Yes, but only at participating merchants in supported locations, and only if your Indian bank account and UPI app support international payments. Country-level availability does not mean every shop accepts UPI. Before approving a payment, check the payee, the amount in both currencies, and any exchange rate or fee shown in the app.
What “using UPI outside India” can mean
UPI-related services cross borders in several different ways. They are not interchangeable: a remittance corridor or NRI registration option does not automatically mean you can scan a merchant QR while travelling.
- Paying an overseas merchant: Eligible users can use UPI Global Acceptance to pay at participating overseas merchant locations from an Indian bank account. The merchant must display an accepted BHIM UPI or partner QR, and the account and app must support the feature. See NPCI’s UPI Global Acceptance guidance.
- Registering with an international mobile number: NPCI describes UPI support for NRIs with NRE or NRO accounts, provided the international number is linked to the bank account and onboarding is completed in a supported app. Bank terms apply. This is not general linkage of UPI to a foreign bank account. See NPCI’s NRI guidance.
- Cross-border remittances: A UPI-linked remittance route is a way to send money across borders; it does not establish that local shops accept UPI QR payments. The Government of India’s September 2026 summary reports remittance links with Greece and the Maldives separately from merchant acceptance. See the government’s UPI global footprint factsheet.
- Visitors paying in India: UPI One World is a prepaid wallet for visitors to pay at UPI-enabled merchant locations in India. It is the reverse direction from an Indian account holder paying abroad. NPCI announced an event-specific extension for delegates from more than 40 countries at the 2026 AI Impact Summit; that does not establish the same availability at all times or distribution points. See the UPI One World brand guidelines and NPCI’s 2026 event announcement.
Which countries accept UPI payments from Indian users?
The answer depends on whether you mean merchant QR acceptance or another cross-border UPI service. The Government of India’s September 2026 factsheet says UPI is operational in Bhutan, Nepal, Singapore, the UAE, France, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Qatar, and reports that UPI acceptance in Cambodia launched in June 2026. It separately identifies Greece and the Maldives as remittance links. Its total of 11 foreign countries combines acceptance and remittances, so it should not be read as 11 countries where travellers can necessarily pay merchants by QR.
Other official lists are narrower and have different scopes:
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| Source | Locations listed | What the list describes |
|---|---|---|
| Government of India factsheet, September 2026 | Bhutan, Nepal, Singapore, UAE, France, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Qatar; Cambodia acceptance reported as launched in June 2026; Greece and Maldives listed separately for remittances | A broader summary spanning acceptance and remittance links, not a guarantee of merchant QR availability at every destination or merchant. |
| NPCI International public UPI page | Selected merchant outlets in Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and UAE | Selected merchant locations; the page says Indian nationals use a UPI-enabled app linked to an Indian bank account. |
| Google Pay India Help | Bhutan, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and UAE | Google Pay’s international QR payment instructions, subject to a bank account that supports the feature; this is not a list for every UPI app. |
For a trip, use the list for your particular app as a starting point, then confirm that your account and the specific merchant are eligible. NPCI’s 2024 Nepal announcement, for example, concerns merchant transactions in Nepal; it does not imply acceptance at every Nepalese business.
Which banks and apps support international mobile-number registration?
NPCI’s live-members directory, accessed October 7, 2026, lists 12 international mobile-number country codes: Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UAE, the UK and the US. It lists these 16 banks and nine apps for international-number linkage:
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| Directory category | Names listed by NPCI |
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| Banks (16) | AU Small Finance Bank; Axis Bank; Canara Bank; City Union Bank; DBS Bank Ltd; Equitas Small Finance Bank; Federal Bank; HDFC Bank; ICICI Bank; IDFC First Bank; IndusInd Bank; Kotak Mahindra Bank; Punjab National Bank; South Indian Bank; State Bank of India; Yes Bank |
| Apps (9) | AU Small Finance Bank (BHIM AU); BHIM; Federal Bank (FedMobile); ICICI Bank (iMobile); IDFC FIRST Bank Mobile Banking; IndusInd Bank (BHIM Indus Pay); Kotak Mobile Banking Application; PhonePe; South Indian Bank (SIB Mirror+) |
These directory entries concern linking an international mobile number; they are not a roster of apps authorized for overseas merchant QR payments. The directory is dynamically rendered and its indexed content may lag, so check the current NPCI live-members directory and your bank’s requirements. NPCI also says transactions are permitted according to the bank’s terms and conditions.
How to pay a merchant abroad with UPI
- Before travelling: Check with your bank and the relevant UPI app that the particular Indian account supports international payments, then enable the feature if required. Google Pay’s international UPI instructions are specific to Google Pay and accounts that support the option.
- At the merchant: Ask whether UPI is accepted and look for a BHIM UPI or network-partner acceptance QR. A country being listed does not mean every merchant participates.
- Scan and verify: Check that the payee is correct and review the amount in both the foreign currency and Indian rupees. NPCI instructs users to review applicable exchange rates or fees as well.
- Authorize only after checking: If the displayed details are correct, enter your UPI PIN to complete the transaction. If the payee, conversion or charge is unclear, do not authorize until you have confirmed it.
What determines whether your payment will work?
All of these have to line up: your Indian bank account must support the relevant international payment; your app must offer that function; the destination and specific merchant must accept the QR network; and you must be comfortable with the conversion rate and any fee displayed before authorization. Neither the country lists nor the available official guidance establish one universal fee schedule or guaranteed exchange rate. Check the transaction screen and your bank’s terms for the payment you are about to make.
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Can you use PhonePe internationally?
NPCI’s international-number directory lists PhonePe among the apps for linking an international mobile number to a supported Indian bank account. That listing does not by itself establish PhonePe support for overseas merchant QR payments. For a merchant payment, confirm the international payment option in PhonePe for your account and check the destination and merchant before relying on it.
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