Check your citizenship and permanent residence before buying a Topstep Combine. The country rules determine both whether you can trade and whether a later Live Funded Account is available. Germany, for example, is eligible for Express Funded Accounts but currently has no Live Funded Account access.
Topstep's eligibility policy sets a minimum age of 18 and considers both citizenship and permanent residency. It cites OFAC and partner restrictions. The lists below were checked on October 13, 2026.
Countries and entries ineligible to trade
The current exclusion list has 34 entries. Two are broader labels: Chinese Military Companies and the Crimea entry with the named regions. The citizenship-and-residency review case is explained below the lists.
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Belarus
- Burkina Faso
- Burma/Myanmar
- Burundi
- Chinese Military Companies
- Cote d'Ivoire
- Crimea (incl. Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia)
- Cuba
- Dem. Rep. Congo
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mali
- Morocco
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Pakistan
- Russia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan & Darfur
- Syria
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Countries with XFA access but no Live Funded Account
The following 25 countries can access the Trading Combine and Express Funded Accounts, with up to $200,000 in total payouts and no Live Funded Account access. This is the country-specific total ceiling stated in the eligibility policy; individual payout requests still follow their account rules.
- Albania
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- British Virgin Islands
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Ethiopia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Liberia
- Macedonia
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Papua New Guinea
- Serbia
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Vietnam
- Zimbabwe
Topstep may select traders from these countries for a Pro Account. Pro is simulated. The Risk team decides the call-up and closes the trader's XFAs during the move; qualifying country status alone does not secure a Pro invitation.
When citizenship and residence give different answers
| Your situation | Topstep's published position |
|---|---|
| Eligible citizenship, residence in an ineligible country | Ineligible, regardless of citizenship. |
| Ineligible citizenship, permanent residence in an eligible country | Possible eligibility after a Trust team review. |
| Travel through an ineligible country | Do not trade while there. Even brief trading may prompt a Trust review. |
Documents for the permanent-residence review
For the second situation, Topstep asks for a government-issued photo ID proving permanent residency in the eligible country and a bank statement from that country. Submit the case through Trader Support for the Trust team to review. An eligible-country mailing address alone is not the published exception.
The country policy does not provide a separate rule for every dual-citizenship combination. If your passports and permanent residence span different categories, describe all of them to support and get a decision before paying. The residency check still applies when you hold more than one passport.
Identity verification is required before your second purchase
After the first purchase, Topstep sends an email and shows a dashboard notice. You can still log in and trade while verification is pending, but further purchases, including new accounts and resets, are blocked until it is complete. These are the current identity-verification steps.
Prepare a valid, unexpired physical government-issued ID, such as a passport, driver's licence or national ID, and a camera. Use the secure email link or QR code to photograph the ID and take a selfie. Copies, pictures displayed on another screen and covered IDs are not accepted.
The country-review documents above apply to that specific residency case. Topstep can request re-verification or clarification, so follow the document request for your own review. If the dashboard says the account is fully locked, follow its instruction to contact Trader Support.
VPNs, location checks and connection errors
Topstep's Prohibited Conduct policy bans VPNs, proxies, TOR and services that conceal location or identity. It also prohibits bypassing geographical restrictions. If you receive a 403 Forbidden error, its instruction is to disable the VPN or proxy and try again.
For identity verification, Topstep says to avoid VPNs and VPS connections and use accurate device location and time-zone settings. Location discrepancies can cause verification problems.
Topstep reviews prohibited conduct case by case. Possible actions include a warning, removal of the affected trading day, a reset, permanent closure, or delayed or denied payout. The outcome depends on the violation and prior history.
For TopstepX API trading, orders must originate from your personal device. A VPS or remote server cannot place, modify, cancel or relay orders. The API policy separately permits private servers for supporting work such as research or read-only monitoring.
If you move or your country's status changes
The eligibility page says a trader whose country becomes ineligible cannot trade, receive funding or receive payouts. Its answer provides no exception for an account that was opened while the country was eligible. It also gives no timetable for adding more eligible countries.
Check the current policy before relocating or trading during a trip. If your status changes while you have an account, contact Trader Support with your citizenship, permanent residence, current location and account stage. Ask how the rule applies to your existing account and any pending payout. The published country page does not specify an automatic checkout-block time or a balance-settlement process for every case.
US and Canadian traders
The United States and Canada are absent from both country lists. US citizenship is not required. Topstep also answers Canadian eligibility directly: Canadian traders can earn funded accounts through a sub-account of Topstep's US-based master account. Citizenship, residence, identity verification and the applicable account rules still need to be checked.
The Topstep account-stage guide compares Combine, Express Funded and Live. The Topstep review covers the wider account and cost decision.