Gone are the days of searching for a money changer at odd hours or fretting over foreign-transaction fees. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is no longer just the go-to for chai shops and metro rides at home — it’s increasingly usable abroad, and that changes the travel game for Indians. This guide explains where you can use UPI, how it works on foreign soil, how it compares with Forex and cards, and the simple steps to get it running before (or during) your trip.
Where you can already pay with UPI:
List of Countries With UPI:
- UAE
- Qatar
- Bhutan
- Nepal
- France
- Sri Lanka
- Mauritius
- Malaysia (Coming Soon, Agreement Finalized)
UPI acceptance has expanded quickly from neighbouring Bhutan to major travel hotspots. The authoritative list of live member countries is maintained by NPCI/NIPL — as of mid-2025 UPI is supported for merchant payments (P2M) in multiple countries including Bhutan, Nepal, Singapore, UAE, France, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Qatar. For exact merchant coverage and the latest additions, always check NPCI/NIPL’s live list before you travel.
(Practical note: some rollouts began at airports and key tourist sites and then expanded to retail chains and hotels — so availability can vary by city and merchant.)
Why this matters for travellers — three quick wins
- No cash for small daily spends — coffee, taxis, street food and souvenirs can often be paid with a QR scan, removing the need to carry small amounts of foreign currency.
- Cleaner, transparent conversion — transactions debit your Indian account in INR and show the converted amount before you confirm, avoiding surprise bank marks on each swipe.
- Convenience for NRIs and repeat visitors — extensions and bank partnerships make cross-border flows simpler for remittances and quick payments.
UPI vs Forex card vs International card — what to use for what:
- UPI for daily and low-value spends: Instant, familiar and often cheaper on tiny purchases like maybe coffee, street food, meter taxis etc.
- Forex card for prebooked spends: Hotels, long-stay bookings or large purchases where you prefer a locked-in rate and no surprise network markups for you at the time of final payment.
- International credit/debit cards for big purchases & rewards: Useful for hotel authorizations, rental cars and purchases where card protections and rewards matter.
Quick rundown: UPI's got instant conversion, super handy for grabbing coffee or paying for cabs on the fly. Forex cards? They’re your go-to for big-ticket stuff—think hotel bills—since you lock in the rate upfront. Credit cards, well, they usually come with sweet rewards and some extra safety, but those sneaky foreign transaction fees can sting.
Quick, 5-minute checklist: How to activate UPI for international merchant payments
- Confirm bank support — most major Indian banks support UPI international features, but double-check your bank or app.
- Open your UPI app (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM, etc.) and find “International Payments” / “UPI International.”
- Pick the account to use and enable international payments (you’ll confirm with your UPI PIN). Many apps let you set an active window (7 days to 3 months).
- On arrival — scan the merchant’s local QR, verify the local currency amount and the INR equivalent (including any fees) shown, then confirm with your PIN.
Pro tip: If you’re short on time, many apps let you activate international payments while you’re still at the airport or in a taxi — but check bank confirmation first.
The big picture: what India aims to build with UPI abroad
UPI’s international spread is part of a broader strategy to export India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI). That means:
- building low-cost, interoperable payment corridors with other national systems (e.g., PayNow in Singapore), and
- using partnerships to help other countries modernise their real-time payments while making life easier for Indian travellers and diaspora. These tie-ups boost remittances, tourism convenience and diplomatic fintech trade.
Travel checklist before you go:
- Check if your bank or app actually lets you use UPI abroad—and watch out for sneaky fees every time you swipe or scan.
- Honestly, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Bring a Forex card or an international debit/credit card too, especially for big stuff like hotel bills or renting a car. You do not want to be that person arguing with a card machine at 2am.
- Heads up: even if UPI works in that country, tiny shops or street vendors might just stare at your QR code like it’s an alien language. So yes, stash some local cash for those “just in case” moments.
Final take:
For everyday travel spending, UPI is a genuine game-changer: fast, familiar and often cheaper than paying with a foreign card for small items. It won’t fully replace Forex cards or international credit cards — but it dramatically reduces the friction of day-to-day spending on holiday. As more countries adopt UPI and bilateral linkages grow, your next trip can be lighter, simpler, and more cashless.
Thinking about giving UPI a whirl on your trip? Just shout—flights, visas, even an amazing itinerary for countries where UPI actually works, we’ve got your back. You figure out where you wanna go. We’ll deal with the headaches. All you have to do? Enjoy and tap away.
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