Best Online Brokers For Non-Us Residents

Many investors find themselves in a situation where they live in a non-US country and want to trade stocks or ETFs. They either don’t like the idea of using one of those “non-bank discount brokerages”, or they can’t due to their citizenship. Here is a list of the most reputable online brokers that offer brokerage accounts for non-US citizens. You will also find some useful information about the way these brokers work and what trading options and tools they offer. I hope this review will help you make your choice.

Online brokers would be the best choice because it is convenient as you can make orders and changes no matter where you are. All transactions are done over the internet and they can offer faster execution, which is incredibly useful in volatile markets. Above all else, online trading needs fewer costs compared to trading through a traditional broker.

Now choosing the right broker can be tricky in one way or another. You can end up with a big loss if the broker can’t keep their promise or not completely honest with you. Apart from that, it can also be slightly more complicated for a non-US resident to open an account because each broker has different requirements. Therefore, some factors need to be considered before you register in a broker:

Products they offer. The best option would be the ones that offer various assets to trade, including stocks, forex, mutual funds, futures, etc.
Security of the broker. Make sure to check if the broker’s trading platform URL has a valid SSL, so it will start with “https” instead of “http”. Also, see what investor protection law you are under.
Trading cost. Always consider the cost and check if there’s any additional fee that you should pay in advance.

Though it may be challenging, finding the right broker is vital. So in this article, we will provide you 10 recommendations of top online brokers for non-US residents. Keep reading to find out more.

Contents Show

1. Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers is arguably the best option of online broker for non-US residents to trade in the American market. To begin with, the broker offers a wide variety of security classes including stocks, options, futures, bonds, currency pairs, etc. Such wide options combined with relatively low fees have attracted millions of retail traders from all around the world. The company currently operates in 31 countries, 22 currencies, and 125 markets. It is considered very suitable for intermediate traders and well-experienced traders. The broker also offers educational materials for non-active investors.

RatingReview Start Trading

Website
www.interactivebrokers.comSpread
FixedRegulation
ASIC, 453554Min Deposit
$10000Established
1977

Key Features Extensive Review

It is convenient for international traders to fund their accounts given the several types of base currencies provided and then convert them at market rates if they want to purchase assets in other markets. In other words, no matter which market you are going to or from, you’ll be able to make an order without having to have separate accounts or arranging conversion.

As for safety, Interactive Brokers has licenses from across the continents. In the US alone, the company is regulated by the US SEC, NYSE, CFTC, NFA, and COMEX. While outside the US, Interactive Brokers has obtained licenses from ASIC (Australia), SFC (Hong Kong), IIROC (Canada), FCA (UK), and many more.

Many see Interactive Brokers as a popular and reliable broker for international traders. But even so, the fees offered are still affordable to many traders. The minimum account deposit is $0, while the maximum cost is around $0.005 per share for the Pro platform, 1% of trade value, and $0 for IBKR Lite.

2. TradeStation Global

TradeStation Global is a TradeStation International Ltd brand, which is based in the UK and under the regulation of the top-tier regulatory body, FCA. More specifically, TradeStation Global is the combined product offered by Interactive Brokers and TradeStation. That being said, some of the features including account opening, deposit/withdrawal options, and available products are the same as what Interactive Brokers has. Also, you can use both companies’ own desktop platforms for your online trading. However, TradeStation Global offers its own educational resources, fees, and customer support.

In fact, one of the best features offered by TradeStation Global is regarding the fees. To open an account, there is no minimum deposit required if you want to use the broker’s web-based Client Portal. However, in order to trade on the broker’s own desktop platform, a deposit of at least $1,000 is required. For the trading fees itself, TradeStation offers low fees, especially for stocks and ETFs. Also, there’s no inactivity fee and the first withdrawal each month is free.

Firstrade

Overall Rating: 4/5

Account Minimum: $0

Fees: $0 commissions for most stock, option, and ETF trades

Founded in 1985, Queens New York, Firstrade offers commission-free trades for stocks, options and ETF’s and does not charge on any mutual funds it has to offer. With multiple trading platforms and access to free research it also provides biweekly educational seminars for beginner traders. It also provides an Android and iOS Mobile Application with a dashboard and research features like advanced charting. Firstrade accepts clients from 60 countries and does not require a Social Security number or a tax ID number.

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Interactive Brokers: 184 Countries

Overall | Visit Site

Exclusive Offer: New clients that open an account today receive a special margin rate.

Traditionally known for its leading offering of platforms, tools, and pricing for professionals, Interactive Brokers has made significant strides in recent years and today also appeals to casual investors, thanks to $0 trades and its Client Portal web platform. Read full review

Interactive Brokers countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Albania, Armenia, Antarctica, Argentina, American Samoa, Australia, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Bermuda, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belize, Canada, Central African Republic, Switzerland, Cook Islands, Chile, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Falkland Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Faroe Islands, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Gambia, Guinea, Guadeloupe, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Guam, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hong Kong, Honduras, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, British Indian Ocean Territory, Iceland, Jamaica, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Cayman Islands, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Saint Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Morocco, Monaco, Montenegro, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Macedonia, Mali, Mongolia, Macao, Northern Mariana Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Montserrat, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, New Caledonia, Niger, Norfolk Island, Nicaragua, Norway, Nepal, Niue, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Palestine, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Réunion, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Singapore, Saint Helena, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, San Marino, Senegal, Suriname, São Tomé and Príncipe, El Salvador, Swaziland, Turks and Caicos Islands, Chad, French Southern Territories, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tokelau, East Timor, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Tonga, Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uganda, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, Mayotte, South Africa, Zambia. If you are a resident of any of these countries, you can open an account with Interactive Brokers and invest in US stocks.

TradeStation: 156 Countries

Overall

As a trading technology leader, TradeStation supports casual traders through its web-based platform and active traders through its award-winning desktop platform, all with $0 stock and ETF trades. Read full review

TradeStation countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Antarctica, Argentina, American Samoa, Austria, Australia, Aruba, Åland, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Saint-Barthélemy, Bermuda, Brunei, Bolivia, “Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba”, Brazil, Bhutan, Belize, Canada, Cocos [Keeling] Islands, Republic of the Congo, Switzerland, Cook Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Curaçao, Christmas Island, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Fiji, Falkland Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Faroe Islands, France, United Kingdom, Grenada, French Guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Greece, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Guatemala, Guam, Hong Kong, Honduras, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Isle of Man, India, British Indian Ocean Territory, Iceland, Italy, Jersey, Jamaica, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Japan, Kiribati, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Cayman Islands, Laos, Saint Lucia, Liechtenstein, Lesotho, Republic of Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Republic of Moldova, Saint Martin, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Martinique, Montserrat, Malta, Mauritius, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Netherlands, Norway, Nauru, Niue, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Réunion, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Sweden, Singapore, Saint Helena, Slovenia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Slovak Republic, San Marino, Senegal, Suriname, São Tomé and Príncipe, El Salvador, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, French Southern Territories, Togo, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Tanzania, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, Kosovo, South Africa. If you are a resident of any of these countries, you can open an account with TradeStation and invest in US stocks.

Firstrade: 21 Countries

Overall

Firstrade offers $0 stock, ETF, and options trades and is best known for its easy-to-use web platform, alongside its Chinese language services. While Firstrade offers Morningstar research and various tools, its overall offering struggles to stand out against household name brands who are also priced at $0. Read full review

Firstrade countries: Belgium, China, China, Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Macao, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, United States. If you are a resident of any of these countries, you can open an account with Firstrade and invest in US stocks.

Other International Brokers

Site visitors frequently ask about other popular online brokers and the countries of residence they support. Most brokers only offer trading to residents of the United States.

Charles Schwab countries: United States, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Guam, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan (Province of China), Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands. If you are a resident of any of these countries, you can open an account with Charles Schwab and invest in US stocks.

Fidelity countries: United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.

E*TRADE countries: United States residents only.

TD Ameritrade countries: United States and Canada residents only.

What is an international broker?

Any stock broker that accepts clients from more than one country and offers trading access to global stock exchanges is considered an international broker. Some online stock brokers in the US only accept US citizens. Meanwhile, other US brokers support residents of Canada, Australia, the UK, broader Europe, or other countries across the globe.

Ultimately, what matters is that the broker is regulated and licensed to do business in your country of residence.

Can a non-US citizen open a brokerage account?

It depends. In many cases, if you are a legal resident in the US but not a US citizen, then proper identification may be enough to open a US brokerage account.

If you reside outside of the United States and are not a US citizen, you may still be able to open a brokerage account. As long as the online broker accepts applications from your country of residence, then you should be able to proceed.

How do I buy stocks internationally?

To buy foreign stocks, you must first open an international brokerage account. Then, after funding your account, you may need to request access (including price data) for the exchange you want to trade. Alternatively, simply search for the specific symbol to see if it is available to trade from within your account.

Example: A trader who wants to buy British Petroleum PLC (LSE: BP) would enter the symbol BP on the trading platform. If you enter this on the Interactive Brokers platform, BP will yield a few results, but the correct one if you want to buy it on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is “BP PLC – LSE.”

Companies can have multiple results because they may be dually-listed, trade as an American Deposit Receipt (ADR), or trade as a Contract for Difference (CFD). Bottom line: you will need to know the exchange and symbol to buy an international stock.

Which broker is best for international trading?

Interactive Brokers is the best US-based international stock broker because it provides you access to the most exchanges and supports clients from the widest variety of countries.

That said, the best international broker will vary depending on where you live. Use our international trading search tool above to compare trading platforms available across the globe.

Conclusions

If you’re not a resident of the US and want to trade stocks and other financial instruments, you might be looking for a list of online brokers who can help you.