Wise is expanding beyond financial services
Wise has acquired Expatica, one of the best-known information platforms for people living and working abroad. The platform helps expats access practical guidance on housing, healthcare, immigration, work, finance and everyday life.
Wise, the global technology company building the best way to move and manage the world’s money, announced that it has acquired Expatica, a leading online resource for people living and working abroad.
Relocating internationally is a major life event, and a reality for a significant portion of the world’s population. According to the UN, 304 million people were international migrants in 2024, representing 3.7% of the world’s population. For many, moving countries involves practical and administrative decisions across finance, healthcare and relocating. Reliable, locally relevant information plays an important role in helping people make those decisions with more confidence.
Founded in 2000, Expatica provides practical, locally relevant guidance for people living internationally, covering topics including relocation, housing, healthcare, immigration and finance. In 2025, Expatica reached more than 7 million visits, with its largest audiences across France, Germany, Portugal and Spain.
Wise already serves around 19 million people and businesses globally, many of whom live outside their home country. Expatica complements Wise’s financial products with trusted information and guidance for people navigating life abroad.
Danny Butler, Head of Owned Sites at Wise said: “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.
“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.”
The Founder of Connecting the dots in FinTech, Marcel van Oost, commented the Wise’s move: „What makes the acquisition interesting is that Wise isn’t buying another FinTech. It’s buying a platform that people often discover long before they open a bank account, make a transfer, or move money internationally.
A large share of Wise users live internationally or move between countries. And long before they need to send money, they usually need answers to a lot of practical questions about life abroad.
Wise isn’t adding another financial product. It’s getting closer to the people it already serves and becoming useful much earlier in the process of moving and settling in a new country.”
