What you need to know to open a U.S. brokerage account from outside the U.S.A.

Are you a
U.S. citizen?

Yes

I have a green card

Once you provide information about your citizenship above,
information relevant to you will appear here.

________________________________________________________

Please enter your citizenship now
in the question above.

Yes – Great! You should have no problem opening a brokerage account.

No – Non-U.S. citizens are welcome to open U.S. brokerage accounts.
If you are from certain countries that are considered “high risk,” you might
have a problem. But folks from Israel, England, South Africa, Australia,
France, and many more, open U.S. brokerage accounts every day.

Green card holder – In most cases, green card holders are
considered the same as U.S. citizens, so you should have
no restrictions when opening a U.S. brokerage account.

Check here to find out the one form that everyone
has to sign when opening a brokerage account

You need to sign a W-9.
As a U.S. citizen or green card holder, you will have to sign
a W-9 form called “Request for Taxpayer Identification Number
and Certification.” Financial institutions use form W-9 to make
sure they can report the interest and dividends that you earn to the IRS.
The financial institution should provide the W-9 and all required
documentation to you when you open the account. To find out
about the documents that are required, provide your contact details
on the next page of this form.

You need to sign a W-8BEN.
W-8BEN – Investment companies will have you sign a
W-8BEN (“Certificate of Foreign Status”) because the
IRS requires the form to be signed by anyone who holds
shares in an America company. Under the IRS rules, a
Form W-8BEN needs to be renewed every three years.
The financial institution should provide the W-8 and all required
documentation to you when you open the account. To find out
about the documents that are required, provide your contact details
on the next page of this form.

Check here to find out address requirements

Do you have a MAILING address in the U.S.A.?

Yes

Yes – Super. Investment companies licensed to operate in
your State should have no problem opening an account for you.

No – Some brokerage firms will not allow you open an
account or buy mutual funds if you live outside of the
United States. However, there is NO LAW AGAINST IT.
It is simply the policy of those companies to not allow
customers with overseas addresses. Fill in your email
address on the next page of this form if you don’t
have a U.S. address and want to find out if you can
qualify for a U.S. brokerage account.

Check here to find out which investments you can
own in a U.S. brokerage account

Check each box that you're interested in owning

Stocks (shares/equities) or ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds)

As an American citizen or green card holder, you should
have no problems owning stocks or exchange traded funds.
For a free 10 minute video called, "What Do I Need to Know
About Investing in Stocks?" please enter your email on
the next page of this form.

As a non-U.S. citizen, you are allowed to own U.S. stocks
and ETFs. However, be aware that the United States will
charge an "estate tax" (also known as a "death duty") if you
own over $60,000 in U.S. situs assets (like stocks and ETFs)
when you die. There are solutions to plan for this, so be
sure to speak to a qualified cross-border investment advisor
before doing any investing. If you would like to be contacted
by a cross-border specialist, fill in your contact details on the
next page of this form and tick the "contact me" box.

Bonds or bank deposits ("Certificates of Deposit")

People living outside the United States, both U.S. and
non-U.S. citizens, buy "fixed income" investments all the
time. A lot of "conservative" investors buy bonds, although
risk-takers buy bonds too because there are risks involved.
Learn more about bonds from the free video, "What do I
need to know about bonds," by signing up on the next
page of this form.

Mutual funds (U.S. and offshore funds)

U.S. citizens and green card holders can buy U.S. mutual
funds. However, there are many mutual fund companies
that will not sell shares to people who live overseas. It's not
that there is a law against it; the fund companies just have
a policy not to. But don't worry. Lot's of of mutual funds and
ETFs are availble to people living outside of America. Your
cross-border investment specialist should know which funds
can be bought by people living outside of the United States.
WATCH OUT! Some investment advisors don't understand the
problems that U.S. citizens have when they buy NON-U.S. mutual
funds. These non-U.S. funds are often called "offshore mutual
funds." Officially, they are known as "PFICs," or "Passive Foreign
Investment Companies." Sign up on the next page of this form
to find out more about owning the right kind of mutual funds.

Non-U.S. citizens can buy U.S. mutual funds. However, they
run the risk of getting hit with a U.S. "estate tax" (also known
as a "death duty") if they own over $60,000 in U.S. situs assets
(like U.S. mutual funds) when they die. Also, there are many
mutual fund companies that will not sell shares to people who
live overseas regardless of citizenship. It's not that there is a
law against it; the fund companies just have a policy not to.
But don't worry. Lot's of of offshore mutual funds are availble
to non-U.S. citizens living outside of America. Your cross-border
investment specialist should know which funds are available to you.
If you would like to be contacted by a cross-border specialist,
fill in your contact details on the next page of this form and tick
the "contact me" box.

Make sure to answer all of the questions above before moving on.
The form above is interactive, and filled with useful information.
Depending what you answer about your situation, it will provide
you with appropriate information.
Once you've gone through the above form, then click "Next."