UPI In UAE: Indian Travellers May Soon Use Just Passports, Phone

Indians travelling to the UAE may soon be able to rely solely on their passports without the need to carry cash, multiple cards, or payment instruments, thanks to the rapidly advancing digital payment infrastructure .

This was shared by Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India in Dubai. He envisions a future where all key personal finance tools are seamlessly integrated into the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), enabling effortless international transactions.

Speaking at an event on Thursday marking the expansion of UPI in the UAE , the envoy stated that the move is part of a broader initiative to simplify cross-border mobility and payment experiences for Indian travellers.

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"Everything will be made easy," he said, referring to the goal of consolidating identity and financial tools digitally. While specific timelines and technical details were not shared he described the concept as a work in progress.

The latest announcement builds on NPCI International's efforts to scale UPI acceptance across the UAE. With major retail chains such as Lulu and Dubai Duty Free already onboard, Indian visitors can now use familiar mobile apps to pay directly from their Indian bank accounts.

The next phase aims for deeper integration with UAE's local payment system, AANI, further enhancing digital financial connectivity between the two nations.

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