Important: “Wise is available” can mean several different things: registering and sending a transfer, holding a balance, receiving currency account details, using a card or opening a business account. Check the specific product and the country of residence or company registration.
What is available where?
Wise’s official Where can I use Wise? help article says people can register and send money from most countries, hold money when they live in a country where a Wise account can be opened, and use a Wise card in most places that accept debit cards—subject to its country and product restrictions.
| Capability | What to verify | Official starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Register and send money | Whether Wise operates from your current location and whether the exact sender/recipient corridor is supported. | Where can I use Wise? |
| Hold a balance | Your residential country and account type; certain countries have personal/business restrictions. | Where you can hold money |
| Receive with currency account details | Whether that currency’s account details are issued to residents in your country. The available currencies and conditions differ by location. | What is a Wise account? |
| Wise card | Whether cards are issued to residents in your region, plus delivery, local rules and card terms. | Country availability |
| Wise Business | Company registration country, legal form, ownership, tax identifiers, business activity and account-specific requirements. | Wise Business |
Examples of restrictions you should not miss
The Wise page for holding balances lists country-level exceptions, including:
- Bahrain, Israel and Malaysia: the listed hold-money offering is restricted to personal accounts, not business accounts.
- Hong Kong: the page says money can be held in business accounts, not personal accounts.
- Thailand: Wise says it has temporarily stopped issuing currencies and account details to customers in Thailand.
- United States: the page states that residents of Nevada cannot hold money.
- Brazil: the page says residents in Brazil can hold BRL only.
These examples refer to the specific Wise feature described on that help page, not an assertion that every Wise service is unavailable in those markets. Read the whole hold-money eligibility table before acting.
Locations where Wise says it does not operate
Wise’s current “Where can I use Wise?” article lists unsupported locations including Afghanistan, Belarus, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and Ukraine regions Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The provider says people in those places cannot send or receive money to or from them, log in, register or use a Wise card from those locations; accounts may be restricted and transactions cancelled or refunded.
Because restrictions can reflect sanctions, residency and regulatory changes, do not rely on an old copied country list. Re-check Wise’s official article at the time of use.
Currency account details are not the same as a local bank account
Wise explains that account details depend on the currency and region. Details may include local-style bank information, but possessing details in a currency does not automatically change the legal country of the Wise account. Wise says the registered address determines where the account is based and which terms apply. Some details—such as USD details in certain regions—have further eligibility conditions.
For receiving money from clients or marketplaces, verify that your account can receive the payment type and currency you expect. For business use, confirm the business account terms rather than assuming personal-account features apply to a company.
Before opening or relying on an account
- Use your actual country of residence and correct business registration details.
- Check both the general Wise availability page and the page for holding money.
- Confirm whether you need to receive money, hold a balance, get specific currency details or obtain a card.
- Compare transfer fees and currency conversion for the exact currency corridor you intend to use.
- Re-check the current application flow, account agreement and identity-verification requirements.
Official sources
- Wise — Where can I use Wise?
- Wise — Where you need to live to hold money
- Wise — What is a Wise account?
- Wise Business
Independent summary for research purposes only. Wise eligibility, fees, account details and card access depend on the provider’s current terms and your specific profile.