How to Open a Lightyear Account
(2026, European investors)
Lightyear offers commission-free ETFs, a 0.35% FX markup, and free recurring investing across 25 European markets. The sign-up takes around 10 minutes — but a few things are worth knowing before you start, particularly around deposits, identity documents, and country-specific edge cases.
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What you’ll need to open a Lightyear account
Have these ready before you start. The form does not save mid-flow between the identity step and selfie, so it is easier to complete the whole thing in one session.
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
- Third-party deposits are rejected and returned
- Bank transfer: free, no upper limit
- Card / Apple Pay / Google Pay: 0.6% fee, capped at €500
Is Lightyear available in your country?
Lightyear is currently available to residents of 25 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 · Portugal · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · United Kingdom
Available in all personal account countries except Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, and Sweden. Requires an existing personal account and an eligible non-high-risk business profile.
Free to open. Business accounts are set up after your personal account is fully verified.
- US tax residents and US citizens — regardless of where they live
- Residents of countries not listed above
- 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 support via in-app Help and Support (available during European business hours) or by email at support@lightyear.com. Response is typically within 1 business day.
Fund your account
Once approved, go to Portfolio → Deposit, choose your currency, and select a payment method. The minimum deposit is €1 / £1. Use bank transfer for anything above €500.
- Fee: free
- Limit: none
- Must be from an account in your own name
- Processing: typically same day or next business day
Use this for any deposit above €500 or for regular top-ups.
- Fee: 0.6% processing charge
- Limit: €500 per transaction
- Must be a card registered in your own name
- Processing: near-instant
Useful for small first deposits or when speed matters. Not cost-efficient for larger amounts.
Lightyear fee summary
Core fees as of 2026. For a full breakdown including the Plans feature and recurring investing costs, see the Lightyear fees explained guide.
| Fee type | EU accounts | UK accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Account opening | €0 | £0 |
| Monthly platform fee | €0 | £0 |
| Custody fee | 0% | 0% |
| ETF trades | €0 per order | £0 per order |
| EUR-denominated stocks, bonds, ETNs and ETCs | €1 per order | €1 per order |
| UK stocks | £1 per order | £1 per order |
| Other European stocks | 0.1% per order | 0.1% per order |
| US stocks | 0.1% (min $0.10, max $1) | 0.1% (min $0.10, max $1) |
| Crypto | 0.45% per order | 0.45% per order |
| FX markup | 0.35% | 0.10% |
| Fractional shares | US stocks only | US stocks only |
| Minimum deposit | €1 | £1 |
| Card deposit fee | 0.6% (max €500/transaction) | 0.6% (max £500/transaction) |
| Bank transfer deposit | Free | Free |
| Recurring investing (Plans) | Free (normal trade fees apply) | Free (normal trade fees apply) |
Which account type will Lightyear open for you?
The account type Lightyear opens depends on your country of residence. Most EU investors get a General Investment Account (GIA). UK and certain other residents may also be eligible for tax-advantaged wrappers.
Available in all 25 supported countries. No tax wrapper — gains, dividends, and interest are subject to local tax rules. Suitable for investors in countries without a local tax-advantaged wrapper option on Lightyear.
Most EU investors (Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, etc.) will use a GIA.
Available to UK residents. Gains and income inside an ISA are sheltered from UK tax up to the annual subscription limit (£20,000 for Stocks and Shares ISA). Lightyear also offers a Cash ISA.
UK residents: use the ISA wrapper where possible before investing in a GIA.
Available to Hungarian residents. A long-term savings account wrapper that can shelter investment gains from Hungarian capital gains tax after a qualifying holding period.
Available to Estonian residents. A tax-deferred investment account — gains are not taxed until withdrawn, allowing compounding without annual tax drag.
Setting up recurring investing with Plans
Once your account is funded, you can set up automated recurring investments via the Plans feature. Plans allow you to build a mini-portfolio with automatic percentage-weighted buys on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly schedule.
- Build a portfolio of ETFs and stocks with percentage weights totalling 100%
- Set a frequency: weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
- Minimum per execution: €2 / £2 (fractional shares)
- Orders execute at market open on the scheduled day
- If the market is closed, execution moves to the next market open
Supported: fractional stocks, ETFs
Not supported: Money Market Funds (Vaults), cash, non-fractional instruments, pre-IPO instruments
If a scheduled order cannot execute due to insufficient cash balance, it is skipped entirely — not retried later that day.
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 are capped at €500 per transaction and must be registered in your own name. For amounts above €500 or if a card is rejected, switch to a bank transfer — it is also free.
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.
Recurring orders are skipped entirely — not retried — if the cash balance is insufficient at execution time. Top up your account a day before the scheduled order date to avoid this.
Ready to open your Lightyear account?
Commission-free ETFs, €0 custody, 0.35% FX. 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 activate a Lightyear account?
The minimum deposit is €1 for EU accounts and £1 for UK accounts. There is no minimum balance required to keep the account open and no inactivity fee. You can hold an unfunded account indefinitely without charge.
Can I open a Lightyear account if I live outside the EU?
Lightyear is available to residents of 25 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Residents outside these countries cannot sign up. US tax residents and US citizens are excluded regardless of where they live.
Does Lightyear charge to open an account?
No. Account opening is free and there is no monthly platform fee or custody charge. ETF trades are commission-free. EUR-denominated stocks, bonds, ETNs and ETCs cost €1 per order; UK stocks cost £1 per order; other European stocks cost 0.1% per order; US stocks cost 0.1% (minimum $0.10, maximum $1). The main ongoing cost for most EU investors is the 0.35% FX markup on trades requiring currency conversion — if you only buy EUR-denominated ETFs, you pay no FX fee.
Can I use a card to deposit funds into Lightyear?
Yes, but card and digital wallet deposits (Apple Pay, Google Pay) carry a 0.6% processing fee and are capped at €500 per transaction. Bank transfers are free and have no upper limit. For anything above €500, or for regular top-ups, bank transfer is the better option.
QuantRoutine provides educational content only. Nothing on this page is an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any security or to open an account with any specific broker. Investments can lose value, and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own investment, tax, and legal decisions. Always review each broker’s current terms, fees, and eligibility on their official website before opening or funding an account.