Open a Robinhood Account in 2026

How to Open a Robinhood Account

Main Points:

• You can quickly open an investment account at Robinhood using the website or mobile app.

• Certain account types require a standard brokerage account to be opened first.

• You must meet specific eligibility rules before opening a Robinhood account.

If you’re planning to start a brokerage account with Robinhood, review the details below first:

Robinhood Account Opening Requirements

To qualify for a Robinhood account, you must meet the following conditions:

Have a Social Security Number (SSN); an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is not accepted
Be 18 years of age or older
Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or hold an approved U.S. visa (not all visa types qualify)
Have a physical address in the United States (this includes Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the 50 states, and the Virgin Islands; U.S. military members stationed overseas are exempt)

A separate exception applies to European residents who want to trade cryptocurrency. Robinhood offers crypto accounts in several European countries, although securities accounts are not yet available there.

Robinhood open Account

How to Open a Robinhood Brokerage Account

To open an individual or joint securities account at Robinhood, and click the yellow-green sign-up button. You may also see a button labeled “Start with more.” Either option will launch the online application.

Continue through the application and enter all requested information. You’ll begin by providing an email address and mobile number. Robinhood will send a text message to verify your phone number.

Later in the process, you’ll be asked for your SSN, birth date, and citizenship. U.S. citizenship is not required, and many nationalities are accepted. As noted earlier, you must also provide a valid U.S. address.

You can also apply through Robinhood’s mobile app. After installing it on an Android or Apple device, tap the black sign-up button to access the same application used on the website.

Robinhood Sign Up Promotion

How to Open a Robinhood Crypto Account

To open a crypto account in the U.S., you must first have the standard securities brokerage account described above. Robinhood does not allow crypto accounts to be opened on their own; they must be linked to a brokerage account.

To add crypto trading, log into the website and click the Account tab in the upper-right corner. From the menu, choose the crypto option. From there, you can open a separate crypto account, which will have its own account number and its own statements and confirmations.

The same eligibility rules that apply to brokerage accounts also apply to crypto accounts, and they must continue to be met.

How to Open a Robinhood Futures Account

Trading futures at Robinhood also requires a separate account, and it must be connected to a securities brokerage account. After opening the brokerage account, go to the Investing section on the app or website and select the option to apply for futures trading.

How to Open a Robinhood Robo Account

U.S. investors who want to use Robinhood Strategies should start by opening a regular brokerage account. Just like crypto and futures, the automated account depends on having a securities account first. After that account is active, log in and tap or click the Gold icon. On the Gold page, you’ll find the application link for the robo account (this option requires a Gold subscription).

open new Robinhood account

How to Open a Robinhood IRA

To open an Individual Retirement Account, sign into the mobile app and tap the middle icon in the bottom menu. This opens the IRA section. Tap the button to begin, select either Roth or Traditional, and complete the on-screen steps. As with other accounts, a taxable brokerage account must already be open.

Rules in Europe

European users do not open securities accounts at Robinhood. To access crypto services, they should follow the same initial application steps used for securities in the U.S. This time, a local European tax ID can be used, and neither an SSN nor a U.S. address is required.

Robinhood has also introduced stock tokens, which are blockchain-based derivatives. These require their own separate accounts as well. Log into your crypto account and look for the option to apply for stock tokens, which will create another linked account.

Fees and Minimums

U.S. brokerage accounts can trade stocks, equity options, and ETFs with no commissions. There are also no account fees or minimum balance requirements. A Robinhood Strategies account charges 0.25% per year and requires a $50 minimum.

Stock token trades in European accounts carry a 0.1% fee per transaction.

Updated on 1/26/2026.

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.