Vanguard for Non-U.S. Citizens in 2026

Vanguard for non-U.S. Residents: Key Points

• Brokerage accounts with the U.S. division of Vanguard can only be opened by U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents with a U.S. mailing address.

• A U.S. Social Security Number is required to open a U.S.-based Vanguard account.

• Vanguard does have global operations, and some of its foreign divisions will open accounts for non-Americans. Investors excluded by Vanguard should take a look at .

Overview of Vanguard

The Vanguard Group, Inc. is an investment firm with several lines of business. It serves as an asset manager with lineups of mutual funds and ETFs. It also operates as an investment advisor and broker-dealer. In these roles, it opens securities accounts for retail investors in multiple countries. The best-known market is the United States. For a U.S.-based account, Vanguard requires either U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency, plus a valid U.S. mailing address. In either case, a valid Social Security Number is required.

Vanguard’s International Accounts

For investors outside the United States, Vanguard has a few (only a few) subsidiaries that will open accounts for non-U.S. persons. The company’s international portal is located at global.vanguard.com. There, countries where Vanguard has operations are grouped into three regions: the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

The only country within Asia Pacific where Vanguard has operations is Australia. This branch of Vanguard does offer investing accounts. A residential address in Australia is required, as is an Australian mobile phone number. Vanguard also requires applicants to be Australian residents for tax purposes. An Australian account can be opened online in less than 10 minutes, and once opened, it will have access to Vanguard mutual funds and ETFs along with the top 300 ASX direct shares.

One of the countries in Europe, the United Kingdom, is eligible for account opening. Here, Vanguard requires U.K. residency, a minimum age of 18, and, for many accounts, U.K. tax status. Vanguard U.K. does not offer its products and services to U.S. persons.

It should be pointed out that Vanguard’s U.S. pricing schedule does not automatically apply to international accounts. These will have their own fee schedules, which could vary significantly from their U.S. counterparts (commissions or account charges will be applied in some cases).

vanguard non us citizen

ZacksTrade as Alternative

Some of the countries on Vanguard’s global portal are not eligible for retail accounts. For example, Vanguard’s Mexican site is only for institutional and sophisticated investors. Other countries, like China, do not show up at all. One brokerage firm that does a somewhat better job of opening accounts for non-Americans is ZacksTrade.

Besides Americans, ZacksTrade opens brokerage accounts . These are located in North America, Europe, and the Pacific region. Here are a few examples:

Belgium
China
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Italy
Mexico
New Zealand
Poland
Spain
Sweden
Thailand

How to Open a ZacksTrade Account outside the United States

ZacksTrade customers inside and outside the United States can . It has an international account application that requires a few minutes to complete. A mobile phone number is required, and ZacksTrade accepts several international numbers. A digital copy of the applicant’s passport is required, and this e-document can be securely uploaded (no snail mail required).

vanguard for non US citizen

Trading in a ZacksTrade International Account

ZacksTrade customers of both kinds—foreign and domestic—can trade on the American exchanges and in many overseas markets as well. The broker advertises access to 150 markets across 34 countries, including stocks, options, bonds, and funds. A foreign account at ZacksTrade can be funded in multiple currencies and can trade assets denominated in those currencies, and stock commissions start at $0.01 per share with a $1 minimum.

Free ZacksTrade Account

Visit ZacksTrade Website

Updated on 4/3/2026.

About the Author

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.