Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Amsterdam, DEGIRO has grown into one of Europe's largest online brokers, now part of the publicly listed flatexDEGIRO Group. It serves millions of clients across more than 50 countries, including a large number of Belgian investors who are drawn to its rock-bottom fees and a wide investment universe spanning stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, futures, and mutual funds. For Belgium traders, DEGIRO has become especially popular because it supports free SEPA bank transfers, offers a fully Dutch- and French-language interface, and provides access to major European and US exchanges from a single account.
In the retail forex trading space, however, DEGIRO is not a dedicated broker. It offers spot forex trading on around 30 currency pairs, but the product is more suited to occasional currency conversion or simple position trading. Belgian retail clients are limited to 10:1 leverage due to ESMA rules, the spreads are variable and not ultra-tight, and the proprietary platform lacks the professional charting packages that forex traders expect. Over the years, DEGIRO has earned high trust scores for its transparent fee structure, but its 3.4/5 rating reflects that it is a strong broker for stock and ETF investors, yet only a mediocre one for full-time forex traders in Belgium.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Netherlands |
| Regulated by | AFM,BaFin |
| Min Deposit | $0 |
| Max Leverage | 10 |
| Platforms | — |
| Islamic Account | Not available |
| Copy Trading | Not available |
| Demo Account | Available |
| Instrument | Typical Spread | Commission/Lot | All-In Cost | Standard Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Check broker | Varies | Varies | Check broker |
| Feature | Available |
|---|---|
| Demo Account | Yes |
| ECN/Raw Account | No |
| Islamic (Swap-free) | No |
| Scalping Allowed | No |
| Hedging Allowed | No |
| Expert Advisors (EA) | No |
| Copy Trading | No |
DEGIRO does not offer an Islamic or swap-free account, which means Belgian Muslim traders cannot trade without paying overnight interest. Any forex or leveraged position left open after the market's daily rollover will incur a financing charge or credit, depending on the currency pair and interest rate differential. This makes long-term position holding for Islamic traders either costly or religiously unacceptable, depending on individual interpretation.
There are no alternative swap-free features hidden within the platform. If swap-free compliance is a requirement, Belgian traders should consider regulated forex brokers that provide genuine Islamic accounts with zero swap on all standard pairs and no hidden administrative fees. Those brokers usually require proof of religion or a declaration of faith, and they often offer 1:30 maximum leverage under ESMA rules. For the Belgian Muslim trader who only invests in physical stocks and ETFs, DEGIRO remains a permissible option because those instruments do not incur overnight interest in a standard cash account.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Islamic Account Available | No |
| Swap Fees | May apply |
| Hidden Admin Fees | Verify with broker before trading |
| How to Apply | Contact support after opening standard account |
| Approval Time | Usually same business day |
| Asset Class | Examples | Available | Typical Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Major Pairs | EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY | All available | Check broker |
| Gold (XAU/USD) | Spot Gold | Available | — |
| Silver (XAG/USD) | Spot Silver | Available | Check broker |
| Oil CFDs | WTI Crude, Brent Crude | Available | $0.03–$0.05 |
| Stock Indices | S&P500, NASDAQ, DAX, FTSE | Available | 0.40 pts |
| Crypto CFDs | BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL | Available | Check broker |
| Shares CFDs | Apple, Tesla, Amazon | Available | 0.02% |
| Broker | Min Deposit | EUR/USD | Islamic | TradingView | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEGIRO (current) | $0 | Check broker | No | No | 3.4 |
| Pepperstone | $0 | 0.09 pips | Yes | Yes | 4.9 |
| IC Markets | $200 | 0.02 pips | Yes | No | 4.8 |
| Exness | $10 | 0.10 pips | Yes | No | 4.8 |
DEGIRO is best described as a top-tier brokerage for Belgian long-term investors, but a below-average choice for active retail forex traders. The 3.4/5 score reflects this split: for stock and ETF investing, DEGIRO regularly ranks among the cheapest and most reliable brokers in Belgium, with excellent regulation through AFM, low fees, and a strong foundation in the EU. Belgian residents who want to trade currencies only occasionally as part of a broader investment portfolio will find DEGIRO acceptable, especially if they keep positions small and are not sensitive to an extra pip of spread.
However, for daily forex trading, the absence of MT4/MT5, the restrictive 10:1 leverage, and the lack of advanced analytics tools make DEGIRO a poor match. The broker also fails to provide an Islamic account and does not offer educational content for currency traders. If you are a Belgian resident planning to build a low-cost share portfolio alongside simple forex hedging, DEGIRO is recommended. If you are a full-time or beginner forex scalper, look at dedicated forex brokers that offer tighter spreads and a professional platform.