Whether you are a Colombian resident, an expat living in Bogotá or Medellín, or a remote worker paid in pesos, buying U.S. stocks from Colombia is now possible from your phone with as little as $5. The hard part is not access; it is cost and compliance. Currency conversion can quietly eat 1%–2% of your money, Washington withholds 30% of your dividends, and Colombia’s tax authority (DIAN) expects you to report every dollar abroad. This guide compares six brokers Colombians actually use in 2026, with real fees, who regulates them, and a step-by-step walkthrough.
Want everything supervised in Colombia? trii offers U.S. stocks in pesos through the Colombian Global Market. Want direct Wall Street access with small amounts? Hapi and XTB charge $0 per trade. Investing larger sums or want global markets? Interactive Brokers is the professional benchmark. For Colombians, the biggest cost is rarely the commission: it is converting pesos to dollars.
Three ways to invest in Wall Street from Colombia
| Route | How it works | Pro | Con |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Colombian Global Market (MGC) | Buy foreign stocks and ETFs cross-listed on the Colombian Stock Exchange, in pesos, via a local brokerage such as trii. | Supervised by the Superintendencia Financiera; money stays in Colombia. | Smaller menu; BVC trading hours. |
| 2. App-based international broker | Open an account with Hapi, XTB, eToro or Quantfury and fund it from a Colombian bank. | Thousands of stocks, fractions from $5, $0 commissions. | Not supervised in Colombia; FX costs. |
| 3. Global professional broker | Interactive Brokers, funded by international wire. | Near-global market access; very low costs at scale. | Complex platform; wire fees hurt small accounts. |
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| Broker | Regulator | U.S. stock commission | Minimum | Funding / FX cost | Fractions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hapi | SEC & FINRA; SIPC up to $500,000 | $0 + $0.10/share clearing fee | None; fractions from $5 | PSE peso deposit 0.45%–0.9% (sources differ); $4.99 withdrawal | Yes |
| XTB | Belize FSC for Latin American clients (group regulated by FCA, KNF, CNMV) | 0% up to €100,000/month, then 0.2% | $0 | 0.5% currency conversion | Yes, from $10 |
| Interactive Brokers | SEC & FINRA; SIPC up to $500,000 | Fixed plan from $0.005/share, $1 minimum | $0 | International wire; very low FX | Yes, from $1 |
| trii | Superintendencia Financiera (via Acciones & Valores) | Per-trade fee in pesos (check app) | No prohibitive minimum | Peso deposits; no account abroad | No (whole MGC shares) |
| eToro | FCA (UK) & CySEC (EU) | Varies by asset; check current schedule | $50 | FX conversion; $5 withdrawal | Yes |
| Quantfury | Securities Commission of the Bahamas; SFC-authorized representative office (Res. 2287/2024) | $0 trading commission | Check app | Check app | Yes |
Fees checked against public sources July–October 2026 (Rankia (Oct 2026), Bolsillos con Propósito (Oct 2026), FinanzasPlus (Jul 2026)). Fees change; confirm on each broker’s official site. Bolsa al Día has no commercial relationship with any of these brokers and earns no commission for mentioning them. The site does use affiliate links for some tools, such as TradingView, disclosed on each page.
The six brokers at a glance
Hapi
- SEC/FINRA regulated, SIPC
- $0 stock and ETF trades
- Fractions from $5
- Peso deposits via PSE
✔ Simple Spanish-language app.
✖ Deposit cost and $4.99 withdrawals ($25 minimum).
XTB
- 0% up to €100,000/month
- 0.5% FX
- Research and education tools
- Fractions from $10
✔ Transparent pricing.
✖ Latin American entity licensed in Belize.
Interactive Brokers
- Professional-grade platform
- 150+ markets
- From $1 per order
- Interest on idle USD cash
✔ Lowest costs at scale.
✖ Steep learning curve; wires costly for small sums.
trii
- Superintendencia Financiera oversight
- U.S. stocks in pesos via MGC
- Shares held in your name at Deceval
- No foreign account needed
✔ Maximum local regulatory comfort.
✖ Limited menu; BVC hours only.
eToro
- FCA and CySEC regulated
- Copy-trading
- $50 minimum deposit
- $5 withdrawal
✔ Friendly interface.
✖ FX costs; copy-trading can encourage impulsive moves.
Quantfury
- $0 trading commissions
- SFC-authorized representative office
- Bahamas entity; U.S. affiliate with SIPC
- Dividends paid in account currency
✔ No per-trade fees.
✖ Main entity not regulated in Colombia; study its pricing model.
Fundamentals, charts, valuation and side-by-side comparisons of stocks, ETFs and funds worldwide, including Colombian ADRs. There is a free plan to start.
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Step by step: your first Wall Street trade from Colombia
Use money you will not need for at least five years.
Small sums: Hapi or XTB. Local supervision: trii. Larger sums: Interactive Brokers.
Colombian ID (cédula) or passport, email, phone and a suitability questionnaire.
Certifies you are a non-U.S. person for tax purposes. U.S. citizens living in Colombia file a W-9 instead.
PSE in pesos, local transfer or international wire. Compare FX costs first.
AAPL, NVDA, VOO or SPY.
Set your maximum price instead of buying at market.
You will need them for your DIAN return.
What to buy first?
| Ticker | What it is | Role |
|---|---|---|
| VOO / SPY | S&P 500 ETF | The 500 largest U.S. companies in one trade |
| QQQ | Nasdaq 100 ETF | Tech-heavy, more volatile |
| VT | Total world ETF | Global diversification |
| Single stocks | Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia… | Concentrated risk |
Bolsa al Día informs and explains; we do not tell you what to buy. Review your risk profile and, if needed, consult a licensed adviser.
Taxes: what the DIAN expects
- Dividends: the U.S. withholds 30% from non-residents; there is no U.S.–Colombia tax treaty to reduce it.
- Income tax: Colombian tax residents (generally 183+ days in a 365-day period) report worldwide income, including foreign dividends and gains.
- Net worth: your account balance on Dec. 31 counts toward reported assets.
- Form 160: required if foreign assets exceed 2,000 UVT on Jan. 1 (about COP 104.7 million at the 2026 UVT).
- Expats: U.S. citizens still file with the IRS; foreign tax credits may apply. Get advice for cross-border situations.
The peso effect
Earn in pesos, invest in dollars, and you are making two bets. With USD/COP near 3,147, a stock up 10% in dollars delivers:
Costly mistakes
- Frequent small deposits and withdrawals that stack fixed fees.
- Market orders outside trading hours.
- Forgetting the 30% dividend withholding.
- Losing the paperwork the DIAN requires.
- Confusing CFDs or leverage with owning real shares.
- Choosing a broker from ads without checking its regulator.
Critical take: why Colombians look north, and what guides leave out
The case is obvious: the MSCI COLCAP holds roughly twenty stocks, while the S&P 500 spans 500 global leaders, and dollar assets hedge against peso depreciation. But three caveats rarely make the headlines.
First, valuation. The S&P 500 closed at 7,727 on Oct. 27, near records and led by a handful of AI names. That rewards long horizons, not short bets. Second, protection. Most zero-commission apps are not supervised by Colombia’s Superintendencia Financiera; disputes go to foreign regulators, and SIPC covers broker failure, not market losses. Third, behavior. Frictionless apps encourage overtrading, and research consistently links high trading frequency with lower returns.
A balanced approach many professionals describe: some local exposure, a core in broad U.S. index funds, and relentless attention to costs.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I need to invest in U.S. stocks from Colombia?
About $5 with brokers offering fractional shares, such as Hapi; $10 per fraction at XTB; $50 minimum deposit at eToro.
Is it legal to invest abroad from Colombia?
Yes. Report holdings and income to the DIAN, and file Form 160 if foreign assets exceed 2,000 UVT.
Which broker is cheapest?
For small sums, Hapi and XTB charge $0 commissions; for larger portfolios, Interactive Brokers is usually cheapest on FX and fees.
Which brokers are supervised in Colombia?
trii operates through a Superintendencia Financiera-supervised brokerage; Quantfury has an authorized representative office. Hapi, XTB, eToro and Interactive Brokers are regulated abroad.
How much is withheld on dividends?
The U.S. withholds 30% of dividends paid to Colombian residents.
Can expats in Colombia use these brokers?
Generally yes, but U.S. citizens face different rules (W-9, IRS filing) and some brokers restrict U.S. persons.
Keep reading: How the U.S. stock market works and 2026’s top performers · Stock market today · Colombian peso today · Leer en español
🧾 Living in Colombia? Check whether you must file a 2027 return in our Colombia tax guide for expats.
Sources: Rankia (Oct 2026), Bolsillos con Propósito (Oct 2026), FinanzasPlus (Jul 2026), official broker websites and the DIAN. Updated Oct. 27, 2026.
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