Indian tourists, business travellers and students visiting Uzbekistan will soon be able to make merchant payments using UPI-enabled apps by scanning the country’s national UZQR code, following a new cross-border payments agreement.
Indian travellers heading to Uzbekistan are set to gain a new cashless payment option after NPCI International Payments Ltd. (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), entered into a commercial agreement with Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre JSC (NIPC).
Signed on August 30, 2026, the agreement will enable Indian users to make person-to-merchant payments by scanning Uzbekistan’s national interoperable UZQR code through their existing UPI-enabled applications. The announcement was made during the bilateral visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Uzbekistan.
UPI payments through UZQR
Under the new arrangement, eligible Indian users will be able to pay participating merchants directly from their Indian bank accounts. The system is designed to provide an alternative to carrying cash or relying exclusively on international payment cards while travelling in Uzbekistan.
The facility is expected to cover a broad range of everyday transactions across retail, hospitality and services, according to the Ministry of Finance. Indian tourists will be joined by business travellers and students, who will also be able to use UPI for person-to-merchant transactions.
The partnership connects India’s UPI ecosystem with Uzbekistan’s national QR infrastructure, potentially making payments more familiar and convenient for Indian visitors already accustomed to scanning QR codes for everyday transactions at home.
Regulatory approvals in place
The agreement follows approvals from financial regulators in both countries. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU) have cleared the arrangement, with the Uzbek central bank designating HUMO as NIPL’s authorised partner for cross-border merchant acceptance.
HUMO is operated by NIPC, which serves as the operator of Uzbekistan’s national payment system. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Economy and Finance had previously held discussions with NPCI on the possibility of introducing UPI as a payment method for Indian tourists, indicating that the latest agreement builds on earlier bilateral work on digital payments.
Another step in UPI’s international expansion
The Uzbekistan agreement expands the international reach of India’s UPI payment infrastructure. According to the Ministry of Finance, UPI is already accepted in 10 countries—Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Greece.
For Indian travellers, the Uzbekistan integration could simplify payments for accommodation, dining, shopping and other day-to-day expenses where UZQR is accepted. It also adds a digital payment option as visitor traffic between India and Uzbekistan continues to develop.
The arrangement is part of broader efforts by India and Uzbekistan to deepen cooperation in digital public infrastructure and strengthen economic and tourism links between the two countries.
For travellers planning a trip, the key point is that UPI payments in Uzbekistan are being enabled through the new NIPL-HUMO partnership, with the rollout intended to allow Indian users to scan UZQR codes using their existing UPI applications rather than requiring a separate local payment application.
