Widely known in Germany, Trade Republic has attracted the attention of many Romanian investors: interest paid on uninvested euros, a slick app, a €1 flat fee per order and free savings plans. It now has more than 8 million customers and over €100 billion in client assets, which makes it one of the largest brokers in Europe.
Want to know whether Trade Republic is available in Romania, what its expansion looks like, and which alternatives Romanian investors can use? We’ve got you covered.
Is Trade Republic available in Romania? 🇷🇴
No, Trade Republic is still not available in Romania.
The company keeps expanding across Europe, but it has not announced any plan to open in Romania, and Romanian residents cannot open an account today.
We tried to open one, and Romania came up as an unsupported country:
Trade Republic is not available in Romania. Checked again in September 2026.
Where is Trade Republic available? 🌎
Trade Republic is available in 18 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.
The pattern is easy to spot: every market on that list uses the euro, with the single exception of Poland. Trade Republic runs on a German banking licence passported across the European Union, so the regulatory route into Romania already exists. What is missing is the commercial decision, and a product built around euro cash and euro savings plans is a harder sell in a country that uses the leu.
Romania is therefore in the same waiting room as Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Norway and Sweden.
What changed for Romanian investors in 2026
Before picking an alternative, there is something more important than the app itself: since 1 January 2026, Romanian investors pay considerably more tax, and how much depends on the type of broker you use.
Law 141/2025 raised every relevant rate:
- Through a Romanian resident intermediary: 3% on gains from securities held for at least 365 days, and 6% if held for less. Both were half that in 2025, at 1% and 3%. The broker withholds the tax at source, so you have nothing to file for those gains;
- Through a foreign broker: 16% on the net gain, up from 10%. Nobody withholds it for you, so you declare and pay it yourself through the Declarația Unică;
- Dividends: 16%, up from 10%, on distributions made from 1 January 2026;
- Crypto: 16%, up from 10%.
Every alternative in this article is a foreign broker, which means the 16% rate and the annual return apply to all of them. That is the honest trade-off: international platforms give you a far wider choice of instruments and lower trading costs, while a Romanian intermediary gives you a lower headline rate and withholding at source. One detail that softens the picture on the foreign side is that the 16% applies to your net result, so losses can be set against gains, which is not how the withholding regime works.
On top of income tax, the health contribution (CASS) can apply once your non-salary income passes the legal thresholds, and it adds up across dividends, interest, rent and investment gains.
We are not tax advisors, so check your own situation with ANAF or a Romanian tax adviser before investing.
Trade Republic alternatives in Romania
- Interactive Brokers: Best for experienced investors
- eToro: Best for low commissions on stock and ETF investing and social trading
- Trading 212*: The closest alternative. New users get a free fractional share
- Freedom24: Best for access to high-yield savings products
*Capital at Risk. Sponsored Link. To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR/GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link. Terms apply.
52% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Capital at Risk. Sponsored Link. To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR/GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link. Terms apply.
Investing involves risk of loss.
Conclusion
If you want to open a Trade Republic account from Romania, the answer is still no, and there is no announced plan to change that. The brokers above, however, are all open to Romanian residents.
Whether you value reputation and product range, commission-free investing or interest on idle cash, they are a good starting point. Explore their websites and decide for yourself. Just remember the 2026 tax rules: with a foreign broker, the 16% on net gains and the Declarația Unică are on you, so pick a platform that gives you a clear annual statement.
If you have not found a match, you can still look at our comparison of online brokers available by country.
Risk disclaimer: When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
FAQs
What is Trade Republic?
Founded in 2015, Trade Republic is an investment app and a licensed German bank where users invest in stocks, ETFs, bonds, derivatives and crypto, with savings plans covering all of those. It has more than 8 million customers and over €100 billion in client assets. It is regulated by BaFin and supervised together with the Bundesbank. Cash is held at partner banks and covered by the German deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000, while your securities are held in segregated custody and stay yours if the company fails.
Will Trade Republic launch in Romania?
There is no announcement and no waiting list for Romania. Trade Republic has expanded steadily since 2019, so it is not impossible, but the company has given no timeline. In the meantime, the brokers listed above accept Romanian residents.
How much interest does Trade Republic pay on cash?
It depends on the country and it changes with the European Central Bank. The standard rate has been 2.25% a year on euro balances, with promotional rates of around 3% for new clients in several markets and a separate rate in Poland for zloty balances. The rate is variable and follows the ECB deposit facility rate, so it drops the moment the ECB cuts.
How are investments taxed in Romania in 2026?
Since 1 January 2026, gains made through a Romanian resident intermediary are taxed at 3% if the securities were held for at least 365 days and 6% if held for less, withheld at source. Gains made through a foreign broker are taxed at 16% on the net result and you declare them yourself through the Declarația Unică. Dividends and crypto gains are also taxed at 16%. The CASS health contribution may apply on top once your non-salary income passes the legal thresholds.
How does Trade Republic make money?
As economists like to say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. For years a large share of Trade Republic’s income came from payment for order flow (PFOF), the practice of routing orders to a market maker in exchange for a payment, which creates a potential conflict of interest between the broker and the client. The European Union banned PFOF, with the transition period for member states that allowed it ending in mid-2026, so the model had to change. The remaining revenue sources are:
- Securities lending: brokers lend out client securities in exchange for a fee. Third parties borrow them to hedge a position, to arbitrage an opportunity or to sell short;
- The spread on cash: the difference between what the broker earns on client deposits and what it pays you as interest;
- Transaction fees: a €1 flat fee per order on stocks, ETFs, bonds, derivatives and crypto, with savings plan orders free;
- Other products: card interchange, foreign exchange and services such as attending an annual general meeting.
