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Best ETF Brokers for Irish Investors

Seven brokers, compared on the four things that matter for Irish investors: fees, FX, regulation, and the quality of the tax export they hand you. No broker files your Exit Tax with Revenue — but some make self-assessment a lot less painful than others.

Fact-checked June 2026 · No bank affiliations · Seven brokers reviewed
Lowest cost
Trading 212
Zero commission. Fractional from €1. UK-regulated, so the Form 11 maths sits on you.
See review →
Irish-regulated
Davy Select
Ireland's oldest stockbroker, est. 1926. Posts you an annual tax pack with gain per disposal — closest thing to a Form 11-ready file.
See review →
Both, ideally
Interactive Brokers
CBI-regulated via IBKR Ireland. ~0.002% FX — cheaper than every fintech. Activity Statement gives you FIFO gain per disposal, raw and adaptable to Form 11.
See review →
Jump to the full comparison table ↓

Quick comparison

Broker ETF Trade Fee Annual Fee CBI Regulated Irish Tax Report Fractional Min Deposit
DEGIRO €1 handling fee (Core Selection ETFs on Tradegate); standard commissions on other venues No platform or custody fee; €2.50/yr connectivity fee per non-home exchange No No No €0
Trading 212 €0 commission None No No ✓ Yes €1
Davy Select 0.50% per trade (min €14.99); overseas ETFs add 0.06% + €25 settlement €50/quarter service fee (~€200/yr), offset by commissions paid ✓ Yes ✓ Yes No €500
Interactive Brokers From €1.25 or 0.05% on European ETFs None (no account minimum since 2021) ✓ Yes No ✓ Yes €0
Lightyear €0 execution fee on EU-listed UCITS ETFs (fund manager and FX fees may apply) None No No ✓ Yes €1
XTB €0 commission up to €100,000/month equivalent monthly turnover; 0.2% (min €10) above None No No ✓ Yes €0
bunq 0.99% per trade — free for the first 3 months (up to €100k traded). bunq Pro 0.79%, bunq Elite 0.49% No investing platform fee (a free bunq plan is available; paid plans optional) No No ✓ Yes €10

What to look for in an Irish ETF broker

Regulation and compensation

Irish-authorised firms (Davy, IBKR Ireland) fall under the Investor Compensation Scheme (ICS) — 90% of your loss covered up to a hard ceiling of €20,000. The EU brokers passport in: German-regulated entities (DEGIRO, Trading 212) protect cash up to €100,000 (deposit guarantee) plus €20,000 investor compensation, Dutch-regulated bunq protects cash up to €100,000 under the Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme, while Cyprus (XTB) and Estonia (Lightyear) cap at €20,000. None of this matters for your ETF holdings (those are held in your name at the custodian); it only matters for cash sitting at the broker.

UCITS ETFs only — by law

You can't buy VOO, VTI, SPY or any other US-listed ETF as an EU resident. The PRIIPs regulation requires a 3-page KID to be published in your local language, and US issuers don't bother. Buy the UCITS equivalents instead (CSPX for the S&P 500, VWCE for global, etc.) — they're Irish-domiciled and pay 15% US dividend tax instead of 30%.

FX fees — the silent killer

Most major UCITS ETFs trade in USD or GBP. If you deposit euros, your broker converts them at a markup that ranges from 0.15% (IBKR) to 1.5% (some retail platforms). On a €10,000 deposit that's anywhere from €15 to €150 — every time you fund the account.

Pro-Tip: Since 2025, many Irish investors have started using multi-currency accounts (like Revolut or Wise) to fund IBKR directly in USD and bypass broker FX fees. For larger lump-sum transfers (€10,000+), Currencies Direct typically offers better rates than fintech apps — worth comparing before moving large amounts. (affiliate link) Read the full broker funding guide →

Tax-statement quality — there is no easy button

No broker on this list files your exit tax with Revenue, and none produces a fully Form-11-ready Irish statement. What varies is the quality of the raw data they hand you. Davy Select sends an annual "tax pack" with gain-per-disposal that an accountant can transcribe with minimal rework (closest to a finished article — though Davy doesn't advertise it on the public site). Interactive Brokers' Activity Statement gives FIFO gain per disposal in granular global format — adaptable to Form 11 but not Irish-formatted. Trading 212, DEGIRO, Lightyear, XTB and bunq give you transaction CSVs and the calculation is entirely on you. Pay more in fees for cleaner exports, or less in fees and a bigger spreadsheet.

Full broker reviews

Popular Choice

DEGIRO

The cheapest serious broker for Irish ETF investors — but you handle your own Revenue paperwork

Fees

ETF Trade
€1 handling fee (Core Selection ETFs on Tradegate); standard commissions on other venues
Annual / Custody
No platform or custody fee; €2.50/yr connectivity fee per non-home exchange
FX Fee
0.25% (auto FX)
Min Deposit
€0
Fractional shares
Tax reporting

ETF Range

Thousands of UCITS ETFs including all major Vanguard, iShares, Xtrackers

Pros

  • Lowest effective ETF cost in Ireland — €1 handling fee on the Core Selection covers VWCE, IWDA, CSPX
  • The widest UCITS ETF range of any Irish-accessible broker
  • No platform, custody or inactivity fee — just a €2.50/yr connectivity charge per foreign exchange you trade
  • Used by tens of thousands of Irish investors — proven at scale

Cons

  • German-regulated (flatexDEGIRO Bank SE, BaFin) via a Dutch branch, passported into Ireland — not CBI; €100k cash / €20k investment compensation
  • No Irish-specific tax statement from DEGIRO — you compute the gain and deemed-disposal yourself from raw transaction exports
  • Auto-FX of 0.25% on non-EUR trades — small but compounds
  • Customer support is email-only and can be slow

Regulation: flatexDEGIRO Bank SE (BaFin, Germany), via its Dutch branch (AFM/DNB conduct) — passported into Ireland under MiFID, not CBI-supervised  ·  Deposit protection: Cash up to €100,000 (German deposit guarantee); investments 90% up to €20,000 (German investor compensation)

Open a DEGIRO account →

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Popular Choice

Trading 212

Commission-free, fractional from €1, clean transaction exports — Irish tax maths is on you

Fees

ETF Trade
€0 commission
Annual / Custody
None
FX Fee
0.15% currency conversion
Min Deposit
€1
Fractional shares
Tax reporting

ETF Range

Wide range of UCITS ETFs; access to LSE and Euronext-listed funds

Pros

  • Zero commission on every trade — no €1 handling fee, no minimums
  • Fractional shares from €1 — buy VWCE without waiting until you have €100
  • Clean CSV transaction exports + a generic annual statement — usable input for your own Form 11 calculation
  • Modern app — simple enough for your first ever investment
  • Interest paid on idle cash — your deposits don't sit dead while you decide

Cons

  • EU-regulated (Trading 212 EU GmbH, German BaFin), passported into Ireland — not CBI; UK FSCS does not apply to Irish clients
  • No Irish-specific tax statement — the only country-formatted report Trading 212 publishes is for Germany (Anlage KAP). Irish customers self-assess exit tax and 8-year deemed disposal from raw exports.
  • Newer in Ireland than DEGIRO — shorter Irish-customer track record
  • Phone support is limited; chat-first model

Regulation: Trading 212 EU GmbH (BaFin, Germany) — passported into Ireland under MiFID, not CBI-supervised  ·  Deposit protection: Cash up to €100,000 (German deposit guarantee); 90% up to €20,000 investor compensation (EdW)

Open a Trading 212 account →

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Popular Choice

XTB

0% commission on ETFs up to €100,000/month — wide instrument range and a polished platform

Fees

ETF Trade
€0 commission up to €100,000/month equivalent monthly turnover; 0.2% (min €10) above
Annual / Custody
None
FX Fee
0.5% currency conversion
Min Deposit
€0
Fractional shares
Tax reporting

ETF Range

2,000+ UCITS ETFs including iShares, Vanguard, SPDR, Xtrackers, Lyxor, Amundi

Pros

  • 0% commission on ETF trades up to €100,000/month equivalent monthly turnover
  • Wide UCITS ETF range — 2,000+ funds with built-in ETF scanner
  • Fractional ETFs supported
  • Publicly listed (Warsaw Stock Exchange) — financial transparency
  • No annual or custody fee

Cons

  • Not regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (CySEC, passported)
  • No Irish-specific Exit Tax reporting
  • 0.5% FX conversion fee — higher than IBKR or Trading 212
  • Best known for CFDs (75% of retail CFD accounts lose money) — keep to ETFs
  • €10/month inactivity fee if no trades for 12 months and no deposit in 90 days

Regulation: CySEC (Cyprus) / EU passported into Ireland  ·  Deposit protection: €20,000 (Cyprus Investor Compensation Fund)

Open an XTB account →

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Davy Select

CBI Regulated Irish Tax Report

The only Irish-headquartered option — same regulator as your bank, with an annual Irish "tax pack" on disposals

Fees

ETF Trade
0.50% per trade (min €14.99); overseas ETFs add 0.06% + €25 settlement
Annual / Custody
€50/quarter service fee (~€200/yr), offset by commissions paid
FX Fee
~1% foreign-currency transaction charge
Min Deposit
€500
Fractional shares
Tax reporting

ETF Range

Core UCITS ETFs on major exchanges; access to Euronext Dublin, LSE, NYSE

Pros

  • The only fully CBI-regulated option — your investment stays under Irish supervision
  • Issues an annual Irish "tax pack" — gain per disposal in a format your accountant can drop onto Form 11. You still self-assess 8-year deemed disposal events yourself.
  • Irish Investor Compensation Scheme (90% of net loss up to €20,000)
  • Established Irish brand since 1926 — multi-decade track record

Cons

  • Higher trading fees than European competitors — 0.50% per trade, min €14.99
  • €50/quarter service fee (~€200/yr) unless offset by commissions — eats into smaller portfolios
  • €500 minimum initial investment, and the €14.99 floor makes small monthly contributions inefficient
  • Foreign-currency trades carry a ~1% FX charge — pricier than DEGIRO, Trading 212 or IBKR for non-EUR ETFs
  • Interface is less modern than the fintech alternatives

Regulation: Central Bank of Ireland  ·  Deposit protection: 90% of net loss up to €20,000 (Irish Investor Compensation Scheme)

Open a Davy Select account →

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Interactive Brokers

CBI Regulated

CBI-regulated, lowest FX in the market, granular per-disposal reporting — power-user platform

Fees

ETF Trade
From €1.25 or 0.05% on European ETFs
Annual / Custody
None (no account minimum since 2021)
FX Fee
0.002% (near-interbank, min $2 per conversion)
Min Deposit
€0
Fractional shares
Tax reporting

ETF Range

Extremely wide — access to ETFs on 160+ markets in 35+ countries

Pros

  • CBI-regulated via IBKR Ireland — one of only two CBI-regulated options
  • Activity Statement with FIFO gain per disposal — the most granular raw export of any broker on this list. You (or your accountant) adapt it onto Form 11.
  • ~0.002% FX rate beats every fintech competitor — keeps multi-currency funding cheap
  • Access to 160+ markets in 35+ countries — virtually every UCITS ETF available
  • No annual or inactivity fee since 2021

Cons

  • No Irish-specific tax statement — the Activity Statement is a global FIFO report. IBKR's own disclaimer states they "do not provide tax advice and cannot assist clients with tax filings."
  • Power-user platform — steep learning curve, not your first broker
  • Overwhelming for someone whose only goal is monthly VWCE
  • Phone support is variable — most help is via the message centre

Regulation: Multiple — Irish clients via IBKR Ireland Ltd (CBI regulated)  ·  Deposit protection: €20,000 (Irish ICS); securities at IBKR LLC also SIPC-covered to $500k

Open an IBKR account →

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Lightyear

€0 commission on EU-listed UCITS ETFs, interest paid on uninvested cash. Newer Ireland-accessible broker with a growing UCITS ETF range.

Fees

ETF Trade
€0 execution fee on EU-listed UCITS ETFs (fund manager and FX fees may apply)
Annual / Custody
None
FX Fee
0.35% currency conversion fee (flat, no free threshold)
Min Deposit
€1
Fractional shares Rolling out across the range — not all ETFs yet. Check which are fractional →
Tax reporting

ETF Range

Growing range of UCITS ETFs on Euronext and LSE

Pros

  • Funding in EUR to buy EUR-listed UCITS ETFs avoids currency conversion entirely — the 0.35% FX fee only applies when you actually convert currency
  • Interest paid on uninvested GBP, EUR, and USD balances (rates published at lightyear.com — quoted as APY, variable)
  • EU-listed UCITS ETFs free of execution/trading fees (fund manager and FX fees may apply)
  • Clean modern mobile app — one of the faster signup processes among Ireland-accessible brokers

Cons

  • Newer platform than the longest-established Ireland-accessible brokers — shorter track record under stress
  • Currently smaller UCITS ETF range than DEGIRO, Trading 212 or Interactive Brokers
  • No Irish-specific tax reporting — same self-assessment admin as DEGIRO

Regulation: Lightyear Europe AS — Estonian EFSA (EU/Irish customers); separate UK entity regulated by FCA  ·  Deposit protection: €20,000 (Estonian Investor Protection Sectoral Fund — EU customers)

New customers: €10–€100 in free shares

Sign up and deposit €100 to get a random €10–€100 added as a free fractional share or ETF. Use code ETFIE.

Investing involves risk. Returns can vary and aren’t guaranteed. See full T&Cs.

Open a Lightyear account →

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Capital at risk. Terms apply: https://lightyear.com/terms. Investing involves risk. Returns can vary and aren’t guaranteed. This is not investment advice.

bunq

Neobank with built-in investing — buy a curated range of UCITS ETFs and stocks from €10, in euros (no FX fee). Banking, savings and investing in one app.

Fees

ETF Trade
0.99% per trade — free for the first 3 months (up to €100k traded). bunq Pro 0.79%, bunq Elite 0.49%
Annual / Custody
No investing platform fee (a free bunq plan is available; paid plans optional)
FX Fee
None — trades are EUR-denominated
Min Deposit
€10
Fractional shares Invest from €10 in fractional shares and ETFs.
Tax reporting

ETF Range

A small, curated selection of popular UCITS ETFs (broad global / index funds), plus US and EU stocks — not a full ETF supermarket

Pros

  • EUR-denominated trades — you invest in euros, so no currency-conversion fee on each buy (most Ireland-accessible brokers charge 0.15%–1% FX)
  • Banking, savings and investing in one app — start from €10 with fractional shares, and Stocks works even on the free bunq plan
  • No trading fees for the first 3 months (up to €100,000 traded)
  • Cash protected up to €100,000 by the Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme (equivalent to the Irish DGS)

Cons

  • Small, curated ETF range — bunq picks a short list of funds, so you can't choose any specific UCITS ETF you want (DEGIRO, Trading 212 and IBKR offer thousands)
  • After the promo, 0.99% per buy and sell is steep for regular investing — ~€9.90 on a €1,000 order vs €0–€1 at the cheapest brokers (Pro 0.79% / Elite 0.49% reduce it)
  • No Irish tax reporting — you self-assess Exit Tax and 8-year deemed disposal yourself, same admin as DEGIRO and Trading 212
  • App-only and Dutch-regulated (DNB), passported into Ireland — not CBI-supervised; invested ETFs are held by partner broker Upvest, not bunq itself

Regulation: bunq B.V. — Dutch bank licensed by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and supervised by the ECB; passported into Ireland, with the Central Bank of Ireland overseeing conduct of business. Investing provided via partners Ginmon and Upvest (Upvest Securities GmbH, BaFin-regulated, executes trades and holds the securities).  ·  Deposit protection: Cash up to €100,000 (Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme, equivalent to the Irish DGS); invested ETFs/shares held in segregated custody by the partner broker (Upvest) — client assets, not deposit-protected

Open a bunq account →

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Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. Investing services are provided via bunq's partners. This is not investment advice.

What happens if your broker goes bust?

Your ETF holdings are held in your name at a custodian, separate from the broker's own balance sheet — so if the broker collapses, your fund units are ring-fenced and should be recoverable. The risk is the cash sitting in your account: that's protected only up to the compensation scheme limit (€20,000 in Ireland and most of the EU; German-regulated brokers and Dutch-regulated bunq add a €100,000 cash deposit guarantee). Practical rule: only keep enough cash at the broker to cover your next buy. Park the rest at a bank or move it back to your current account.

Last Fact-Checked: 22 June 2026 — fees, regulation, deposit protection and tax-reporting independently verified against each broker's live EU support and pricing pages.

Not financial advice. The information on etf.ie is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or investment advice. ETF investing involves risk, including the possible loss of capital. Tax rules may change — always verify current Revenue guidance and consult a qualified financial adviser or tax professional before making investment decisions.