For most long-term ETF investors, Cash. A Cash account invests only money you have: no borrowing, no margin calls, no leverage. Margin is for investors who specifically need to short, trade options or borrow against a portfolio. Two practical differences at IBKR Ireland: the minimum age is 18 for a cash account and 21 for a margin account, and IBKR states that its automatic currency conversion on buy orders works only in cash accounts.

The currency you report and fund in, which for most eurozone investors is EUR. The base currency sets the currency your statements are translated into and the currency used for margin requirements. It does not stop you holding other currencies. You can change it later under Settings > Account Reporting > Base Currency, and the change takes effect from the next trading day.

It depends on where you trade, and neither plan is cheaper everywhere. On the German, French, Dutch, Belgian and Italian markets both plans charge 0.05% of trade value. Fixed has a EUR 3.00 minimum per whole-share order and carries no separate third-party fees, with one exception: a EUR 0.75 per-execution fee is passed through on ETFs traded on Euronext Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. Tiered has a EUR 1.25 minimum but adds exchange, clearing and regulatory fees on top. Spain, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovenia offer Fixed only. You can switch later under Settings > Account Configuration > IBKR Pricing Plan, but the change is not instant.

Usually yes. The W-8BEN is for individuals who are not US citizens, green card holders or US residents, and IBKR asks for it as part of the application. Part II certifies your country of tax residence so you can claim treaty benefits, which may allow applicable treaty rates on US-source income such as dividends from US-listed shares. The form is valid for the year it is signed plus the next three calendar years. It does not change what you have to report in your own country.

Check trading permissions first. IBKR organises permissions by product and then by country, ETFs sit under the Stocks permission, and orders can only be sent to exchanges you hold permissions for. Some ETFs also need Complex or Leveraged ETP permissions. Review them under Settings > Trading Permissions. Permissions are granted based on your financial profile, and IBKR may ask you to sign risk disclosures before adding one. Then confirm the account holds enough cash for the order and its commission.

No. The notification gives IBKR the details of the transfer you are about to send, and helps it route the money if your bank’s payment arrives without your IBKR account number or account title. You still have to send the transfer from your own bank. Create a new notification every time you send a bank transfer. A recurring notification does not move money either: pair it with a standing order at your bank.

EU and EEA residents open their account with Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited, which is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (reference C423427) and is a member of the Irish Investor Compensation Scheme. The ICS pays 90% of the amount lost, up to a maximum of EUR 20,000 per investor. It covers private individuals only, and it protects against the failure of the firm, not against falling market prices. Client money is held in pooled accounts designated for IBIE clients, at a range of banks inside and outside the EEA.

Mostly things you control. IBKR asks for scanned images and states that phone or camera photos can delay approval. Identity documents must be current and show your full name, date and place of birth, photo, signature, document number, expiry date and country of issue. Proof of address must be less than six months old unless IBKR specifies otherwise. On the funding side, a SEPA transfer can take from immediately to four business days, and IBKR generally rejects deposits from an account in someone else’s name.

No. IBKR Ireland lists the account minimum for individual and joint accounts as USD 0.00. You need enough cash in the account to cover each purchase and its commission. Hungarian TBSZ accounts are the exception, with a minimum of their own.

For European applicants IBKR lists: a bank or brokerage statement; a signed and stamped bank letter on letterhead; government letters such as a property tax bill, a local authority address confirmation or a pension statement; a resident permit; or a driver’s licence or national identity card. Hungarian applicants can use the address card. The document must be less than six months old unless otherwise specified. Utility bills are not on IBKR’s European list.

No. IBKR Ireland lists the inactivity fee for individual and joint accounts as USD 0.00. Hungarian TBSZ accounts carry a HUF 2,000 minimum in total across all TBSZ accounts, and commissions count toward it. Real-time market data is an optional paid subscription; free delayed data is available where offered.

Yes. IBKR accepts deposits before the account opens, and interest on positive settled cash can accrue before approval. If the application is rejected, the deposit is returned without interest.

It depends on where you live. Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited serves all EU and EEA residents. IBKR’s UK entity serves residents of European countries outside the EU and EEA, including the UK and Switzerland. The country of residence you enter at sign-up decides which one you are placed with.

For eurozone investors, EUR by SEPA transfer is the straightforward route: IBKR accepts SEPA transfers for euro payments. Send the money in the same currency as the deposit notification you created, because funds sent in the wrong currency may be rejected or converted by the receiving bank. You do not need to convert to USD before depositing; you can convert inside the account.