If you have come across Scalable Capital and want to know whether you can open an account where you live, you are asking the right question early. Plenty of European investors get halfway through a sign-up flow only to hit a residency wall, or open an account and later find that the tax convenience they were promised does not apply in their country.
Here is the honest answer up front: Scalable Capital is available across a good chunk of the EU, but not everywhere, and the experience is not identical from one country to the next. It started life serving Germany and Austria, and over the past few years it has opened up to markets including France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. What matters just as much as the yes/no of availability is what changes once you are in: how your tax is reported, what language support you get, and which products and savings plans are actually switched on for your country.
I have used a range of European brokers over more than a decade of investing, and I rate Scalable highly for cost-conscious ETF buyers. But “available in Europe” is doing a lot of work in most write-ups, so let me break down where it genuinely operates in 2026 and what to check first.
The short answer: where Scalable Capital operates
Scalable Capital is a German-regulated broker whose core market remains the German-speaking region, and from that base it has expanded to several other eurozone countries. As of 2026 you can generally expect to open a broker account if you are resident in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain or the Netherlands, with a handful of other EU markets either live or being added.
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Treat that list as a strong guide rather than gospel. Broker availability shifts as licences and local partnerships come online, and the definitive source is always Scalable’s own country selector on their official website. If the sign-up form accepts your country of residence and tax ID, you are in. If it does not, no amount of a workaround is worth the account-closure risk later.
How the country footprint grew
Scalable launched as a digital wealth manager in Germany, then built the low-cost brokerage most people now associate with the name. For a long stretch it was effectively a German and Austrian product, which is why so much older community discussion assumes you must be based there.
That changed as the company rolled its brokerage out to other eurozone markets, country by country rather than in a single “now available everywhere” switch. Each new market needs local tax handling, translated onboarding and, in some cases, partner banks. So a country being in the eurozone does not automatically mean Scalable serves it, and a neighbour being covered does not guarantee you are.
What actually changes from country to country
This is the part most people miss. Availability is binary, but the quality of the experience is not. Three things vary, and all three can affect your real returns and your admin burden.
Local tax reporting
In its home market, Scalable can act as a paying agent that handles much of the tax mechanics for you, settling the relevant withholding at source. That automatic handling is a genuine convenience, but it is tied to the local system and usually does not extend in the same form to other countries. If you are in France, Italy, Spain or the Netherlands, you will typically declare your own gains and dividends under your national rules, using the annual statements Scalable provides. That is normal for a cross-border broker, but it means the hands-off tax selling point is largely a German and Austrian benefit. Confirm the exact position for your country, and if in doubt speak to a local tax adviser.
Language and support
Onboarding, the app interface and customer support are localised for the markets Scalable formally serves. If your country is on the list, expect the sign-up and documents in a language you can work with. If you are an expat living in a covered country but you bank and pay tax elsewhere, the interface language is the least of your concerns; the tax residency question below matters far more.
Products and savings plans
The headline features, commission-free ETF trading and automated ETF savings plans, are the backbone of the offer in every served market. Some peripheral products, pricing tiers or promotional cash interest can differ by country or launch later in newer markets. If a specific feature is your reason for signing up, verify it is live for your country rather than assuming parity with Germany.
Availability and features by country (2026, approximate)
The table below is a directional summary to help you set expectations. Figures and coverage are 2026-vintage and illustrative, so verify the current position on Scalable’s country page before you rely on any single row.
| Country | Account opening | Automatic local tax handling | Localised language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Yes (home market) | Yes, paying-agent model | German |
| Austria | Yes | Yes, local settlement | German |
| France | Yes | Self-declared (statements provided) | French |
| Italy | Yes | Self-declared (statements provided) | Italian |
| Spain | Yes | Self-declared (statements provided) | Spanish |
| Netherlands | Yes | Self-declared (Box 3 rules apply) | Dutch/English |
| Other EU (varies) | Check official list | Self-declared if live | Varies |
Why residency and tax ID decide it, not your passport
Brokers care about where you are tax-resident, not the colour of your passport. When you open a Scalable account you provide your country of residence and a local tax identification number, and that combination determines whether you are eligible and how your account is treated. A German citizen living in Portugal would sign up as a Portuguese resident, and if Portugal is not served, the German passport does not help.
This trips up expats constantly. If you move country after opening an account, you are generally obliged to update your tax residency, and that can change how, or whether, the account continues. Do not keep an old-country address to stay eligible; it risks the account being frozen and can leave you offside with two tax authorities. If your situation is complex, pick a broker that clearly serves where you actually live and pay tax.
If Scalable is not available where you live
Some EU countries, and most of the world outside the EU, are not on Scalable’s list. If that is you, it is not a dead end. The two obvious like-for-like alternatives are Trade Republic, which covers a broader spread of EU markets, and larger multi-market brokers such as Interactive Brokers for those outside the core eurozone. I compare the two German neobrokers directly in my Scalable Capital vs Trade Republic breakdown, and you can shortlist by country and cost in the European ETF broker hub.
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Getting started with Scalable Capital: what you will need
If Scalable does serve your country, the sign-up itself is quick. You will need proof of identity, your local tax ID, a European bank account in your name for funding, and around ten minutes for the video or automated identity check. Once you are through, the two things worth setting up on day one are a low-cost core ETF and an automated savings plan so contributions happen without you thinking about it. I walk through the whole account and platform experience in my full Scalable Capital review, and if safety and regulation are your first concern before you deposit a cent, I cover exactly how your assets are protected in is Scalable Capital safe.
My verdict: who Scalable Capital suits by country
For investors based in Germany or Austria, Scalable is close to a default choice for low-cost ETF investing, and the automatic tax handling is a real convenience you will not get from most competitors. For France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands it is still an excellent low-cost broker, but expect to handle your own tax declaration using the statements it provides; the platform is the draw, not tax automation.
If you live somewhere Scalable does not yet serve, do not force it. Pick a broker that openly covers your residency, because a clean tax and regulatory position is worth more over a lifetime of investing than saving a euro on a trade. Check the official country selector first, confirm the tax treatment for your situation, then decide.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Scalable Capital available in the Netherlands?
A: Yes, the Netherlands is one of the markets Scalable has expanded into, so Dutch residents can generally open a broker account. Bear in mind that Dutch tax is self-declared under the Box 3 wealth rules rather than settled automatically at source, so you will use Scalable’s annual statements for your own return. Confirm current availability on Scalable’s official country page before signing up.
Q: Can I use Scalable Capital in France, Italy or Spain?
A: Yes, all three are served markets in 2026, with localised onboarding in French, Italian and Spanish respectively. The commission-free trading and automated ETF savings plans work the same as in Germany, but you are responsible for declaring gains and dividends under your national rules. Keep the yearly tax statements Scalable provides for your accountant or filing.
Q: Does my passport determine whether I can open an account?
A: No. Scalable, like most brokers, bases eligibility on your country of tax residency and your local tax ID, not your citizenship. If you are a citizen of a served country but live and pay tax somewhere unserved, you generally cannot open an account, and vice versa.
Q: What happens to my Scalable account if I move country?
A: You are normally required to update your tax residency, and that can change how the account is handled or, if you move somewhere unserved, whether it can stay open. Do not keep an old address to stay eligible, as it risks the account being frozen and can create tax problems in two countries. Contact Scalable and, if needed, a tax adviser before you relocate.
Q: Is the automatic tax handling available outside Germany?
A: Largely no. The paying-agent style automation, where relevant tax is settled at source, is tied to the German-speaking system and does not usually extend to France, Italy, Spain or the Netherlands in the same form. In those markets you self-declare using Scalable’s statements, so treat automatic tax convenience as a German and Austrian benefit.
Q: What should I do if Scalable Capital is not available in my country?
A: Look at brokers that clearly serve your residency instead. Trade Republic covers a wide set of EU markets, and Interactive Brokers is a strong option for investors outside the core eurozone. My broker hub lets you filter by country and cost so you can shortlist a platform that legitimately supports where you live and pay tax.
European UCITS/ETF investor with 11+ years building a global dividend and index portfolio, and founder of Financial Expert Class. I write every guide here from first-hand experience investing across EU brokers and tax regimes — not theory. More about me →