Wise buys Expatica to widen global relocation reach

Wise has acquired Expatica, adding an online information service for people living and working abroad to its business.

Expatica provides guidance on relocation, housing, healthcare, immigration, work, finance and daily life for expatriates and others living internationally. Founded in 2000, the platform recorded more than 7 million visits in 2025, with its largest audiences in France, Germany, Portugal and Spain.

The acquisition extends Wise's reach beyond cross-border payments and multi-currency accounts into information services for the same customer base. Many of Wise's roughly 19 million users live outside their home country, making them one of its most important customer segments.

International migration remains a major global trend. UN figures cited by Wise show 304 million people were international migrants in 2024, equal to 3.7% of the world's population.

Shared audience

For people moving between countries, practical decisions often go far beyond banking and payments. Questions about visas, healthcare systems, housing markets, employment rules and day-to-day administration can shape how quickly new arrivals settle, creating demand for local guidance alongside financial services.

Expatica has built its audience around that need, offering country-specific information for people navigating unfamiliar systems. Its editorial focus on practical issues gives Wise a content platform that connects with people in the early stages of an international move, before they need to receive a salary abroad, send money home or manage spending in several currencies.

"Moving abroad is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. You're trying to understand a new country, a new system and a lot of big financial decisions at the same time - often with information that is hard to compare or difficult to trust," said Danny Butler, Head of Owned Sites at Wise.

"Expatica has spent years helping people make sense of life abroad with practical, locally relevant guidance. That makes it a strong fit for Wise, because we already support millions of people whose lives span borders.

"When people are planning, moving and settling into life abroad, money is a big part of that experience - from getting paid to sending, spending and managing money across borders. Wise is built for those moments."

Wider push

Wise plans to keep investing in Expatica by expanding content, local coverage, markets and languages over time. This suggests it sees the site not simply as a way to attract an audience, but as a longer-term publishing asset tied to customer needs around international relocation.

The move also reflects how financial technology groups are seeking ways to engage users earlier and more often in the customer journey. For Wise, owning a destination used by people researching life abroad could help build familiarity with prospective customers before they choose a financial provider for cross-border transactions.

Wise's core business remains sizeable. In the 2026 financial year, it supported around 19 million people and businesses, processed more than USD $240 billion in cross-border transactions and saved customers more than USD $3 billion.

By buying Expatica, Wise gains a service with a defined international audience and a library of locally focused material that matches the needs of migrants, expatriates and globally mobile workers. The acquisition ties that demand for information more closely to a business built around receiving, sending, holding and spending money across borders.