Transfer your ISA
Get more from your ISA by transferring it to Freetrade.
Our Stocks and Shares ISA costs £3/month, and there are no commissions for placing trades.
Switching is easy and free.
When you invest, your capital is at risk. Tax rules for ISAs can change and their benefits depend on your circumstances.
Other charges may apply. See our full pricing table.
When to consider transferring your ISA
Reasons to transfer:
You’d like lower trading costs.
High fees are eating into your investments.
You'd like to access a wider range of investments, such as stocks and shares or ETFs.
Use a more user-friendly app or web platform.
Customer service that fits with your needs.
Important information: please remember any tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. Before transferring an ISA you should check you will not lose valuable guarantees or be charged excessive transfer penalties.
Why transfer your stocks and shares ISA to Freetrade
Commission-free instant trades
No commissions for buying or selling stocks and unlimited instant trades during stock market opening hours.
Fractional shares for US stocks
Invest from as little as £2.
Vast stock universe
Choose from thousands of UK and US stocks, ETFs and investment trusts. See our full stock list.
Only £3/month
Low, fee that doesn’t grow with the size of your investments.
Award-winning app
Access and manage your portfolio from anywhere.
Daily insights and analysis
Brought to you by our team of investment experts.
Transfer a stocks and shares ISA to Freetrade
You can transfer your stocks and shares ISA from another provider as stocks and stay invested, so long as we have the stocks in our universe.
Any investments that you hold in your existing ISA that we can’t transfer in specie can either be sold and transferred as cash or left with your current ISA manager, depending on ISA rules.
With cash transfers, you are not invested so will miss out on market movements during your transfer.
Transfer a cash ISA
Cash ISAs are one way to save but when it comes to growing your savings, a cash ISA might not be the best product to focus on.
Investing is one of the best ways to grow your savings over the long term, so it might be worth considering transferring to a stocks and shares ISA.
How to transfer your ISA
1
2
Open your ISA via the app.
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Our team will drop you a message to confirm we’ve received your form.
4
We’ll complete your stocks and shares ISA transfer.
Start investing commission-free.
For more info, check out our ISA Transfer FAQ, ISA terms & conditions, ISA charges and
'What is a stocks and shares ISA' guide.
Which ISAs can I transfer?
You can transfer any existing stocks and shares, innovative finance or cash ISAs to Freetrade by completing this form.
There are two options when transferring your ISA to Freetrade. You can transfer as cash or if you’d like to keep your portfolio invested you can transfer ‘in specie’.
In-specie transfers might take longer than cash transfers. It’s also important to check if the stocks in your existing ISA are in Freetrade’s stock universe first.
It’s free to transfer your existing ISA to Freetrade but before starting, check for any exit fees, your current provider may charge.
We don’t accept Lifetime or Help to Buy ISAs.
Transferring to another provider
If you decide to leave Freetrade, there is no fee to transfer away and close your Freetrade ISA. You can transfer out as cash or stock. At the moment, to transfer any non-uk securities away from Freetrade you will have to sell them first and transfer the amount as cash.
Your new provider may not be able to accept transfers of all securities you hold with Freetrade.
We will always reach out to you and we’ll never sell any stocks on your behalf. Your future broker can send an electronic transfer request to us at: transfer@freetrade.io.
ISA transfer FAQs
What is an ISA transfer?
An ISA transfer is the ability to move assets held with one ISA manager to another, keeping the investments within the tax-efficient wrapper. Brokers must allow a client to transfer their ISA freely, however, are not obliged to facilitate the transfer in every way possible (many, like Freetrade, offer just cash transfers out).
Can I transfer my existing stocks, or do I have to sell them and transfer cash?
If the stocks in your existing ISA are available on Freetrade, then it may be possible to transfer these securities into your Freetrade ISA without selling your positions - i.e. an ‘in-specie transfer’.
However, we may not be able to accept transfers of stock in specie for non-uk securities, depending on how they are held with your current broker. We are also currently unable to support the transfer in of European-listed shares, however we plan to offer this functionality in the future.
How long does it take?
Cash ISA – Up to four weeks generally.
Stocks and Shares ISA – Up to six weeks generally.
The time a transfer takes can vary on the above times, with various factors affecting the progress (sale instructions, broker working timeframes, conversations between broker and client to confirm information).
How do I transfer to a Freetrade Stocks and Shares ISA?
Shares can only be transferred into an ISA with Freetrade if they are currently held in an ISA elsewhere.
As a general rule, you can transfer your existing ISA as stocks so long as they are within the Freetrade stock universe and the platform you are transferring from uses the same transfer system as we do.
At Freetrade we transfer stocks via the UK market (or more specifically using a system called CREST). If your stocks are on the Freetrade platform and can be transferred this way, you should be good to go.
This isn’t usually a problem but it tends to affect non-uk investments more. We can’t accept transfers in of stocks listed on European exchanges. These positions will have to be sold and transferred as cash or left with your current provider, depending on ISA rules.
Whenever stocks can’t be transferred you’ll always be the first to know and our team will be in touch to discuss your options. These positions will likely need to be sold and transferred as cash or left with your current provider.
If you have any doubts about whether a stock can be transferred, please get in touch with our team.
How much of my ISA can I transfer?
If you are transferring an ISA from previous years, you can partially transfer your holdings. Current year subscriptions are not able to be split, so it must be transferred in full.
Is transferring my ISA impacting my allowance?
No, transferring an ISA keeps investments in the tax wrapper, and so will not count further toward your allowance.
Can I transfer an ISA to a SIPP?
No, you cannot directly transfer your stocks and shares ISA to a SIPP. You could sell your ISA holdings and then buy them back in a SIPP.
When is the best time to transfer an ISA?
There is no ideal time to transfer an ISA. The end or beginning of a tax year may mean the process takes longer as more people are thinking about their ISAs at that time. But even this isn’t necessarily going to be a problem.
How many times can I transfer my ISA?
You can transfer your ISA as many times as you like — there are no limits.
What happens to my ISA when I die?
ISAs can be inherited by your spouse but you must have been married or in a civil partnership. This is done via an inherited ISA allowance. Your children can also inherit your ISA holdings but the ISA will not retain its tax-efficient status if they do. Inheritance tax is a complex subject and ISAs are no exception. If you’re interested in learning more about your options then it’s worth speaking to a financial advisor before you make any big decisions.
What people say about Freetrade
Great stocks and shares ISA super cheap to trade. Rapidly deploying new features. Love it.
– Charlie
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have moved my ISA over from Hargreaves Lansdown as the simplicity was driving easier/better investment decisions and better returns.
– Rob
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great app for personal investing - great UI design and new stocks coming all the time.
– Lucy
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