{"id":54909,"date":"2026-03-01T11:20:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T05:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=54909"},"modified":"2026-03-02T12:57:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T07:27:04","slug":"countries-accepting-upi-payment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/countries-accepting-upi-payment\/","title":{"rendered":"List of Countries Accepting UPI Payment 2025, Key Highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s fintech revolution continues to leave a mark across international borders, and at the heart of this movement lies the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI has evolved into one of the most advanced, secure, and user-friendly digital payment systems in the world. Its seamless real-time fund transfers, QR-code compatibility, and multi-app ecosystem have now become a model for other countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of 2025, UPI has made significant inroads into several foreign nations, expanding India\u2019s digital influence and simplifying cross-border payments for Indian tourists, businesses, and expatriates. This article includes the List of Countries Accepting UPI Payment 2025, recent developments, and how this move benefits India&#8217;s global outreach.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is UPI<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system that enables users to link multiple bank accounts and initiate instant fund transfers using mobile apps like PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, and BHIM. Launched in 2016, UPI has witnessed growth domestically, making over 10 billion transactions monthly by mid-2023. The global push for UPI aims to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facilitate seamless cross-border transactions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support Indian tourists and businesses abroad<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strengthen economic and digital partnerships<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce remittance costs and promote financial inclusion<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NPCI\u2019s international arm, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), has been partnering with foreign governments and banks to make UPI available overseas.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>PM Modi&#8217;s Cyprus Visit<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In June 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#8217;s historic visit to Cyprus marked a major milestone. Cyprus became the second European nation after France to adopt UPI services. The visit led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NPCI and Eurobank Cyprus, enabling UPI-based cross-border transactions for tourists, businesses, and expatriates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides described the partnership as \u201chistoric,\u201d reinforcing the strategic relationship between India and Cyprus, and positioning Cyprus as a gateway for Indian trade into the European Union and the Mediterranean region.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>List of Countries Accepting UPI Payment<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below is the updated List of UPI Adopted Countries that are currently live or under various stages of implementation as of 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 98.2959%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"text-align: center; width: 97.0943%;\" colspan=\"5\"><b>List of Countries Accepting UPI Payment<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 10.8216%;\"><strong>Country<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 14.7295%;\"><strong>Year Introduced<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 41.5832%;\"><strong>Key Highlights<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 17.8357%;\"><strong>Major Partners<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 12.1243%;\"><strong>Coverage<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2024<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First European country to accept UPI; launched at the Eiffel Tower; expanding to tourist spots.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Worldline, Indian Embassy, NPCI<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Retail &amp; tourism<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyprus<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second European nation; agreement with Eurobank Cyprus; supports tourists and diaspora.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eurobank, NPCI<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be expanded<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UAE<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2021<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 60,000 outlets accept UPI; Indian expats benefit; QR-enabled retail payments.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mashreq Bank, Lulu Exchange<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Airports, malls<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bhutan<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2021<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First foreign country to adopt UPI through BHIM app.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Royal Monetary Authority, NIPL<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Widespread<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nepal<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2024<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI integrated with Nepal\u2019s national system via Fonepay; cross-border payments activated.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fonepay, Gateway Payments<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Retail, tourism<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mauritius<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2024<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI and RuPay launched; supports tourism and remittances.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NPCI, local banks<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Select outlets<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sri Lanka<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2024<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI accepted at major tourist centres and airport.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LankaPay, Dialog<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Airports, tourist zones<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singapore<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2023<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrated with PayNow; supported by apps like PhonePe and Google Pay.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PayNow, NIPL<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8,000+ merchants<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Malaysia<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expected 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI rollout in progress; part of ASEAN strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NPCI, local partners<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be announced<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expected 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planned launch for Indian tourists.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NPCI, Qatar fintech<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tourism &amp; retail<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thailand<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expected 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strategic expansion in Southeast Asia; talks underway.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NPCI, Thai partners<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tourist areas<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United Kingdom<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ongoing<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MoUs signed for phased UPI integration.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local banks, NIPL<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Select outlets<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oman<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In discussion<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fintech and remittance focus; early-stage talks.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NIPL, Central Bank<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TBD<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 10.8216%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maldives<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 14.7295%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In discussion<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 41.5832%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI for Indian tourists; pilot projects in motion.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.8357%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local banks, NIPL<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 12.1243%;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tourist hubs<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>How UPI Payments Work Abroad<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To use UPI internationally, Indian users must:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 1: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Download the issuer app and sign in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 2: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Verify Documents (Passport and Valid Visa) physically at Issuer Counter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 3: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Issuance of UPI One World on international mobile number.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 4: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Load INR value against the desired amount by either:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exchanging foreign currency at the issuer counter with Forex experts help<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the mode of Credit Card or Debit Card.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Step 5: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use the preloaded INR at merchant outlets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 6: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encash any remaining balance loaded by the traveler before departure<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>UPI Global Expansion Strategic Benefits\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With millions of Indians traveling abroad annually, UPI enables instant payments at retail outlets, hotels, and tourist attractions, eliminating the need for foreign currency exchange.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI integration abroad allows small businesses, exporters, and the Indian diaspora to conduct transactions with greater transparency, lower costs, and quicker settlement times.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI has become a symbol of India\u2019s digital diplomacy. Partnering nations benefit from low-cost, secure, and interoperable digital payment infrastructure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NPCI&#8217;s global partnerships open the door for bilateral fintech agreements, digital innovation, and shared economic growth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b>Upcoming Expansions and MoUs<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Payments Corporation of India has signed or is in discussion to sign multiple MoUs to further expand UPI\u2019s global presence. Some notable collaborations include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Buna Payment Platform (Arab Monetary Fund): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enables multi-currency transactions across Arab nations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>United Kingdom &amp; EU Discussions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Targeted integration into financial systems through secure gateways.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiatives: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focused on Indian expatriate markets and digital banking.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>UPI Transaction Growth and Global Impact<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI has revolutionised India\u2019s domestic payments scene, growing from 92 crore transactions in 2018 to 8,375 crore in 2023. By August 2023, UPI had recorded over 10.5 billion monthly transactions, with total value crossing \u20b915.7 lakh crore. Merchant payments alone accounted for $380 billion out of a $1.7 trillion annual transaction volume.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The global adoption of UPI aims to replicate this digital transformation for cross-border commerce, tourism, and remittances.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the 2025 list of countries accepting UPI payments. Learn where Indian tourists and businesses can use UPI abroad and how it drives global fintech.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":54902,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[1533],"class_list":{"0":"post-54909","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-list-of-countries-accepting-upi-payment","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54909"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90832,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54909\/revisions\/90832"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}