New Delhi, October 31, 2026: Indian travellers can now use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to book tickets online for Dubai’s Burj Khalifa observation deck and major attractions at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, providing an additional payment option when planning overseas holidays.
According to a Ministry of Finance announcement issued on October 30, UPI payments have been enabled for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa, as well as Universal Studios Singapore, Singapore Oceanarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark.
The facility allows Indian tourists to pay through supported UPI applications instead of relying exclusively on international debit or credit cards. However, the payment option’s availability depends on participating booking platforms and supported applications.
In the United Arab Emirates, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India, has partnered with NEOPAY and Emaar Entertainment to enable UPI payments for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa.
The ministry described it as the first tourist attraction in the UAE to introduce UPI acceptance for e-commerce transactions.
In Singapore, NIPL has partnered with payment services provider FOMO Pay to enable UPI transactions for online bookings at participating Resorts World Sentosa attractions, including Universal Studios Singapore, Singapore Oceanarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark.
The UAE partnership was announced on July 29, 2026, while the Singapore arrangement was announced on September 9, 2026. The ministry’s latest statement highlighted the availability of these international payment facilities for Indian travellers.
The expansion is expected to make online ticket purchases more convenient for tourists who are already familiar with UPI payments in India.
However, the announcement does not establish that UPI can be used at every physical ticket counter, restaurant or retail outlet at these destinations. It also does not specify transaction charges, currency conversion rates or whether every Indian UPI application supports the new booking facilities.
The development comes amid continued tourist travel between India and Singapore. According to figures cited by the ministry, approximately 1.2 million Indian tourists visited Singapore in 2025.
The Ministry of Finance’s October 30 release listed 10 countries where UPI acceptance was available, including Singapore, the UAE, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Greece.
However, an earlier government publication reported UPI operations across 11 foreign countries when cross-border remittance services were also included. The figures reflect different categories of international UPI availability and should not be treated as directly comparable.
The ministry also said Uzbekistan was expected to join its list of countries accepting UPI following a commercial agreement announced in August 2026. The release did not confirm that UPI acceptance had already become operational there.
The latest developments follow earlier international UPI initiatives, including the introduction of UPI-based ticket booking for the Eiffel Tower in France in January 2024.
For Indian tourists planning visits to Dubai and Singapore, the new integrations provide an additional way to pay for participating attractions online. The practical benefits will depend on supported UPI applications, booking platform availability and any applicable foreign exchange or transaction charges.
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