Can non-US residents invest on Wefunder, StartEngine and Republic?

Do SEC rules stop foreign investors?

No rule we read does. 17 CFR 227.100 ↗ (opens in a new tab) speaks of the purchaser and whether they are accredited, and does not mention nationality or residence. The nationality rule it does contain is about the company: Reg CF is not available to one that is not organised under US state or territory law. We found no SEC statement dealing with foreign investors directly, so this is the rule's silence and not a ruling.

What does Wefunder allow?

Wefunder says it welcomes investors from around the world ↗ (opens in a new tab), provided they follow the laws of their country. It does not accept ↗ (opens in a new tab) Canadian residents, because of provincial regulations, or investors from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and regions of Ukraine. EU residents are accepted if they comply with their local rules.

International investors do not need an SSN or EIN ↗ (opens in a new tab). For identity it asks for a valid passport or visa ↗ (opens in a new tab). Its international guide ↗ (opens in a new tab) gives two ways to pay: a card, up to US$10,000, or a wire, for which it recommends Wise, in US dollars, taking 5 to 7 business days to reach escrow. Its fee ↗ (opens in a new tab) is 2% by wire and 5.5% plus US$2 by card.

What does StartEngine allow?

Its investor FAQ ↗ (opens in a new tab) says anyone over 18 can invest, that it is not currently accepting UK or Canadian investors, and that it can now accept accredited UK investors. Investment opportunities are not offered to Canadian residents. International investors can pay only by card or wire, at a 3.5% processing fee where the company passes it on, and the FAQ says each company decides about cards.

Not yet verified The FAQ says StartEngine asks for an SSN for anti-money-laundering and fraud checks, and gives no alternative. Its terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) make you responsible for knowing the laws of your country of residence. We could not confirm how someone without an SSN gets through this, or which sanctioned countries it excludes.

StartEngine's resale market has a further limit: its FAQ ↗ (opens in a new tab) says it requires a US bank account, address and phone number. So a holder abroad may be able to buy on the platform and not sell on it, which matters if you are weighing how to sell crowdfunded shares later.

What does Republic allow?

Not yet verified republic.com refused our reader on 4 November 2026, so what follows comes from search results for its help pages ↗ (opens in a new tab) and has not been read in full. They say international investors can generally invest, that each company decides which jurisdictions it accepts, and that no US citizenship is needed.

Not yet verified Its FAQ ↗ (opens in a new tab) names Ontario, at the Ontario regulator's request, limits in British Columbia, and sanctioned countries. It says non-US investors pay only by card or wire. On tax, its help page ↗ (opens in a new tab) mentions Form W-8BEN for treaty reductions.

Republic Europe is a separate operation under its own rules. Its help page ↗ (opens in a new tab) says those outside the UK or Europe self-certify as accredited locally.

Do the Reg CF limits apply to you?

The limits ↗ (opens in a new tab) follow whether you are accredited, and the rule draws no line by residence. So a non-US investor who is not accredited appears to have the same limit as anyone else. Reg CF investment limits for 2026 works through the figures.

Being accredited is not tied to the US either. Rule 501 ↗ (opens in a new tab)'s tests for a person turn on net worth, income and credentials, with no citizenship condition that we can see. The SEC's 2020 release ↗ (opens in a new tab) includes entities organised under foreign laws. Wefunder's and StartEngine's pages draw no separate limit for foreign investors, and StartEngine's accredited-only UK rule shows the label being used outside the US.

What about your own country's rules?

They still apply, and that is the part a US platform cannot settle for you. Wefunder and StartEngine ↗ (opens in a new tab) both put the responsibility on the investor.

• UK. The ban on unapproved financial promotions reaches a communication from outside the UK ↗ (opens in a new tab) if it is capable of having an effect in the UK. The FCA says promotions need not be expressly targeted ↗ (opens in a new tab) at UK consumers to be caught, and names geo-blocking among the options for firms abroad.
• EU. Wefunder accepts EU residents ↗ (opens in a new tab) who comply with local rules. Platforms inside the EU work on a different footing: ECSPR explained covers that.
• Canada. In British Columbia, every issuer ↗ (opens in a new tab) must comply with the registration and prospectus requirements or rely on an exemption. That fits both Wefunder and StartEngine leaving Canada out, though neither says it is the reason in those words.

What US tax applies if you live abroad?

The IRS's starting point is that most US-source income ↗ (opens in a new tab) received by a foreign person is taxed at 30%, and a treaty may lower that. Dividends and interest ↗ (opens in a new tab) are in that group, taxed on the gross amount. Some interest can fall under the portfolio interest exception ↗ (opens in a new tab), which has conditions.

Gains from selling are treated differently. Publication 519 ↗ (opens in a new tab) taxes a non-resident's US capital gains at 30% or a lower treaty rate if they were in the US for 183 days or more in the year, and otherwise generally does not. Its rules leave out real property and business-connected gains.

A claim to a treaty rate goes on Form W-8 BEN ↗ (opens in a new tab), given to the withholding agent or payer when asked, and not to the IRS. Wefunder's tax page ↗ (opens in a new tab) says international investors do not get K-1s.

Not yet verified We could not confirm who withholds tax on a Reg CF holding on each platform, or when a form is asked for. A company set up as an LLC or partnership may also differ, which we have not read up. Your own country may tax the same income, so an adviser in your own country is the person to ask.

Can you invest in the other direction, from the US?

It depends on the platform, and the same caution applies in reverse. Companisto ↗ (opens in a new tab) says investors from the USA cannot invest. Our profile of Companisto and our profile of Republic Europe record what we have read on each.

How many US platforms accept investors from abroad?

Of the 10 US platforms we track, 4 have a page on file saying residents of other countries may invest, and we count only those we have read. Of all 26 platforms we track, the figure is 11. We list 416 live Reg CF raises.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a US bank account to invest?

Not on Wefunder, which takes cards and international wires ↗ (opens in a new tab). StartEngine says international investors pay by card or wire ↗ (opens in a new tab), though its resale market requires a US bank account.

Can Canadians invest on these platforms?

Not yet verified Wefunder ↗ (opens in a new tab) and StartEngine ↗ (opens in a new tab) both say no. Republic's page names Ontario and limits in British Columbia, and we could not read it in full.

Can UK residents invest?

On Wefunder ↗ (opens in a new tab), yes, subject to UK law, as its exclusions do not name the UK. StartEngine ↗ (opens in a new tab) takes accredited UK investors only.

Do you pay US tax on a gain?

Generally not as a non-resident, unless you spent 183 days or more ↗ (opens in a new tab) in the US that year or the gain falls under another rule. Dividends and interest are different ↗ (opens in a new tab).

Is this legal advice?

No. This is general information from each platform's own pages, as linked, and those pages can change. What is equity crowdfunding? explains the wider risks.