What is a UCITS ETF, and why does it matter?

UCITS is the European regulatory framework for retail funds. It matters practically rather than theoretically: most European brokers cannot sell you a US-domiciled ETF at all, because those funds do not publish the PRIIPs Key Information Document European rules require. So the US funds you read about in American articles are usually not purchasable, and the UCITS equivalent is what you actually buy.

Why do so many of these funds have an Irish domicile?

Ireland's tax treaty with the United States cuts withholding tax on US dividends to 15% for a qualifying fund, against 30% without it. US companies dominate global indices, so that treaty rate is worth more than any domestic-domicile advantage — which is why nearly every UCITS ETF sold in Europe is Irish.

Is the fund with the lowest TER the cheapest to own?

Not reliably. The ongoing charge is one of four costs: there is also the gap between what the fund charges and what it actually delivers against its index, withholding tax lost on dividends, and what your broker takes per trade. A fund a few basis points dearer can be cheaper in total if your broker lets you buy it for nothing.

ETF screener for European UCITS funds

Most ETF screeners are built around the American fund universe, which is the one European retail investors cannot buy. This one covers UCITS funds actually available through European brokers, and sorts on the fields that decide the outcome — the ongoing charge, the fund's size, and whether your broker charges you to buy it.

The calculator

How it works

Every row is a fund record with its own provenance: the TER and domicile come from the issuer's own documents, the DEGIRO Core Selection flag from the broker's published list. Filtering is client-side over the full set, so sorting and narrowing never costs a round trip and never hides rows behind pagination.

What it assumes

The screener shows what a fund charges and how it is structured. It does not rank funds, because the ranking depends on where you live and who you trade through — a fund that is cheapest on paper can be the dearest to own once a per-trade commission and a country's tax overlay are added. Use the total cost of ownership tool for that comparison.

Common questions

What is a UCITS ETF, and why does it matter?: UCITS is the European regulatory framework for retail funds. It matters practically rather than theoretically: most European brokers cannot sell you a US-domiciled ETF at all, because those funds do not publish the PRIIPs Key Information Document European rules require. So the US funds you read about in American articles are usually not purchasable, and the UCITS equivalent is what you actually buy.
Why do so many of these funds have an Irish domicile?: Ireland's tax treaty with the United States cuts withholding tax on US dividends to 15% for a qualifying fund, against 30% without it. US companies dominate global indices, so that treaty rate is worth more than any domestic-domicile advantage — which is why nearly every UCITS ETF sold in Europe is Irish.
Is the fund with the lowest TER the cheapest to own?: Not reliably. The ongoing charge is one of four costs: there is also the gap between what the fund charges and what it actually delivers against its index, withholding tax lost on dividends, and what your broker takes per trade. A fund a few basis points dearer can be cheaper in total if your broker lets you buy it for nothing.

Related tools

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ETF screener for European UCITS funds