Qatar Adopts India’s UPI Payment System

Qatar has become the 8th Country enabling Indian travellers to use UPI.



Qatar has officially adopted India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), becoming the 8th country to embrace the revolutionary digital payment system. This move strengthens India’s global fintech influence and makes cross-border transactions faster, easier, and more secure for millions of users.

With UPI integration, Indian travelers, NRIs, and businesses in Qatar can now make instant digital payments directly through UPI-enabled apps like PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm. This eliminates the hassle of carrying cash, currency conversion, or relying on international cards.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has been actively expanding UPI’s reach beyond Indian borders. Prior to Qatar, countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Singapore, UAE, and France had already integrated UPI. The addition of Qatar, a major destination for Indian expatriates, will significantly enhance financial connectivity and convenience.

To celebrate the milestone, a special ceremony was hosted at QNB, attended by Indian Ambassador to Qatar H.E. Vipul, along with senior leaders from QNB Group and Qatar Airways Group. The event underscored strong India-Qatar bilateral cooperation and a shared commitment to enhancing digital payment experiences for Indian travelers.

Qatar Duty Free (QDF), part of the Qatar Airways Group, became the first merchant to enable UPI payments, allowing Indian visitors—the second-largest traveler segment to Qatar—to make seamless, cashless payments at duty-free outlets, enriching their shopping experience.

Experts highlight that the adoption of UPI in Qatar is a game-changer for the fintech ecosystem, boosting cross-border payments, remittances, e-commerce, and digital banking. This step also strengthens India-Qatar trade ties, enabling faster payment settlements for merchants, SMEs, and exporters.

UPI, known for its real-time payment capability, low transaction costs, and high security, has already become the backbone of India’s digital economy. As digital payments continue to rise worldwide, UPI’s adoption in Qatar represents not only a win for Indian travelers but also a milestone in building a unified, borderless, and inclusive financial ecosystem.