What is Restricted Jurisdictions?

Restricted jurisdictions are the countries or regions where a broker is legally barred from accepting clients, so any lead from those places is rejected at onboarding. The list typically includes the United States, sanctioned states such as Iran and North Korea, and often Canada, Belgium, or Japan.

Each broker's restricted list is shaped by three forces: its own license, international sanctions, and local licensing walls. A broker regulated only by CySEC in Cyprus cannot solicit US residents because that would require CFTC and NFA registration; it also cannot touch Iran, Syria, or North Korea because of OFAC and EU sanctions. Countries like Canada and Japan appear because they require a separate domestic license that most offshore brokers do not hold.

Key takeaways

US, Iran, and North Korea are almost universally restricted; Canada, Japan, and Belgium often are too.
The list flows from the broker's license plus sanctions, not preference.
Rejected leads pay zero commission — geo-exclusion protects your CPA.
Lists change; re-confirm quarterly and after any sanctions news.
Different brokers restrict different countries — never assume one list fits all.

The list is not static. It moves when sanctions are added, when a regulator issues a warning, or when the broker gains or loses a license in a market. For example, when a broker adds an FSCA license in South Africa, that country may move from restricted to open; when the EU tightens rules, a previously accepted country may close.

For a partner, the practical effect is simple math. If 30% of your ad budget drives traffic from a restricted country, roughly 30% of that spend produces leads the broker will reject at KYC, and you earn nothing on them. Treating the restricted list as a hard targeting filter is the difference between a profitable campaign and a leaking one.

How it works

A broker builds its restricted list from the intersection of its licensing scope, applicable sanctions regimes, and payment-processing constraints. When a user reaches the sign-up form, the broker checks the declared country of residence and often the IP geolocation against this blocklist.

If the country is restricted, the application is blocked before or during KYC (Know Your Customer) verification. Even if a lead slips through with a VPN or a mismatched address, the deposit or withdrawal stage usually catches it, and the account is frozen. Partners are paid on validated, funded clients, so a rejected or frozen account produces zero commission and, if it happens often, a compliance review of the partner.

Request the current list

Ask your affiliate manager for the broker's up-to-date restricted-country list in writing, and re-request it quarterly since it changes with sanctions and licensing.

Exclude at the ad level

Set country exclusions in Google Ads, Meta, and native networks so impressions never serve to restricted geos in the first place.

Filter organic and content traffic

Use geo-redirects or country-gated CTAs so visitors from restricted regions see a compliant message rather than a broker sign-up link.

Reconcile rejected leads

Review your rejection reports each month; a spike in geo-rejections signals a leak in your targeting to fix.

Why it matters for partnership: IBs burn budget when traffic comes from restricted countries, since those leads are rejected at onboarding and never convert. Knowing each broker's exact list lets you geo-target ad spend, protect your account from compliance flags, and keep your effective cost per acquisition low.

Real World Example

An affiliate promoting an IC Markets partner link runs a Meta campaign and forgets to exclude the US and Canada. Of 1,000 clicks, 220 come from those two countries and every resulting sign-up is rejected at KYC, wasting roughly 22% of a $2,000 budget. After adding country exclusions, the same spend drives only accepted geos and effective cost per funded client drops from $180 to $140.

Pro Tip

Get the restricted list from your affiliate manager in writing before launch, and set the exclusions inside the ad platform so impressions never even serve to those geos.

Common Pitfalls

Buying generic global email or lead lists heavy with residents of restricted countries, which floods your campaign with unconvertible leads and can trigger a compliance review.

FAQ

Why is the United States restricted by so many brokers?

Soliciting US retail clients requires CFTC and NFA registration, which most offshore and EU-regulated brokers do not hold. Accepting US residents without it is illegal, so they block the country entirely.

Can a client use a VPN to bypass a restricted jurisdiction?

They may open an account, but KYC document checks and deposit or withdrawal screening usually catch the mismatch and freeze it. You earn no commission on a frozen account, so promoting VPN workarounds is a losing strategy.

Do all brokers restrict the same countries?

No. The core sanctioned states are common to all, but middle-ground countries like Canada, Japan, or Belgium depend on which licenses each broker holds. Always use the specific broker's list.

How often does the restricted list change?

It can change any time sanctions are updated or the broker gains or loses a license. Re-confirm it at least quarterly and whenever there is major sanctions news.

Will I be banned for accidentally sending restricted traffic?

A few rejected leads are normal and simply pay nothing. A persistent, high-volume pattern of restricted traffic can trigger a compliance review of your account, so fix leaks quickly.

Where do I set country exclusions?

Directly in the ad platform's location targeting settings, and additionally with geo-redirects on your own landing pages so organic visitors from restricted regions do not reach the sign-up flow.

Reviewed by the Revenika Editorial Desk Last updated August 5, 2026