The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued new guidelines allowing NRIs in 10 countries to access UPI services using their international mobile numbers.
The UPI onboarding and transaction facility is being extended to non-resident account types like NRE/NRO. Currently, NPCI has issued a list of 10 countries, including Singapore, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. NRIs residing in these countries will be able to make payments from their international mobile numbers.
NPCI has, in the latest circular to its members allowing NRIs to transact through UPI, stated that all onboarding/transaction level checks as per extant UPI guidelines will be applicable for such accounts. All the members have been advised to comply with the directives by 30th April 2023.
Vishwas Patel, Chairman, Payments Council of India, said: “It is a far-sighted move, a move that would really benefit the NRIs. The major convenience factor would be in the form of ‘payment/money transfer convenience’ for NRIs when they visit India -their janmabhoomi and pay easily across millions of Indian merchants accepting UPI, thus, now they can do away with the use of their expensive international cards. As our Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned, our expats (NRIs) are our brand ambassadors — ‘Rashtra Doots’ of India on foreign soil. I believe in the long run our NRIs ‘Rashtra Doots’ will play a vital role in increasing the adoption and popularity of Indian payment technology – UPI, in foreign soil and truly make UPI a global payment and money transfer network.”
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