Is UPI Available Outside India?

Everybody is aware of the digital revolution brought about by UPI. UPI, or Unified Payments Interface has become a standard digital payment mode in India. UPI can be used anywhere and anytime in India, from general stores to luxury shops. But did you know that you can also use UPI when you’re abroad? This article will throw some light on how UPI has transcended international borders and how you can avail of its facilities while travelling abroad.

About UPI

Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India, UPI is a mobile-first payment system that lets you send or receive money through your registered phone number. Most UPI payments can be easily made using a QR code, virtual ID or user’s connected phone number.

UPI can be used on several first-party and third-party apps, depending on your preferences. The best part about UPI is that no extra charges are involved in payments, unlike debit or credit card payments. While most Indian banks support UPI payments, a few international banks have also started supporting digital payments made through UPI.

List of Countries Accepting Payments via UPI

While almost all major banks in India support UPI, only a few banks allow international payments through UPI. As of now, the following countries officially support UPI payments abroad:

Bhutan
Singapore
Oman
Sri Lanka
France
UAE
Nepal
Mauritius

Many of these countries allow both UPI and Rupay card services to facilitate easy payments. Using UPI abroad can also help lower costs of fund transfer, adding to its list of benefits. You can also opt for suitable credit cards or zero FTF forex cards depending on your shopping plans.

Bhutan

One of the first countries to accept UPI payments outside India, Bhutan adopted UPI in 2021. In collaboration with the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan and NPCI International Payments Ltd., you can easily use UPI while in Bhutan.
Singapore

Singapore welcomed UPI back in September 2021. You can easily opt for UPI here, as well as use your RuPay debit/credit card. However, make sure you’re aware of the maximum limit per day.
Oman

UPI is accepted in Oman since Oct 2022, thanks to the collaboration between the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India), NIPL (National Payments Corporation of India) and CBO (Central Bank of Oman).

Across all OmanNet network ATMs, e-commerce sites and POS.
Sri Lanka

Various merchant locations in Sri Lanka allow Indians to pay using their UPI applications. You can easily make QR code-based payments as per the network-to-network agreement for UPI.
France

In collaboration with Lyra, NPCI International Payments Ltd. introduced the Unified Payments Interface in France. If you have planned your places to visit in France and it involves shopping, make sure to activate your international UPI for seamless payments.
UAE

Indians can use UPI in UAE after an agreement on interlinking of UAE’s AANI and India’s UPI. The agreement also enables inter-linking of RuPAy credit/debit cards with JAYWAN (UAE). If you have things to do in Dubai, don’t forget to make the most of your UPI international facility.
Nepal

You can perform bank transfers using your UPI ID in Nepal. The National Payments Interface of Nepal (NPI) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India formally agreed to the integration of fast payment systems. You can easily make instant payments in Nepal using your mobile.
Mauritius

One of the favourite places for Indians, Mauritius is among several South Asian countries allowing UPI transactions. You can now use UPI using the IPS (Instant Payment System) mobile application when in Mauritius.

Other than these countries, many countries have started accepting India’s UPI in their markets. Some of these countries are Greece, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Malaysia and more.

UPI Payments Abroad: How to Activate?

If you wish to use UPI abroad, you must enable international payments on the app you’re using for UPI. You can easily do this by checking the ‘settings’ menu of your preferred phone application. You can check the ‘Payment management’ section and opt for the ‘international’ option. After validating with your UPI pin, you can avail of its facility for six months. After you have enabled international payments, you can easily make UPI payments abroad.

Since this facility is limited to selective merchants and locations, please don’t depend entirely on UPI while travelling abroad. You should always have sufficient cash, a good credit card for travellers, and some emergency funds to ensure you can make payments seamlessly. However, if you truly want to have a seamless and hassle-free experience abroad, make sure to buy travel insurance for your upcoming trip.

It will safeguard you from many financial emergencies caused by a number of situations. From missing a flight to losing your baggage or important documents, your trip insurance policy will compensate for several major financial risks abroad.

Over to You,

Travelling abroad is a fun-filled and thrilling experience. However, without correctly managing your money, any trip can go haywire with unexpected expenses. With improved digital payment options, you can easily spend your money abroad on the things you like. Just make sure to prepare well for your trip by buying good international travel insurance. It will serve as your ultimate safeguard in case of any emergency.