Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared on social media, “The launch of India’s UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius underscores the robust linkages between our countries.”
Full List of countries accepting UPI payments
Over the past two years, UPI has gained acceptance in several countries.MyGovIndia has shared on its official handle a world map pinpointing the countries where Indians can use UPI for payments. So what all countries can you use UPI in? Here’s a full list
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UPI in Bhutan
NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payment Corporation of India, partnered with the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) of Bhutan to enable and implement BHIM UPI QR-based payments in Bhutan on July 13, 2021.
According to a NPCI press release dated July 13, 2021, this collaboration aims to enhance financial integration between the two economies by enabling the acceptance of BHIM App-powered UPI in Bhutan.
UPI, RuPay in Oman
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the NPCI, NIPL, and the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) on October 4, 2022.
According to a press release by the Embassy of India in Oman, this MoU enables the acceptance of Indian RuPay cards at all OmanNet network ATMs, POS & e-commerce sites, and reciprocal acceptance of Oman cards in NPCI networks in India. It also facilitates real-time cross-border remittances between India and Oman using UPI rails.
Mauritius
UPI connectivity enables Indian visitors to Mauritius to make payments to local businesses, while Mauritius tourists can do the same in India using the Instant Payment System (IPS) app.
RuPay
RuPay technology allows banks in Mauritius to issue RuPay cards locally through the MauCAS card network.
Sri Lanka
Digital payments connectivity with Sri Lanka allows Indian travelers to make QR code-based payments at merchant locations in Sri Lanka using their UPI apps.
Nepal
Nepali users can make bank transfers to India using UPI IDs through mobile banking.
France
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, now officially offers India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) service.
According to a press release by NPCI dated February 2, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) in partnership with Lyra has announced the acceptance of UPI payment mechanism in France, starting with the Eiffel Tower.
Southeast Asia
NIPL signed an agreement with Liquid Group to enable QR-based UPI payments in 10 countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
How does UPI work overseas?
To initiate UPI payments in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, individuals must initially register their bank account with a UPI-enabled mobile application. During this process, users are prompted to input recipient information, such as bank account numbers, along with transfer amounts and currencies.
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Recently, UPI services have been introduced at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Indian visitors can now make payments through their UPI-enabled applications by scanning a QR code available on the Eiffel Tower’s website.
Singapore holds the distinction of being the first nation to introduce cross-border Person to Person (P2P) payment services. In February of the preceding year, India and Singapore established a connection between UPI and PayNow.
This collaboration facilitates swift and cost-effective money transfers between Singapore and India, benefiting the Indian diaspora in Singapore. Notably, several commercial establishments in Singapore have already implemented the acceptance of UPI payments through QR codes.
Activation and usage
To activate UPI International on PhonePe:
- Open the UPI app and go to the home screen.
- Click on your profile picture.
- Under Payment Settings, select UPI International.
- Click Activate next to the desired bank account and enter your UPI PIN.
To make international payments using GooglePay:
- Open the GooglePay app and tap Scan QR code.
- Scan the merchant’s QR code.
- Enter the amount in payable foreign currency.
- Select the bank account and enter the UPI PIN to confirm payment.
What is UPI?
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) facilitates instant real-time payments, allowing users to transfer money across multiple bank accounts without revealing sensitive information.