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Buying US stocks from your country

Your residence decides three things: which brokers will accept you, how much US tax is withheld from your dividends, and what your funding costs.

The pattern is consistent everywhere: most US-domiciled brokerages will not take you, an international stockbroker will, and your dividend withholding depends entirely on whether your country has a US tax treaty.

Country	Local regulator	US dividend treatment
United Kingdom	FCA	W-8BEN reduces US dividend withholding to 15% under the US–UK treaty; ISAs and SIPPs can hold US shares.
United Arab Emirates	SCA / DFSA	No personal income tax locally, but US dividend withholding still applies; a W-8BEN is still required.
Saudi Arabia	CMA	US dividend withholding applies at the treaty rate where a treaty position is claimed on the W-8BEN.
Australia	ASIC	Treaty rate of 15% on US dividends with a valid W-8BEN; CGT reporting is on the Australian side.
Singapore	MAS	No treaty rate on US dividends — the default 30% withholding applies to Singapore residents.
India	SEBI / RBI	LRS limits apply to outward remittance; US dividend withholding is 25% under the India treaty.
Germany	BaFin	15% treaty withholding on US dividends; German Abgeltungsteuer applies on top with credit for the US tax.
Canada	CIRO	15% treaty rate; US dividends inside an RRSP are generally exempt from US withholding.
South Africa	FSCA	Offshore allowance rules apply to funding; US dividend withholding is 15% under the treaty.
Nigeria	SEC Nigeria	No US tax treaty — US dividends are withheld at 30%.
Kenya	CMA Kenya	No US tax treaty — expect the full 30% dividend withholding.
Egypt	FRA	US dividend withholding applies at treaty rates where claimed; currency controls affect funding.
Malaysia	SC Malaysia	No US dividend treaty rate — 30% withholding applies.
Philippines	SEC Philippines	Treaty may reduce US dividend withholding to 25% where properly claimed.
Indonesia	OJK	Treaty rate of 15% on US dividends with a valid W-8BEN.
Vietnam	SSC	No US dividend treaty rate in force — 30% withholding applies.
Thailand	SEC Thailand	Treaty rate of 15% on US dividends where claimed on the W-8BEN.
Japan	FSA Japan	10% treaty withholding on US dividends — among the lowest available.
South Korea	FSC	15% treaty withholding on US dividends.
Brazil	CVM	No US tax treaty — dividends are withheld at 30%.
Mexico	CNBV	10% treaty withholding on US dividends where claimed.
Turkey	CMB	20% treaty withholding on US dividends; currency risk on funding is material.
Pakistan	SECP	15% treaty withholding on US dividends where a treaty claim is made.
Kuwait	CMA Kuwait	No treaty rate — US dividends are withheld at 30%.
Qatar	QFMA	No treaty rate — expect 30% US dividend withholding.
Bahrain	CBB	No treaty rate — 30% US dividend withholding applies.
Oman	FSA Oman	No treaty rate — 30% US dividend withholding applies.
Jordan	JSC	No US tax treaty — dividends are withheld at 30%.
Netherlands	AFM	15% treaty withholding on US dividends, creditable against Dutch box-3 liability.
Spain	CNMV	15% treaty withholding on US dividends with a valid W-8BEN.
Italy	CONSOB	15% treaty withholding on US dividends; Italian tax applies with a foreign credit.
Poland	KNF	15% treaty withholding on US dividends where claimed.
New Zealand	FMA	15% treaty withholding; FIF rules can apply to larger offshore holdings.
Hong Kong	SFC	No US treaty rate — 30% dividend withholding applies.

Reviewed August 2026. General information, not tax advice.