UPI Abroad: Pay at Burj Khalifa With Your Phone?

Indian tourists can now book attractions like Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore using UPI apps. NPCI International is steadily expanding UPI acceptance globally, making travel payments easier for Indians without needing forex cards or cash.

Here's what happened: NPCI International has enabled UPI payments for online bookings at Burj Khalifa's At the Top attraction in Dubai and select venues at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.. This expansion is part of a broader push to make UPI accepted across global tourist destinations, with the network now live in 20+ countries worldwide.. Indian travellers can use any UPI app — PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, or their bank's app — to pay directly in foreign currencies without needing a forex card or cash..

What you should do: Check your bank's UPI app settings before travelling — search for 'international UPI' or 'UPI abroad' and enable it; not all banks activate this by default.. Compare the exchange rate your bank applies on international UPI transactions versus your forex card's markup — UPI often wins by 1–3 percentage points.. Book tourist attraction tickets online using UPI before your trip rather than paying at the counter in cash, which usually carries a worse exchange rate..

Pro tip: International UPI transactions use the mid-market exchange rate set by your bank — often 1.5–2% better than what airport forex counters offer. Always transact through UPI where accepted.

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