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Trading 212 account opening

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Oct 2024
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Getting started with Trading 212

Are you a new investor considering opening a brokerage account at Trading 212 but don't know how to do it? Are you wondering how long the process takes and how difficult it is?

Opening a brokerage account can seem daunting, but we'll show you it's often easier than you think. Account opening at Trading 212 is in fact a great experience that needs no prior knowledge.

Opening an account at Trading 212 is easy and intuitive
András
András Régely
Investments • Stock Market • Market Analysis

Together with my brokerage analyst colleagues, I have thoroughly tested the services of Trading 212 by opening a real-money account. Here’s what you need to know about account opening if you want to start investing with Trading 212:

  • Account opening at Trading 212 is fully online and takes 1 day.

  • You will need to prove your identity and residency with documents.

  • Choose an account type that suits your needs.

  • You can choose from multiple base currencies.

  • The minimum deposit at Trading 212 is $1.

  • Browse the best brokers for beginners for some great alternatives.

Before we start, let's check if Trading 212 is available in your country:

No, you can't open an account at Trading 212 if you live in the United States!
United States
Overall score
4.5/5
Minimum deposit
$1
Stock fee
Low
FX fee
High
Inactivity fee
no
Account opening
1 day
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Account opening at Trading 212 vs other competitors

Account opening at Trading 212 is fully online, meaning you can do it from the comfort of your chair. In fact, you don't even need a chair: you can simply do it on the go on your mobile phone.

See how we rated the account opening experience and how long it takes to get started at Trading 212 compared with its main competitors:

Trading 212 account opening vs similar brokers
XTB
Account opening score
5.0 stars 5.0 stars 5.0 stars
Account opening fully online
Yes Yes Yes
Time to open account
1 day 1 day 1 day

Opening an account is always free of charge, but the time it takes differs from broker to broker. At some brokers, it's as quick as signing up for a new Gmail account. At others, it might take a couple of days as they run a background check on your data. At Trading 212, it usually takes 1 day to have your account up and running.

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Navigating the complexities of trading can be challenging. If you're a new investor, you'll need a broker with a user-friendly trading interface and robust educational materials. So where to find such brokers? Start with our toplist of brokers we rated as good for beginners.

How to get a verified trading account at Trading 212?

First, you need to go to Trading 212's website and fill a registration form to apply for an account. It takes the broker a bit of time to review and verify your application - usually 1 day - after which you can make your first deposit and start trading.

The journey at Trading 212

Opening a brokerage account is not unlike opening a bank account. As you go through the steps, you’ll find that it is a simple and familiar process. Once your brokerage account is set up, you’ll find that the experience is similar to what you get with a bank account that you use for savings and transactions. See, it’s just another way of managing your money!

The sign-up procedure is usually self-evident; just follow the instructions carefully. Here's what awaits you at Trading 212:

The account opening process is easy and fully digital. New accounts are usually verified within one business day.
To open an account at Trading 212, just follow these steps:

  1. Provide your country of residence and enter personal details such as your email address or date of birth.
  2. Add tax information, including the country where you pay taxes and your tax ID.
  3. Select the account type and the account base currency.
  4. Answer questions about your financial situation, employment status and trading experience.
  5. Accept the terms and conditions, then activate your account by verifying your identity and residency.

To activate your trading account, you will need to identify yourself by sending Trading 212 the following:

  • Proof of identity - a national ID, passport or driver's license
  • Proof of address - a bank statement or a utility bill issued in the last three months
Account opening at Trading 212

The following steps are typical toward the end of the application process or after verifying your identity:

  1. You'll have to fill out a trading experience survey. It might seem scary at first, but it is nothing to worry about. This is standard procedure, as brokers need to make sure that you have some basic financial knowledge and are aware of the risks of trading.

  2. Next, you'll have to choose an account type and a base currency.

  3. As a final step, you'll need to fund your account before you can start trading.

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Which Trading 212 account to choose?

Brokers usually provide multiple account types. When choosing an account, consider how experienced you are in trading, and pick an account that suits your needs. Some factors to take into account: your investment goals, risk tolerance, trading frequency, and any associated fees or account balance minimums.

If you're a beginner, we recommend selecting the most basic account offered by the broker, which is the standard account.

The above apply to retail accounts opened by private individuals. If you're looking to open a brokerage account for your company, see our overview of whether you can open a business investment account at Trading 212 and under what conditions.

Alternatively, find out more about Trading 212's specific account types in our comprehensive Trading 212 review for 2024.

Which base currency should you choose?

At Trading 212, you can choose from the following base currencies: GBP, USD, EUR, CHF, DKK, NOK, PLN, SEK, CZK, RON, BGN, HUF. If possible, try to deposit money to your brokerage account in your account's base currency. Better yet, choose a base currency in the first place that you plan to most often use for depositing.

Why is all this important? If you fund your trading account in the same currency as your bank account, you won't have to pay a conversion fee. Conversion fees apply if:

  • You make a deposit in a different currency than the currency of your brokerage account.

  • You trade assets denominated in a different currency than your brokerage account's base currency.

A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is by opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank.

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Overall score
4.5/5
Minimum deposit
$1
Stock fee
Low
FX fee
High
Inactivity fee
no
Account opening
1 day
Visit Trading 212

When investing, your capital is at risk

Want to unlock your perfect broker match?
Sign up to receive and save your personalized broker recommendations!

Fund your account and start trading at Trading 212

Once you have filled out the registration form, uploaded your documents, finished the trading survey and selected your account type and base currency, Trading 212 will verify your account shortly. After successful verification, you need to fund your account to be able to begin trading.

This is where you are in the account opening process at Trading 212
  • Choose your funding method.

  • Enter the amount to be deposited and other necessary details for the transaction.

  • Double-check if payment details are correct.

  • If all looks OK, click to submit your deposit request.

At Trading 212, the required minimum deposit is $1. This means that you have to put at least $1 in your broker account to be able to start trading.

Is that more than you're willing to commit at this point? See if you can start trading with less at other brokers.

At Trading 212, you have multiple funding methods to choose from when you want to deposit money to your account. Check these options in the following table; and choose the one that's most convenient for you.

Broker
Minimum deposit
Bank transfer
Trading 212
$1
eToro
$10
XTB
$0
Deposit requirement and funding methods

After successfully funding your account, you're all set to start trading.

To explore Trading 212’s top competitors, head over to our top list of the best brokers for beginners, whose low fees and user-friendly features benefit new investors like you.

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Check out this short video for a behind-the-scenes peek into how our experts personally test and evaluate brokers.

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Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.

András Régely
Author of this article
As a Broker Analyst at BrokerChooser, I'm dedicated to providing data-driven insights that simplify the world of investments. With a solid academic background, including an MSc in Accounting and Finance from LSE, I bring a deep understanding of financial markets to my role. My mission is to assist retail investors in finding the perfect broker fit by leveraging my trading experience and analytical skills. At BrokerChooser, I merge my passion for trading with a keen eye for market trends, helping clients navigate online brokers confidently and effectively.
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