IG review: Singapore and international entities, costs, payments

Overview

IG is a forex and CFD broker that belongs to IG Group, which its sites say was established in London in 1974. IG works through regional companies, and the one named in a site’s footer depends on the regional version. For Singapore it is IG Asia Pte Ltd; IG’s international site, its Latin American site and its two Chinese-language sites name IG International Limited. IG’s country selector has no separate site for Hong Kong, Taiwan or mainland China. All facts in this review were checked on 28 October 2026.

Licences and who they cover

• IG Asia Pte Ltd (Singapore): regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), with a capital markets services licence for over-the-counter derivatives; it is listed in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory. Neither IG nor the directory gives a licence number. The Singapore site says it is not directed at any country outside Singapore. Retail leverage on major forex pairs is 1:20 (5% margin); accredited investors get 1:50.
• IG International Limited (Bermuda): licensed by the Bermuda Monetary Authority for investment business and digital asset business; no licence number is published. Retail leverage on major forex pairs is up to 1:200 (0.5% margin).
• IG Limited (Dubai): DFSA reference F001780; named on the UAE site.
• IG Markets Ltd (UK): FCA register number 195355.
• IG Europe GmbH (Germany): BaFin register number 148759.
• IG Australia Pty Ltd: Australian Financial Services Licence 515106.
• IG Bank SA (Switzerland): authorised and supervised by FINMA.
• IG Securities Limited (Japan): Kanto Local Finance Bureau registration No. 255.

IG’s South African site names IG Markets South Africa Limited with FSCA FSP number 41393, but the FSCA register search we ran lists that FSP number with the status “Lapsed”, so it is not in our licence table.

IG International states that 80% of retail client accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider; the footer of its help centre shows 69%. The Singapore site gives no percentage, only a warning that CFD losses can exceed deposits.

Accounts and costs

IG does not offer account types such as Standard and Raw: each IG company has one CFD account. On forex, the cost is in the spread; IG says it will not charge any additional commission unless it notifies you in writing. The minimum EUR/USD spread is 0.6 points on both the Singapore and the international site. On the Singapore site, opening an account is free and there are no maintenance fees.

• Singapore (IG Asia): IG web platform and app, MetaTrader 4, TradingView and ProRealTime (S$60 a month, refunded if you place four or more trades a month). IG does not specify a minimum deposit; card deposits start at S$50.
• International (IG International): IG web platform and app, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView and ProRealTime. There is no minimum for bank transfer deposits; card payments start at 50 USD. CFD trades in a currency other than the account’s carry a 1.0% conversion fee.

We found no swap-free account on the pages we checked.

Deposits and withdrawals

Singapore (IG Asia). IG says it charges no fees for deposits or withdrawals, though your bank or payment provider may.

• Bank transfer, PayNow (FAST) and PayNow QR: no cost; deposits made between 8am and 11pm on weekdays arrive the same business day, others by 9am the next business day. Telegraphic transfers take 1 business day (domestic) or 2–3 (foreign), and banks may charge for them. Bank withdrawals generally arrive within 24 hours.
• Visa and Mastercard: 2% of the deposit, levied by the card processor; immediate; minimum S$50. Withdrawals reach the card in about 5 business days.
• Digital wallets such as Google Pay, PayLah, Airwallex and Wise are not accepted.

International (IG International). Money is normally returned by the same method and to the same place it came from.

• Bank transfer: free deposits to IG’s HSBC account in Hong Kong or its Standard Chartered account in Singapore, in up to three business days and with no minimum. HKD FPS from Hong Kong bank accounts is free and typically takes one business day. Withdrawals take 1–3 working days.
• Cards: instant deposits from 50 USD; withdrawals take 2–5 bank working days, from 150 USD. The funding page lists debit cards as free and credit cards at 1% (Visa) or 0.5% (Mastercard), while the charges page mentions a 2.3% card-processor fee.

Before you open an account

• Check which IG company your regional site names in its footer: the licence, the leverage limit and the risk warning depend on it.
• In Hong Kong, Taiwan or mainland China, note that IG’s pages name no IG company licensed there; check your local rules first.
• In Singapore, a bank transfer or PayNow avoids the 2% card-processor fee.
• In South Africa, ask IG which company will hold your account and check its status with the FSCA.

We have not tested this company with our own account yet; this review will be updated when we do.