How to Invest in US and Global Stocks from Singapore (2026 Guide)

• Interactive Brokers (MAS-regulated): Lowest FX cost ($10 per $10,000 SGD-to-USD). Best for serious investors. Full access to US, Singapore (SGX), and 150+ exchanges. No minimum balance.
• Tiger Brokers: SGD-based. FX fee ~0.2% on US stock trades. Popular with Singapore retail investors for its mobile app. Lower minimum than IBKR.
• Moomoo: Commission-free US stocks. FX fee varies by transaction. Good for beginners.
• FSMOne: Singapore-focused fund supermarket. Best for regular savings plans in UCITS ETFs. No brokerage for regular savings plans.
• DBS Vickers / OCBC Securities: Bank-backed. Higher fees (0.5–1% FX). Familiar to existing bank customers but expensive for regular investing.

• CPF (Central Provident Fund): Singapore's mandatory retirement scheme. CPF-OA (Ordinary Account) can be invested in approved unit trusts and ETFs under the CPF Investment Scheme. The 2.5% interest floor on CPF-OA is a risk-free alternative many investors choose not to invest away from.
• SRS (Supplementary Retirement Scheme): Voluntary retirement account. Contributions are tax-deductible (up to S$15,300/year for Singaporeans). SRS can be invested in stocks, ETFs, and unit trusts via approved brokers. SRS reduces your chargeable income in the year of contribution.
• SRS strategy: High-income earners in Singapore's top tax brackets (17–22%) benefit most from SRS. The tax deduction at 17–22% combined with the SRS investment growing tax-free is highly efficient.

• For dividend-paying investments: Use Ireland-domiciled UCITS ETFs. CSPX (iShares S&P 500 UCITS ETF, listed on LSE) or VWRA (Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS) receive US dividends at 15% withholding vs 30% for US-listed ETFs.
• For growth-focused investments (accumulating ETFs): UCITS accumulating ETFs (e.g., VWCE) automatically reinvest dividends — so the withholding tax difference matters less since dividends are minimal in the compounded NAV.
• For individual US stocks: Buy directly via IBKR. No UCITS alternative for individual stocks. Accept the 30% withholding on any dividends.
• SGX-listed ETFs: Some ETFs are listed directly on SGX in SGD (e.g., Nikko AM STI ETF for Singapore, ABF Singapore Bond Index Fund). No FX conversion needed but limited global exposure.

Singapore investors enjoy one of the world's best environments for global investing: no capital gains tax, no dividend tax, and access to both SGX-listed and global ETFs via competitive brokers.

• Tiger Brokers / moomoo: Most popular brokers for Singapore-based retail investors. Commission-free US stock trading, competitive FX rates. Both are MAS-regulated.
• Interactive Brokers: Best for active investors or those managing larger portfolios ($10,000+). 0.1% FX rate, full IBKR product range, margin trading.
• DBS Vickers / OCBC Securities: Bank-affiliated brokers. Higher commissions but convenient if you already bank with them. Better for SGX-listed ETFs.
• SRS account: Open a Supplementary Retirement Scheme account (available at DBS, OCBC, UOB). Contribute up to SGD 35,700/year for foreigners (SGD 15,300 for Singapore Citizens/PRs). Contributions reduce taxable income dollar-for-dollar.
• CPF-OA for investments: Singapore Citizens and PRs can invest their CPF Ordinary Account balance via the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) in selected unit trusts and ETFs. Note: many low-cost ETFs are not included in the CPFIS-approved list.

Singapore has no capital gains tax and no withholding tax on dividends from Singapore companies. However, US-listed stocks still carry US withholding tax on dividends (30% for Singapore residents without treaty, 15% for UCITS ETFs via Ireland-US treaty). Use UCITS ETFs where possible to benefit from the lower withholding rate.

Singapore investors enjoy a favorable regulatory environment and no capital gains tax, making global ETF investing straightforward. The main decisions are broker choice and ETF domicile.

• Interactive Brokers Singapore: IBKR's Singapore entity (MAS-regulated). Lowest FX costs (0.1%) for converting SGD to USD/GBP/EUR. Access to US markets, LSE UCITS ETFs, and SGX. Recommended for investors above SGD $20,000.
• Tiger Brokers: Singapore-based, popular for US stocks. FX costs approximately 0.2%. Good mobile experience. Growing market access.
• Saxo Bank Singapore: strong platform, good research. FX costs higher than IBKR (~0.5%). Better for active traders wanting premium tools.
• Standard Chartered (SC Invest): more expensive but familiar brand. Good for investors wanting a bank-adjacent experience. FX costs 0.5–1%.
• Endowus: Singapore robo-adviser using institutional funds. Good for hands-off investors. Not suitable for direct ETF buying.

• No capital gains tax: Singapore has no CGT. You can sell ETFs freely without tax on gains — a massive advantage over most other countries.
• Dividend tax: Singapore has no dividend withholding tax on Singapore-sourced dividends. For US ETF dividends, US withholding tax applies at 30% (no Singapore-US tax treaty on dividends). Use accumulating ETFs to defer and minimize dividend tax events.
• UCITS vs US ETFs: both are accessible from Singapore. US estate tax risk applies to US-domiciled ETFs above $60,000 for non-US persons. Singapore investors can use UCITS ETFs (Ireland-domiciled) to eliminate this risk entirely.
• Recommended core holdings: VWRA (Vanguard FTSE All-World, accumulating, Ireland) for global equity; CSPX (iShares S&P 500, accumulating, Ireland) for US focus. SGD-denominated SGX ETFs (IWDA.SI) also available for SGD investors.
• SRS (Supplementary Retirement Scheme): Singapore's voluntary retirement savings scheme offers tax deductions on contributions up to SGD $15,300/year (foreign workers) or $35,700/year (Singapore citizens/PR). Eligible investments within SRS include unit trusts and some ETFs.

• Q: Is there a limit on how much Singaporeans can invest abroad? A: No. Singapore has no capital controls. You can transfer any amount abroad for investment purposes without restriction.
• Q: Do Singapore residents pay tax on IBKR dividends? A: No capital gains tax. For dividends: US-sourced dividends are subject to US withholding tax (30% typically, no treaty). Singapore doesn't additionally tax these. UK dividends: no withholding on UK ETFs. Effectively, only the source-country withholding applies.
• Q: What is the best ETF for a Singapore investor? A: VWRA (Vanguard FTSE All-World, accumulating, Ireland) accessed via IBKR Singapore. No CGT on eventual sale. No Singapore-level tax on reinvested dividends. Simple one-fund global portfolio.
• Q: Do I need to report foreign investment accounts in Singapore? A: Singapore does not currently require individuals to report foreign investment accounts for domestic tax purposes (no capital gains, no income tax on foreign-sourced income for most individuals). However, MAS regulations require accurate account information at your broker.

• SGX (Singapore Exchange): home to approximately 700 listed companies, plus REITs, bonds, and ETFs. Singapore REITs (S-REITs) are particularly popular — Mapletree, CapitaLand, Keppel REIT offer 5–7% dividend yields with SGD currency stability.
• SGX ETFs for global exposure: IWDA.SI (iShares MSCI World, USD, SGX-listed), ABF Singapore Bond Index Fund, SPDR S&P 500 ETF (ES3). Note that US-listed ETFs on SGX are USD-denominated and may still have US estate tax implications — verify domicile.
• International access via IBKR: Singapore IBKR account gives access to 150+ global markets. For LSE-listed UCITS ETFs (VWRA, IWDA), IBKR Singapore is the most cost-effective route at 0.1% FX.
• CDP (Central Depository) vs custodian: SGX uses a Central Depository system where shares are registered in your name under your CDP account. IBKR holds in custodian/nominee name. Both are safe; CDP gives direct ownership; IBKR gives global market access.
• SRS for retirement: maximize SRS contributions (SGD $15,300 for foreigners, $35,700 for citizens/PR) for tax deductions. Invest SRS in global ETFs via an SRS-enabled broker (DBS Vickers, OCBC Securities, IBKR).