Short answer
Say a'udhu billahi min al-shaytan al-rajim (I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast) before you begin, as the Quran commands, then Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim if you start at the beginning of a surah. Seeking refuge is sunnah in all four schools. There is no other set dua before reading.
The ta'awwudh (seeking refuge) is sunnah when you begin reciting. Reading Bismillah is sunnah at the start of every surah except Surah at-Tawbah. If you begin in the middle of a surah, the ta'awwudh is enough and Bismillah is optional.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Allah says: when you recite the Quran, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled (16:98). Most scholars, including the four schools, understand this as a strong sunnah, not a strict obligation. The usual wording is a'udhu billahi min al-shaytan al-rajim.
Bismillah. Each surah except at-Tawbah begins with Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim. When the Prophet ﷺ told the Companions that a surah had just been revealed to him, he recited it beginning with Bismillah. So when you start a surah, read Bismillah after the ta'awwudh. When you start in the middle of a surah, you may read it or leave it. When you finish one surah and go on to the next, read Bismillah between them, except before at-Tawbah.
Once per sitting. You say the ta'awwudh once when you start. If you stop to talk about something unrelated and then go back to reading, say it again.
Other good habits before reading:
- Be in wudu if you will touch the mushaf (see touching the Quran without wudu).
- Sit in a clean place, facing the qiblah if easy.
- Make an intention to read for Allah and to learn from it.
No authentic hadith fixes a special dua to read before opening the Quran. A dua for understanding in your own words is fine. For the dua at the end, see the dua when finishing the Quran, and for the full etiquette, the etiquettes of reading the Quran.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Nahl 16:98
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ ﴿٩٨﴾
So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].
The command to seek refuge before reciting.
Sahih Muslim 400
Sahih... أنزلت علي آنفا سورة فقرأ بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم إنا أعطيناك الكوثر ...
"A surah has just been revealed to me. Then he recited: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind. Indeed We have given you al-Kawthar."
The Prophet ﷺ began a surah with Bismillah.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on reciting the Quran. Says the ta'awwudh is read at the start of recitation and Bismillah at the start of each surah.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, discussion of the ta'awwudh and tasmiya. Explains when the ta'awwudh and Bismillah are read inside and outside salah.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.