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International Accounts for Non-U.S. Residents at Interactive Brokers in 2025
Is Interactive Brokers only for US citizens? Can non US citizens open an Interactive Brokers account?
IBKR international account for non US residents
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Interactive Brokers for non-US Citizens
Did you know that non-Americans can open accounts at Interactive Brokers? Yes, it’s true. Keep reading—we’ll show you everything you need to know to get an account open and ready to trade.
Non-US Citizens Outside America
Interactive Brokers allows non-US citizens living inside and outside the United States to open accounts. The investment firm makes it easy for non-US citizens to open accounts through its simple and user-friendly online application.
To start, go to the IB website and click on the red Open Account button at the top-right of the screen. On the next page, you’ll find the initial application, which asks for basic details like your email address and country of residence. More information will be needed later, but this first step gets you started.
Before choosing your country, you need to select whether the account is for an individual or an institution. Then, use the drop-down menu to pick your country of legal residence (which might be different from your country of citizenship). Trust accounts should select the country where they were formed.
Interactive Brokers accepts applications from people in almost every country worldwide. We counted over 200 countries. Only a few are excluded, like North Korea and Cuba.
Each country has its own rules for opening an account. For example, residents of Japan must provide proof of address, such as a utility bill or health insurance card. They also need to show proof of identity, like a Japanese passport or driver’s license.
Residents of Europe must provide details about their source of wealth and funds, their employer’s name and address, and their country of birth. Hungarians need to provide an address card showing their current residential address.
In all cases, a tax ID number is required on the application. Some non-US citizens may have a Social Security Number, but Interactive Brokers also accepts non-US tax ID numbers.
Foreign trusts have special document requirements, and there can be differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts. While the requirements are similar to US-based trusts, there may be some variations. For example, proof of address for a foreign address cannot be older than 12 months.
One important note: Interactive Brokers’ commission-free pricing is only available to US-based accounts. If you open an account with a foreign address, you’ll likely have a different commission schedule.
Open Interactive Brokers Account
Visit IB Website
Interactive Brokers Websites Intended for Residents of Foreign Countries
Interactive Brokers has country-specific websites for residents of certain countries. Here are some examples:
Ireland: https://www.interactivebrokers.ie/
India: https://www.interactivebrokers.co.in/
Canada: https://www.interactivebrokers.ca/
Hong Kong: https://www.interactivebrokers.com.hk/
These sites may be useful for residents of these countries.
Non-US Citizens Inside America
Non-US citizens opening brokerage accounts in the United States have an extra step. They must complete Form W-8. The IRS has different versions of this form, and the one you need depends on the type of account.
The US government has tax treaties with some countries, allowing their citizens to have zero or reduced tax withholdings on dividends and capital gains. Others may have between 0% and 30% withheld. Most EU countries have tax treaties with the US, allowing their citizens to benefit from reduced tax withholding.
Global Assets That Can Be Traded
Interactive Brokers is one of the few US investment firms that lets you trade foreign securities and other financial products. These include stocks, bonds, options, and mutual funds. Here are some exchanges you can access with an IB account:
SIX Swiss Exchange
Korea Stock Exchange
Australian Stock Exchange
Shanghai-Hong Kong Connect and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Connect
Moscow Exchange
Euronext Netherlands
As mentioned earlier, trades on these exchanges will have commissions.
Open Interactive Brokers Account
Visit IB Website
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Updated on 2/24/2025.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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