Why Wise is not working in India

Wise is not working fully in India because RBI and FEMA rules restrict what Wise accounts for Indian residents can do.

Wise has not shut down in India, but regulatory changes have narrowed its features for Indian users. A Wise overview for India shows the limits most people run into:

• No foreign currency balances: Indian resident accounts cannot hold currencies such as USD or EUR. Money received from abroad is converted to INR and sent straight to a local bank account.
• Limited outward transfers: Wise no longer offers general outbound personal transfers from India. Sending money abroad is restricted to specific RBI-approved purposes, such as education or travel, under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
• Compliance requirements: FEMA guidelines require the correct RBI purpose code on transfers, along with automated compliance checks. Personal accounts have also moved to local entity partnerships, which removed some wallet-style features for receiving money.
• Automated account freezes: Wise accounts in India can be frozen or delayed when transaction details do not match KYC documents such as PAN or Aadhaar, or when incoming payments suddenly spike.

If Wise is not working for you, first identify what you are trying to do. Check whether the problem is sending money out or receiving money in, whether the account is personal or business, and whether your PAN and Aadhaar details match your transactions exactly. A sudden jump in payment volume can also lead to a temporary freeze.