Topstep Restricted Countries 2026: Eligibility, KYC, and What to Check Before You Buy

Topstep publishes two complete country lists in its Help Center eligibility article, and both matter before you buy. Thirty-four entries are ineligible outright, among them Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Kenya, Kosovo, Morocco, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela. Twenty-five countries are limited to the Express Funded Account: they can pass the Trading Combine, earn XFAs and take up to $200,000 in total payouts, but they get no Live Funded Account. Germany is on that second list, which makes it the single most important line in this article for European readers. Eligibility is assessed on citizenship and residency together, so check both against the two tables before you spend anything, and complete KYC from your real residence with your VPN disabled.

What does Topstep publish about country eligibility?

Topstep does publish the lists, in full. The primary source is the Help Center article "Am I eligible to trade with Topstep?", which carries two alphabetised tables: 34 ineligible entries and 25 countries that can hold an Express Funded Account but not a Live Funded Account. Two of the 34 are not states, namely "Chinese Military Companies" and a Crimea entry that bundles Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Topstep adds one caveat above the tables: the list can change at any time based on updates from brokerages and other circumstances.

The practical implication is that checking your country is a lookup, not a support ticket. The article also states the rule that governs the edge cases: eligibility is based on both citizenship and residency, and citizens or residents of OFAC-sanctioned or partner-restricted countries are not eligible to trade, earn funding, or receive payouts. Support only enters the picture for one specific split, covered further down.

Which countries are ineligible or limited to Express Funded?

Topstep names the countries in each bucket rather than leaving them to inference, and it applies the test to citizenship and residency together. Here are both tables as the Help Center publishes them:

Two consequences follow. If your citizenship or your residence lands in the first table, you cannot trade, earn funding or take payouts at Topstep, and that table reaches well past the usual OFAC shorthand: Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Turkey, Algeria, Angola, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Kosovo, Haiti, Nicaragua and Ukraine are all named. If your country is in the second table, you can join, pass the Combine, hold Express Funded Accounts and take up to $200,000 in total payouts, and the Live Funded Account stays closed. Topstep names one route for that group: select traders from these countries may be considered for the Pro Account track rather than the Live Funded Account, based on performance.

How should you check your country before buying?

The lookup takes longer to describe than to do. Before you spend $49 on a Combine subscription or $149 on activation (both Standard Path prices; the Topstep pricing breakdown sets out both paths):

• Open the Topstep Help Center article "Am I eligible to trade with Topstep?" and read both tables.
• Check your country of citizenship and your country of residence separately. Either one landing in the ineligible table blocks you.
• If you find your country in the Express-Funded-only table, price in the cap of $200,000 in total payouts and the absence of a Live Funded Account before you buy, not after.
• Contact Trader Support only for the one case the article leaves open, and wait for written confirmation before proceeding.

The one case that still needs a support review

Topstep answers it directly: if you are a citizen of an ineligible country but a permanent resident of an eligible one, you may be able to trade. You submit a government-issued photo ID proving permanent residency in the eligible country plus a bank statement from that country, and Topstep's Trust team reviews the case. The reverse split has no review path: a citizen of an eligible country who resides in an ineligible one is ineligible regardless of citizenship. Travel counts too, so do not trade while passing through an ineligible country, because even a brief session may trigger a Trust team review.

Two practical points. First, check before you buy. A failed eligibility review after purchase is harder to unwind than a lookup that takes two minutes. Second, the tables settle the country gate, and KYC at first payout is a separate compliance step run on your actual ID and address documents.

KYC, VPN, and the bright-line ban

Topstep's KYC posture is the operational enforcement layer behind the country list. The VPN policy is the guardrail that keeps it honest. As of April 2026 the Help Center is explicit that VPNs are prohibited during trading and during identity verification, with a 403 Forbidden error on connection attempts and a documented requirement to disable VPN, ad blockers, and browser extensions before running KYC.

The interaction with country eligibility:

• Routing through a VPN to mask restricted-country origin at checkout: payment may complete, account may activate, evaluation may even pass, but KYC at first payout will see the real ID and address and the account closes with profit forfeit.
• Running a VPN during KYC for privacy reasons in an eligible country: still fails the verification because timezone and location data conflicts with submitted documents.
• Using a VPS to run automated execution from a country other than your real residence: prohibited by the TopstepX API rules ("All activity must be performed from your own device, without using VPS, VPNs, or remote access tools"), and any TopstepX API access is gated on this rule.

VPN is not a workaround for the country gate at Topstep, it is the failure path.

How Topstep compares to peers on geographic strictness

A rough mapping of restricted-country posture across futures props as of April 2026:

The takeaway is that Topstep is on the more US-anchored end of the posture range, similar to Apex, and that it is more transparent than its own reputation suggests: it names 34 ineligible entries and 25 Express-Funded-only countries in a single article. YRM Prop's 20-country roster (checked August 3, 2026) is shorter, and the operational reality at YRM is filtered through Rise Works at the payout step regardless. At Topstep the published tables answer the question for almost every reader, and support only handles the citizenship-versus-residency split.

What if your country gets restricted post-funding

The Help Center answers this one directly, and the answer is short. A country may be deemed ineligible for several reasons, including OFAC sanctions and restrictions with Topstep's partners, and in those cases traders are unable to trade with, get funded by, or receive payouts from Topstep. There is no published grandfathering clause. What follows from that:

• Active cycle, account in good standing: the ineligibility covers trading, funding and payouts alike, so an open Combine or Express Funded Account carries no exemption.
• First payout request post-restriction: KYC applies the current rules at the moment of verification. If your address or citizenship now resolves to an ineligible country, the request is rejected.
• New purchase post-restriction: blocked at checkout once the billing system updates.
• Mid-cycle move into a restricted country: Topstep support should be notified before payout. Hiding an address change does not work because KYC catches it.

If a sanctions change directly affects your status, contact support@topstep.com immediately rather than waiting. The compliance posture is anchored to OFAC, which means changes flow from US Treasury announcements; the firm's discretion to grandfather is narrow.

US traders and the regulatory framework

Topstep's status as a US-based firm with an FCM-adjacent retail arm via Plus500US makes it one of the most US-trader-friendly futures props in the market. The Trading Combine and Express Funded Account run as simulated evaluations, which sits cleanly outside the state-by-state retail-broker rules that complicate equities. The Live Funded Account stage is real-money FCM-backed and operates under standard US futures regulation, with NFA and CFTC oversight on the FCM side rather than on Topstep itself.

A few practical points for US traders:

• No state-level eligibility filter at signup. The Combine and XFA work the same way for a New York resident as for a Texas resident.
• Tax treatment of payouts is on the trader. Topstep issues documentation as required by US law; a CPA conversation is the right move once payouts scale.
• Topstep Brokerage (the retail arm) is open to US residents through Plus500US, but it is structurally separate from the prop product.

Topstep's record as one of the oldest futures prop programs in the market is the backdrop to that regulatory posture: the compliance layer is old enough to have been tested.

The bottom line

Topstep publishes two country lists in one Help Center article, and both are complete. Thirty-four entries are ineligible outright, including Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Turkey, Pakistan, Kosovo and Ukraine alongside the familiar Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia, Venezuela and Belarus. Twenty-five countries are limited to the Express Funded Account: they can pass the Combine, hold XFAs and take up to $200,000 in total payouts, with no Live Funded Account, and select traders from that group may be considered for the Pro Account track instead. Germany is on that second list. Eligibility is judged on citizenship and residency together. VPN use is prohibited at every stage including KYC, so routing through a VPN to mask an ineligible origin is a fast-fail path that ends in account closure and profit forfeit. US traders are accepted broadly, with no state-level eligibility filter on the Combine or XFA. Read both tables before you buy, and contact Trader Support only if your citizenship and your permanent residence sit in different buckets.

The Topstep rules overview covers the full rule framework, including the VPN ban that interacts with every geographic check. The main review is the consolidated reference.

Topstep At a Glance

The table above is a quick orientation. Read the full sections below for the operational detail that determines whether Topstep fits your trading style. Anything time-sensitive (promo codes, restricted countries, plan structure) should be verified against the official help center at the time of reading.

How Topstep Compares to Peer Firms

Topstep sits in the moderate range of restricted-country policy. Compared to forex props, futures firms typically share OFAC alignment but differ on incremental countries based on payment-rail availability and broker constraints.

Peer benchmarking matters because Topstep sits in a category where surface-level numbers (split, drawdown, payout speed) hide structural differences in lock mechanics, consistency math, and platform UX. Two firms can advertise the same 80/20 split and still produce wildly different funded-account survival rates over a 90-day window. Use the table above as a starting filter, not a final verdict.

Most traders who shop Topstep also evaluate at least two competitors before committing. The right comparison set depends on your style: scalpers weigh latency and fill quality, swing traders weigh hold-time rules and overnight margin, and high-frequency operators weigh news windows and tick scalping policy. Topstep is not the right fit for every profile, and the comparison should expose where it wins and where it loses.

Common Mistakes Traders Make With Topstep

VPN attempts are the most common and most expensive mistake. Topstep compliance routinely catches mismatches between login IP, billing address, and KYC documents, with funds frozen pending review.

• Using a VPN to sign up from a restricted country (immediate termination on KYC)
• Submitting an old passport from an allowed country while residing in a restricted one
• Assuming PO box address is sufficient proof of residency
• Failing to update Topstep when moving to a different country mid-cycle
• Confusing restricted-country list with sanctioned-country list (overlap is partial)
• Treating dual citizenship as a workaround when KYC verifies actual residency

Each of these mistakes is recoverable on the first occurrence in some cases, but the cumulative pattern is what eats accounts. Traders who survive long-term at Topstep treat the rulebook as a pre-trade checklist rather than something they read once at signup. The dashboard, support tickets, and rule-update emails are the three signals you should monitor weekly.

There is also a meta-mistake worth naming: assuming that Topstep works exactly like the previous firm you traded. Every prop firm encodes its own definition of what counts as profit, what counts as a breach, and how funded-account mechanics differ from eval-stage mechanics.

Self-Assessment Checklist for Topstep

Run through this checklist before purchasing or renewing a Topstep evaluation. The items are general enough to apply across plans and specific enough to catch common mismatches between trader style and firm policy.

Working through this checklist on paper before live trading prevents the most common mistakes. The 30 minutes spent here usually saves the cost of one or more failed evaluations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Topstep publish a full list of restricted countries?

Yes. The Help Center eligibility article carries two complete, alphabetised tables: 34 ineligible entries and 25 countries that can hold an Express Funded Account but not a Live Funded Account. Two of the 34 are not states, namely "Chinese Military Companies" and a Crimea entry covering Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Topstep notes above the tables that the list can change at any time based on updates from brokerages and other circumstances, so read the source rather than a copy. Support contact is only needed if you are a citizen of an ineligible country and a permanent resident of an eligible one.

Is Topstep available to traders outside the United States?

Yes, with two lists to check first. Topstep funds traders worldwide, no US citizenship is required, and the minimum age is 18. Canadian traders are explicitly covered: you trade on a sub-account of Topstep's master account, which is treated as a US-based account. What the article does restrict is 34 ineligible entries plus 25 countries limited to the Express Funded Account, and that second group includes Germany, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Serbia and Iceland. Check your own country of citizenship and residence against both tables before you buy.

Can US traders use Topstep?

Yes. Topstep is a Chicago-headquartered US firm and is one of the most US-trader-friendly futures props on the market. The Trading Combine, Express Funded Account, and Live Funded Account are all open to US residents, and the Topstep Brokerage retail product runs through Plus500US as the FCM. State-level futures regulation generally targets brokerages and FCMs rather than simulated-evaluation prop firms, so the Combine and XFA stages do not raise state-by-state issues for most US traders.

Why does Topstep maintain a restricted-country list at all?

Two reasons, and Topstep names both. First, OFAC sanctions: comprehensive US sanctions on countries such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria flow straight through to onboarding rules. Second, partner restrictions: Topstep states that brokerage restrictions are what prevent Live Funded Account access in certain countries, which is why a second, Express-Funded-only list exists instead of one flat block list. Topstep adds that it will keep supporting as many countries as OFAC and its brokers allow, and that the lists can change at any time.

How do I verify my country is eligible before I buy a Trading Combine?

Three steps. First, check the Topstep Help Center at help.topstep.com for any country-eligibility article. Second, if your country is borderline, email support@topstep.com or use the Help Center chat icon and ask directly: state your country of residence and citizenship and request confirmation before purchase. Third, ensure you complete checkout from your real country with VPN disabled.

Can I use a VPN to sign up from a restricted country?

No. VPN use is prohibited at Topstep at every stage including identity verification. The Help Center is explicit: a VPN connection during trading or KYC triggers a 403 Forbidden error, and the firm requires VPN disabled during identity verification because of timezone and location consistency checks. Routing through a VPN to mask a restricted-country origin will pass checkout but fail at KYC, and the result is account closure with profits forfeited.

What happens at KYC if my documents come from a sanctioned country?

KYC fails and the account closes. Topstep runs identity verification before payouts, including for the Live Funded Account stage which is real-money FCM-backed. ID and address documents that resolve to a country under OFAC comprehensive sanctions, or that conflict with the country claimed at signup, are grounds for rejection. The Combine and XFA stages are simulated, so the binding compliance moment is the first payout request rather than initial purchase.

How does Topstep's restricted list compare to YRM Prop, FundedNext, or Apex?

YRM Prop publishes a clear 20-country list (Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and 15 others). FundedNext publishes a longer list with broader Asia and Africa exposure. Apex Trader Funding has a US-anchored compliance posture similar to Topstep with its own list. Topstep publishes more than any of them: 34 ineligible entries plus a second table of 25 countries limited to the Express Funded Account. The headline blocks (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia, Venezuela) match peer US-based futures props, but Topstep's list also names Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Turkey, Pakistan, Kosovo and Ukraine, which the OFAC shorthand alone would not predict.

What if Topstep adds my country to the restricted list after I have a funded account?

No. The Help Center says a country may be deemed ineligible for several reasons, including OFAC sanctions and restrictions with Topstep's partners, and that in those cases traders are unable to trade with, get funded by, or receive payouts from Topstep. There is no published grandfathering clause and no carve-out for an account in good standing. If your country status changes while you are holding a balance, contact support@topstep.com immediately rather than waiting for the system to resolve it.

Does dual citizenship help if one of my passports is from a restricted country?

Sometimes, and Topstep names the process. If you are a citizen of an ineligible country but a permanent resident of an eligible one, you submit a government-issued photo ID proving that permanent residency plus a bank statement from that country, and the Trust team reviews the case. The reverse has no review path: a citizen of an eligible country who resides in an ineligible one is ineligible regardless of the passport. Travel counts as well, so do not trade while passing through an ineligible country, because even a brief session may trigger a Trust team review.

Are EU traders covered without restrictions?

Not quite. Most EU and EEA countries are accepted with no restriction, but Germany is on Topstep's Express-Funded-only list: German traders can join, pass the Trading Combine, earn Express Funded Accounts and take up to $200,000 in total payouts, and they get no Live Funded Account. Select traders from that group may be considered for the Pro Account track instead. Iceland, Monaco, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia sit in the same Express-Funded-only bucket, and Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kosovo and Turkey are on the ineligible list. Check your own country against both tables rather than assuming EU or EEA membership settles it.

Can I move countries mid-cycle and keep my Topstep account?

Yes, if you are moving from one eligible country to another. Update your address with Topstep support before your next payout request so KYC has time to refresh. Moving from an eligible country into a restricted country puts the account at risk: at first payout post-move, KYC will see the address shift and pause the account. Do not try to mask a country change with a VPN, the bright-line VPN ban makes this a fast-fail scenario.

How often does Topstep update the restricted-country list?

Updates are tied to OFAC sanctions announcements plus internal compliance reviews, so the list can change with little notice. Practical advice: check the help-center page within 48 hours of any major geopolitical news that adds a country to global sanctions watchlists, since the firm typically syncs quickly.

What if I move to a restricted country after opening an account?

Most firms close or suspend accounts if the holder relocates to a newly restricted jurisdiction. Payouts may be frozen pending compliance review. Notify Topstep support proactively and provide updated address documentation rather than waiting for an automated trigger.

Does Topstep accept dual citizenship as a workaround?

Dual citizenship is evaluated on the citizenship Topstep KYC verifies, not on the trader's preferred passport. If the verified residency is in a restricted jurisdiction, account access is blocked regardless of a second passport from an allowed country.

Can business entities from restricted countries sign up?

Business sign-up is generally tied to the beneficial owner's residency rather than the entity's incorporation country. Using a corporate shell to bypass restrictions risks immediate termination once compliance identifies the structure during a KYC re-verification.

Are crypto payouts available to traders in restricted countries?

No. If the account holder's verified residency is restricted, payout method cannot bypass the restriction. Crypto payouts are a rail choice, not a jurisdictional workaround. Restricted countries cannot legally receive any payment from the firm.

What documentation does Topstep accept for KYC?

Standard documents include a government-issued photo ID, a recent utility bill or bank statement as proof of address, and in some cases an additional selfie verification. Documents in non-English languages may require a certified translation depending on the compliance team's discretion.