Trading forex from Lebanon
For twenty-five years the lira was pegged at 1,507.5 to the dollar and nobody thought about it. Then it wasn't. Anyone opening a trading account in Lebanon today is asking one question before all others: where is the money actually held.
The honest reason people here open USD accounts
The peg held at 1,507.5 for a generation, then broke, and the official rate is now measured in the tens of thousands. Alongside that, the banking crisis produced a distinction every Lebanese saver understands — between dollars you can actually move and dollars that exist only as a number on a domestic statement.
A trading account with TNFX is denominated in US dollars and held outside the Lebanese banking system. That is the actual proposition, and it is worth saying plainly rather than dressing up as something else.
It is not a bank account and should not be treated as one. It is a margin account for trading: money in it is exposed to the market you trade, and there is no deposit insurance behind it.
What this does and does not protect you from
It removes lira exposure. A $500 balance stays $500 whatever the lira does.
It does not remove market risk, and it is not a savings vehicle. If you are looking for somewhere safe to park money rather than somewhere to trade, a margin account is the wrong instrument and we would rather tell you that here than after a deposit.
Regulation
Lebanon has no licensing regime for retail forex brokers, so there is no local authorisation to check. Every broker serving Lebanese clients is regulated elsewhere.
TNFX holds Financial Services Authority of Seychelles Securities Dealer licence SD133 — an international licence with capital, audit and client-money segregation requirements, and no investor compensation scheme. Check the number in the FSA register yourself.
Deposits, withdrawals and hours
Routes from Lebanon change more often than a web page can track. Ask support what is working before your first transfer rather than relying on anything written here months ago.
Minimum first deposit is $100, later top-ups $10. Lebanon is UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer), which puts the London–New York overlap in your afternoon and evening. Swap-free is available on request on any account type.
Common questions
Is forex trading legal in Lebanon?
There is no Lebanese licensing regime for retail forex, so no broker holds a local licence and there is no local register to check. Brokers serving Lebanese clients are regulated elsewhere; TNFX holds FSA Seychelles SD133.
Is my balance in lira or dollars?
US dollars. Balance, margin and profit and loss are all USD. The lira is involved only if your deposit or withdrawal route converts.
Is this a way to hold dollars safely?
No, and we would rather be direct about it. It is a margin trading account, not a bank account and not a savings product. Money in it is at risk in the market and carries no deposit insurance.
What is the minimum deposit?
$100 for a first deposit on Standard, Cent or Turbo, $500 for Zero, and $10 for later top-ups.
Do you offer swap-free accounts?
Yes, on request, on any of the five account types, applied to your individual account.
What are the best hours to trade from Beirut?
Afternoon and evening, during the London–New York overlap, when liquidity is deepest and spreads are tightest.