UPI International: Countries, Limits and Rules (2026)

UPI international lets Indians pay merchants abroad with their UPI app, debiting their Indian bank account in rupees. At the time of writing it works in a growing list of countries, including the UAE, Singapore, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Qatar. NRIs can also use UPI on Indian accounts with foreign mobile numbers, within daily limits.

What UPI international does not do, for most people, is let a foreign client pay an Indian freelancer by UPI. This guide covers both sides: paying abroad and receiving money from abroad, with current limits and the rules that matter for invoicing.

How UPI international works

UPI is run by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Its overseas expansion is handled by NPCI International Payments Limited, which signs partnerships with foreign payment networks, acquirers and central banks. There are three main routes:

• Merchant acceptance abroad. An overseas merchant displays a QR code from a partner network. You scan it with your Indian UPI app, see the amount converted to rupees, and approve with your UPI PIN.
• Fast payment linkages. UPI is linked to another country's instant payment system, as with Singapore's PayNow, so people can send money across the border in near real time.
• International mobile numbers. NRIs can register UPI on Indian NRE or NRO accounts using a foreign mobile number from an approved list of countries.

Before paying abroad, you generally have to switch on the international feature in your app. Most apps make it time-limited and ask you to choose the countries.

Countries where UPI international is live

NPCI International adds partners every year, and news reports in 2026 have given slightly different counts depending on whether they include remittance-only links. Treat the table below as a snapshot at the time of writing and check NPCI International and your app for the current position.

Country	What works	Notes
UAE	Merchant payments via partner QR codes	Acceptance at participating retailers, not every shop
Singapore	Merchant payments; UPI-PayNow remittances	PayNow link is person-to-person only
France	Merchant payments at selected places	Launched with tourist-facing merchants first
Mauritius	Merchant payments	Linked with the local payment ecosystem
Nepal and Bhutan	Merchant payments	Among the earliest UPI partners
Sri Lanka	Merchant payments	Via partner QR acceptance
Qatar	Merchant payments	Partner-based QR acceptance
Cambodia	Merchant payments	Reported as live in 2026
Greece	Merchant payments	Reported launch mid-2026; check availability

What about the UK and other markets?

The UK is a common search, because of the large Indian community there. At the time of writing, UPI is not broadly accepted at UK merchants in the way it is in the UAE or Singapore, though partnerships and pilots have been announced over the years. UK-based NRIs can still use UPI on their Indian accounts with a UK number. NPCI International has also announced partnerships with other countries, such as Uzbekistan in 2026, which may go live later.

Limits for UPI international and NRI UPI

Limits are set by NPCI and then by each bank, and they change over time. These are the commonly quoted figures, which you should confirm in your bank's app:

Use case	Typical limit (check your bank)
NRI UPI on NRE or NRO account, international number	Around Rs 1,00,000 per day or 20 transactions, per bank pages
First 24 hours after NRI registration	Lower cap at some banks, for example Rs 5,000
Merchant payments abroad	Set by bank and partner; often a per-transaction cap
UPI-PayNow remittances	Daily cap set by participating banks; LRS applies when sending from India

For residents sending money abroad, the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme sets an overall annual limit per person, and tax collected at source may apply to some remittances above a threshold. Those rules change with budgets, so check current RBI and Income Tax Department guidance.

UPI for NRIs: setting up with a foreign mobile number

For NRIs, the most useful part of UPI international is often not paying abroad but paying in India. NPCI allows NRE and NRO account holders with mobile numbers from an approved list of countries to register for UPI. That list has included the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and France, and NPCI has announced further countries since. Your bank must support the feature.

1. Make sure your international mobile number is registered with your Indian bank for the NRE or NRO account.
2. Download a UPI app that supports international numbers, such as your bank's own app.
3. Verify your number by SMS, select the account and set your UPI PIN using your debit card details.
4. Start with a small payment, because some banks apply a lower limit for the first day.

This is handy for paying family bills, Indian suppliers or your own Indian expenses in rupees. Money in an NRE account comes from abroad and is repatriable, while NRO accounts hold income earned in India; the tax and repatriation rules differ, so check with your bank or adviser.

UPI international vs other ways to pay abroad

Option	Where it works	Typical cost points	Good for
UPI international	Partner merchants in live countries	Bank or partner exchange rate, possible fees	Quick retail payments while travelling
Forex or travel card	Most card-accepting merchants	Load markup, possible ATM fees	Wide acceptance, budgeting
Indian credit or debit card	Most card-accepting merchants	Foreign currency markup; tax rules may apply	Hotels, car hire, deposits
Cash	Everywhere	Exchange spread	Small purchases, backup

Many travellers use two methods: UPI where it is accepted and a card for everything else.

Using UPI international when you travel

1. Check that your bank supports UPI international and that the destination is live.
2. In your UPI app, enable international payments for the account, choose the country and set the validity period.
3. At the merchant, scan the partner QR code. The app shows the amount in local currency and in rupees.
4. Check the exchange rate shown. It may include a bank or partner markup.
5. Approve with your UPI PIN and keep the confirmation screen until the merchant confirms receipt.

Worked example: a trip to Dubai

Suppose you pay a Dubai retailer AED 500 using UPI international. If the market rate is about Rs 23 to the dirham and your bank's rate includes a 1% markup, you pay roughly Rs 11,615 instead of Rs 11,500. Paying with a forex card with a 2% markup on the same amount would cost about Rs 11,730. The numbers are illustrative. The point is to compare the rate shown in the app with the market rate before paying.

Receiving UPI payments from abroad: what freelancers should know

This is where many Indian freelancers get confused. UPI is excellent for receiving money from clients in India. But a client in the US, UK or Europe cannot normally open their banking app and pay your UPI ID. Their bank is not on UPI.

Foreign client payments typically reach Indian freelancers through:

• Bank transfer (SWIFT) directly to your Indian account, often slow and with intermediary fees.
• Cross-border payment platforms that give you local account details in the client's currency and pay out to your Indian bank. Our Wise vs Payoneer comparison covers two common options.
• Remittance providers, some of which can deliver funds to an Indian bank account or UPI ID. The client still pays through the provider, not directly through UPI.
• Freelance marketplaces that pay out to your Indian bank account.

The UPI-PayNow link with Singapore is person-to-person only. It is designed for family remittances, not for receiving business income from Singapore clients.

Worked example: a designer billing a US client

A Bengaluru designer invoices a US client USD 2,000 for a logo project. She uses a cross-border platform that gives her US account details, so the client pays by a domestic US bank transfer. The platform converts the dollars and sends rupees to her Indian bank account. If the rate she receives is around Rs 84 per dollar after the provider's fee, about Rs 1,68,000 reaches her account, a figure that is purely illustrative. Her Indian clients, meanwhile, keep paying her by UPI. The invoice to the US client lists the platform's account details and the amount in USD, and her records keep the inward remittance certificate next to the invoice. Rates and fees change daily, so compare providers before you choose one.

Paperwork matters more than the payment rail

Whatever route you use, your bank should record the inward remittance with the correct purpose code for services, and you can request a Foreign Inward Remittance Advice or similar certificate. Keep it with your invoice. It is useful evidence for GST export treatment and income tax.

Under GST, services exported from India can be zero-rated if conditions are met, including how payment is received. Registered freelancers often export under a Letter of Undertaking. Our GST invoice guide covers invoice contents, and the details for your case are best confirmed with a qualified chartered accountant. Some clients may also withhold tax at source; see our guide to withholding tax on invoices.

Invoicing foreign clients when you want to use UPI at home

A practical setup for many freelancers looks like this. Domestic clients pay by UPI or NEFT, using a UPI ID or QR code shown on the invoice. Foreign clients pay in their own currency through a platform or bank transfer. Each invoice should say which currency it is in and how to pay.

• Bill in the client's currency, or in rupees if you agree to carry the exchange risk. See our guide to foreign currency invoices.
• Show the right payment details for that client only, never a mix that might confuse their accounts team.
• Add your GSTIN and any export wording your adviser recommends.
• State payment terms and the due date clearly. Our guide to invoicing international clients covers wording that works across borders.

Freelancers in Pakistan face a different set of rails; our guide on receiving payments from abroad in Pakistan covers that market.

Risks and limits to keep in mind

• Coverage is partial. Even in live countries, only merchants using partner QR codes accept UPI.
• Exchange markups vary. Always compare the rate in your app with the market rate.
• Scams follow popular rails. Never approve a collect request you did not expect. A refund never requires you to enter your UPI PIN. Fake payment screenshots and spoofed invoices are common too; see our guide to invoice scams.
• Rules change. NPCI circulars adjust limits, country lists and features regularly. Check NPCI and your bank, not old blog posts.

Conclusion

UPI international is a convenient way for Indians to pay abroad in a growing set of countries, and NRIs can now use UPI on Indian accounts with foreign numbers. For freelancers, it is not yet a way to collect from foreign clients, who still pay through bank transfers and payment platforms. Keep your invoices clear about currency, payment method and GST treatment. You can build one in minutes with the free invoice generator, choosing INR or the client's currency and adding your payment details in the notes, or start from one of the invoice templates. For more on cross-border payments, browse our payments guides.