UPI Abroad: 10+ Countries Where You Pay Like Home

Indian travellers can now use UPI in over 10 countries including UAE, Singapore, France, and UK. No forex card, no cash — just scan and pay in rupees from your Indian bank account.

Here's what happened: India has enabled UPI payments in 10+ countries, including UAE, Singapore, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, UK, Malaysia, and Bahrain.. India and Spain have agreed to fast-track technical talks to link UPI with Bizum, Spain's national digital payments network, potentially adding a major European destination.. UPI international works through NPCI International tie-ups — you scan a QR code abroad and pay directly from your Indian savings or current account in rupees..

What you should do: Check if your bank's UPI app (PhonePe, GPay, Paytm, or bank app) supports international UPI transactions before you travel — not all apps have activated this feature.. Enable UPI international in your app settings or request activation via your bank's mobile banking — some banks require a one-time opt-in for cross-border payments.. Compare the currency conversion rate used by UPI versus your forex card — UPI typically uses RBI reference rates, which can be more favourable than card markups of 1.5–3.5%..

UPI international transactions are debited in INR at real-time exchange rates — no foreign transaction fee from NPCI, but your bank may charge a small cross-border markup. Always confirm with your bank before travel.

For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.