DEGIRO and eToro: How I Use Both to Invest for Early Retirement in the Netherlands
- 9 hours ago
- 6 min read
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Questions this article answers about etoro and DEGIRO
Can I open a DEGIRO or eToro account as an expat in the Netherlands?
Yes. Both platforms are fully accessible to Dutch residents and expats, with bank transfer support for deposits.
What is the difference between DEGIRO and eToro for Dutch investors?
DEGIRO is EUR-based and built for low-cost index investing. eToro runs mostly on USD, but suits beginners, copy traders, and those who want a more hands-off approach.
Does eToro charge currency conversion fees in the Netherlands?
Yes. if you use a standard USD account, expect 0.50% on both deposit and withdrawal. Opening an EUR account avoids this for EUR-based assets.
How do I invest for early retirement in the Netherlands?
Combine low-cost index investing with a bridge-to-pension approach, accounting for AOW, employer pension, and Box 3 wealth tax.
Is copy trading a good alternative to a bank wealth manager in the Netherlands?
It can be. eToro's copy trading lets you mirror experienced investors for a lot less than what banks charge for managed portfolios.
I arrived in the Netherlands in 2015 with a suitcase and no real plan for retirement. I was 24. Retirement felt like something that happened to other people, older people, people who had things figured out.
What nobody told me is that the Dutch system is genuinely complicated for expats. For example, the AOW pension (the state pension here), is built on residency years.
So I started investing. Not because I had it all figured out, but because I did the math and didn't like what I saw if I didn't.
Here's what I actually do.
The foundation: index investing through DEGIRO
Most of my portfolio is boring on purpose. I invest in broad index funds through DEGIRO. It's where the bulk of my monthly contributions go.
DEGIRO is a Dutch-founded broker, now part of flatexDEGIRO Bank AG, and supervised by both the AFM and DNB. For anyone investing in the Netherlands long-term, that regulatory familiarity matters.
Opening a DEGIRO account as a Dutch resident
The process is fully digital and takes about 15 minutes. You register via the DEGIRO app, scan your ID, and take a quick selfie for identity verification. No paperwork, no in-person visit required. Once your account is activated, you're ready to invest.
Depositing and withdrawing
Deposits are free: you transfer any amount to your DEGIRO investment account with no minimum. iDEAL is supported for Dutch residents, so you can fund your account directly from your Dutch bank account in seconds. Withdrawals are also free. DEGIRO does not charge a withdrawal fee for cash transfers back to your bank.
Currency and FX
This is one of DEGIRO's main advantages for Dutch investors: your account is EUR-based. When you buy ETFs listed on European exchanges in euros, there is no currency conversion. As of 2026, if you trade ETFs on Tradegate Exchange, DEGIRO has removed the connectivity fee, making it cheaper to invest in ETFs from the core selection. For non-EUR assets — such as US-listed ETFs — DEGIRO charges approximately 0.25% for FX conversion, which is relatively low compared to other platforms.
For Dutch residents investing in UCITS ETFs (which is what most long-term index investors do anyway), sticking to EUR-denominated funds on Tradegate means you can largely sidestep FX costs altogether.
For Dutch residents, there's also Box 3 to keep in mind: you're taxed on a notional return on your wealth, not your actual gains. Keeping platform costs low matters more here than in many other countries.
For learning and experimenting: eToro
I'll be honest, eToro is not where my serious retirement money lives. But it's where I started when I knew almost nothing, and it's genuinely useful for that.
Opening an eToro account as a Dutch resident
Dutch residents can register, verify their accounts, and make deposits on eToro with full access to its trading features. Registration is done online: you fill in your personal details, upload a government-issued ID, and complete a short questionnaire about your investment experience. The process is straightforward and fully digital.
Depositing and withdrawing
eToro supports regular bank transfer and iDEAL (fast transfer) for Dutch residents, allowing deposits up to $50,000 directly from your Dutch bank account. Supported banks include ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank, bunq, SNS, and others.
Withdrawals carry a flat $5 fee per transaction, with a minimum withdrawal applied.
One thing to watch: eToro charges $10 per month after one year of inactivity, though simply logging in counts as activity. If you open an account to explore and then forget about it, that fee will quietly drain your balance.
Copy trading: a low-cost alternative to wealth management
This is one of eToro's most popular features. With copy trading, you can automatically mirror another investor's portfolio in real time. Every trade they make, you make proportionally. It's not the same as paying a bank or wealth manager a 1–2% annual fee to manage your money. You're in control of who you copy, how much you allocate, and you can stop at any time.
For someone who doesn't want to pick individual stocks or spend hours researching ETF allocations, copy trading sits in an interesting middle ground: more hands-off than DIY investing, but far cheaper than traditional wealth management. That said, "past performance doesn't guarantee future results", and you're still exposed to whatever risk the person you're copying is taking. Choose carefully and wisely.
Currency and FX — the part most people miss
This is where eToro differs significantly from DEGIRO, and it's worth understanding before you deposit a single euro.
Transactions at eToro are carried out in USD. If you deposit funds in EUR and buy something, an automatic conversion to USD takes place, with a conversion fee applied.
eToro now offers a EUR local currency account for EU residents, which lets you deposit, hold, and fund trades in EUR without conversion fees on EUR-based assets. If you're in the Netherlands and plan to invest only in European stocks or ETFs, conversion fee is less of a problem.
For long-term index investors, this FX structure makes eToro less efficient than DEGIRO as a primary platform. But as a place to learn, paper trade, and explore how markets work before committing real money, the costs are manageable — especially if you keep your balance small and use the EUR account.
Note: eToro is a multi-asset platform. 61% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
What I'm actually trying to build
My goal isn't to accumulate forever. It's to bridge the gap between early retirement and the point where my AOW and employer pension kick in — around 67.
This changes the math significantly. I don't need to fund 40+ years of retirement from investments alone. I need to fund maybe 10–15 years, after which the state system takes over in part. That makes early retirement in the Netherlands more achievable than many would think.
If you want to run your own numbers, the calculator on this site can help.
A note on what this is and isn't
I'm not a financial advisor. I'm someone working through the same questions you probably are, trying to make sense of a system that wasn't built with expats in mind. What I share here is what I've learned and what I'm doing — not a recommendation for what you should do.
If you're making significant investment decisions, it's worth speaking to a professional who knows the Dutch system specifically.
TL;DR: DEGIRO vs eToro for Early Retirement in the Netherlands
DEGIRO is the better primary platform for long-term index investing: EUR-based account, free bank deposits, low FX costs, and Dutch regulatory oversight via AFM/DNB
eToro is the better starting point: beginner-friendly, paper trading available, and social features help you learn; but watch the USD base account and FX conversion fees
eToro's copy trading lets you mirror other investors' portfolios automatically, a low-cost alternative to paying a bank or wealth manager to do it for you
For Dutch FIRE, the two complement each other: build your core portfolio in DEGIRO, learn the ropes or copy trade on eToro
Both support iDEAL and are accessible to Dutch residents and expats
