Yes, NRIs can use UPI in India with their international mobile numbers, a feature enabled by the NPCI for residents of specific countries (US, UK, UAE, Canada, etc.) by linking their overseas number to their Indian bank account (NRE/NRO) in supported banks like HDFC, ICICI, and Axis, allowing seamless digital payments within India using apps like Paytm, GPay, etc..
Non-resident Indians (NRIs) can use the UPI app for transactions in India using their registered overseas mobile number. This facility is available for NRIs from specific approved geographies, including Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, the UK, USA, France and the Malaysia.
To access UPI payments as an NRI, you must meet the following conditions: Ensure you have an NRE/NRO account with an Indian bank that supports UPI transactions. Download the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app. You may also use other UPI-enabled apps to link the NRE/NRO account.
Advantages of UPI for NRIs - Your financial passport
Paytm UPI allows NRIs to send and receive money easily using their international mobile numbers linked to NRE or NRO accounts. Here's what to keep in mind when making transactions. You can send payments in INR using your international number after linking and verifying your NRE or NRO account.
Mony is a specialized UPI app available for tourists and NRIs, allowing instant scan-and-pay transactions at millions of merchant locations across India. It offers a secure payment experience without needing multiple cards.
New rules for NRIs in India focus on stricter tax residency criteria from April 2026, increasing the stay threshold to 120 days for high-income NRIs (over ₹15 lakh Indian income) to become Resident but Not Ordinarily Resident (RNOR) and introducing "deemed residency" for high-income Indians in tax havens; also, higher TCS thresholds for LRS remittances (to ₹10L) and removal of TCS for education loans are recent changes from Budget 2025-26, alongside increased reporting of foreign assets.
Unfortunately, you generally cannot use your international Google Wallet to make UPI payments through GPay in India. GPay requires an Indian bank account and phone number, which most travelers and NRIs don't have.
The disadvantages of UPI include limitations on transaction amounts, which can restrict larger payments. Accessibility is affected by its dependence on a stable internet connection.
Singapore – UPI Merchant Payments & QR Acceptance
Cross-Border Payments: Enables real-time, low-cost, and convenient person-to-person (P2P) transfers between India and Singapore. First Transaction: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and MAS MD Ravi Menon made the first live cross-border transactions using UPI and PayNow.
Download the UPI app and register using the mobile number. Enter your bank details and OTP for verification. Once this is done, a unique UPI ID is created, and you can set up a UPI pin to activate UPI for your NRI account.
UPI One World – A Simple Way for Foreigners and NRIs to Pay in India. UPI One World is a safe and easy digital wallet for NRIs and foreign tourists visiting India. It helps users pay at shops, hotels, and more using Indian Rupees without needing cash or currency exchange.
3: BHIM UPI has the added advantage of being backed by the government, so it is regarded as safer and secure compared to Google Pay. Though Google Pay has enhanced security features like biometric authentication as well as PIN or pattern, extensive data syncing makes it less secure.
Pay online in other countries
You can turn on UPI International by: Using the “Activate UPI International” section. Scanning the international QR code.
NRIs can send tax-free gifts to relatives in India, but gifts to non-relatives over ₹50,000 annually may be taxable for the recipient under Indian tax law. This makes inward remittance a tax-efficient way to manage your overseas earnings.
Maximum marginal rate is the highest rate of tax at any income level. This means for those with incomes between Rs 2 crore and Rs 5 crore, 39% will be the highest applicable tax rate, and for those with incomes above Rs 5 crore, it will be 42.74% — the highest tax rate since 1992.
NRIs returning to India should proactively manage their banking and investment affairs to ensure compliance with Indian regulations. You should promptly notify the change in your residency status to your bank, broker, AMC, and insurance service providers.
Getting started takes just minutes:
Google Pay in India operates on the UPI infrastructure, enabling instant money transfers between linked bank accounts. Users can pay using UPI IDs, QR codes, or mobile numbers.
BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money), developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is widely considered one of the safest UPI applications as it is the official NPCI app and focuses on secure bank-to-bank transfers.
Non-resident Indians (NRIs) are taxed on income earned or collected in India. This could be from sources like property rent, share dividends, and investment and savings capital gains, if over a specified limit. Income earned outside India is not taxable in India.
If you do not satisfy the condition laid out above for a person to be considered a resident in India - you will be considered a NON-RESIDENT INDIAN (NRI). Thus, if you stay in India for less than 182 days, you will be considered an NRI.
With the recent changes in the Indian Income Tax Act, it's now possible to pay zero tax on a salary of up to Rs. 7 lakhs. To pay zero tax on a 7 lakh salary using the old tax regime, maximize deductions: Claim Tax Rebate under Section 87A.