International investing & share dealing
With our award-winning service, it’s easy to buy shares in household names like Apple, Microsoft and Tesla.
Please remember, investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest. The value of international investments may be affected by currency fluctuations which might reduce their value in sterling. We may receive two elements of commission in relation to international dealing - Trading Commission and our FX Charge. Please see our rates and charges for full details of the relevant costs. Foreign markets will involve different risks from the UK markets. In some cases the risks will be greater.
Search international shares
With global market conditions so variable, there has never been a better time to broaden your horizons and look overseas for investment ideas.
Investment ideas
Need help with choosing international investments? We've put together a few handy tools to help you choose:
Multi award-winning service
We’ve won ‘Best International Share Dealing Service’ at the Shares Awards every year since 2017, and ADVFN’s ‘Best Stockbroker for International Dealing’ every year since 2018.
Why we’re best for international investing and shares
- We offer the widest choice of international investments on the market.
- We give you control over the currency you use to trade. You can hold up to 9 foreign currencies in your ii account. Learn more
- Unlike other platforms, we give you access to new shares and stock splits on day 1 - thanks to our direct access to global markets.
Get the insights you need
As an ii customer, you can get the latest news and analysis straight to your inbox. Take a look at some of our recent articles below:
Fees and charges
- It costs £9.99 a month to join ii, which includes our Stocks and Shares ISA, Trading Account and Junior ISA. Add a SIPP for just £10 a month extra.
- If you are on our £9.99 a month Investor plan, we give you a free trade every month. Additional US trades usually cost £7.99.
- Frequent traders can get reduced rates on international shares with our Super Investor service plan.
- There is a foreign exchange fee of 1.5% when you trade in pounds. This is reduced for transactions over £25,000. You can avoid paying this fee every time you trade by holding foreign currency in your account. Learn more
Important information
To trade US shares you must complete a W8-BEN declaration. This can reduce the amount of tax you pay on US dividends and interest payments. Find out more about W8 declarations.
If you trade Canadian securities, you will automatically receive relevant treaty rates.
For assets held in a Trading Account, you will be provided with an annual Consolidated Tax Certificate (CTC) summarises your UK and overseas income, and any tax on dividends and interest paid on shares for the period shown. You may be able to use this information as evidence to make your own application to the applicable tax authority to reclaim the difference between withheld rate and treaty rate.
No CTC is provided for assets held within a SIPP, ISA or Junior ISA. You will therefore be liable for all tax withheld at source and you may be unable to reclaim such tax from the relevant authority who required tax to be withheld.
Available markets
With ii you can buy and trade international shares on 17 global exchanges in the following countries:
- North America: United States, Canada
- Europe: Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden*, Switzerland*
- Asia Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore
* phone orders only
Get set up for international trading
Before you can buy international shares, there are a few things you’ll need to do.
Open an account
You can trade international shares in our ISA, Trading Account and Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).
Sign the online Exchange Agreements
This ensures you can get live prices. To do this, log in to your account, click ‘Trading’ and select ‘Trade now’. Then click the ‘International’ tab, followed by ‘Sign the exchange agreements.
US shares – complete a W-8BEN form
You can now do this online by logging in and visiting our Useful Forms page.
Alternatively, you can can print and complete a paper W-8BEN form, then scan and return by secure message from your online account. Please be aware that this will take longer to process.