Best Brokers for Expats and Cross-Border Investors in Europe (2026)

Investing as an expat brings a set of problems that home-country investors never have to think about. Brokers restrict who they’ll accept based on where you live. Accounts don’t always travel when you move. And earning, spending and investing in different currencies can quietly cost you a fortune in conversion fees. This guide covers what actually matters when you’re investing across borders, and which brokers tend to handle it best.

What matters when you’re investing across borders

• Account portability. The big one. If you move country, can you keep the account, or do you have to close it and start again somewhere new? Some brokers let you simply update your residence; others can’t serve you once you’ve moved.
• Residency and nationality acceptance. Many brokers only accept residents of particular countries, and some restrict certain nationalities. Always confirm the broker will take you where you actually live.
• Multi-currency and low FX. If your income and your investments aren’t in the same currency, conversion costs add up fast. A broker with genuinely low FX fees or multi-currency accounts saves real money.
• Broad market access. You may want exposure to your home market and your new one, so wide access helps.
• Clear protection. With cross-border setups it’s especially worth knowing which entity holds your account and what investor protection applies.

Which brokers handle it best

The shortlist below is a starting point, not a verdict. Check current terms and confirm acceptance for your country.

• Interactive Brokers is the usual answer for expats, and for good reason. It serves clients across many countries, offers the widest global market access, has among the lowest currency-conversion costs anywhere, and crucially lets you keep your account and update your residence if you move. The platform is more complex, but for a mobile life that flexibility is hard to beat.
• Trading 212 and Trade Republic are excellent low-cost options if you’re settled in a country they serve, but they’re more euro- or single-country focused, and residency restrictions can bite if you relocate. Great while you’re in one place, less ideal if you move often.

A note for US citizens

If you’re a US citizen or green-card holder living in Europe, you face a separate and stricter set of rules (FATCA reporting, and the PFIC tax treatment of non-US funds), and many European brokers won’t accept you at all. That’s a specialist situation worth dedicated, professional advice rather than a general guide like this one.

The bottom line

For most internationally mobile investors, the priorities are portability, low FX and a broker that will actually accept you where you live. That combination points many expats toward Interactive Brokers, but the right answer depends on your countries and how often you move. Read our Interactive Brokers review, or compare brokers on FX and access with Brokerlens.

Educational information, not personal advice. Broker availability and rules vary by country and change, so always confirm your own situation. We may earn a commission if you open an account through our links, which never affects which brokers we recommend.