Indians May Soon Travel to UAE Without Cash or Cards, Thanks to UPI

Indian travelers visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may soon enjoy a seamless, card-free payment experience, thanks to the growing integration of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) into the UAE’s financial ecosystem.

This major development was highlighted by Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India (CGI) in Dubai, during a media roundtable event hosted by NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) on Thursday.

“The experience of Indian travellers to the UAE will never be the same after full UPI integration,” Sivan said, as quoted by Gulf News.

NIPL — the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India — is actively collaborating with UAE banks, merchants, and payment providers to enable widespread UPI acceptance across the region.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the CGI in Dubai said,

“The Consulate & @NPCI_NPCI organized a media round-table to present its ongoing progress in expanding UPI acceptance across UAE and unveiled the next phase of its strategy to deepen the platform’s integration and strengthen the digital bridge between the two vibrant economies.”

UPI’s journey in the UAE began in 2022, when NIPL partnered with Mashreq Bank’s NeoPay platform to introduce real-time digital payments for Indian users. With full-scale implementation now underway, Indian visitors may soon need only their mobile phones and passports to make payments throughout the UAE.

Recognized globally as one of the most efficient real-time payment systems, UPI processed over 16 billion transactions in December 2024 alone, according to NPCI data.

So far, UPI is officially accepted in seven countries — Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, France, and the UAE — through strategic cross-border collaborations led by NIPL.

As digital infrastructure between India and the UAE strengthens, this move not only benefits travelers but also bolsters economic ties between the two nations.

The Consulate & @NPCI_NPCI organized a media round-table to present its ongoing progress in expanding UPI acceptance across🇦🇪 & unveiled the next phase of its strategy to deepen the platform’s integration and strengthen the digital bridge between the two vibrant economies. pic.twitter.com/HWIKenHE5S

— India in Dubai (@cgidubai) July 10, 2025