The short version
- To a foreign bank account in another currency, Wise came out cheapest in our checks because it uses the mid-market rate and shows its fee separately.
- For cash pickup or mobile wallets, Remitly, Western Union, MoneyGram and WorldRemit fit better, but none of them publishes its exchange rate margin as a figure.
- A euro transfer to another EU country through your Belgian bank must cost the same as a domestic one, so you rarely need a specialist for euros inside the EU.
- Always compare the amount the recipient gets, not the fee alone: the exchange rate margin is often the larger cost.
Our pick
- Transfer fee
- Percentage fee + small fixed fee; e.g. €6.21 on €1,000 EUR→USD (quote 02/11/2026); check current price
- Exchange rate
- Mid-market rate, fee shown separately
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank account (local or SWIFT), Wise account
- How you pay from Belgium
- Bank transfer, cards, Wise balance (card pay-in costs more)
- Regulated by
- NBB (Belgian payment institution)
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallet
- How you pay from Belgium
- Bank transfer (SEPA) or debit/credit card
- Regulated by
- Central Bank of Ireland
- Transfer fee
- check current pricead
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank account, mobile wallet, cash, card
- How you pay from Belgium
- Online, app, or cash at Belgian agents
- Regulated by
- Central Bank of Ireland (C55075)
- Transfer fee
- check current pricead
- Exchange rate
- Margin on exchange rate (amount not published)
- Recipient gets it via
- Cash pickup at 470,000+ locations, other methods by country
- How you pay from Belgium
- App, online or in person
- Regulated by
- NBB (Belgian payment institution)
- Transfer fee
- check current pricead
- Exchange rate
- not publishedad
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank, cash pickup, mobile money, airtime (up to 4 methods, varies by country)
- How you pay from Belgium
- Cards only from Belgium (max €8,000 per transaction, €40,000 per 24 h)
- Transfer fee
- check current pricead
- Exchange rate
- not publishedad
- Recipient gets it via
- Account, card, e-wallet or cash
- How you pay from Belgium
- not publishedad
- Transfer fee
- 0.121% (min €9.68, max €145.20) + extras
- Exchange rate
- 1% standard margin on reference rate
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank account only
- How you pay from Belgium
- From your KBC account (app, online or paper)
- Regulated by
- ECB-supervised Belgian bank
Not rated: Revolutad. Their official pages could not be read when we checked, so we do not score them rather than guess.
Values link to the provider page we read on the date shown on hover. Prices change: confirm on the provider's site before you sign.
Most people who move to Belgium keep a financial link with the country they left. You may pay a mortgage at home, support parents, move savings in dollars or pounds, or receive a bonus from a former employer. Your new Belgian current account can do some of this, but the bank route is often the slowest and dearest option once a currency conversion is involved.
This guide is for newcomers who already have, or are about to open, a Belgian account and want to send money out of the euro zone or to someone without a bank account. We compared eight services on what they publish: the transfer fee, how they set the exchange rate, how the recipient gets the money and how you pay from Belgium.
One thing decides most cases. Is the money leaving in euros to another EU country, or is it being converted into another currency? In the first case your Belgian bank is usually enough. In the second, the exchange rate margin hidden in the rate tends to cost more than any visible fee, and that is where specialist services earn or lose their place.
How to choose a money transfer service in Belgium
Euro transfers inside the EU: start with your own bank
A SEPA transfer (the standard euro transfer used across the EU and a few neighbouring countries) from your Belgian account is the simplest route for euros. The EU rule is clear: Your bank must charge the same for payments in euro across the EU as for equivalent national transactions, including transfers between bank accounts in different EU countries. (source, checked 2 November 2026) That covers paying rent in France, topping up a German account or sending euros to family in Spain.
A second EU rule matters if you keep an account at home: For SEPA credit transfers and direct debits, your account may not be refused because it is in a different EU country than your counterpart (IBAN discrimination). (source, checked 2 November 2026) So a Belgian employer, landlord or utility cannot refuse to pay into or collect from an account just because its IBAN starts with another country code. The Your Europe page on payments and transfers sets out both rules and what to do if a business refuses.
Transfers in another currency: look at the rate, not only the fee
Once your euros are converted into dollars, dirhams, rupees or pounds, there are two costs. The first is the fee shown on screen. The second is the gap between the rate you get and the mid-market rate (the rate banks use between themselves, the one you see on financial news sites). Some providers say openly that they earn on that gap: Western Union states in its terms that it adds a margin to wholesale interbank rates and keeps the difference, on top of any transfer fee. (source, checked 2 November 2026) Belgian banks do it too. KBC's reference exchange rates include a standard 1% margin on payments with currency conversion. (source, checked 2 November 2026)
The practical test is to type the same amount into two or three calculators on the same day and compare what the recipient will receive. A provider with a zero fee and a wide margin can cost more than one with a visible fee and the mid-market rate.
How the recipient gets the money
Bank account, cash pickup, mobile wallet or a payment card: payout options differ a lot. If your family in Morocco, Senegal or the Philippines uses mobile money or collects cash, a bank-only service is useless to them, however cheap. Check the payout column in the table for each provider and then check the destination country in the provider’s own calculator, because options change by corridor.
How you pay from Belgium
Paying by bank transfer from your Belgian account is usually the cheapest way to fund a transfer. Card funding often costs more, and some card issuers treat it as a cash advance with extra charges. A few services only accept cards from Belgium, which matters if you send larger sums.
Who regulates the service
Use only a firm that is authorised as a payment institution, e-money institution or bank in the EU. Wise Europe SA, MoneyGram International SA and WorldRemit Belgium are payment institutions authorised by the National Bank of Belgium (EBA register). (source, checked 2 November 2026) Others in this guide are supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland or the Bank of Lithuania, which is normal under EU passporting. You can search any firm in the EBA Payment Institutions Register. The National Bank of Belgium list could not be read on the day we checked, so we used the EBA register and the ECB list of supervised banks instead.
Accounts held abroad and your tax return
If you open an account with a foreign transfer service or keep accounts in your home country, Belgium has reporting rules for foreign accounts. The official page from the FPS Finance was behind a captcha when we checked, so we do not summarise the rule here. Read it yourself on the FPS Finance page on foreign accounts before you file your first Belgian tax return.
The providers compared
The order below follows the scores in the table. Fees change daily, so every figure links to the page we read.
Revolut is not rated: its website, fee pages and help centre returned a security check when we tried to read them, so we have no verified data on its fees. Revolut Bank UAB holds a Lithuanian banking licence and the Bank of Lithuania lists a Belgian branch; confirm the entity named in your own contract. If you already use Revolut, open the fees section in the app and check your plan’s exchange allowance and weekend terms before you send a large amount, then compare the amount received with a mid-market service on the same day.
1. Wise
Our pickRanked 1 of 7 rated providers
Best for: Sending money to a foreign bank account at the mid-market rate.
Wise is a transfer service and multi-currency account run in Europe by Wise Europe SA, a Belgian company in Brussels authorised by the National Bank of Belgium. For a newcomer that is a plus: the contract sits with a Belgian-regulated firm and complaints go through Belgian channels.
Its model is the easiest to understand in this guide. The exchange rate is Mid-market rate, fee shown separately, and the fee is a percentage that varies by currency plus a small fixed part. For sending euros to a US dollar account on our test day, the fee read: Percentage fee + small fixed fee; e.g. €6.21 on €1,000 EUR→USD (quote 02/11/2026); check current price. Larger senders get a discount above a monthly volume threshold, and same-currency transfers between Wise accounts are free.
How you pay changes the price. Funding by bank transfer from your Belgian account was clearly cheaper than paying by debit card in the same quote. The recipient gets the money on a bank account or a Wise account: Bank account (local or SWIFT), Wise account. There is no cash pickup.
Sign-up is online through the website or app. We could not read which identity documents Wise accepts from Belgian residents, so be ready to upload a passport or residence card and to confirm your Belgian address. Support is online through the help centre, with no branches.
Wise suits salaried expats who send money to bank accounts in another currency: rent or loan payments at home, savings in dollars or pounds, school fees. It is not the tool if your recipient needs cash in hand.
- Transfer fee
- Percentage fee + small fixed fee; e.g. €6.21 on €1,000 EUR→USD (quote 02/11/2026); check current price
- Exchange rate
- Mid-market rate, fee shown separately
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank account (local or SWIFT), Wise account
- How you pay from Belgium
- Bank transfer, cards, Wise balance (card pay-in costs more)
- Regulated by
- NBB (Belgian payment institution)
What works
- Mid-market rate, fee shown up front
- Belgian-licensed entity (Wise Europe SA, Brussels)
- Lowest verified cost for EUR→USD bank transfers in this guide
Watch out
- No cash pickup verified
- Card pay-in is markedly more expensive than bank transfer (€14.06 vs €6.21 on €1,000 EUR→USD)
How this 6.7/10 is calculated
Verified criteria carry 100% of the scoring weight. Criteria we could not verify are left out and the others are reweighted.
| Product quality (40%) | 9/10 | Mid-market rate with a separate fee; calculator quote for €1,000 EUR→USD by bank transfer was €6.21 total (0.47% + €1.54), the lowest cost structure verified in this guide. |
| English accessibility (25%) | 4/10 | The Belgian site wise.com/be is served in English (also French); app, contract and support language were not verified on fetched pages. |
| Service (20%) | 5/10 | Online/app only; pricing page mentions a support team for large-amount senders and a help centre, no branches. |
| Simplicity (10%) | 7/10 | Account opening is online via website or app; identity documents accepted for Belgian residents were not verified on fetched pages. |
| Digital (5%) | 8/10 | Full web and app service with 2-step verification by SMS, fingerprint or face recognition as stated on the pricing page. |
Regulator: NBB, 0713629988 (checked 2026-11-02).
2. Remitly
Ranked 2 of 7 rated providers
Best for: Small remittances to family abroad, especially to mobile wallets or cash pickup.
Remitly is a remittance service aimed at people who send money to family. Its European entity, Remitly Europe Limited, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and the Belgian site and user agreement are in English.
Fees are published per corridor. On the Belgium to Morocco page the bank deposit fee was From €0.49 (Belgium→Morocco bank deposit); varies by corridor; check current price, with a higher fee for cash pickup and no fee on the first transfer for new customers. That looks very cheap, but on the exchange rate the agreement says Remitly: May earn revenue from the exchange rate (margin not published). So compare the amount received with another calculator before you decide.
Payout options: Bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallet. Funding: Bank transfer (SEPA) or debit/credit card. If you use a credit card, ask your card issuer first, because Remitly’s own terms warn that some issuers treat it as a cash advance.
You create an account online or in the app, and identity checks may be required; the documents were not listed on the pages we read. Remitly says it refunds fees if a transfer is not delivered on time.
It suits regular, smaller transfers to family, especially where mobile wallets or cash pickup are common. For a large conversion to a bank account, test it against Wise on the same day.
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallet
- How you pay from Belgium
- Bank transfer (SEPA) or debit/credit card
- Regulated by
- Central Bank of Ireland
What works
- Very low published flat fees on some corridors
- Cash pickup and mobile wallet payout
Watch out
- FX margin not disclosed as a figure
- Fees vary by corridor; check calculator
How this 5.9/10 is calculated
Verified criteria carry 100% of the scoring weight. Criteria we could not verify are left out and the others are reweighted.
| Product quality (40%) | 7/10 | Low published flat fees on the Belgium→Morocco page (€0.49 bank/wallet, €1.99 cash) but the agreement says Remitly may earn revenue from the exchange rate. |
| English accessibility (25%) | 4/10 | Belgian site and user agreement available in English (/be/en); app and support language not verified. |
| Service (20%) | 5/10 | Online/app only; help centre and complaint form linked from the Belgian site. |
| Simplicity (10%) | 7/10 | Create an account online or in the app and send; identity verification may be required (documents not listed on fetched pages). |
| Digital (5%) | 7/10 | Web and iOS/Android app as stated on the Belgian site. |
Regulator: Central Bank of Ireland, C185081 (checked 2026-11-02).
3. Western Union
Ranked 3 of 7 rated providers
Best for: Sending cash for pickup, or paying in cash at an agent in Belgium.
Western Union is the oldest name in this list and the only one here where you can walk into a shop in Belgium, pay in cash and get a receipt with a tracking number (MTCN). In the EU, agent transfers are provided by Western Union Payment Services Ireland Limited, and online transfers by Western Union International Bank GmbH in Austria.
Fee: check current pricead. It only appears in the calculator. On the rate side, the terms describe the rate as: Margin added to wholesale rate (amount not published), and the Belgian site says the company makes money from currency exchange. Expect the total cost to be higher than a mid-market service for bank-to-bank transfers.
What you pay for is reach. Paying: Online, app, or cash at Belgian agents. Payout: Bank account, mobile wallet, cash, card. Third parties at the receiving end may add their own charges.
The Belgian website is in English, Dutch and French. We could not confirm the language of the app, contract or phone support. Documents asked at the counter were not listed on the pages we read, so bring your passport or Belgian residence card.
It suits people who need to send cash quickly to someone without a bank account, or who prefer to pay in person. It is a poor choice for regular transfers of savings.
- Transfer fee
- check current pricead
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank account, mobile wallet, cash, card
- How you pay from Belgium
- Online, app, or cash at Belgian agents
- Regulated by
- Central Bank of Ireland (C55075)
What works
- Cash pickup and cash sending at Belgian agents
- Wide payout options
Watch out
- FX margin not disclosed as a figure on the site
- Fees only visible via calculator
How this 5.5/10 is calculated
Verified criteria carry 60% of the scoring weight. Criteria we could not verify are left out and the others are reweighted.
| Product quality (40%) | not verified | Not verifiable on our check date: fees are only shown in the calculator and no static figure is published; the terms state a margin is added to the interbank rate. |
| English accessibility (25%, 42% after reweighting) | 4/10 | Belgian site available in English, Dutch and French; app/contract/support language not verified. |
| Service (20%, 33% after reweighting) | 7/10 | Online, app and in-person sending at Belgian agent locations are offered on the Belgian site. |
| Simplicity (10%, 17% after reweighting) | 6/10 | Can send in person at an agent or register online; documents required not verified on fetched pages. |
| Digital (5%, 8% after reweighting) | 6/10 | App lets you check rates and fees in advance and track transfers (MTCN tracking) per the Belgian site. |
Regulator: Central Bank of Ireland, C55075 (checked 2026-11-02).
4. MoneyGram
Ranked 4 of 7 rated providers
Best for: Cash pickup transfers when the recipient has no bank account.
MoneyGram’s European arm, MoneyGram International SA, is based in Brussels and licensed by the National Bank of Belgium as a payment institution. Like Western Union, it is built around a large cash pickup network.
Fee: check current pricead. Fees vary with the amount, the payment type and the delivery method, and the site states that MoneyGram makes money from currency exchange (Margin on exchange rate (amount not published)). No static figure is published, so the only way to judge the price is to run a quote.
Sending: App, online or in person. Payout: Cash pickup at 470,000+ locations, other methods by country. Profile set-up is described as quick on the Belgian site, but the identity documents were not listed on the pages we read.
The Belgian site is available in English. Other channels were not checked.
MoneyGram suits cash pickup transfers when the recipient has no bank account and you want a Belgian-licensed company. To choose between it and Western Union, run the same amount through both calculators and by checking which has an agent near your recipient.
- Transfer fee
- check current pricead
- Exchange rate
- Margin on exchange rate (amount not published)
- Recipient gets it via
- Cash pickup at 470,000+ locations, other methods by country
- How you pay from Belgium
- App, online or in person
- Regulated by
- NBB (Belgian payment institution)
What works
- Belgian-licensed entity
- Large cash pickup network
Watch out
- Margin and fees not published as figures
How this 5.5/10 is calculated
Verified criteria carry 60% of the scoring weight. Criteria we could not verify are left out and the others are reweighted.
| Product quality (40%) | not verified | Not verifiable on our check date: rates and fees are only shown per transaction; the site states MoneyGram makes money from currency exchange. |
| English accessibility (25%, 42% after reweighting) | 4/10 | Belgian site available in English (/be/en); other channels not verified. |
| Service (20%, 33% after reweighting) | 7/10 | Send in-app, online or in person; 470,000+ locations worldwide per the Belgian site. |
| Simplicity (10%, 17% after reweighting) | 6/10 | Profile setup in a few minutes per site; documents not verified. |
| Digital (5%, 8% after reweighting) | 6/10 | App and online sending with transfer tracking. |
Regulator: NBB, 0671690653 (checked 2026-11-02).
5. WorldRemit
Ranked 5 of 7 rated providers
Best for: Sending to mobile money wallets in Africa and Asia.
WorldRemit Belgium is registered in the EBA register as a payment institution supervised by the National Bank of Belgium. It focuses on transfers to Africa, Asia and Latin America, with more payout types than most: Bank, cash pickup, mobile money, airtime (up to 4 methods, varies by country).
One rule matters before you sign up. From Belgium you can only pay by card: Cards only from Belgium (max €8,000 per transaction, €40,000 per 24 h). There is no option to pay by bank transfer from your Belgian account, which removes the cheapest funding route other services offer. Fee: check current pricead. Exchange rate margin: not publishedad. Both are shown when you start a transfer, not in a public table.
WorldRemit is the most explicit on documents. Its Belgium FAQ accepts a current signed passport, an EU driving licence or an EU residence permit, and it may ask for proof of address such as a utility or phone bill. A newcomer without a Belgian ID card can therefore register with a passport, but should keep a recent bill or the commune’s registration paper at hand.
There is no Belgian phone line or branch on the pages we read; service runs through the app and website.
It suits people sending to mobile money wallets or topping up phones abroad. If you send larger sums or prefer to pay from your bank account, look elsewhere.
- Transfer fee
- check current pricead
- Exchange rate
- not publishedad
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank, cash pickup, mobile money, airtime (up to 4 methods, varies by country)
- How you pay from Belgium
- Cards only from Belgium (max €8,000 per transaction, €40,000 per 24 h)
What works
- Belgian-registered payment institution
- Mobile money and airtime payout
- Accepts passport or EU residence permit for ID
Watch out
- No bank-transfer funding from Belgium (cards only)
- Fees and margin not published as figures
How this 4.8/10 is calculated
Verified criteria carry 60% of the scoring weight. Criteria we could not verify are left out and the others are reweighted.
| Product quality (40%) | not verified | Not verifiable on our check date: fee and rate are shown only in the transfer flow and no static fee table is published. |
| English accessibility (25%, 42% after reweighting) | 4/10 | Belgium FAQ page available in English; app/contract/support language not verified. |
| Service (20%, 33% after reweighting) | 4/10 | Online/app only; no Belgian phone line or branch found on fetched pages. |
| Simplicity (10%, 17% after reweighting) | 8/10 | Identity can be verified with a passport, EU driving licence or EU residence permit, uploaded online (Belgium FAQ). |
| Digital (5%, 8% after reweighting) | 6/10 | App or website registration; rate notifications available in the app. |
Regulator: NBB, 0718634495 (checked 2026-11-02).
6. Paysend
Ranked 6 of 7 rated providers
Best for: Sending directly to a recipient's bank card abroad.
Paysend is an e-money institution authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland, with a Belgian English-language site. Its distinctive feature is card-to-card sending: the recipient can get money on a bank card, as well as on an account, an e-wallet or in cash (Account, card, e-wallet or cash).
Paysend describes its pricing as a fixed fee per transfer, with a variable fee on some corridors. However, no euro fee for Belgium was published on the pages we read, so our table shows: fee, check current pricead; exchange rate margin, not publishedad; how you pay from Belgium, not publishedad. The site says the rate and fee appear before you confirm a transfer.
Onboarding documents were not listed, and we found no Belgian phone line or branch. Everything runs from the phone app, with transfer tracking.
Paysend can make sense if your recipient only has a card and you want the money to land on it directly. Because so little is published, run a test quote and compare the amount received with Wise or Remitly before relying on it.
- Transfer fee
- check current pricead
- Exchange rate
- not publishedad
- Recipient gets it via
- Account, card, e-wallet or cash
- How you pay from Belgium
- not publishedad
What works
- Card-to-card payout option
- Fixed fee model on most corridors
Watch out
- EU fee amount not published on fetched pages
- FX margin not disclosed
How this 4.3/10 is calculated
Verified criteria carry 60% of the scoring weight. Criteria we could not verify are left out and the others are reweighted.
| Product quality (40%) | not verified | Not verifiable on our check date: Paysend's guide describes a fixed fee per transfer (variable on some corridors), but no euro figure for Belgium was published on the pages read. |
| English accessibility (25%, 42% after reweighting) | 4/10 | Belgian site paysend.com/en-be in English; app/support language not verified. |
| Service (20%, 33% after reweighting) | 4/10 | App/online only; no Belgian phone or branch found on fetched pages. |
| Simplicity (10%, 17% after reweighting) | 5/10 | Onboarding documents not verified on fetched pages. |
| Digital (5%, 8% after reweighting) | 6/10 | Phone-based sending with transfer tracking, per the Belgian site. |
Regulator: Central Bank of Ireland, C443739 (checked 2026-11-02).
7. KBC (bank SWIFT transfer, representative tariff)
Ranked 7 of 7 rated providers
Best for: Large euro or same-currency transfers where you already bank with KBC.
We include one traditional Belgian bank as a reference point, because most newcomers open a current account at a bank like KBC first. Its tariff is fully published, which makes it a useful benchmark even if you bank elsewhere. ING and BNP Paribas Fortis pages were unreachable when we checked.
For a transfer outside SEPA or in another currency, KBC charges 0.121% (min €9.68, max €145.20) + extras. On top of that comes the exchange rate: 1% standard margin on reference rate. If you choose to pay all charges yourself (the OUR option), correspondent bank charges are added, and they vary by destination. Urgent processing, adding a missing IBAN or BIC and enquiries all have their own charges in the tariff. Incoming international transfers are charged too, which matters if you are paid from abroad.
There is a useful exception. Transfers made in KBC Mobile or KBC Touch carry no commission up to a set amount when the currency matches the account currency, and transfers to other KBC group accounts abroad are free.
You need an existing KBC current account (From your KBC account (app, online or paper)), and the money can only go to a bank account. An English version of the tariff is published. Branches and paper transfers are available.
The bank route suits large euro or same-currency transfers when you already bank there. For conversions into other currencies it was the most expensive option we could verify.
- Transfer fee
- 0.121% (min €9.68, max €145.20) + extras
- Exchange rate
- 1% standard margin on reference rate
- Recipient gets it via
- Bank account only
- How you pay from Belgium
- From your KBC account (app, online or paper)
- Regulated by
- ECB-supervised Belgian bank
What works
- Fully published tariff
- Transfers to other KBC/CBC/KBC Brussels accounts abroad are free
Watch out
- 1% FX margin plus commission (min €9.68)
- Correspondent and recipient-bank charges can apply
- Incoming international transfers are charged too
How this 4.2/10 is calculated
Verified criteria carry 100% of the scoring weight. Criteria we could not verify are left out and the others are reweighted.
| Product quality (40%) | 3/10 | 0.121% commission with a €9.68 minimum plus a 1% FX margin and possible correspondent charges (€7.26 to €60.50 under OUR) make it the most expensive verified option for small transfers. |
| English accessibility (25%) | 4/10 | English version of the rates and charges schedule is published; other channels not verified for this guide. |
| Service (20%) | 7/10 | Branch network referenced in the tariff (e.g. 'contact your KBC branch'); paper transfers also accepted. |
| Simplicity (10%) | 3/10 | Requires an existing KBC current account; no standalone transfer service. |
| Digital (5%) | 5/10 | Transfers via KBC Mobile/Touch, with commission waived up to €1,500 when currency matches the account currency. |
Regulator: ECB (direct supervision) / NBB, LEI 6B2PBRV1FCJDMR45RZ53; VAT BE 0462.920.226 (checked 2026-11-02).
If you are sending money to family regularly
Monthly support payments are where small differences add up. Pick two services that pay out the way your family needs (bank, mobile wallet or cash) and run the same amount through both calculators once a month for a few months. Note the amount received, not the fee. Some services, Remitly among them, waive the fee on the first transfer, so judge them on the second and third.
Fund from your Belgian current account when the service allows it. Card funding usually costs more, and WorldRemit only accepts cards from Belgium. Keep the confirmation emails: if a transfer is late or lost, they are your evidence for a complaint.
If you need to move a large amount
Moving savings, a deposit for a flat or the proceeds of a sale changes the maths. A percentage fee grows with the amount, so ask about volume discounts (Wise publishes one above a monthly threshold) and check whether your bank caps its commission. KBC’s tariff, for example, has a maximum commission, but its exchange rate margin applies to the whole amount.
Expect identity and source-of-funds checks for large transfers. Have your employment contract, the sale deed or the bank statement that shows where the money comes from ready before you start, because a transfer can be held until you answer. Do not split a large sum into many small transfers to avoid checks; it can trigger more questions, not fewer.
If you do not have a Belgian ID card yet
In your first weeks you may only have a passport and a commune appointment date. Online transfer services verify identity themselves, and some accept a passport. WorldRemit’s Belgium FAQ explicitly accepts a passport, an EU driving licence or an EU residence permit, plus a proof of address. For the others, the documents were not listed on the pages we read, so expect to upload a passport and possibly a proof of address.
The bank route needs a Belgian current account first, and most banks ask for a Belgian address. If you need to send money before that is in place, a cash agent (Western Union, MoneyGram) or an online service funded by a foreign card may be the only practical options in the short term.
If you receive money from abroad
Many expats are paid a final salary, a pension or rent from a property back home. Your Belgian bank may charge for incoming international transfers: KBC’s tariff charges them above a small threshold. Euro payments from another EU country fall under the same-price rule described above. For other currencies, it is often cheaper to convert on the sending side with a mid-market service and receive euros, than to receive dollars or pounds and let your Belgian bank convert them.
Step by step: sending your first transfer
- Decide the payout method your recipient needs: bank account, mobile wallet, card or cash.
- Check that the provider is authorised: search its legal name in the EBA register.
- Run the same amount, currency pair and payout method through two or three calculators on the same day. Write down the amount the recipient gets.
- Create your account with your passport or Belgian residence card. Have a proof of address ready.
- Enter the recipient’s details exactly as the bank or wallet holds them. Wrong IBAN or BIC details can lead to correction charges at a bank.
- Pay from your Belgian current account by bank transfer when that option exists; it is usually cheaper than a card.
- Keep the confirmation and tracking number until the recipient confirms receipt.
Our verdict
Wise comes out ahead in the table. For most salaried expats sending money to a bank account in another currency, Wise is the pick: the mid-market rate, a fee shown up front and a Belgian-regulated entity. Remitly is the better fit for regular, smaller transfers to family, especially to mobile wallets or cash pickup. Western Union and MoneyGram are for cash: paying in person in Belgium or getting cash to someone without a bank account. WorldRemit and Paysend cover niche payouts (mobile money, airtime, cards) but publish little. A Belgian bank such as KBC remains the simplest route for euros inside the EU and for transfers between accounts of the same group, and the dearest for currency conversion. Revolut could not be assessed because its pages were blocked; check your plan’s fees in the app before relying on it.
Frequently asked questions
Does a euro transfer to another EU country cost more than a domestic one?
No. EU rules require banks to charge the same for payments in euro across the EU as for equivalent national transactions. Source.
How do money transfer services make money?
Through a transfer fee and/or an exchange rate margin. Western Union's terms say it adds a margin to the interbank rate and keeps the difference; Remitly's agreement says it may earn revenue from the exchange rate; Wise applies the mid-market rate and charges a separate fee. Source.
How much does a Belgian bank charge to send money outside SEPA?
At KBC (tariff of 1 August 2026): 0.121% commission (minimum €9.68, maximum €145.20) plus a 1% exchange margin on currency conversion, and optional correspondent charges from €7.26 to €60.50 if you choose to pay all charges. Source.
What did Wise quote for sending €1,000 to a US dollar account?
On 2 November 2026 the Wise calculator showed a €6.21 fee (0.47% + €1.54) for a bank-transfer-funded transfer, with the recipient getting USD 1,114.59. Prices change; check the calculator. Source.
Can I pay WorldRemit by bank transfer from Belgium?
No. From Belgium WorldRemit accepts debit, credit or prepaid cards, with a maximum of €8,000 per transaction and €40,000 per 24 hours. Source.
Can I send cash from Belgium?
Yes, Western Union lets you pay in person at Belgian agent locations, and MoneyGram offers in-person sending; both offer cash pickup for the recipient. Source.
Official sources
- EBA Payment Institutions Register (PSD2), checked 2 November 2026
- ECB list of supervised entities (cut-off 1 September 2026), checked 2 November 2026
- Bank of Lithuania: Revolut Bank UAB, checked 2 November 2026
- Your Europe: payments, transfers and cheques (last checked 28/04/2026 by EU), checked 2 November 2026
- KBC Schedule of Rates and Charges (1 August 2026), checked 2 November 2026
- europa.eu: Your bank must charge the same for payments in euro across the EU as for equivalent national transactions, including … (checked 2 November 2026)
- europa.eu: For SEPA credit transfers and direct debits, your account may not be refused because it is in a different EU country … (checked 2 November 2026)
- www.westernunion.com: Western Union states in its terms that it adds a margin to wholesale interbank rates and keeps the difference, on top… (checked 2 November 2026)
- multimediafiles.kbcgroup.eu: KBC's reference exchange rates include a standard 1% margin on payments with currency conversion. (checked 2 November 2026)
- euclid.eba.europa.eu: Wise Europe SA, MoneyGram International SA and WorldRemit Belgium are payment institutions authorised by the National… (checked 2 November 2026)