- India and Spain agreed to start technical talks on linking UPI with Spain's Bizum system
- This could allow Indian travellers to use UPI for payments directly in Spain
- Discussions began during Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to Spain in July 2023
Imagine landing in Madrid, grabbing a coffee at a small cafe, taking the metro to a museum, shopping for souvenirs in Barcelona, and paying for everything the same way you do in India: by simply scanning a QR code on your phone. That convenience may not be very far away.
In a major development for Indian travellers, India and Spain have agreed to move ahead with technical discussions on linking India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Spain's digital payment platform Bizum. According to reports, the announcement was made after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to Spain as part of his four-nation Europe tour from July 13 to 18.
While the move is still in the discussion stage, it could make paying in Spain much easier for Indians travelling there.
Indian Travellers In Spain May Soon Scan & Pay With UPI
During his visit, Piyush Goyal held meetings with several senior Spanish leaders, including Carlos Cuerpo Caballero, Spain's First Vice-President and Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, and Jordi Hereu Boher, Spain's Minister of Industry and Tourism.
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Among many topics, the two countries discussed digital payments and agreed to begin technical talks on making UPI interoperable with Bizum, Spain's widely used mobile payment system. So, both sides will now explore how the two platforms can work together securely and smoothly. If the integration is completed in the future, Indian travellers could potentially use their regular UPI apps in Spain without needing a separate local payment app.
For most Indians, UPI has become second nature. From buying vegetables and paying restaurant bills to booking cabs and splitting expenses with friends, it is used for almost everything. But the moment people travel abroad, they usually have to switch back to international credit or debit cards, cash withdrawals, currency exchange counters, or travel forex cards. These options often come with extra fees, poor exchange rates, or the inconvenience of carrying cash. Well, a successful UPI-Bizum connection could change that completely.
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India And Spain Begin Technical Talks
For now, Indian tourists cannot use UPI directly across Spain. The countries have only agreed to start the technical discussions needed for such an arrangement. The exact timeline, rollout plan, and participating banks or payment apps have not yet been announced.
Spain is not the only country where India is trying to expand UPI. During the same Europe tour, India also discussed fintech cooperation and possible UPI integration with Estonia. More importantly, UPI has already gone international in several countries, including France, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Qatar.
The integration is not live yet, and many technical details still need to be worked out. But India and Spain have now officially started the conversation.
