12 Countries That Accept UPI Payments – Full List & Details

India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) has revolutionised the way businesses and customers handle money transactions across India.

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UPI was first introduced in India in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The role of NPCI is to administer the design and development of the payment settlements and facilitate interbank transaction settlements.

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In the past few years, many countries have adopted the UPI system for its ease of use and seamless integration. 

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Its growing global footprint is a testament to the potential of transforming cross-border transactions. Check out the list of international countries that accept UPI payments. 

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International Countries Accepting UPI Payments

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1. United Kingdom

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Indians travelling to the UK can make UPI payments using their Indian mobile phone numbers. These UPI payments can be seamlessly transferred through the UK’s payment solutions provider, PayXpert. 

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2. Singapore

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The Indian government partnered with the Monetary Authority of Singapore to link India’s UPI with Singapore’s PayNow system. 

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Indians travelling to Singapore can make payments through merchants like Paytm, Google Pay, and PhonePe at more than 12,000 merchants across the country. 

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3. Bhutan

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Bhutan was the first country, after India, to introduce UPI payments using the BHIM app in 2021. 

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4. Russia

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In 2023, Russia had signed an agreement with India to accept UPI and RuPay payments. The discussion has not yet been closed with regard to Russia’s Fast Payments System (FPS).

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As of May 14, 2025, India’s UPI is not widely accepted across Russia. The implementation was likely halted due to Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

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5. Oman

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Oman and India entered into an agreement in 2023 to adopt India’s UPI stack in the Omani system. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and the Central Bank of Oman (CBO). 

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Indians and NRIs in Oman can make UPI payments using their mobile phone numbers without any hassles.

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6. Malaysia

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The Malaysian government agreed to accept Indian UPI payments in 2021. This means Indians travelling to Malaysia can seamlessly pay using their UPI apps.

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7. Qatar

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Qatar announced the launch of Indian UPI payment acceptance in 2023. Indians can make payments in Qatar using UPI apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm.

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8. UAE

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In 2022, the UAE went live with the UPI payments using their NeoPay app. Indians living in the UAE or travelling to the Middle East can make payments using major Indian UPI apps.

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Check out the latest bank and UPI rules that are effective from April 1, 2025.

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9. Sri Lanka

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Indians travelling to Sri Lanka can pay through UPI using PhonePe. In 2023, the Indian government and the Sri Lankan government signed an agreement to enable a UPI partnership between the two countries. 

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10. Nepal

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On March 9, 2024, the NPCI announced UPI payments for cross-border transactions with Nepal.

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11. France

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In 2024, the Indian UPI system made its debut in France at the Eiffel Tower. In February 2024, the Eiffel Tower accepted UPI payments in rupees from Indian users. 

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12. Mauritius

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By enabling international transactions on your UPI app, Indians can make payments through it in Mauritius.

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Bottom Line

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India’s UPI system has taken the world by storm; it is likely to expand its roots in more countries in the coming years. 

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The acceptance of UPI payments across the world will certainly revolutionise payment methods for Indians.

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