After France, UPI services now in Sri Lanka and Mauritius: Here's how NRIs can make payments sitting abroad

Services of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have been launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius after it was introduced in France the previous week. This expansion aims to streamline and expedite digital transactions for Indian citizens travelling to Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Furthermore, individuals from Mauritius visiting India will now have the convenience of utilising UPI for their payment needs.

Amit Kumar, Chief Technology Officer of Easebuzz, said, "India's UPI has become the go-to payment method for the majority of the country's population, with over 300 million active users. Now, not just Indians but even NRIs can benefit greatly from UPI payments, as it offers the convenience of making payments and money transfers not only while visiting India but also when they are abroad. With an increasing number of NRIs expected to use UPI, Indian payment technology will emerge as a significant player on a global scale, placing UPI at the forefront of international payment and money transfer networks."

NRIs can effortlessly make seamless payments in India and other countries. Shikhar Aggarwal, Chairman of BLS E-Services, said, "NRIs can use UPI to pay merchants in their country of residence as and when NPCI ties up with the respective country’s payment network. NPCI has tie-ups with multiple countries, including Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, USA, Qatar, Hong Kong, UK, Canada, Oman, and France."

UPI is going global with the ongoing initiatives of the Indian government to make UPI accessible in several countries.

NRIs can activate UPI by linking their international mobile numbers to their NRE/NRO accounts. "NRIs can now use their international mobile number linked to their NRE or NRO Bank account to conduct UPI transactions. This obviates the cost of maintaining an Indian mobile number for the NRIs while living abroad and allows them to use UPI with their international mobile number," said Aggarwal.

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NRIs can easily pay millions of Indian merchants using UPI without using their expensive international cards. Also, NRIs can use UPI to transfer funds to their families in India. Take a look at the following steps:

Step 1: Not all banks allow NRIs to use UPI from abroad. Some banks restrict UPI access to domestic users only due to regulatory and security concerns.

Step 2: NRIs can use UPI-enabled apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe, or Paytm, provided these apps support international transactions. You must register your NRE or NRO account with the app. However, the functionality may be limited, and they might not be able to link foreign bank accounts directly.

Step 3: Input your Indian mobile number and provide your bank account details.

Step 4: After successfully linking your account, you can use UPI to pay any individual in India with a UPI ID.

Step 5: You can also utilise UPI to make payments for goods and services at various merchant outlets across India

Step 6: NRIs need to comply with foreign exchange regulations set by their home country and India. Transferring funds internationally through UPI may involve currency conversion and remittance regulations.

Thus, given these considerations, NRIs interested in using UPI from abroad should check with their respective banks and UPI service providers to understand the available options, restrictions, and any regulatory compliance requirements.