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CFDs and forex (FX) are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 62% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. 
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CFDs and forex (FX) are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 62% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs, FX, or any of our other products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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Professional account

Professional account

Recategorise as an Elective Professional to waive regulatory 
protections designed for less experienced traders.

Apply for Professional status

1) Create an account if you don’t have one

2) Log in to our platform and go to main menu > Your account > Account status > Request professional status.

3) Complete the simple form and submit any supporting information

  • How to qualify

    If you meet at least two of the following criteria, you may be eligible to reclassify as an Elective Professional client:

    • Have a financial portfolio that exceeds USD 500,000
    • Have traded (>=1 trade) in Qualifying Products of Significant Size every quarter for the past four consecutive quarters and have completed a total of 40 trades over the course of a year.
    • Work, or have worked, in the financial sector for at least one year
    Read about the qualification criteria in detail

How to qualify

If you meet at least two of the following criteria, you may be eligible to reclassify as an Elective Professional client:

  • Have a financial portfolio that exceeds USD500,000
  • Placed at least 10 relevant trades in significant sizes over the last four quarters
  • Work, or have worked, in the financial sector for at least one year

Read about the qualification criteria in detail

Elective Professional protections

Industry-wide regulations have been introduced and are designed to protect less experienced traders. However, if you’d like to waive these protections and trade with greater flexibility, you can apply for elective professional status.

Please read the following information carefully and note the protections you’ll waive as a professional.


  • Protections you’ll keep

    • As an individual, you are eligible for protection from the Guarantee Fund for up to USD 100,000 for cash deposits that you hold with us. Cash deposits are calculated as the net free deposit after deduction of any debt to the bank
    • You should be eligible to use the Danish Complaint Board of Banking Services as long as you are a natural person acting for the purposes outside of your trade, business or profession. You should contact them directly if you are unsure whether their services will apply to you
    • We must take all reasonable steps to obtain the best possible results for clients when executing orders or when placing orders with, or transmitting to, a third party
    • You retain the right to request a different categorisation – for example, if you wish to be afforded a higher level of regulatory protection

  • Protections you’ll waive

    • Leverage restrictions applicable to Retail clients do not apply to professionals. But remember, with increased leverage comes increased risk
    • You will not have negative balance protection. Should your account fall into a negative balance, you will be obliged to make additional payments – meaning losses can exceed deposits
    • As you understand the risks associated with trading complex financial products, we will not impose product restrictions upon you
    • We may not provide you with any standardised risk warnings as you already understand the associated risks
    • We may use more sophisticated language when communicating with you. However, we’ll always communicate in a clear, fair and not misleading way

Protections you’ll waive

  • Leverage restrictions applicable to retail clients do not apply to professionals. But remember, with increased leverage comes increased risk
  • You will not have negative balance protection. Should your account fall into a negative balance, you will be obliged to make additional payments – meaning losses can exceed deposits
  • As you understand the risks associated with trading complex financial products, we will not impose product restrictions upon you
  • We may not provide you with any standardised risk warnings as you already understand the associated risks
  • We may use more sophisticated language when communicating with you. However, we’ll always communicate in a clear, fair and not misleading way

Protections you’ll keep

  • As an individual, you are eligible for protection from the Guarantee Fund for up to USD 100,000 for cash deposits that you hold with us. Cash deposits are calculated as the net free deposit after deduction of any debt to the bank
  • You should be eligible to use the Danish Complaint Board of Banking Services as long as you are a natural person acting for the purposes outside of your trade, business or profession. You should contact them directly if you are unsure whether their services will apply to you
  • We must take all reasonable steps to obtain the best possible results for clients when executing orders or when placing orders with, or transmitting to, a third party
  • You retain the right to request a different categorisation – for example, if you wish to be afforded a higher level of regulatory protection

Professional client margin rates

FX (majors)1.50%66:1
FX (minors)2.00%50:1
Index (majors)2.50%40:1
Index (minors)3.00%33:1
Gold3.00%33:1
Equity10.00%10:1
CommodityFrom 4%From 25:1

As a Professional client you are able to take advantage of the portfolio-based margin model. You can read more about the model and how to apply here. For more information on professional margin rates, please see margin information for Professional clients.


Use securities as collateral

As a Professional client, you can use a percentage of your shareholdings as
collateral for margin trading. Find more information here.

Why trade with Saxo?

Global market access

Access over 71,000 instruments, across all asset classes, from a single cross-collateralised account and hold and deposit funds in 18 currencies.

Powerful platforms

Place and manage orders in the blink of an eye with SaxoTraderPRO, our most powerful platform yet, or trade on the move with SaxoTraderGO.

Industry-leading prices

Benefit from market-leading entry prices and get tighter spreads and lower commissions when you upgrade your trading tier.

Expert support

Receive best-in-class digital support as standard and unlock even better personal service with our premium trading tiers.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you may be eligible to reclassify as an Elective Professional if you meet the qualification criteria.

For more information, please read here.

If you didn’t find what you were after, contact us directly and we’ll be pleased to help.

Apply for professional status

Open an account

Create a Saxo account in less than five minutes

Go to platform

In our platform, go to Account > Other > Classification Status

Submit request

Complete the form and submit any supporting information

Already a Saxo client?

In our platform, go to Account > Other >  Classification Status. Log in now

Our other accounts

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Find out more about opening a Saxo account.

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Give your firm access to the same tools and markets as Retail clients.

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