Foreigners visiting India can access UPI by using prepaid wallets like UPI One World, which are funded via international debit/credit cards, or by registering on apps like PhonePe, Google Pay, or Paytm using an international mobile number if they have an NRE/NRO account. Full KYC (passport/visa) is mandatory for activation at airports or authorized locations. Wise +3
Foreign Tourists Visiting India
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Press Information Bureau (PIB) announced in February 2023 that foreign nationals and NRIs visiting India can now make UPI payments through Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs).
Yes, UPI can be used in the US to send money to India. While UPI is primarily an Indian payment system, Western Union allows US users to transfer funds directly to a recipient's UPI-linked bank account. To learn more, check out how to send money to India.
You can link your international mobile number to your NRE or NRO account and use UPI for NRI accounts through supported banking apps like BHIM, Google Pay, PhonePe, or your bank's mobile app.
Yes, you can use Google Pay from the USA to send money to India by integrating with services like Wise or Western Union within the US Google Pay app, but you need an Indian recipient with a UPI ID or bank account and an Indian phone number to receive it. The US Google Pay app was discontinued in June 2024, so you'll use the Google Wallet app (which is the new name for GPay in the US) to initiate international transfers powered by partners like Wise to send money to India.
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.
UPI One World is a digital wallet powered by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that allows NRIs and foreign visitors to make payments in India using INR. It is linked to your international mobile number and can be used at stores that accept UPI payments—across cities, towns, and even rural areas.
How to Set Up UPI with Your International Mobile Number? (Step-by-Step)
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.
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.
UPI set up process for NRIs
The most popular ones are BHIM UPI, Google Pay, and PhonePe. Select one app, and download and install it on your phone.
How to activate UPI for your International number
It uses USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) technology, which works on basic phones too. This service helps people across India do banking just by dialling *99# from their mobile.
Open Google Pay app . Scan the International QR code. Tap Activate UPI International. Enter your PIN.
Best ways to send money to India with WISE
UPI vs BHIM
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system through which money can be transferred from one bank to another. Whereas BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is the mobile application through which the money transfer takes place.
Who Can Use BHIM? Any person who has a smartphone and a bank account can use BHIM to make transactions. However, you will need to have your mobile number registered with the bank and a debit card linked to that account. You can download the BHIM app from Play Store or Appstore.
In this section, we will discuss some of the best UPI apps in India.
Yes, NRIs can carry out the following UPI transactions from outside India:
You can use Google Pay to send money to friends and family in India using your mobile device. You'll need an internet connection, an Indian bank account and an Indian phone number.
As a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), you can use your international mobile number to make UPI payments instantly in India, thereby significantly enhancing your convenience of making everyday payments.
Cash: The Traditional Go-To
Cash is still king in many parts of India, particularly in rural areas, small shops, and street markets. Here's what you need to know about using cash: Currency: India's currency is the Indian Rupee (INR), denoted by the symbol ₹.
What are the accounts that a tourist visiting India can open? Answer: An NRO (current/ savings) account can be opened by a foreign national of non-Indian origin visiting India, with funds remitted from outside India through banking channel or by sale of foreign exchange brought by him to India.
(i) All foreigners (including foreigners of Indian origin) visiting India on long term (more than 180 days) Student Visa, Medical Visa, Research Visa, Employment Visa, Missionary Visa and Project Visa are required to get themselves registered with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO)/ Foreigners ...