Unlimited Leverage Forex Trading: How It Works on MT5
BY TIOmarkets
|February 18, 2026Unlimited leverage is one of the more distinctive features available in retail forex trading, and also one that requires careful reading of the conditions attached to it.
The headline claim, that a trader can open positions without margin requirements, is accurate within defined parameters, but those parameters matter considerably for anyone building a trading approach around the feature.
TIOmarkets offers unlimited leverage on its Standard account via the MT5 trading platform. The feature applies to eligible instruments while account equity remains below a defined threshold, and a tiered schedule of margin requirements applies automatically above that point. Separate restrictions apply during major news events and at specific times of the trading week.
This guide explains how the feature works in practical terms: the equity threshold mechanic, which instruments are covered, how margin conditions shift around news events, and what traders should consider before using it. Eligibility is subject to jurisdiction, and the full terms and conditions are available at tiomarkets.com/unlimited-leverage.
What Is Unlimited Leverage in Forex Trading?
In standard forex trading, leverage is expressed as a ratio that determines how much market exposure a trader controls relative to the margin held as collateral. Unlimited leverage removes that margin requirement entirely for qualifying trades, meaning the trader's account equity is not partially withheld as collateral when a position is opened.
The practical effect is that all available equity remains accessible for trading rather than being reserved as margin. The maximum lot size a trader can open is directly linked to account equity: the maximum position is one where the pip value of that position does not exceed the available equity in the account (excluding spreads and commissions). For example, with $500 equity, the maximum lot size would be the equivalent of $500 per pip. A one-pip adverse price movement against a position of that size would result in a loss equal to the full account equity.
It is important to be precise about what "unlimited" means in this context. The 0% margin requirement applies below a specific equity threshold and outside restricted time windows. Once equity rises above the threshold, a tiered schedule of margin requirements applies automatically. The feature is not a permanent removal of all margin constraints; it is a specific account configuration that operates within defined conditions.
Eligibility and Jurisdiction
Unlimited leverage is not available to all traders. Clients residing in or opening accounts from Turkey, Hong Kong, China or Taiwan are not eligible. Eligibility conditions are subject to change and the current terms are published at here.
The feature is available on accounts denominated in USD, CAD, AUD, ZAR, AED, EUR, GBP and USDT on the MT5 platform. Each client may hold only one unlimited leverage account.
How the Equity Threshold Works
The unlimited leverage feature applies a 0% margin requirement while account equity remains below $1,000 USD (or the currency equivalent for other supported base currencies). Once equity exceeds that level, margin requirements and corresponding leverage tiers adjust automatically without any action required from the trader.
The table below shows the full schedule for USD-denominated accounts:
| Equity (USD) | Margin Requirement | Leverage | During Restricted Windows |
| $0 – $999 | 0% | Unlimited | 1:200 |
| $1,000 – $2,499 | 0.05% | 1:2000 | 1:200 |
| $2,500 – $4,999 | 0.1% | 1:1000 | 1:200 |
| $5,000 – $19,999 | 0.2% | 1:500 | 1:200 |
| $20,000+ | 0.5% | 1:200 | 1:200 |
Equivalent thresholds apply for CAD, AUD, ZAR, AED, EUR, GBP and USDT denominated accounts. Full details are available on the TIOmarkets unlimited leverage page.
The automatic tier adjustment means that a profitable series of trades pushing equity above $1,000 will result in margin requirements applying to new positions opened after that point. This is a material operational consideration for account management, particularly for traders who size positions based on available equity.
Which Instruments Are Eligible
Unlimited leverage does not apply across the full TIOmarkets instrument range. It covers 21 forex pairs and 3 metals. On the MT5 platform, eligible instruments carry a "un" suffix to identify them.
Forex pairs (21): EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY, USDCAD, AUDUSD, NZDUSD, AUDCAD, AUDJPY, AUDNZD, CADJPY, EURAUD, EURCAD, EURGBP, EURJPY, EURNZD, GBPAUD, GBPCAD, GBPJPY, GBPNZD, NZDCAD, NZDJPY
Metals (3): XAGUSD, XAUEUR, XAUUSD
Instruments outside this list, including indices, stocks, crypto and non-covered forex pairs, trade under standard margin conditions regardless of account configuration. Traders running positions across multiple instrument classes should factor this in when assessing overall margin exposure.
Positive swaps are not available on unlimited leverage symbols. Negative swaps apply as normal.
News Events and Time-Based Restrictions
The 0% margin requirement does not apply in all market conditions. During periods of elevated volatility around scheduled data releases and at specific times of the trading week, a 0.5% margin requirement applies, capping leverage at 1:200.
The restricted windows are as follows. A 0.5% margin requirement applies to positions opened from 5 minutes before a high-impact news announcement until 15 minutes after the scheduled release time. The same requirement applies to positions opened from 21:00 UTC+2 on Fridays until 01:00 UTC+2 on Monday. TIOmarkets notifies clients of upcoming restricted news events via MetaTrader Mailbase messages, though the notification schedule is subject to change.
When a restricted window ends, margin reverts to the account's standard condition based on current equity level.
For traders who trade around scheduled events, the automatic leverage adjustment during restricted windows is an operational factor that affects position sizing. A position sized under 0% margin conditions cannot be opened during a restricted window at the same lot size without the 0.5% margin requirement applying.
Additional Account Conditions
Several further conditions govern the unlimited leverage account.
Expert Advisors and automated trading robots are not permitted on unlimited leverage accounts. The feature is available to manual traders only. Unlimited leverage accounts are also ineligible for bonus promotions and cannot function as a Provider account in TIOmarkets' copy trading service.
Swaps and commissions apply normally. On the Standard account, there is no per-lot commission and spreads are variable. The Standard account has a minimum deposit of $20.
A client may hold only one unlimited leverage account at any time. TIOmarkets operates under licences from the FCA and MISA.
Practical Considerations
The unlimited leverage feature gives traders with smaller accounts the flexibility to control position sizes that would ordinarily require significantly more capital under a standard margin model. That flexibility carries an equivalent increase in risk exposure that requires its own discipline.
A few points worth keeping in mind:
- Position sizing requires active management when margin is not acting as a structural constraint. Without a margin requirement holding funds in reserve, the full account equity is exposed to open positions simultaneously.
- The equity threshold is a live variable. A run of profitable trades can move an account from 0% margin to the tiered schedule, changing conditions for new positions without explicit notification.
- News event restrictions operate automatically. Strategies that involve trading into or around high-impact data releases need to account for the 0.5% margin requirement that applies from 5 minutes before the scheduled release time until 15 minutes after.
- The 21 eligible forex pairs cover the major and most liquid cross pairs. Traders whose primary instruments are indices, stocks or crypto should note that unlimited leverage does not apply to those positions.
- Automated strategies are incompatible with the feature. EA-based approaches require a standard margin account.
- Positive swaps are not available on unlimited leverage symbols. Traders who carry positions overnight with the expectation of positive swap income should note this condition before using the feature.
Trading Unlimited Leverage with TIOmarkets
TIOmarkets offers unlimited leverage on the Standard account via MT5. To access the feature, traders select the MT5 platform and the unlimited leverage option during the account setup process. MT5 is available as a desktop application, via the web platform, and on mobile.
Traders can check their current leverage at any time within the MT5 platform or through the Member Area. Eligible instruments are identifiable by the "un" suffix in the MT5 instrument list.
Full terms and conditions, including currency-equivalent equity thresholds for all supported base currencies, are published at tiomarkets.com/unlimited-leverage.
Contract specifications for all eligible instruments are available at tiomarkets.com/contract-specifications.
Risk Management
- Size positions relative to account equity, not relative to the absence of a margin requirement. The 0% margin condition removes a structural constraint; it does not reduce the underlying market risk of any position.
- Use stop-loss orders on every trade. Without margin as a natural position limit, stop-loss placement is the primary mechanism for controlling downside on individual trades.
- Monitor the equity threshold. Crossing $1,000 triggers automatic margin requirement adjustment on new positions, which changes the conditions under which subsequent trades are opened.
- Account for news event restrictions when planning trades around scheduled data releases. The 0.5% margin requirement applies from 5 minutes before the scheduled release time until 15 minutes after.
- Assess total pip exposure across all open positions relative to account equity. TIOmarkets notes that it is crucial to know the combined pip value of all open deals in order to understand capacity to absorb adverse price movements.
- Factor in the no-positive-swap condition on unlimited leverage symbols when evaluating strategies that involve holding positions overnight.
FAQ
Risk disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Never deposit more than you are prepared to lose. Professional client’s losses can exceed their deposit. Please see our risk warning policy and seek independent professional advice if you do not fully understand. This information is not directed or intended for distribution to or use by residents of certain countries/jurisdictions including, but not limited to, USA & Countries included in the OFAC sanction list. The Company holds the right to alter the aforementioned list of countries at its own discretion.
TIOmarkets offers an exclusively execution-only service. The views expressed are for information purposes only. None of the content provided constitutes any form of investment advice. The comments are made available purely for educational and marketing purposes and do NOT constitute advice or investment recommendation (and should not be considered as such) and do not in any way constitute an invitation to acquire any financial instrument or product. TIOmarkets and its affiliates and consultants are not liable for any damages that may be caused by individual comments or statements by TIOmarkets analysis and assumes no liability with respect to the completeness and correctness of the content presented. The investor is solely responsible for the risk of his/her investment decisions. The analyses and comments presented do not include any consideration of your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, or needs. The content has not been prepared in accordance with any legal requirements for financial analysis and must, therefore, be viewed by the reader as marketing information. TIOmarkets prohibits duplication or publication without explicit approval.
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