Open a US brokerage accountfrom anywhere — and trade US stocks, ETFs & options.
You don't need to be a US citizen or US resident. There are two well-trodden routes: open an individual account directly, or form a US company and open a business account. Either one can then auto-copy the SGAUltimate strategy on this platform.
Two paths — pick the one that fits you
Open a personal brokerage account directly with Alpaca as a non-US individual. Fastest route — usually days, no entity, no extra cost.
- ✓Days to open, fully self-serve
- ✓Only need a passport + proof of address
- ✓No SSN/ITIN — you certify foreign status (W-8BEN)
Form a US LLC or C-Corp (usually Wyoming or Delaware), get an EIN, open a US business bank account, then a business brokerage account with Alpaca or Tradier.
- ✓A C-Corp can block US estate-tax exposure
- ✓Cleaner separation from your personal tax
- ✓Stronger for larger accounts & long-term
Quick rule of thumb: a modest account → Path 1. Want estate-tax protection and a cleaner tax wall, and can absorb the setup + annual US filings → Path 2 with a Wyoming C-Corp.
Individual account — directly with Alpaca
The fastest route. You open a self-serve Alpaca individual account as a non-US person. (Note: Tradier does not onboard foreign individuals — it requires a US address and SSN/ITIN — so Alpaca is the practical choice here.)
Alpaca supports individual accounts for residents of many countries, and Kenya has been on its supported list. The supported-country list does change, so confirm Kenya is currently eligible in the live signup flow before you start. You want the Alpaca Trading API individual account (retail self-serve) — not the B2B Broker API.
- A valid Kenyan passport (preferred photo ID).
- Proof of residential address dated within ~3 months (utility bill, bank or card statement). No P.O. boxes; mobile-phone bills are often rejected.
- A selfie / liveness check, done in-flow to match you to your ID.
- Your KRA PIN as your Foreign Tax ID (FTIN) for the W-8BEN.
Sign up, complete the application (name, DOB, Kenyan address, citizenship, tax residence, investment experience), upload your passport + proof of address, and complete the liveness selfie. Approval is often minutes if automated checks pass, or ~1–3 business days if manual review is triggered.
You complete Form W-8BEN(“Certificate of Foreign Status…”) through Alpaca's digital questionnaire — no PDF upload. No SSN or ITIN is required. A W-8BEN is generally valid through the end of the third full calendar year after signing, then must be re-certified.
The primary method is an international wire (SWIFT) in USD. Your Kenyan bank handles the KES→USD conversion (watch the FX spread + wire fees). The sending bank account must be in the same name as the Alpaca account, or AML rules reject it. ACH is generally unavailable without a US bank account.
Alpaca tiers options approval: Level 1 (covered calls / cash-secured puts), Level 2 (long calls/puts), Level 3 (debit & credit spreads — what the SGAUltimate strategy uses). A new non-US account typically gets Level 2 at most; Level 3 usually needs meaningful funding and trading history, and is often applied for after the account is funded.
- Dividends are withheld at 30%.The US has no tax treaty with Kenya, so there is no reduced rate on US-source dividends. (Capital gains are generally not US-taxed for a non-resident alien who isn't in the US ≥183 days/year.)
- US estate tax. US stocks/ETFs held in your own name are US-situs assets with only a $60,000 exemption for a non-resident — the main reason larger accounts consider Path 2.
Form a US company, then open a business account
You form a US entity, get it a tax ID, open a US business bank account, then open a corporate brokerage account in the company's name. More setup and annual filings — but it can block US estate-tax exposure (via a C-Corp) and give a cleaner separation from your personal US tax.
A foreign-owned single-member LLC is cheap and simple but carries a heavy reporting trap (Form 5472, $25,000 penalty if missed). A C-Corp (“US Inc”) has more formality but its shares are non-US situs, which blocks the $60k estate-tax exposure. For trading + estate protection, many non-residents pick a C-Corp — decide with a cross-border tax advisor.
Wyoming is the common choice for a trading entity — low cost (~$100 to form, ~$60/yr), strong privacy, well-recognized by banks and brokers. Delaware is the gold standard but usually overkill (and a higher ~$300/yr LLC franchise tax). Fees change — verify current figures.
A registered agent with a physical US address in your state is mandatory (no P.O. box). A formation service (e.g. Doola, Firstbase, Northwest) bundles the agent and files your Articles of Organization (LLC) or Certificate of Incorporation (C-Corp) with the Secretary of State.
File Form SS-4. On line 7b write “Foreign”; the responsible party (line 7a) is you. Non-residents typically file by fax or mail (turnaround commonly 4–8 weeks) and receive the CP 575EIN letter. You generally do NOT need a personal ITIN (Form W-7) just to get the company's EIN.
An LLC needs an Operating Agreement; a C-Corp needs Bylaws + an initial board resolution authorizing the bank and brokerage accounts and issuing shares. Banks and brokers ask for these even for a sole owner.
Founder-friendly fintechs like Mercury(widely used by non-resident founders), Relay, Brex, or Wise Business work without an in-person visit. Bring the formation certificate, CP 575 EIN letter, signed operating agreement/bylaws, each owner's passport, proof of address, and source-of-funds info.
Apply for a corporate/entity account with Alpaca (the practical choice for a foreign-owned entity; Interactive Brokers is another option). Provide formation docs, the EIN letter, governing documents, and beneficial-ownership info (passport for anyone owning ≥25% plus the control person). The entity signs Form W-8BEN-E, and you may need to file a FinCEN Beneficial Ownership (BOI) report — verify current BOI requirements, which have been in flux.
Keep up annual filings: a C-Corp files Form 1120; a foreign-owned disregarded LLC files Form 5472 + a pro-forma 1120 every year, even with zero income (missing it = $25,000 minimum penalty). Pay your state annual report/franchise tax and renew the registered agent so the entity stays in good standing. Trading for the entity's own account is generally not a US trade or business under IRC §864(b)(2), so own-account capital gains are generally not US-taxed.
Once your account is open, copy the strategy
With a funded Alpaca account (individual or business) you can connect it here in minutes and automatically mirror every SGAUltimate SPX/NDX 0DTE credit spread at your own size — with the same always-on server-side risk management every subscriber gets.