trading program operated by Eightcap International Ltd (Seychelles) that offers One Phase and Two Phase CFD challenges on mt4, mt5 and tradelocker with balance-based drawdown limits, a 14-day payout cycle, and 80% profit splits...
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Seacrest Markets
Seacrest Markets (formerly MyFundedFX) is a broker-backed prop evaluation program offering MT5 and Match-Trader simulated challenges with no time limits, up to $400,000 total simulated value across active accounts, 80% profit split on Live Sim accounts (with VIP tiers up...
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| Overview | |||
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.8 | 4.1 | 3.3 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 40,041 | 3,569 | 1 |
| Headquarters | Czech Republic | Seychelles | South Africa |
| Age (Years) | 11 | 1 | N/A |
| Max Funding | $400,000 | $600,000 | $400,000 |
| Profit Split Start | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| Profit Split Max | 90% | 90% | 92.75% |
| Platforms | MT4 MT5 cTrader DXtrade | mt4 mt5 tradelocker | mt5 match-trader |
| Assets | FX Indices Commodities Stocks Crypto | FX Commodities Indices Crypto US Stocks (Day Trader only) | FX Metals Indices Energy & Commodities Crypto |
| Leverage | |||
| FX Leverage | 100 | 100 | 30 |
| Metals Leverage | 30 | 20 | 10 |
| Crypto Leverage | 3.3 | 3 | 2 |
| Risk & Drawdown Rules | |||
| Max Daily Loss | Maximum Daily LossFTMO applies a 5% Maximum Daily Loss. It is calculated from the account’s balance at midnight CE(S)T (platform time) each day and includes the running total of the day’s closed trades + floating P/L, including commissions and swaps. If the daily limit is exceeded at any time, the account fails. | Maximum Daily DrawdownEightcap Challenges applies a balance-based daily drawdown rule calculated from the previous day’s account balance snapshot (Previous Day Balance × Limit%). Your account’s intraday equity loss must not exceed this daily limit.One Phase: 4% daily drawdown (Assessment and Payout Stages).Two Phase: 5% daily drawdown (Assessment, Qualification and Payout Stages).Day Trader: No daily drawdown; risk is managed via fixed maximum drawdown thresholds tied to the selected timeframe and multiplier. | Maximum Daily LossDaily loss limits depend on plan: 4% (1-Step), 5% (2-Step), 4% (3-Step). |
| Max Total Loss | Maximum LossFTMO applies a 10% Maximum Loss (overall loss limit). This is a static cap measured against the account’s starting balance, and it is evaluated on equity (closed + floating results, including trading costs). Breaching it at any time results in account failure. | Maximum DrawdownOverall drawdown is enforced as a fixed percentage of the initial balance for standard challenges and as fixed-dollar thresholds for Day Trader Challenges.One Phase: 8% maximum drawdown (Assessment and Payout Stages).Two Phase: 10% maximum drawdown (Assessment, Qualification and Payout Stages).Day Trader: Maximum drawdown is defined in dollars and varies by timeframe and multiplier (DT-1/DT-2/DT-4/DT-8 with 2x/5x/10x options). | Maximum Overall Loss6% trailing (1-Step), 8% static (2-Step / 3-Step). |
| Drawdown Type | Drawdown ModelFTMO uses static loss limits: a daily loss limit that resets at midnight (platform time) and an overall loss limit based on the starting balance. Both limits include floating P/L and trading costs (commissions/swaps), so equity protection matters as much as closed P/L. | Balance-based (Daily from previous-day balance; Max fixed from initial balance) | Equity-based (Trailing on 1-Step; Static on 2-Step/3-Step) |
| Payouts | |||
| Payout Frequency | Payout FrequencyFTMO rewards are processed on request. Once you have access to the FTMO Account, you can request your reward after a minimum of 14 calendar days from your first day of trading on the FTMO Account (biweekly request cadence).Minimum profit thresholds apply to cover transaction costs (e.g., $20 minimum for bank transfer, $50 minimum for crypto withdrawals). | Payout FrequencyOne Phase & Two Phase: Standard payout eligibility begins 14 days into the Payout Stage (or 7 days with the earlier-payout add-on), provided all payout-stage requirements and KYC are satisfied.Day Trader Challenges: Payout eligibility is immediate upon successful completion of the time-limited challenge. | Payouts every 14 days (VIP tiers faster). |
| Days to First Payout | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Payout Processing Time | Payout ProcessingReward requests go through a review step (typically 1–2 business days). After approval, payments are usually processed within an additional 1–2 business days, depending on the chosen payout method and banking/processor timelines. | Payout ProcessingPayout requests are reviewed by the risk team for rules compliance and KYC (if required). Approved payouts are typically processed within 24–48 hours of an eligible request, but may take longer if additional review is required. | Processing 12–72 hours. |
| Payout Methods | Bank Transfer Cryptocurrency Skrill Neteller | Crypto International Bank Transfer | Crypto RiseWorks |
| Payments | |||
| Payment Methods | Credit/Debit Card Bank Transfer Cryptocurrency Skrill | Credit/Debit Card (Visa Mastercard) Crypto (USDT TRC20 USDT ERC20 BTC) | Credit/Debit Card Crypto Apple Pay |
| Trading Permissions | |||
| News Trading | Evaluation (FTMO Challenge + Verification): news trading is allowed freely during all releases.FTMO Account (Normal): for specified high-impact announcements and targeted instruments, you must not open or close trades (including SL/TP triggers) in the 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after the release.FTMO Account Swing: news trading restrictions do not apply. | Trading during major news events is restricted: you cannot place trades within 10 minutes before or after high-impact events (per FXStreet). Trading inside the window is treated as a soft breach that triggers a warning and removal of any profits made from those trades. | News trading restricted on Live Sim (±3 minutes). |
| Weekend Trades | Evaluation (FTMO Challenge + Verification): holding trades over the weekend is allowed.FTMO Account (Normal): positions must be closed before the weekend market close (or if the market break/rollover is longer than 2 hours). Some cryptocurrencies may be tradable during specific weekend hours.FTMO Account Swing: no restrictions on holding positions over the weekend. | Weekend trading is allowed. The platform supports 24/7 trading, including the ability to manage positions over the weekend. | Weekend trading allowed. |
| Copy Trading | Trade copying tools can be used as long as your trading remains compliant with FTMO’s rules. FTMO’s services are for personal use only: you must not allow any third party to access or trade your accounts, and coordinated/manipulative trade patterns between connected accounts (e.g., opposite positions across accounts for manipulation) are forbidden. | Copy trading or mirroring another person’s trades is prohibited and may result in profit removal or account termination. Copying between your own accounts is allowed only if all accounts are registered under the same email address. | Copy trading allowed for own strategies only. |
| EA Allowed | EAs are allowed as long as the strategy is legitimate, replicable in real markets, and does not fall into forbidden practices. Note that automated trading that overloads servers (e.g., excessive server requests) is prohibited, and widely used third-party EAs may risk breaching maximum capital allocation constraints if multiple users run the same strategy. | Expert Advisors (EAs) and indicators are permitted, but prohibited strategy types (including martingale, grid, tick trading, arbitrage variants, gap trading and account management) are monitored and can trigger violations—especially during the Payout Stage. | EAs allowed on MT5 only. |
| KYC & Restrictions | |||
| KYC Required | No | No | Yes |
| KYC Stage | FTMO requires identity verification before becoming an FTMO Trader and signing the FTMO Account Agreement. For individuals, this is KYC and typically requires a government-issued ID and proof of address. Businesses may require KYB documentation. Once the verification is complete, the FTMO Account Agreement is unlocked for signing in the Client Area. | Australia, Saint Lucia, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia (and Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk and Sevastopol regions of Ukraine), Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Libya | KYC required at Live Sim stage. |
| Restricted Countries | Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Barbados Belarus Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Central African Republic Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea Guam Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Hong Kong Iran Iraq Kazakhstan Kosovo Libya Mali Morocco Myanmar Nicaragua North Korea Pakistan Palestine Panama Puerto Rico Russia Samoa Sierra Leone Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Tunisia Uganda Ukraine (Crimea Donetsk Luhansk) United Arab Emirates United States Minor Outlying Islands Venezuela Virgin Islands (US) Yemen Zimbabwe | Australia Libya Lebanon Pakistan Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan United States Zimbabwe Afghanistan Central African Republic Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Guinea-Bissau Iran Iraq Myanmar North Korea Syria Yemen | Cuba Iran Lebanon Syria North Korea Libya Russia Sudan Somalia South Sudan Vietnam United Arab Emirates Hong Kong Belarus Myanmar Central African Republic Democratic Republic of Congo Congo Ethiopia Nicaragua Venezuela Yemen Philippines Kenya Algeria Morocco United States |