How to open an international account

Light Horse is a brokerage for trading stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, and bonds. This guide walks non-US residents through the account-opening application from start to finish. It takes about 10 minutes.

Because your requirements depend on where you live, this guide is written for applicants who reside outside the United States. If you're a US resident, green-card holder, or US citizen, see How to open a US account.

Before you begin

Create your login first. Go to lighthorse.io and sign up with your email or phone number. Once you're signed in, you're ready to start the application.

Have these ready — you'll upload photos or scans during the application:

Document	Who needs it
Passport	All international applicants
Proof of residential address (a document showing your name and full address, e.g. a utility bill or bank statement)	All international applicants
Resident ID card (front and back)	Applicants residing in China

Note. International applicants generally provide two documents (passport + proof of address). Applicants in China provide three (passport + proof of address + resident ID card). If anything else is needed, we'll ask for it during review — see Step 13.

Tip. Your ID and documents are used for account-opening verification only.

Step 1 — Start the application

From the home page you have two ways in:

1. Click the Open Account button in the middle of the page, or
2. Open the User Menu in the top-right and choose Open account.

Step 2 — Add your identity document

On "Upload your Driver's License / Government Issued ID," upload the front and back of your ID:

• International applicants can use a passport, local ID, or state ID.
• Prefer to type your details instead? Choose Manual Input — but keep your documents handy, as you'll still be asked to provide them.

Then confirm your first name, last name, date of birth, and gender and continue. Middle name is optional.

Step 3 — Tell us where you live

On "Where do you live?", choose your country of residence first, then enter your full address (street, city, state/province/region, and postal code).

This step matters most. Selecting a country outside the US is what tailors the rest of the application to your region and adds the identity steps below.

Step 4 — Enter your national identity number

If your country requires it (for example, China's Resident Identity Card), enter your national identity number on the screen shown, then continue.

Step 5 — Confirm citizenship and place of birth

Select your citizenship and place of birth.

Dual citizenship? If you hold more than one citizenship, choose the one that matches your primary country of residence. If you have a single citizenship, simply select that country.

Step 6 — Funding details

Answer a few quick questions about how you'll use the account:

• Whether you were referred by someone.
• The bank you plan to fund from.
• Your expected initial deposit.
• Whether you expect to withdraw cash more than once a month.

Answer honestly — there are no wrong answers here.

Step 7 — Verify your passport and upload documents

1. Enter your passport number and its expiration date. We run a quick check now.
2. Upload a clear photo or scan of your passport.
3. Add your proof of residential address — choose the document type and upload it. The document must show your name and full address.

Residing in China? You'll also be asked to upload your Resident ID card — both the portrait side (人像面) and the national-emblem side (国徽面).

Don't see a spot for your national ID at first? That's expected. If it's needed, we'll request it as part of the review after you submit.

Step 8 — A few personal details

• Marital status — Single, Married, Divorced, or Widowed.
• Number of dependents — the number of people who depend on you financially.

Step 9 — Employment and finances

• Employment status — Employed, Self-Employed, Retired, Student, or Unemployed.
• If employed, add your employer, position, years of experience, and industry.
• Financial status — select the ranges for your annual income, liquid net worth, and total net worth.

Step 10 — Your investment profile

Choose the options that best describe you:

• Investment experience — None, Limited, Good, or Extensive.
• Investment objective — Speculation, Growth, Income, Capital Preservation, or Other.
• Risk tolerance — High, Medium, or Low.
• Time horizon — Less than 3 years, 4–7 years, or 8 years or more.
• Importance of liquidity — Very, Somewhat, or Not Important.

Step 11 — Regulatory disclosures

Answer a short set of required questions:

• Whether you or a family member is a senior executive or 10%+ shareholder of a publicly traded company.
• Whether you or a family member is employed by a member firm of a stock exchange or a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.
• Whether you or a family member is a senior political figure / politically exposed person (PEP).
• Whether you'd like to add a trusted contact person.

About the trusted contact. If you add one, we may reach out to them if we ever need to confirm unusual activity or can't reach you — they can't trade or access your account.

Step 12 — Review and accept the agreements

Review the Light Horse and Apex customer agreements and disclosures, tick "I agree to all of the above," and continue to submit.

Step 13 — Submit and wait for review

You'll land on the "Waiting for Review" screen — your application is in. From here you can select View Application Information at any time to see what you submitted.

What happens next

• We review your application and may request additional documents (such as your national ID) during review.
• You'll be notified of any status updates by email or in-app message.
• Once you're approved, just log in — you can fund your account and start trading right away.

You can revisit your application any time by heading to lighthorse.io and opening it from your account.

Got questions? Ask us at newaccounts@lighthorse.io.