XP Launches Irish UCITS ETFs for Overseas Investing

Brazilian brokerage XP Inc. announced on Thursday that it has added UCITS ETFs (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) to its global investment account. These funds—commonly known as Irish ETFs because most are domiciled in Ireland—are now available across three categories: fixed income, equities and alternative investments.

UCITS ETFs have gained popularity among Brazilian investors due to their tax and estate-planning benefits. Unlike US ETFs, which are required to distribute dividends and are subject to a 30% withholding tax on those distributions, European-regulated UCITS funds can reinvest dividends without distributing them. Irish ETFs also help investors avoid the US estate tax, which can reach 40% depending on the size and structure of the estate.

Competitor Avenue introduced UCITS ETFs to a select user base in July 2025 and expanded them broadly in August of the same year. XP’s offering allows clients to choose from three verticals: single-country index funds, regional funds and global funds.

In fixed income, XP provides ETFs focused on liquidity, global fixed income, high-grade and high-yield corporate credit, and emerging-market debt. For equities, the available funds offer exposure to US stocks as well as markets outside the United States. The alternative-investment category includes an ETF tied to crypto assets.

“Instead of buying dozens or hundreds of assets individually, the investor can access through an ETF a portfolio that represents that asset class or market index in a single transaction,” said Fabiano Cintra, head of international funds at XP. Diego Correia, executive leader of XP’s international investments area, added, “For a long time, investing internationally was seen as sophisticated or restricted to a few investors, but today the discussion has evolved. The question is no longer whether it makes sense to invest outside Brazil, but how to build a quality global allocation.”