UPI Abroad: Pay in 24 Countries on Your Next Trip

UPI has expanded to over two dozen countries, letting Indian travellers pay using PhonePe, GPay, or BHIM abroad — skipping costly forex cards and currency exchange counters entirely.

Here's what happened: UPI is now accepted in 24+ countries including UAE, Singapore, France, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia for merchant payments.. Indian travellers can scan QR codes at shops, restaurants, and hotels abroad using their existing UPI apps — no new setup needed.. NPCI International is driving this expansion, partnering with local payment networks in each country to enable UPI acceptance at point-of-sale terminals..

What you should do: Check before you fly: visit NPCI International's website or your bank's app to confirm UPI works in your destination country.. Enable international UPI transactions on your bank account — most banks require a one-time activation in their app or net banking portal.. Compare costs: UPI abroad may still attract a small forex markup (typically 1–3%) by your bank, so check your bank's international UPI fee schedule before relying on it exclusively..

Pro tip: UPI abroad pulls money directly from your savings account at your bank's forex rate — often cheaper than a forex card's reload fee, but always confirm your bank's cross-currency charge first.