How to Open a DEGIRO Account
(2026, EU Investors)
DEGIRO is a European broker with exceptionally low costs: over 1,000 Core Selection products on Tradegate for a €1.00 handling fee, no platform fee and no custody fee. Currency or external product and spread costs may apply. Transaction fees and exchange connectivity costs apply separately. Registration is app-based and takes around 20 minutes — you need a smartphone with camera, your passport or EU ID card, and your Tax Identification Number before you start. DEGIRO operates through separate national fee schedules, and the costs below are marked where they differ by country.
What you’ll need to open a DEGIRO account
DEGIRO sets four conditions before you can open an account: you must be 18 or over, hold a valid ID card or passport, have a bank account registered in your own name and located in the SEPA zone, and be an exclusive tax resident of one of its accepted countries. Get the four items below ready before you start — the Tax ID in particular catches a lot of people off-guard.
DEGIRO asks for a copy of a valid passport or EU identity card. It tells registrants to avoid using a driver’s licence.
Required at Step 3. Netherlands: BSN. Germany: Steueridentifikationsnummer. Ireland: PPS number. Switzerland: AHV number. Italy: Codice Fiscale. Portugal/Spain: NIF. Find your country’s equivalent before starting.
DEGIRO’s ID scan and selfie step requires the mobile app. You cannot complete identity verification on a desktop browser alone. Download the DEGIRO app before starting.
The account must be registered in your own name and located in the SEPA zone. DEGIRO states that it is not possible to link a bank account held in the name of a company or another person. You can link up to two accounts, and withdrawals are only processed to your primary reference account.
You must be an exclusive tax resident of one of the countries DEGIRO accepts. Its published list is: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Greece, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Martinique, Mayotte, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), Reunion, Romania, Saint Martin, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla), Sweden and Switzerland.
This list is published by DEGIRO’s Irish entity and can differ between DEGIRO’s national entities. Check the list shown during your own registration.
Create your credentials and verify your email
Registration can only be completed in the DEGIRO app, so you need a smartphone — a desktop browser will not take you through identity verification. Opening an account is free of charge.
- Go to the DEGIRO sign-up page to download the app, or open the DEGIRO app directly if you already have it, and tap Open an account.
- Enter your email address, choose a username, and set a strong password. Keep the username somewhere safe — it is how you log back in to continue registration.
- Check your inbox for the verification email and click the confirmation link. Check your spam folder if it does not arrive within a few minutes — the link expires.
- Log back in with your new username and password to continue registration.
Enter personal details and verify your identity
This is where most registration delays happen. The check is automated, and DEGIRO publishes separate troubleshooting steps for app problems, geolocation problems, document scan problems and selfie problems. Read the troubleshooting card below before starting the ID scan.
- Enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your ID document — including any middle names. Name mismatches are a common rejection reason.
- Enter your date of birth, residential address, and mobile phone number.
- Grant camera permissions to the app. Scan your passport or EU national ID card. DEGIRO says to make sure all contours of the document are visible with nothing covered, and to check that the document number has been copied correctly. It tells registrants not to use a driver’s licence.
- Take a live selfie inside the app. DEGIRO asks for an even background, that you hold the device yourself, and that nobody else is in the background.
- Enable location permissions for both your phone and the DEGIRO app — a geolocation check runs at this stage. DEGIRO also says to avoid using a VPN connection.
DEGIRO splits its guidance by problem. App not working: turn the phone off and on again, reopen the app, reinstall it if the issue persists, and make sure both the phone and the app are on the latest version. Geolocation failing: check that location permissions are enabled for both the phone and the DEGIRO app — DEGIRO adds that it may help to have the phone settings in the same language as the app. Document scan rejected: check the lighting is neither underexposed nor overexposed and free of reflections, that the whole document is visible with all contours in frame and nothing covered, and that the document number has been copied correctly. Selfie rejected: use an even background, hold the device yourself, and make sure nobody else is in the background. DEGIRO also lists two things to avoid outright: registering with a driver’s licence, and using a VPN connection.
Tax information, legal agreements, and appropriateness test
Three sub-steps happen here in sequence. Have your Tax Identification Number ready — without it you cannot proceed past the tax section.
- Select your country of tax residence from the dropdown. You must be an exclusive tax resident of one of DEGIRO’s accepted countries — the list is above.
- Enter your Tax Identification Number: BSN (NL), Steueridentifikationsnummer (DE), PPS number (IE), AHV (CH), Codice Fiscale (IT), NIF (PT/ES).
- Digitally accept the Investment Services Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Software Licence.
- Complete the appropriateness test — multiple-choice questions about your financial education level, profession, and prior investing experience.
- Confirm you are not a US tax person — DEGIRO cannot accept US persons as clients.
Link your bank account and activate trading
Before you can deposit or withdraw, DEGIRO requires you to link and verify a personal bank account. You can link up to two accounts, but withdrawals are only ever processed to your primary reference account, and that primary account can only be changed three times per year.
- Enter the IBAN of the bank account you want to link. It must be registered in your own name and located in the SEPA zone. DEGIRO states that it is not possible to link an account held in the name of a company or another person.
- Complete the verification transfer DEGIRO asks for, using the payment details shown in the Deposit section of the platform. This confirms the account belongs to you before deposits and withdrawals are enabled.
- To deposit, log in and open Deposit / Withdrawal — in the app, tap the menu icon first — then select Deposit and Bank Transfer (SEPA), and send the funds from your bank using the details displayed.
- Timing depends on your own bank. DEGIRO states that standard SEPA transfers sent before the cut-off are usually credited the next business day, and that SEPA Instant transfers are credited instantly — though not every bank supports that transfer type. If a deposit has not arrived within the usual one to three business days, check both account numbers and contact the Service Desk.
DEGIRO processes deposits by SEPA bank transfer only, in EUR, and only from your linked reference account. An account held in the name of a company or another person cannot be linked. If you deposit from an account that is not verified and linked, the funds are not booked — the deposit shows as declined on your account statement even though the money has left your bank. DEGIRO holds it for a maximum of five business days, in case you want to use it as the verification deposit for linking that new account, and returns it automatically after that. You can only change your primary bank account three times per year.
What a DEGIRO account costs at signup
These are the costs that matter when you are deciding whether to open an account. For per-exchange commissions and worked examples, see the DEGIRO fees explained page.
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | €0 | DEGIRO does not require a minimum deposit to open an account. Please note that transaction fees and currency, connectivity or external product and spread costs may apply. |
| Platform fee | €0 | No monthly or annual platform charge. Transaction fees, currency conversion, connectivity charges, and external product and spread costs still apply. |
| Custody fee | €0 | No annual custody or account maintenance fee. Transaction fees, currency conversion, connectivity charges, and external product and spread costs still apply. |
| Deposits and withdrawals | Free | DEGIRO does not charge for transferring cash in or out |
| Closing your account | Free | No exit fee for closing the account itself. Transferring a portfolio out to another broker is charged separately and the rate differs by entity — see the transfer-out row further down this table. |
| Core Selection products | €1.00 | €0.00 commission plus the €1.00 handling fee. Over 1,000 products, and the order must be routed through the Tradegate listing. Currency or external product and spread costs may apply. |
| ETFs on other exchanges | €3.00 | €2.00 commission plus the €1.00 handling fee per trade |
| Currency conversion (AutoFX) | 0.25% | Applied automatically on trades settled in a foreign currency, and processed inside the buy and sell price. EUR-denominated UCITS ETFs bought on a euro exchange do not trigger it. Currency fluctuations can impact your returns. |
| Exchange connectivity fee | €2.50 per exchange, per year | Charged per exchange per calendar year, capped at 0.25% of your highest account value that year, so you pay whichever is lower. The amount and the cap are the same across all six schedules. Exempt venues are not: each national schedule publishes its own exempt list, and the Core Selection is exempt throughout. Check the exempt venues on your own country’s schedule. |
| Real-time price data | Free or paid, by venue | Real-time pricing is free on a large group of venues and charged monthly per exchange on others. The free and paid groupings are published separately in each national fee schedule and are not identical between them. Only charged if you opt into real-time pricing for a venue that carries a fee. |
| Transferring a portfolio out | Varies by entity | Charged per position plus external costs under the Dutch schedule; free under the German schedule. Check the schedule for your own country before transferring out. |
| Savings plans / recurring orders | Not available | DEGIRO is execution-only and does not offer automated investing — every buy and sell order is entered manually. You can still automate the cash side by setting up a recurring transfer from your own bank. |
Source: DEGIRO national fee schedules, rates from 01-01-2026 (flatexDEGIRO Bank SE and its branches). Verified August 2026.
What to do after your account is approved
Once DEGIRO confirms approval and your funds have cleared, three things are worth doing before placing your first trade.
You can link up to two personal bank accounts, but withdrawals are only processed to your primary reference account, and that primary account can only be changed three times per year. Worth setting the right one as primary before you fund the account.
The Core Selection covers over 1,000 products, and the €1.00 handling fee applies when the order is routed through the Tradegate listing. Currency or external product and spread costs may apply. Filter under Products, then Trackers (ETFs), then Commission type, then Core Selection — or browse Stock markets and select Tradegate AG.
A market order executes at the best price currently available, while a limit order only executes at the price you set or better. Which is appropriate depends on your own circumstances and objectives. DEGIRO is execution-only and does not provide investment advice.
Ready to open your DEGIRO account?
Registration takes around 20 minutes in the DEGIRO app. Have your passport or EU ID, Tax ID number, and a SEPA bank account in your own name ready. Investing involves risk of loss.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to open a DEGIRO account?
Registration takes around 15 to 20 minutes in the DEGIRO app. Before you can deposit or withdraw, you have to link and verify a personal bank account. Funding time after that depends on your own bank rather than on DEGIRO: standard SEPA transfers sent before the cut-off are usually credited the next business day, and SEPA Instant transfers are credited instantly, although not every bank supports that transfer type. DEGIRO gives one to three business days as the usual window, and asks you to check both account numbers and then contact its Service Desk if a deposit has not arrived.
What documents do I need to open a DEGIRO account?
A valid passport or EU identity card is required. DEGIRO advises against registering with a driver’s licence. You also need your Tax Identification Number (BSN for Netherlands, Steueridentifikationsnummer for Germany, PPS number for Ireland, AHV for Switzerland, Codice Fiscale for Italy, NIF for Portugal and Spain) and the IBAN of a personal bank account in your name. DEGIRO also collects your date of birth, address, email, phone number, geolocation and profession information during registration.
Is there a minimum deposit to open a DEGIRO account?
DEGIRO does not require a minimum deposit to open an account. Please note that transaction fees and currency, connectivity or external product and spread costs may apply. Before you can deposit or withdraw you must link and verify a personal bank account held in your own name, and DEGIRO only processes deposits in EUR and only from that linked account. An account held in the name of a company or another person cannot be linked. In practice your first deposit needs to cover the price of what you want to buy plus the costs of the trade.
Can a US person open a DEGIRO account?
No. DEGIRO states that it cannot offer its services to US persons, and that this applies even if you live outside the United States, because US tax reporting, sanctions and conduct requirements would still apply to it. To open an account you must be 18 or over, hold a valid form of identification, be an exclusive tax resident of one of DEGIRO’s accepted countries, and hold a bank account in your own name in the SEPA zone.
Does DEGIRO offer automatic savings plans or recurring investing?
DEGIRO is an execution-only broker and does not provide investment advice, and every buy and sell order is entered manually. The cash side can be automated: you can set up a recurring transfer from your own bank to your DEGIRO account, which builds the balance but does not place the trade. If you want the purchase itself automated, Trade Republic and Scalable Capital both offer savings plan functionality on a wide range of UCITS ETFs.
What should I do if my ID scan fails during registration?
DEGIRO groups its troubleshooting guidance into four areas. For app issues, turn the phone off and on, reopen the app, reinstall it if the problem persists, and make sure both the phone and the app are updated. For geolocation issues, check that location permissions are enabled for both the phone and the DEGIRO app; DEGIRO adds that it may help to have your phone settings in the same language as the app. For document scan issues, check the lighting is neither under nor overexposed and free of reflections, that all contours of the document are visible with nothing covering it, and that the document number has been copied across correctly. For selfie issues, use an even background, hold the device yourself, and make sure nobody else is in the background. DEGIRO also advises against using a driver’s licence and against using a VPN connection.
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