The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has expanded its coverage to include Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and foreign nationals holding NRE/NRO bank accounts. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) now permits UPI registration and transactions using international mobile numbers from select countries, provided certain conditions are met.
How to set up UPI with an international mobile number
To activate UPI using a foreign mobile number, follow these steps:
Link your international number with your eligible Indian bank account (NRE/NRO).
Download a supported UPI app that allows onboarding using international numbers.
Complete the registration as instructed by the app.
Transactions will be allowed based on the bank’s terms and compliance policies.
Supported countries
Only international numbers from specific countries are allowed for UPI linkage. The supported countries and their codes are:
| Sr. No. | Country | Country Code |
| 1 | Australia | +61 |
| 2 | Canada | +1 |
| 3 | France | +33 |
| 4 | Hong Kong | +852 |
| 5 | Malaysia | +60 |
| 6 | Oman | +968 |
| 7 | Qatar | +974 |
| 8 | Saudi Arabia | +966 |
| 9 | Singapore | +65 |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | +971 |
| 11 | United Kingdom | +44 |
| 12 | United States of America | +1 |
The following banks in India allow linking of international mobile numbers for UPI access:
| Sr. No. | Bank Name |
| 1 | AU Small Finance Bank |
| 2 | Axis Bank |
| 3 | Canara Bank |
| 4 | City Union Bank |
| 5 | DBS Bank Ltd |
| 6 | Equitas Small Finance Bank |
| 7 | Federal Bank |
| 8 | HDFC Bank |
| 9 | ICICI Bank |
| 10 | IDFC First Bank |
| 11 | IndusInd Bank |
| 12 | Kotak Mahindra Bank |
| 13 | Punjab National Bank |
| 14 | South Indian Bank |
| 15 | State Bank of India |
| 16 | Yes Bank |
Users with eligible bank accounts can use the following UPI applications for registration and transactions using their foreign numbers:
| Sr. No. | UPI App Name |
| 1 | Federal Bank (FedMobile) |
| 2 | ICICI Bank (iMobile) |
| 3 | IndusInd Bank (BHIM Indus Pay) |
| 4 | South Indian Bank (SIB Mirror+) |
| 5 | AU Small Finance Bank (BHIM AU) |
| 6 | BHIM |
| 7 | PhonePe |
Note: This facility is only available to users with NRE or NRO accounts. The ability to make transactions will depend on the bank's specific policies and compliance with regulatory guidelines.
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