No cash, no problem? UPI is now accepted in 11 countries: Check where you can pay

For Indian travellers, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is no longer limited to domestic transactions.

The digital payment system is now operational in 11 countries outside India, although the services available vary by destination.

While nine countries allow Indian travellers to make merchant payments using UPI, Greece and the Maldives currently support cross-border remittances rather than routine QR-based shopping payments.

UPI is live in 11 countries

According to the latest government data, UPI is operational in the UAE, France, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Singapore, Mauritius, Qatar, Cambodia, Greece, and the Maldives.

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However, travellers should not assume that simply having UPI connectivity in a country means they can pay everywhere. Merchant acceptance depends on local payment networks and participating businesses.

Where can you scan and pay?

Indian travellers can currently use UPI for merchant payments in nine countries: Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the UAE, and Cambodia.

Cambodia became the ninth country in June 2026. Under the first phase of the India-Cambodia payment linkage, Indian visitors can scan Cambodia's KHQR at participating merchants. The facility covers more than 4.5 million Cambodian merchants, according to government data.

Even in these countries, however, UPI acceptance is limited to participating merchants and locations.

Greece and Maldives have different facilities

Greece and the Maldives are currently linked with India for cross-border remittances, rather than regular merchant payments.

UPI went live in Greece for remittances through Eurobank in 2026, enabling eligible users to transfer money between Greece and India. In the Maldives, the country's instant payment system Favara was linked with UPI on July 30, 2026, also for cross-border transfers.

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How to use UPI abroad

Where merchant payments are supported, travellers need to activate UPI Global or UPI International for an eligible bank account through a supported UPI application.

At the destination, users can look for a compatible BHIM UPI or partner-network QR code, scan it and review the transaction before making payment.

Travellers should carefully check the amount in both the foreign currency and Indian rupees, along with the applicable exchange rate and charges, before entering the UPI PIN.