How to buy, sell and invest in Canadian stocks from the UK

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for reference purposes only. Wise does not offer to buy or sell stocks, and all information on this page should not be considered financial advice. All investment decisions should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor. Remember that investments, even in low-risk funds, are never guaranteed and your capital is at risk.

Looking to trade Canadian stocks? You might be looking to diversify your portfolio, or perhaps you’re interested in a particular sector or company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) - the country’s largest stock exchange.

If you’re a new UK investor and aren’t yet experienced in the world of international share dealing, you’ll need to know how to get started.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of buying, selling and investing in Canadian stocks from the UK.

This includes how to open a trading account and how to calculate the costs - while also factoring in currency conversion.

We’ll also cover the Wise account. A handy multi-currency account which could help you save on foreign exchange fees when buying or selling international stocks.

So, let’s get started.

Table of contents

How to invest in Canadian stocks from the UK Buying shares in a Canadian company from the UK How to buy Canadian shares in the UK: Step-by-step 1. Open a share trading account 2. Check if you need to complete a W-8BEN form 3. Calculate the costs 4. Decide which Canadian shares to purchase Selling or trading shares in a Canadian company from the UK 1. Open a share trading account 2. Check if you need to fill out a W-8BEN form 3. Understand how much tax you need to pay 4. Calculate the cost Opening hours of international stock markets Don’t let currency conversion trip you up when trading - use Wise

How to invest in Canadian stocks from the UK

There are a few ways you can invest in Canadian stocks as a UK investor.

You can buy shares directly, or you can invest in an investment trust or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that contains stocks in Canadian companies. For example, you can invest in the S&P/TSX Composite Index, which tracks the performance of the largest companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).

Here, we’ll mainly focus on how to buy and sell shares in Canadian companies directly, via one of the many popular online investment platforms available in the UK.

Buying shares in a Canadian company from the UK

It’s relatively easy to buy shares in Canadian companies from the UK. You don’t need a broker (although you can use one if you want, for an extra fee), as you can do everything online.

All you need to do is create an account on your choice of online investment platform, link it to a payment method (bank account or card) and start placing orders for trades.

Quite a few of the most popular UK trading platforms offer direct trading in Canadian stocks.

Others only offer trading in dual-listed companies - these are those that are on both Canadian and US stock exchanges, and you’ll be trading via US stock exchanges. Bear in mind that this comes with a little extra paperwork, as you’ll need to submit a W-8BEN form to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the US so that you won’t have to pay as much tax on any returns you earn.

Before you start trading, it’s important to carry out a few crucial cost calculations to make sure you’re factoring in fees and currency conversion costs. We’ll cover all of that next.

How to buy Canadian shares in the UK: Step-by-step

Let’s run through the steps involved in buying shares in a Canadian company as a UK-based investor.

1. Open a share trading account

There are lots of investment platforms available in the UK, and a number offer direct trading in Canadian stocks.

Some options to check out include:

• Interactive Brokers
• AJ Bell
• Hargreaves Lansdown
• Trading 212
• Saxo

It’s a good idea to do some research, comparing fees, features, user-friendliness and customer reviews for each platform - so you can choose the right one for you. You can usually open a trading account in just a few simple steps, although there are usually additional identity verification processes to complete.

Remember, always check that the company is listed on the FCA register to ensure that they are a legitimate company.

2. Check if you need to complete a W-8BEN form

With some platforms, you’ll need to fill in and submit a W-8BEN form before you can buy Canadian shares.

This is a form from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which is the US equivalent to HMRC in the UK.

It is designed to prove that you are a tax resident of a country outside the US, and can allow you to get a lower tax rate on US-derived income (i.e. returns on investments) as a foreigner.

Your investment platform should have an online version of the W-8BEN form for you to complete.

3. Calculate the costs

Your chosen trading platform will tell you how much your shares will cost, but you also need to factor in fees and currency conversion costs.

Platforms may charge annual fees, or per-transaction commission fees for trading.

You’ll also need to factor in currency conversion costs. This is because you’ll only be able to buy Canadian shares in Canadian dollars (CAD), so your British pounds (GBP) will need to be converted to CAD somewhere along the way. This is likely to incur foreign currency fees.

To give you an idea of these costs, here are the fees charged by a handful of popular platforms which offer direct trading in Canadian stocks:

Platform	Account fees	Canadian trade (commission) fees	Foreign exchange fees
Interactive Brokers	None	0.01 to 0.08 CAD depending on trade value1	Varies
AJ Bell	0.25%2	£5 per trade (drops to £3.50 for 10+ trades in a month)	0.25% to 0.75% depending on trade value3
Hargreaves Lansdown	None (for shares)4	£5.95 to £11.95 depending on trade volume per month⁴	0.25% to 1%4
Trading 212	None5	None5	0.15%5
Saxo	None (but custody fees apply)	0.005 to 0.015 CAD per share depending on account tier6	0.25%7

Note: All above investment platform fees were correct as of 9th July 2025.

As you can see, some of these foreign exchange fees are high enough that they can start eating into your return. To avoid these, it could be a good idea to use a Wise account.

With Wise, you can open a Canadian dollar (CAD) account and hold your money until you’re ready to buy (or sell). Then you can trade directly in CAD on your chosen investment platform. When you need to convert money to GBP or into CAD, you can take advantage of Wise’s low fees and great mid-market exchange rates.

4. Decide which Canadian shares to purchase

The last step is to decide which Canadian shares to purchase, and then place the order.

You might want to get some professional advice on which company to invest in, in line with your investment strategy.

Selling or trading shares in a Canadian company from the UK

Now we come to the steps involved in selling shares in Canadian companies from the UK.

1. Open a share trading account

If you’ve bought shares, it’s likely that you already have a share trading account. But if you’ve acquired them through another means, such as through inheritance or an employee share scheme, you’ll need to open an account.

Check out one of the options we’ve listed above, making sure to compare prices, features and reviews before signing up. Remember to have some form of photo ID handy in case you’re asked to verify your identity.

2. Check if you need to fill out a W-8BEN form

Just like with buying shares in the US or Canada (via US stock markets), you may be required to fill out and submit an W-8BEN form to the IRS when selling shares.

You can check with your chosen trading platform whether or not you need to complete this form, or any other paperwork, before selling your shares.

3. Understand how much tax you need to pay

When you sell Canadian shares, you may need to pay what is known as ‘withholding taxes’ on the income. If required, you can reduce this amount by completing the W-8BEN form - and the amount should be automatically deducted from the earnings paid out to you.

For income earned outside of an ISA or other tax-efficient wrapper, you may also have to pay income tax or Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in the UK.

Tax can be complicated, especially when trading and earning income between two countries. It’s recommended to get professional tax advice to help you understand your obligations.

4. Calculate the cost

When selling Canadian shares, there are a few costs to consider. These include commission or trading fees charged by the platform, along with currency conversion fees.

💡Remember- you can avoid some of these by opening a Wise account and holding your money in CAD until you’re ready to sell/trade your shares.

Here are some of the fees charged by platforms offering international share dealing:

Platform	Canadian trade (commission) fees	Foreign exchange fees
Interactive Brokers	0.01 to 0.08 CAD depending on trade value1	Varies
AJ Bell	£5 per trade (drops to £3.50 for 10+ trades in a month)	0.25% to 0.75% depending on trade value3
Hargreaves Lansdown	£5.95 to £11.95 depending on trade volume per month4	0.25% to 1%4
Trading 212	None5	0.15%5
Saxo	0.005 to 0.015 CAD per share depending on account tier6	0.25%7

Note: All above investment platform fees were correct as of 9th July 2025.

Opening hours of international stock markets

Stock exchange	Local trading times8	GMT trading times8
Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)	09:30-16:00	14:30-21:00
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)	09:30-16:00	14:30-21:00
NASDAQ	09:30-16:00	14:30-21:00
London Stock Exchange (LSE)	08:00-16:30	08:00-16:30
Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)	10:00-16:00	00:00-06:00
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSX)	08:00-20:00	07:00-19:00
Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE)	09:00-15:00	00:00-06:00

Don’t let currency conversion trip you up when trading - use Wise

In this article, we’ve looked at how to buy Canadian stock in the UK. We’ve covered everything you need to know to get started, including info on currency conversion when trading shares in another currency.

If you trade in different currencies, it’s important to be aware of the extra costs for cross border money transfer - and avoid or minimise them if you can.

The good news is that you can use Wise to avoid hidden currency exchange markups. Open a Wise account to convert currency at mid-market exchange rates, for low, transparent fees*.

Why not hold your money in a Wise account until you decide to invest it in your chosen platform? Set up exchange rate alerts with Wise to be notified via email or push notification when the rate drops to your chosen threshold.

You can also use your Wise account to conveniently manage your money in currencies, sending payments to 140+ countries at the mid-market rate for low fees*. There’s even a dedicated secure service for sending large amounts.

There’s even an extra feature, Wise Interest. With Wise Interest you can earn returns on GBP, USD and EUR by opening a Wise account and invest for as little as £1, $1 or €1 in a fund that holds government-guaranteed assets. Growth not guaranteed. Capital at risk.

Investments can fluctuate, and your capital is at risk. The Variable rate is based on the performance of the Fund over a 7-day period ending on 9/26/2025. The Fund has achieved an average annual return of 2.76% over a 5-year rolling period exclusive of fees. Interest is offered by Wise Assets UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Wise Payments Ltd. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you're uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

You may also be interested in the following articles:

• How Wise can help save on currency fees for your next USD RSU payout
• How to invest in US stocks from the UK
• How to invest Chinese stocks from the UK
• How to invest in Japanese stocks from the UK
• How to invest in Indian stocks from the UK
• How to invest in the S&P 500 in the UK

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Sources used:

1. Interactive Brokers - commissions on stocks
2. AJ Bell - dealing account charges
3. AJ Bell - international dealing
4. Hargreaves Lansdown - overseas share dealing
5. Trading 212 - terms and fees
6. Saxo - transaction fees for stocks
7. Saxo - charges and fees
8. CMC Markets - stock market trading hours

Sources last checked on date: 09-Jul-2025

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