From the day NPCI officially introduced UPI in 2016 as a tool for real-time transactions, Indians have embraced it after some initial hesitations. UPI, day by day, became more efficient and gained momentum – now, the latest feather in UPI's crown is acceptance for international payments. By launching in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, UPI payments will now be available in 7 countries other than India.

And that's not all! UPI is soon going to expand in many other countries!

UPI in 7 Counties Other Than India That Accept UPI Payment

There is no second thought that UPI makes online payments super-easy for Indians. It helps users to access all their bank accounts (registered with one mobile number) from one app and transact with anyone; however, they face many difficulties when making payments during their trips to international locations.

To solve this problem, UPI brought 2 more countries, Sri Lanka and Mauritius – as a result, 7 countries are now under the roof of UPI payments. The PM himself confirmed the official tie-ups on social media:

Here is the complete list of countries where Indians can transact with UPI

1 – UPI In Bhutan

Bhutan is the very first country to accept all types of UPI payments from 13th July 2021. NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) ( NIPL operates international operations of NPCI), officially partnered with the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) of Bhutan on that very day. It was the first milestone for UPI, and the journey is still on.

2 - UPI & Rupay in Oman

NIPL and Central Bank of Oman (CBO) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4th October 2022. From then on, UPI transactions are available there. Not just that, RuPay cards will also be accepted in all OmanNet network ATMs, POS & eCommerce websites.

3 - UPI & Rupay In Mauritius

On 12th February 2024, it was declared that Indians can pay using both UPI and RuPay cards in Mauritius. Through MauCAS card network, the banks in Mauritius can issue RuPay cards locally.

4 - UPI In Sri Lanka

Indians can pay the local business in Sri Lanka using UPI apps from 12th February 2024 onwards.

5 - UPI In Nepal

Indian citizens were officially permitted to transact using UPI in Nepal from December 2023. Using the UPI ID, they can also send money to India as well. On 15th February 2024, a Press Release from RBI declared that RBI and Nepal Rastra Bank have signed and exchanged the Terms of Reference for integrating fast payment systems.

6 - UPI In France

From 2nd February 2024 onwards, NIPL and LYRA declared UPI adoption, and therefore, Indian tourists can transact using their preferred UPI apps in France. The Eiffel Tower too is now officially offering UPI option for payments.

7 - UPI In UAE

Indian citizens can transact using the UPI apps in UAE from 21st April 2022. On that day, BHIM UPI was launched at the NEOPay terminals there. On 13th February 2024, UPI officially started its journey in UAE.

Other Countries Where UPI Is About To Come In Soon

As NIPL has signed an agreement with the Liquid Group, 10 more Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam will soon accept UPI transactions from Indian tourists. On 21st February 2024, Singapore will start P2P crossborder payments officially, which means Indians can transact with the people of Singapore via UPI.

The government is also working closely in the UK, USA, Australia, and other European nations so that Indians can transact with UPI there. In UK, NIPL has partnered with PayXpert - due to this, all the in-store POS devices of PayXpert can accept QR-based UPI payments and RuPay Card payments.

How To Make International Payments Using UPI?

The process of making international UPI payments is the same as domestic ones:

1. Users have to open their preferred UPI app
2. Select the scan option and scan the merchant's QR
3. Enter the payable amount in foreign currency
4. Select the bank from which they want to transact
5. Confirm the payment by entering the PIN

As soon as the other countries sign the agreements with NIPL, the provocative global expansion of UPI will go to the next level. It will make India proud, and all Indians can say, "UPI Goes Global". Payment gateways will make wider ways for UPI for its expansion in India.