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For an India-to-Nepal transfer in 2026, you have two documented paths: the new UPI-NPI person-to-person link, available through selected participating banks, and the Reserve Bank of India’s Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility (INRF), an NEFT-based route that can credit an NSBL account or arrange cash pickup in Nepal. UPI-NPI is intended for real-time digital transfers using a mobile number or virtual payment address (VPA). INRF is the more established option when the recipient needs cash or does not have access to a participating UPI-NPI bank.

Availability, limits, charges and the final amount received depend on the channel and current bank terms. The UPI-NPI launch announcements do not publish a complete bank list, transaction limits or exact fees. INRF limits and fee figures below come from the RBI FAQ updated September 27, 2023, so confirm the current amount and charges with the originating bank before sending.

Which India-to-Nepal route fits your transfer?

Route Best suited to Recipient access What to verify first
UPI-NPI P2P A digital transfer when both sides use participating banks or apps Digital receipt using the recipient’s Nepal mobile number or VPA Whether your bank is live, the displayed fee, exchange rate and any bank-imposed limit
INRF through NEFT A documented bank route, larger eligible transfers or situations where cash is needed NSBL account credit or cash collection arranged through Prabhu Money Transfer Current bank charges, required documents, beneficiary details and payout availability

These are separate arrangements. UPI-NPI is a bilateral P2P linkage announced in June 2026. INRF is RBI’s one-way India-to-Nepal remittance scheme operating through the NEFT ecosystem. Neither description should be taken to mean that every Indian or Nepalese bank supports the route.

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UPI-NPI: the new digital person-to-person option

What launched and when

The Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) announced their cross-border linkage on June 9, 2026. India’s Ministry of Finance reported that the P2P mechanism officially launched on June 6, 2026. The service is live through selected banks, with further expansion planned.

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The launch partners describe the corridor as real-time, affordable and secure. Those are statements from the organizations operating the linkage, not an independently measured fee or speed comparison. The launch material does not publish a complete list of participating banks, a universal transaction ceiling or exact charges.

How the recipient is identified

For an India-to-Nepal transfer, the sender can use the recipient’s Nepal mobile number or VPA. That design avoids exchanging the recipient’s full bank-account details. The recipient still needs an account or app supported by a participating institution, and the number or VPA must be entered exactly as registered.

How to send with a participating app

  1. Check eligibility. Open your Indian bank’s current UPI section and look for an India-to-Nepal, Nepal or cross-border P2P option. If it is absent, ask the bank whether your account and app version are enabled; do not assume that ordinary domestic UPI support includes this linkage.
  2. Choose the recipient identifier. Select the Nepal mobile number or VPA option supplied by the recipient. Confirm the recipient’s name shown by the app before proceeding.
  3. Enter the amount and review the quote. Read the displayed INR debit, any service charge, the exchange-rate information and the expected amount in Nepalese currency. The June 2026 announcements do not set a common fee schedule, so the figure on your bank’s confirmation screen is the one that matters for that transaction.
  4. Authenticate the payment. Approve it with the UPI PIN or other authentication your bank requires. Keep the transaction reference and confirmation screen.
  5. Ask the recipient to verify receipt. The launch describes the transfer as real-time, but the recipient should check the credited balance or transaction history rather than relying only on a sender-success message.

When UPI-NPI is the practical choice

Use this route when both parties have access to participating institutions, the recipient wants a digital balance, and the amount fits the limit shown by the bank. It is particularly useful when you do not want to exchange account numbers. If your app does not show the Nepal option, switching between UPI apps is unlikely to solve a bank-side eligibility issue; contact the bank or use INRF instead.

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INRF: the NEFT-based bank and cash route

How the facility works

RBI’s Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility is a one-way remittance from India to Nepal. The sender starts an NEFT transfer through an NEFT-enabled Indian bank branch. Transactions are pooled at a designated State Bank of India (SBI) branch. SBI sends the remittance information electronically to Nepal SBI Bank Limited (NSBL), which either credits the beneficiary’s NSBL account or arranges a cash payout through Prabhu Money Transfer.

RBI introduced the facility in May 2008. It was enhanced in August 2021 to support trade payments and payments such as retirement and pension for ex-servicemen settled in Nepal. The scheme is therefore broader than an informal personal-transfer arrangement, although the practical steps below focus on sending money to an individual.

Sender limits by customer type

The RBI FAQ updated September 27, 2023, distinguishes between an account-holding sender and a walk-in or non-customer. An account-holding sender using an NEFT-enabled bank may remit up to ₹2 lakh per transaction. The FAQ does not state a maximum number of such transactions.

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A walk-in or non-customer may remit up to ₹50,000 per transaction and may make up to 12 remittances in a year. These are INRF scheme terms reported by RBI; your bank may apply operational checks, cutoff times or additional documentation, so confirm them before visiting a branch.

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Published INRF charges

RBI’s FAQ lists the following schedule for transactions up to ₹50,000:

Charge component Amount or condition
Originating Indian bank At most ₹5
SBI processing charge ₹20
NSBL credit to an NSBL account No crediting charge listed by the FAQ
Cash payout when the beneficiary has no NSBL account Additional ₹50 for remittances up to ₹5,000; ₹75 for amounts above ₹5,000

For amounts above ₹50,000, the FAQ directs senders to SBI’s applicable charges rather than giving one fixed figure. The schedule is dated 2023, and a Federal Bank scheme page displays the same figures. Treat them as published reference amounts, not a guarantee of what your bank will charge in October 2026. Ask for the total debit, the recipient’s expected Nepalese-currency amount and any tax or exchange-rate margin before authorising the transfer.

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Sending from an Indian bank account

  1. Confirm the branch supports INRF. Ask an NEFT-enabled Indian bank branch for its current Indo-Nepal remittance procedure and cutoff time.
  2. Prepare beneficiary details. For account credit, provide the recipient’s name and NSBL account information as requested by the bank. For cash payout, provide the recipient’s complete Nepal address and phone or mobile number.
  3. Submit the NEFT instruction. The bank sends the funds into the INRF flow, where SBI processes the pooled transaction and passes the information to NSBL.
  4. Record the UTR. Keep the Unique Transaction Reference (UTR), receipt and the exact beneficiary details. The recipient will need the UTR for cash collection, and it is the key reference when tracing a delayed payment.
  5. Confirm receipt with the beneficiary. Ask whether the money was credited to the NSBL account or made available for cash collection. Do not send a second transfer until the bank has traced the first one.

Sending as a walk-in or non-customer

A walk-in sender must provide identity evidence and the recipient’s complete Nepal address and phone or mobile number. The annual and per-transaction limits above apply to this category. The branch may also record the purpose of the remittance and ask for additional information under its current compliance procedures. An account-holding sender does not need additional documents according to the RBI FAQ, but the originating bank can still require normal account and identity checks.

How the recipient collects INRF cash

  1. Wait for the payout to be available. The sender should share the UTR after the bank confirms submission.
  2. Go to the designated cash-payout location. NSBL’s arrangement with Prabhu Money Transfer handles cash when the beneficiary does not have an NSBL account.
  3. Present the UTR and photo identification. RBI says the recipient generally presents the UTR and a photo ID, usually the Nepal Citizenship Certificate.
  4. Check the amount before leaving. Confirm the paid amount and obtain a receipt. If the name, number or identification does not match, ask the payout agent to explain the correction process rather than attempting repeated claims.

RBI’s FAQ states that cash should be collected within one week of the transaction. If it is not collected within that period, the money transfer company arranges a return to the originator. The sender should therefore keep the UTR and watch for a return notification if the recipient cannot travel promptly.

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Choosing between UPI-NPI and INRF

Choose UPI-NPI when digital access is confirmed

UPI-NPI is the more direct choice when your bank visibly supports the Nepal corridor, the recipient has a supported Nepal mobile number or VPA, and the recipient wants funds digitally. It avoids sharing bank-account details and is designed for real-time P2P use. Check the app’s displayed fee and exchange rate because the launch announcement does not establish a universal price.

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Choose INRF when cash or a documented bank process matters

INRF is the documented fallback when UPI-NPI is unavailable, the beneficiary needs cash, or the sender prefers a branch-based NEFT instruction. It offers two payout paths: NSBL account credit and cash collection through Prabhu. The sender must plan for beneficiary information, a UTR and the one-week cash-collection window.

For larger or repeated transfers

Start with the sender category. An account-holding INRF sender has the higher per-transaction ceiling, while a walk-in sender is subject to both a lower ceiling and an annual count. UPI-NPI limits are not stated in the June 2026 launch notice, so only the current limit shown by your participating bank can answer whether a particular amount is eligible.

Finding the cheapest option

There is no evidence here for a single cheapest route for every amount. Compare the final debit in your UPI-NPI confirmation screen with the current INRF quote from the branch, including the exchange rate and payout charge. A low visible service fee can still produce a different received amount if the currency conversion differs. Confirm the recipient’s expected Nepalese-currency amount before choosing.

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Important distinctions and common mistakes

  • UPI-NPI is not ordinary domestic UPI. The documented arrangement is a bilateral P2P linkage. The sources here do not establish that an Indian UPI user can pay every Nepal merchant.
  • IMPS is not the INRF route. The cited IMPS material describes domestic transfers. RBI identifies INRF as the outbound NEFT scheme, while UPI-NPI is a separate bilateral arrangement.
  • Do not assume universal bank support. A domestic UPI logo or an NEFT facility does not prove that the bank has enabled cross-border service.
  • Check names and identifiers carefully. A wrong mobile number, VPA, NSBL account or Nepal phone number can delay investigation and payout.
  • Keep every reference. Save the UPI transaction ID or INRF UTR, receipt, displayed fee and recipient confirmation until the money is received.
  • Ask about current rules. The INRF charges and limits cited above come from an RBI FAQ updated in 2023; bank procedures can change. UPI-NPI’s June 2026 launch notice leaves several operational details to participating banks.

Pre-send checklist

  1. Confirm whether your bank or app currently supports the selected India-to-Nepal route.
  2. Verify the recipient’s name, Nepal mobile number or VPA for UPI-NPI, or the exact NSBL and address details for INRF.
  3. Review the total amount debited, exchange rate, recipient currency and any payout charge.
  4. Check that the amount fits the applicable limit and that a walk-in INRF sender has not reached the annual transaction count.
  5. Tell an INRF cash recipient to keep the UTR and photo ID ready and to collect within one week.
  6. Do not share your UPI PIN, one-time password or banking password with the recipient or a payout agent.

The practical decision is straightforward: use UPI-NPI only after your bank confirms live support and the app shows acceptable terms; use INRF when you need its established NEFT process, NSBL credit or Prabhu cash payout. In both cases, the bank’s current confirmation screen or branch quote is the authority for the amount you will actually pay and the amount the recipient will receive.

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