Germany is home to more than 3.4 million small and medium-sized businesses*, and a growing share of them rely on international contractors — from software developers in Eastern Europe to design agencies in Southeast Asia. But paying across borders from Germany has historically meant navigating high bank wire fees, slow SWIFT transfers, and exchange rates that eat quietly into your margins.
Remitly Business is now available across Germany, giving German businesses a faster, cheaper, and more transparent way to pay international freelancers, contractors, and suppliers. Here’s everything you need to know about how it works.
Why international contractor payments are different in Germany
German businesses tend to work with contractors under formal service agreements (Dienstleistungsverträge or Werkverträge), and payment terms are usually clearly specified. But when those contractors are overseas, several friction points stack up:
- International SWIFT transfers from German banks can typically cost €20–40 in fixed fees, plus a separate 0.75%–5% exchange rate margin.**
- Slow settlement times — international bank wires from German accounts can take up to 5 business days
- No upfront visibility on the exact amount the recipient receives in their local currency
- Manual reconciliation when paying multiple contractors across different countries and currencies
German accounting and finance teams also have high compliance expectations: transactions need to be documented, fees need to be predictable, and exchange rate costs need to be auditable. Remitly Business addresses all of these.
What Remitly Business offers German companies
Remitly Business lets you pay international contractors directly from your German bank account, with no setup fees, no monthly costs, and full visibility on fees before you send. Key features:
- Pay to 175+ countries in 100+ currencies from your existing German EUR account
- Transparent fee shown upfront before you confirm — and no exchange rate surprises
- Fast delivery: most business transfers arrive fast, however can depend on delivery method and destination country
- Real-time transfer tracking
- 24/7 support in German and 17 other languages
Step-by-step: how to pay an international contractor from Germany
- Go to remitly.com/de/en/business and create your free Remitly Business account. You’ll need a business email, your company address, and company registration details.
- Add your contractor as a recipient. Enter their name and bank account details.
- Enter the amount in EUR. You’ll immediately see the exchange rate, the transfer fee, and the exact amount your contractor will receive in their local currency.
- Confirm and send. That’s it.
Compliance and record-keeping for German businesses
German businesses are subject to EU AML regulations and standard VAT/documentation requirements for cross-border service payments. A few things worth knowing:
- Remitly Business transactions generate a full transaction record you can export for your accounting software.
- For contractors classified as non-EU residents, ensure you have a signed service agreement and that VAT treatment is correctly documented (reverse charge typically applies for B2B services received from outside the EU)***.
- Remitly Business is a regulated payment institution — it operates under the EU Payment Services Directive (PSD2), so payments are processed through a licensed, compliant framework.
For specific tax advice, consult your Steuerberater (tax advisor). Remitly Business handles the payment infrastructure; your advisor handles the reporting.
Frequently asked questions
Is Remitly Business available to businesses in Germany?
Yes. Remitly Business is available to Germany-based businesses from July 2026. You’ll select Germany as your sending country when signing up.
What currencies can I send from Germany?
You send in EUR from your German account. Your contractor receives payment in their local currency — the exact amount is shown before you confirm.
How long does a transfer from Germany typically take?
Most transfers arrive within minutes to a few hours. Delivery time depends on the destination country and the payment method chosen.
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🚀 Start paying international contractors from Germany — free to set up
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No monthly fees. No hidden exchange rate margins. Pay your contractors the straightforward way.
*More than 3.4 million companies in Germany are classified as small and medium-sized enterprises according to IFM BONN https://www.ifm-bonn.org/en/news/meldung/the-economic-contribution-of-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises-remains-high-despite-the-current-crises
** Deutsche Bank’s official price list (wise.com/gb/blog/international-transfer-deutsche-bank-de, which draws on Deutsche Bank’s published fee schedule) — for the €25–26.55 + 1.5% + SWIFT fee structure and FX markup. Monito.com’s Commerzbank, Sparkasse, and Deutsche Bank cost breakdowns (monito.com/en/international-money-transfers/[bank]/germany) — for the €22.50–€40 combined-fee estimates
*** Germany Reverse Charge Invoice Requirements https://invoicedataextraction.com/blog/germany-reverse-charge-invoice-requirements
