Indian expats in the UAE will be happy to learn that the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has increased the daily transactions of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which will be implemented on September 15. This will help millions of Indians outside their country to get high-value payments quicker, securely, and more conveniently.
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What’s New in UPI Limits?
The new limits are different according to the category:
- Capital Markets & Insurance: Per transaction limit of 5 lakh (2 lakh), daily limit of 10 lakh.
- Government e-Marketplace, Travel, Loan Repayments & EMIs: Daily limit ₹10 lakh.
- Credit Card Bills: According to the payment, up to 5 lakh, daily limit of 6 lakh.
- Jewellery Purchases: 2 lakh / purchase with a daily limit of 6 lakh.
- Hospitals & Education: 5 lakh per transaction, maximum per day 1 million.
- Government Securities & RBI Direct Investments: Per day limit ₹1 million.
- P2P Transfers: Limited to 1 lakh per day, and as such, personal transfers are still safe.
This is good news to Indian expatriates in Dubai, as well as in the UAE as a whole, since this allows you to now pay insurance premiums, settle EMIs, and purchase big-ticket items, or remit home in larger amounts, all in your UPI app.
UPI Use Hits Record Highs
UPI is on a meteoric expansion in India and the international arena. In August 2025 alone:
- 20 billion transactions were executed (an increase of 34% YoY).
- Total value of 24.85 trillion (an increase of 21% YoY).
- The number of transactions per day was 645 million, worth almost 802 billion.
PhonePe and Google Pay are the most widely used, and the use of UPI across countries in Dubai is increasing rapidly due to the recent payment connections between India and the UAE.
Stronger Fraud Controls
To protect users, NPCI will start removing the P2P feature of requesting collection on October 1, 2025, following an increase in fraud related to offering false rewards or cashback offers.
- High-value transfers will henceforth be limited to authenticated merchants.
- Leasing regularly between peers is limited to ₹1 lakh/day to reduce the risk.
Why It Matters for UAE Expats
- Simplified High-Value Transfers: No need for checks or expensive banking procedures.
- Better Financial Management: It will be easier to balance EMIs, investments, and family costs back home.
- More Convenience: The process of gold, education, and hospital payments has become convenient.
- Enhanced Security: UPI safety is increased as it targets more transactions despite an increase in transaction caps.
To most Indians in the UAE, UPI is no longer a convenient payment system but a complete financial management system that connects two nations in terms of life.