How to Open a Lightyear Account
(2026, European investors)
Lightyear runs on two separate legal entities across a 26-country service area — Lightyear Europe AS for EU/EEA residents, Lightyear UK Ltd for UK residents — and three pricing schedules between them, since UK business accounts are priced closer to the EU rates than to the UK personal ones. ETFs carry no execution or custody fee on any of them, though fund manager fees still apply. Sign-up takes around 10 minutes. This guide covers what to expect at each step, including the deposit, withdrawal, and fee rules that differ depending on which entity you’re assigned.
Fees verified August 2026 against official pricing pages — see our methodology
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Which Lightyear entity will you get?
Lightyear operates through two regulated entities running three pricing schedules between them, and your country of residence decides which one you sign up with. This isn’t a branding detail — it changes your commission structure and your FX markup. ETFs are the one constant: no execution or custody fee anywhere, with fund manager fees still applying.
EU/EEA residents (except UK). Registered in Estonia, authorised and regulated by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (Finantsinspektsioon), activity licence 4.1-1/31.
- ETFs: free
- EUR-denominated stocks/bonds: €1/order
- UK shares: £1/order
- US shares: 0.10% (min $0.10, max $1)
- FX markup: 0.35%
Client assets covered by the Estonian Investor Protection Sectoral Fund up to EUR 20,000. Crypto assets are excluded from that fund and from any EU investor compensation scheme.
UK residents. Registered in England and Wales, authorised and regulated by the FCA, FRN 987226.
- ETFs: free
- US, UK and EU shares (GIA & Stocks and Shares ISA): free
- FX markup: 0.10%
Client cash covered by the FSCS up to GBP 85,000. Money market fund holdings are investments, not deposits, and are not FSCS-covered. Business accounts on Lightyear UK Ltd use a different, per-order schedule closer to the EU rates above — not the zero-commission personal rate.
All rates in this section accurate as of 05-August-2026.
What you’ll need to open a Lightyear account
Have these ready before you start. It is easier to complete the whole thing in one session than to break off partway through identity verification.
One of the following, valid and not expired:
- Passport
- National identity card (front and back)
- Driving licence (front and back)
- Residence permit (front and back)
Photos must be clear and unobstructed. Photos of a screen or printout are rejected.
- Full legal name (exactly as on your ID)
- Date of birth and country of birth
- Residential address
- Tax Identification Number (TIN)
- Employment status and source of wealth
- Mobile number for SMS verification
Lightyear does not always ask for this — but Belgian residents usually are. If requested, provide one of:
- Utility bill (gas, water, electricity, internet)
- Bank or credit card statement
- Signed rental agreement
- Government-issued document with your address
Must be dated within the last 6 months. Cannot be the same document used for identity.
You will need a bank account to fund the account after approval. Important rules:
- The account must be registered in your own name — joint accounts you co-own are fine
- Access via power of attorney or a card alone is not sufficient
- Third-party deposits are rejected and returned
- Debit cards must also be registered in your own name
Is Lightyear available in your country?
Lightyear is currently available to residents of 26 European countries. You must permanently reside in a supported country — temporary residency or a forwarding address does not qualify.
Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Norway · Portugal · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · United Kingdom
Switzerland and Poland are not on this list. Swiss and Polish shares are tradeable instruments on the Lightyear platform — that’s a market, not an eligibility criterion. Residents of Switzerland and Poland cannot open an account.
Available in all personal account countries except Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. Requires an existing, fully verified personal account first.
Business accounts are set up after your personal account is verified. Lightyear’s fee pages carry no account-opening line for either account type.
- US tax residents and US citizens — regardless of where they live
- Residents of countries not listed above, including Switzerland and Poland
- Anyone under 18
If you are a dual citizen with US ties, you cannot use Lightyear.
Create your account
The first step takes about two minutes. You can sign up via the web app at lightyear.com or through the mobile app. Both lead to the same flow.
Lightyear has both a web app and a mobile app. You can complete the full sign-up on either.
- Web: lightyear.com → click “Sign up” or “Get started”
- App: download from the App Store or Google Play, then tap “Sign up”
The identity verification selfie is easier on mobile, but the web flow works fine for desktop users.
- Enter your email address and create a password
- Click the verification link Lightyear sends to your inbox — check spam if it does not arrive
- Enter your mobile number
- Input the 4-digit SMS code to confirm your phone
Use the email address you actually check. Account notifications and tax documents go here.
Personal details and tax information
This is the longest section of the form. Lightyear is regulated and must collect full KYC data from all customers. Every field is required before you can advance — work through each in order.
- Full legal name (exactly as on your photo ID)
- Date of birth
- Country of residence and residential address
- Nationality / citizenship
If your registered name does not match your ID exactly, your verification will fail.
- Country of tax residency
- Tax Identification Number (TIN) or national identifier
- Employment status
- Source of wealth declaration (e.g. salary, savings, investments)
Answer accurately — these questions exist for regulatory compliance, not approval thresholds.
A “Promo code (optional)” text field appears during the profile setup step. Enter any referral or promotional code here. If you miss it during sign-up, you can also enter codes later via Settings → Promotions inside the app.
Identity verification
Lightyear uses automated biometric verification. Upload your ID document, then take a live selfie. The system cross-references your face against the document photo. Most accounts clear within minutes.
- Passport — single-page upload
- National identity card — front and back required
- Driving licence — front and back required
- Residence permit — front and back required
Expired documents are rejected. Photos taken of a screen or of a physical photograph are rejected.
- Live camera capture — not an uploaded photo
- Good lighting: face clearly visible, no strong backlighting
- No glasses, hats, or face coverings if possible
- Match your ID photo as closely as possible
If the selfie step fails, close the app, restart, and retry in better lighting.
Belgian accounts frequently trigger a manual check requiring proof of address in addition to the standard ID. Have a utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 6 months ready. This adds up to 1–2 business days to the approval timeline.
Automated verification: a few minutes. Manual review: up to 1–2 business days. Lightyear sends a push notification and email when the account is approved.
Contact Lightyear via in-app chat or email at support@lightyear.com. There is no phone line for support.
Fund your account
Once approved, go to Portfolio → Deposit, choose your currency, and select a payment method. Deposit rails differ by entity — Lightyear does not publish a minimum deposit amount for either. The minimum order for a fractional trade is €2 / £2 / $2.
- EUR instant SEPA: free, 0–2 hours
- EUR regular SEPA: free, 0–2 business days
- Card / Apple Pay / Google Pay: 0.6%, instant
- EUR SWIFT: not supported
- GBP: FPS free (0–2 hours), CHAPS free (1 business day), BACS free (3 business days), SWIFT free (3–5 business days)
- USD: ACH free (1–2 days); FedWire and SWIFT $6.11
- HUF: free within Hungary; not supported from outside Hungary
Deposit fees accurate as of 05-August-2026.
- GBP FPS: free, 0–2 hours
- GBP CHAPS: free, 1 business day
- GBP BACS: free, 3 business days
- EUR regular SEPA: free, 0–2 business days
- Card / Apple Pay / Google Pay: 0.6%, instant
- GBP/EUR SWIFT: £8.50
- USD: SWIFT only, max $8.50 — no ACH route on the UK entity
Sending and intermediary banks may charge on top of any SWIFT fee shown here. Deposit fees accurate as of 05-August-2026.
Withdrawals
Withdrawal rules also differ by entity, and are more restrictive than deposits for some currencies.
- No Lightyear fee on local withdrawals in any currency
- EUR: local only — international SWIFT is not available for EUR withdrawals
- GBP and USD: local, plus SWIFT once you’ve sent a bank statement confirming account ownership
- Processing up to 2 business days, then EUR/GBP typically arrive same-day, USD within 2 days, SWIFT up to 5
- No fee is listed on Lightyear’s UK withdrawals page — but it isn’t stated as free either
- GBP: withdrawal account usually ready the same day as your first deposit, sometimes the next business day
- EUR and USD: require contacting support with a bank-issued document first, before the account can be added
- USD leaves only by international SWIFT (3–5 business days), carrying routing bank fees; the alternative is converting to GBP or EUR first, which incurs the FX markup
Lightyear fee summary
For the full breakdown including Savings, corporate actions, and regulatory pass-throughs, see the Lightyear fees explained guide.
| Fee type | Lightyear Europe AS (EU/EEA) | Lightyear UK Ltd (personal) |
|---|---|---|
| Account opening / monthly platform fee | €0 | £0 |
| Custody fee | 0% | 0% |
| ETF trades | €0 per order | £0 per order |
| EUR-denominated stocks | €1 per order | Free |
| Bonds, ETNs and ETCs | €1 per order | Not offered |
| UK stocks | £1 per order | Free |
| US stocks | 0.10% (min $0.10, max $1) | Free |
| Hungarian / Swiss / Danish / Swedish / Norwegian / Polish shares | 0.10% each, market-specific minimum, no maximum | Free |
| Crypto | 0.45% per order | Not offered |
| FX markup | 0.35% | 0.10% |
| Fractional shares | Stocks and ETFs carrying the “Fractional” label — not every instrument qualifies | |
| Minimum order (fractional) | €2 | £2 |
| Minimum deposit | Not stated on either fee page | |
| Card / Apple Pay / Google Pay deposit | 0.6%, no cap stated | 0.6%, no cap stated |
| Bank transfer deposit | Free | Free |
| Recurring investing (Plans and Repeat Orders) | Free (normal trade fees apply) | Free (no per-order commission on GIA or ISA) |
All figures accurate as of 05-August-2026. ETF trades carry no execution or custody fee on either entity; fund manager fees still apply. Lightyear UK Ltd business accounts use a separate schedule close to the EU personal rates above, not the zero-commission personal rate. Only the US-stock line carries a stated maximum — the other per-market minimums shown are uncapped. Bonds, ETNs, ETCs and crypto are offered on Lightyear Europe AS accounts only.
Which account type will Lightyear open for you?
The account types on offer depend on which entity you’re assigned.
- General Investment Account (GIA)
- Stocks and Shares ISA — no monthly fee
- Cash ISA
- Business
Your £20,000 annual ISA allowance is shared across all ISAs you hold, at Lightyear and elsewhere. ISA rules are set by HMRC and change from time to time — check the current rules before subscribing.
The multi-currency account sits on the GIA in the UK and on the Personal Account in the EU — it is not available inside either ISA.
- Personal investment account
- Business
- Estonian Investeerimiskonto (Estonian residents)
- Hungarian TBSZ (Hungarian residents)
What Lightyear does not offer
Worth knowing before you sign up, since none of these appear on any Lightyear account type.
- Options, futures, or CFDs
- Short-selling
- Pre-market or after-hours trading on EU and UK instruments
- A demo account — there is no way to test the platform before funding it
Crypto trading is available on Lightyear Europe AS accounts — EU only, at 0.45% per order. It is not offered on Lightyear UK Ltd accounts at all.
Transferring an existing portfolio into Lightyear
There’s no fee on Lightyear’s side, though your current broker may charge for the outgoing transfer.
- Whole shares only — fractional positions and crypto cannot be transferred
- The instrument must already be tradeable on Lightyear, on the same exchange and in the same currency
- Minimum value per position: roughly €1,000 / £1,000 / $1,000 (or 400,000 HUF, 10,000 SEK, 10,000 NOK, 7,000 DKK, 4,000 PLN, or 1,000 CHF)
- Bonds: minimum 1 bond
- Personal-to-personal or business-to-business only — not across account types
Lightyear publishes named step-by-step guides for transfers from: Interactive Brokers, Scalable Capital, Freetrade, Swedbank, LHV, and Shareworks (Morgan Stanley).
UK Stocks and Shares ISA transfers can be in-specie or cash, are free on Lightyear’s side, and do not consume your annual £20,000 allowance.
Setting up recurring investing: Plans and Repeat Orders
Once your account is funded, Lightyear gives you two separate ways to automate contributions. Plans build a mini-portfolio with percentage-weighted buys on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly schedule. Repeat Orders automate a single instrument and add a daily option Plans don’t have.
- Build a portfolio of ETFs and stocks with percentage weights totalling exactly 100%
- Set a frequency: weekly, fortnightly, or monthly
- Minimum per execution: €2 / £2 / $2 (fractional shares)
- Or pick a Ready-made Plan — three risk-based portfolios built on BlackRock and Vanguard funds, with fixed weights you can’t customise
Supported: fractional stocks and ETFs
Not supported: money market funds (Savings), and non-fractional holdings — these appear grouped under “Auto investing unavailable” and must be bought separately
Non-fractional instruments can still be bought manually — they just can’t be part of the automated contribution.
If you’d rather automate a single holding than a whole mini-portfolio, Repeat Orders do that. They are their own feature, not a setting inside Plans.
- One individual instrument per order, not a weighted basket
- Daily, weekly or monthly — a daily option Plans don’t offer
- Funded from your Lightyear cash balance, or by standing order from your bank
- Executed as market orders
- If funds are short at the scheduled time, the order is skipped silently — not retried
- You can opt out at any point
Common issues and how to fix them
Most rejections are caused by blurry photos, missing the reverse side of a card or licence, or a name mismatch between the form and the ID. Resubmit with a clear, well-lit photo covering all four edges of the document.
Your App Store or Google Play region must match your country of residence. Go to your device store settings and change the region to your actual country, then search for Lightyear again.
Cards must be registered in your own name. If a card payment is declined, or you’re moving a larger sum, switch to a bank transfer instead — it’s also free (SEPA in the EU; FPS, CHAPS, or BACS in the UK).
Lightyear rejects deposits from accounts not in your name. Third-party transfers are returned. Only send money from a bank account registered under your own legal name.
Check your spam folder. If the email address was mistyped at sign-up, restart the registration flow from the beginning using the correct address.
Repeat Orders are skipped silently — not retried — if the cash balance is insufficient at the scheduled time. Top up your account a day before the scheduled order date to avoid this.
If you’ve only deposited by card, Lightyear has no bank account on record for you. Add your bank details in the app before requesting a withdrawal, and expect an extra step for EUR or USD withdrawals on a UK account.
Lightyear supports customers by in-app chat and email at support@lightyear.com only — there is no phone line. Lightyear does not publish which languages support is offered in; check before opening if that matters to you.
Ready to open your Lightyear account?
ETF trading with no execution or custody fee on either entity — fund manager fees still apply — and an FX markup that depends on where you live: 0.35% on Lightyear Europe AS, 0.10% on Lightyear UK Ltd personal accounts, accurate as of 05-August-2026. Sign-up takes around 10 minutes — have your ID document ready.
How long does Lightyear account verification take?
Automated biometric verification typically clears within a few minutes. If Lightyear triggers a manual review — most often for Belgian residents or when documents are unclear — the wait is up to 1 to 2 business days. You receive a push notification and email when your account is approved.
What documents do I need to open a Lightyear account?
You need one valid government-issued photo ID: a passport, national identity card (front and back), driving licence (front and back), or residence permit (front and back). If Lightyear requests proof of address, a utility bill, bank statement, signed rental agreement, or government document dated within the last 6 months is accepted. The same document cannot be used for both identity and address verification.
Is there a minimum deposit to open a Lightyear account?
Lightyear does not publish a minimum deposit figure on its EU or UK fee pages. What is stated is a minimum order size of €2 / £2 / $2 for fractional stock and ETF trades — funds below that threshold can sit in the account but can’t place a fractional order. No inactivity fee is listed on either fee schedule either.
Which countries can open a Lightyear account?
Lightyear accepts personal account applications from residents of 26 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Applicants must be 18 or older. Switzerland and Poland are not on this list — Swiss and Polish shares are tradeable instruments on Lightyear, but residents of those two countries cannot open an account. US citizens and US tax residents are excluded regardless of where they live.
Does Lightyear charge to open an account, and how does UK pricing differ from EU pricing?
No account-opening fee is listed on either fee schedule, and custody, the platform fee, and the multi-currency account are confirmed free on both. Beyond that, pricing depends on which entity you’re assigned. UK residents open with Lightyear UK Ltd (FCA, FRN 987226): personal accounts pay zero commission on US, UK, and EU shares, plus a 0.10% FX markup. Everyone else in the eligible countries opens with Lightyear Europe AS (Estonian FSA, licence 4.1-1/31): EUR-denominated stocks cost €1 per order, UK shares £1, US shares 0.10% (min $0.10, max $1), and a 0.35% FX markup applies. ETFs carry no execution or custody fee on either entity, though fund manager fees still apply. Rates accurate as of 05-August-2026.
Can I use a card to deposit funds into Lightyear?
Yes. Card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay deposits carry a 0.6% processing fee on both entities — Lightyear’s fee pages do not state a per-transaction cap. Bank transfer is free with no stated limit: instant or regular SEPA in the EU, or FPS, CHAPS, or BACS in the UK. For larger deposits, bank transfer is the more cost-efficient route.
How do withdrawals work on Lightyear?
This differs by entity. On Lightyear Europe AS, local withdrawals carry no Lightyear fee in any currency, but EUR cannot be withdrawn internationally by SWIFT at all — that route isn’t offered. GBP and USD can be withdrawn locally or by SWIFT once you’ve sent a bank statement confirming account ownership. On Lightyear UK Ltd, no fee is listed on the withdrawals page for any currency, but it isn’t stated as free either. GBP withdrawal accounts are typically available the same day as your first deposit; EUR and USD require contacting support with a bank-issued document first, and USD leaves only by international SWIFT, taking 3 to 5 business days plus routing bank fees.
Can I transfer an existing portfolio into Lightyear?
Yes, at no fee from Lightyear’s side, though your current broker may charge one. Only whole shares transfer — fractional positions and crypto cannot move. The instrument must already be tradeable on Lightyear, on the same exchange and in the same currency, and each position needs a minimum value of roughly €1,000 / £1,000 / $1,000 (or the equivalent in HUF, SEK, NOK, DKK, PLN, or CHF). Lightyear publishes named transfer guides for Interactive Brokers, Scalable Capital, Freetrade, Swedbank, LHV, and Shareworks. UK Stocks and Shares ISA transfers can be in-specie or cash and do not use up your annual £20,000 allowance.
Does Lightyear offer options, CFDs, or a demo account?
No. Options, CFDs, futures, and short-selling are not offered on any Lightyear account, and pre-market and after-hours trading on EU and UK instruments is not available either. There’s also no demo account, so you cannot try the platform before funding it. Crypto trading is offered on EU accounts only, at 0.45% per order, and is not available on UK accounts at all.
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