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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →DEGIRO is a legitimate European broker, not a scam. It operates within the flatexDEGIRO group, a major European financial-services company, and provides regulated brokerage services to clients in multiple European countries. Customer investments are generally held separately from the broker’s own assets, while uninvested cash is treated differently and may fall under a bank-deposit guarantee.
That does not make DEGIRO risk-free. The broker has a relatively basic trading platform, fees depend on the exchange and product, currency-conversion charges can affect returns, and investor-protection rules vary according to the country and legal entity serving your account.
What DEGIRO actually is
DEGIRO is a European online investment platform founded in the Netherlands. Since 2020, it has been part of the flatexDEGIRO group, whose banking parent is flatexDEGIRO Bank AG in Germany.
The brand offers execution-only brokerage accounts. You choose and place your own trades; DEGIRO does not normally provide a personal adviser who selects investments for you. Depending on your country of residence, the platform may offer shares, ETFs, bonds, investment funds, options, futures, warrants and other exchange-traded products.
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Availability, products, account paperwork and legal protections are not identical across Europe. A customer in the Netherlands may be served under a different local arrangement from a customer in Spain, Germany or Ireland. Before depositing money, check the legal entity named in your account agreement and the regulator identified in the broker’s local disclosures.
Is DEGIRO regulated?
Yes. DEGIRO’s services are provided through the flatexDEGIRO group and its regulated banking and investment entities. The group is based in Germany, and its relevant entities operate under European financial-services rules, including requirements covering capital, client-money handling, conduct, identity checks and complaints.
For a broker-scam check, the important point is not simply whether the website displays a regulator’s logo. Confirm all three of these details:
- You are using the official DEGIRO website or app.
- The account agreement names a real flatexDEGIRO legal entity.
- That entity appears in the relevant regulator’s public register or official company information.
Regulation does not guarantee that an investment will make money. It also does not prevent a platform outage, a rejected order, an account review or a decline in the value of your shares.
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There are two different protections to understand: protection for securities and protection for uninvested cash.
Shares, ETFs and other investments
Client securities are generally held separately from the broker’s own corporate assets. If the broker became insolvent, the purpose of segregation would be to return the assets to customers rather than treat them as property available to the broker’s creditors.
If there were a shortfall and the firm could not return all eligible assets, an investor-compensation scheme may apply. The precise scheme and limit depend on the entity serving your account. In Germany, the statutory investor-compensation framework is commonly described as covering 90% of eligible claims, subject to a maximum of €20,000. This is a protection against a qualifying failure to return assets—not against falling share prices, fraud by an issuer or a poor investment decision.
Uninvested cash
DEGIRO uses a cash account arrangement connected with its banking structure. Eligible cash deposits may be protected by a deposit-guarantee scheme, commonly up to €100,000 per depositor under German rules. The applicable protection depends on how your account is structured and which entity serves you.
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Do not assume that every balance shown in the app has the same protection. Cash waiting to be invested, money-market products, shares and derivatives can fall under different legal categories. Read the current client agreement and cash-account disclosure for your country.
DEGIRO fees: where the real cost appears
DEGIRO is often marketed as a low-cost broker, but “low cost” does not mean every trade is free. Charges can include:
| Potential cost | What to check |
|---|---|
| Trading commission | The charge for buying or selling on a particular exchange. |
| Exchange connectivity fee | A periodic fee that may apply when you trade on an exchange outside your home market. |
| Currency conversion | The percentage or spread applied when trading in a currency different from your account’s base currency. |
| ETF or fund costs | Broker charges are separate from the fund’s ongoing management fee, or TER. |
| Options and futures | Contract, exercise, assignment, margin or settlement charges may apply. |
| Corporate actions | Fees can apply to voluntary events, manual processing or certain settlement requests. |
| Transfers | Moving positions to another broker may involve an administration fee or charges imposed by a third party. |
DEGIRO’s pricing has changed over time and is country-specific. The number to focus on is the all-in cost of your normal trade, not the headline commission. For example, buying a U.S.-listed ETF from a euro account may involve both the trade charge and a currency-conversion cost. Repeated conversions can matter more than the dealing commission.
Is DEGIRO safe for long-term investing?
For a conventional buy-and-hold investor using diversified shares or ETFs, the main structural safeguards are custody segregation and regulation. Those are meaningful advantages over sending money to an unlicensed website.
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They do not remove investment risk. An ETF can lose value, an individual company can fail, and an investment fund can suspend dealing in exceptional conditions. The broker’s protection is not a promise that your portfolio will remain at its purchase price.
Investors should also remember that DEGIRO is an execution platform, not a portfolio-management service. You are responsible for asset allocation, tax reporting, product selection and order type.
Products and markets
DEGIRO provides access to a broad range of European and international markets, but availability differs by residence and product. Commonly available instruments include:
- European and U.S. shares;
- ETFs and exchange-traded products;
- Investment funds;
- Bonds;
- Options and futures for approved clients; and
- Warrants and other listed instruments in eligible markets.
Not every security is available. A product may be blocked because of exchange access, liquidity, regulation, missing retail-investor documentation, account permissions or the broker’s own product policy. U.S.-domiciled ETFs are a frequent example for European retail investors: they may be unavailable where the required PRIIPs disclosure is not provided.
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Check the product’s KID, currency, trading venue, ongoing charge, bid-ask spread and tax treatment before placing an order. A low broker commission does not make an unsuitable product inexpensive.
DEGIRO’s platform and order execution
DEGIRO’s web platform and mobile app are designed for ordinary share and ETF orders. They are generally easier to use than professional trading terminals, but active traders may find the tools limited.
Before submitting an order, confirm:
- The exact security and ticker or ISIN.
- The exchange and trading currency.
- Whether you are buying the accumulating or distributing version of an ETF.
- The order type, quantity and validity period.
- The estimated commission, exchange fee and currency cost.
A market order prioritises execution but does not guarantee the displayed price. This matters particularly in thinly traded shares, at the market open and during volatile news. A limit order gives you price control but can remain unfilled.
For an ETF with a wide spread, a market order can cost more than expected even when the broker’s commission is small. A limit order placed during normal market hours is often more appropriate when the spread or price matters.
Common reasons users think DEGIRO is a scam
Withdrawals or transfers take time
Broker withdrawals are not always instant. A recent deposit may be subject to anti-fraud checks, and a security sale must settle before the proceeds can be withdrawn. Transfers of shares between brokers can also take days or weeks, particularly when account names, registration details or positions do not match.
Identity checks are intrusive
DEGIRO may request identity documents, tax-residency information, proof of address or additional explanations about a transaction. These checks are normal for a regulated European financial institution and arise from anti-money-laundering and customer-identification requirements.
An account is restricted
A broker can temporarily restrict deposits, withdrawals or trading while it verifies identity, investigates unusual activity, handles a corporate action or meets a legal obligation. A restriction is frustrating, but it is not automatically evidence that the firm has stolen funds. Contact support through the official app or website and keep records of all communications.
The displayed cash balance is confusing
Available cash, settled cash, buying power and withdrawable cash may differ. Pending orders, unsettled trades, currency conversion and fees can all affect the amount you can remove from the account.
Important risks beyond ordinary share investing
Currency risk
If your income and expenses are in euros but you buy assets priced in dollars, your return depends on both the asset and the exchange rate. Currency conversion can also add a direct cost to the trade.
Margin and derivatives
Options, futures and leveraged products can produce losses larger than the initial amount paid. Margin accounts may require additional funds at short notice. A broker’s approval to trade a product is not evidence that the product is suitable for you.
Securities lending
Some brokers lend client securities to other market participants. If DEGIRO offers a lending arrangement for your account, read the relevant terms carefully, including collateral, counterparty exposure, compensation, voting rights and what happens if the borrower or intermediary fails.
Tax and reporting
Using a foreign or cross-border broker does not eliminate tax obligations in your country. Dividends, capital gains, withholding tax, wealth taxes and account-reporting rules can vary. Keep contract notes, annual statements and transaction records rather than relying only on the app’s performance figure.
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Scammers often impersonate legitimate brokers. The brand’s legitimacy does not protect you from a fake “DEGIRO” representative.
- Do not send money to a personal bank account or a wallet address supplied in a chat.
- Do not give anyone your password, one-time code or remote-access control.
- Be suspicious of guaranteed returns, recovery fees and urgent withdrawal demands.
- Open the website by typing the address yourself rather than following an unsolicited link.
- Verify support requests inside the official app or customer area.
- Check the recipient name and bank details before making a transfer.
If you have already sent money to an impersonator, contact your bank immediately, preserve emails and payment references, change compromised passwords and report the incident to the relevant authorities.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Complaints and support
Start with DEGIRO’s official complaints process and state the account number, transaction reference, dates, amount and remedy you are seeking. Keep screenshots and copies of the response. If the issue is not resolved, the next escalation route depends on your country and the legal entity in your client agreement. It may involve a local financial ombudsman, regulator or an approved dispute-resolution body.
Do not confuse a poor support experience with proof of fraud, but do treat repeated unexplained errors, requests for payment outside the official process or refusal to provide account records as warning signs.
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DEGIRO advantages and disadvantages
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Established European brokerage brand | Fees and protections vary by country and exchange |
| Access to many European markets | Currency conversion can reduce returns |
| Generally competitive pricing for shares and ETFs | Not every ETF, share or exchange is available |
| Web and mobile trading | Less suitable for advanced active traders |
| Client-asset segregation and formal investor protections | Protection does not cover market losses |
| No investment advice required for ordinary accounts | The investor must handle research, tax and portfolio decisions |
FAQ
Is DEGIRO a scam?
No. DEGIRO is a legitimate European online broker within the flatexDEGIRO group and operates through regulated financial entities. Use only the official website or app because scammers can impersonate legitimate brokers.
Is money in DEGIRO protected?
Client securities are generally held separately from the broker’s own assets. Uninvested cash may qualify for a bank-deposit guarantee, while an investor-compensation scheme may apply if eligible assets cannot be returned. Limits and the applicable scheme depend on your country and account entity.
Does DEGIRO guarantee investment returns?
No. Neither regulation nor investor compensation protects you from a falling share price, ETF loss, issuer failure or a bad trading decision.
Is DEGIRO good for beginners?
It can suit beginners who want to buy ordinary shares or diversified ETFs and are willing to research investments themselves. Beginners should understand order types, fund costs, currency conversion and tax obligations before trading.
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Possible causes include unsettled sale proceeds, recent-deposit checks, an account restriction, incorrect bank details or anti-money-laundering verification. Contact support through the official platform if the stated processing time has passed.
Does DEGIRO have hidden fees?
The broker publishes its fee schedule, but the total cost can include trading commissions, exchange connectivity fees, currency conversion, fund charges, derivatives fees and transfer or corporate-action costs. Check the price list for your country and exchange before trading.
The Bottom Line
DEGIRO is legitimate, not a scam. It is a regulated European broker with client-asset safeguards and access to a wide range of markets. Its main drawbacks are not fraud-related: currency costs, country-specific fees, product restrictions, limited advanced-trading tools and the normal possibility of account reviews or withdrawal delays.
DEGIRO is most suitable for self-directed investors who want relatively low-cost access to shares and ETFs and who understand that compensation schemes protect against certain broker failures—not investment losses. Before opening an account, verify the legal entity serving you, read the current local fee schedule and test the withdrawal process with a small amount.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
