Cash and ATMs in India: Fees, limits & cards for your travel

You’re all set to enter the land of 1000+ languages, ride in tuk-tuks, eat mouth-watering spicy food, see temples, traffic, mountains, rivers, beaches and what not! To do all of this, you’ll need handy cash to get by in India as a foreigner. In this article, we tell you how to navigate cash and ATMs in India, avoid fees and travel on a budget.

You may also enjoy reading Ultimate guide on how to travel on a budget in 2025.

Where can I find ATMs in India?

India has one of the largest ATM networks in the world. There are 250,000+ ATMs in the country. All of them are run by the 50+ Indian banks and 8+ international banks operating in India.
You can find ATMs in nearly every town of the country. There are ATMs in big cities in India and at least 1-2 in small towns.

Best ATMs to use in India for foreigners

The best ATMs for foreigners to use in India are those owned by popular banks such as:

State Bank of India,
Bank of Baroda,
Punjab National Bank,
ICICI Bank,
HDFC Bank,
Bank of Baroda, and
Punjab National Bank.

There are many other banks with ATMs that also accept international debit and credit cards. Many ATMs are free and many charge high fees. Read on to know more.

Some international banks also have their ATMs in India, namely HSBC and Standard Chartered.

In India – Deutsche Bank is part of the Global ATM Alliance.

Don’t accept conversion at ATMs and withdraw cash only in local currency

In India, some ATMs may ask – Accept OR Decline Conversion (also known as With or Without Conversion, or Charge in INR).

If you ‘Accept’ – ATM converts your money at ATM’s set exchange rate and you pay an extra % fee to the ATM for currency conversion also.
If you ‘Decline’ – ATM will convert at exchange rate of the bank/card logo (Visa, Master, etc.).

So, to avoid extra fees while withdrawing cash in India, select ‘Decline/Without’ Conversion or ‘Charge in INR’.

If you’d like to understand more, read ATM fees abroad: Charges to use cards at foreign ATMs explained.

Can I use a foreign debit or credit card at an ATM in India?

Yes, many types of foreign cards are easily accepted at ATMs in India. Some regional banks like City Union bank accept domestic cards only. But these ATMs are very few in the country, so you are not likely to see or use them anyway. ATMs usually accept cards with the logo Visa, Mastercard, Cirrus, JCB and UnionPay. You might find some ATMs that accept Diners, Amex, Discover but these are not common.

“However, Like in any foreign country, it can happen in India that some foreign cards don’t work at some specific ATMs for various reasons. For e.g. at the time of writing this article:

Cards from Revolut UK don’t work at ATMs of Bank of India but work at all other ATMs
Cards from HSBC UK work at some ATMs of HDFC Bank but don’t work at other ATMs of the same bank
There are many reasons why foreign cards don’t work at ATMs in a foreign country. Reasons could be:

A particular card company is not verified by an ATM owner
ATM owners have put some temporary restrictions on some ATMs for security or other purposes
Some other reasons detailed in this article – Top 8 things to avoid while travelling abroad.
But it is likely that neither your bank nor the ATM will show you the reasons. So don’t worry if your card doesn’t work at one ATM in India. Try a different card or a different ATM.”

For a detailed guide, read Money and Currency in India.

What are the ATM opening hours?

Typically, ATMs in India work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. ATMs in bank branches are also usually open 24×7 and outside of banking hours as they are usually located outside the branch gate.

What do they call ATMs in India?

ATMs in India will typically have a sign in English called “ATM” along with the bank name. E.g. SBI ATM (ATM of the State Bank of India), ICICI ATM (ATM of ICICI Bank), HDFC ATM (ATM of HDFC Bank), and so on. Just look for the “ATM” sign.

PIN type

Indian ATMs accept 4-digit PINs. If you have a 6 digit PIN, request your bank for a 4 digit PIN to be able to use your credit or debit card in India.

Languages at ATMs in India

ATMs in India by default are in English. You have the option to choose a language at the start of the transaction, but usually, the other options are regional languages of India such as Hindi. Do not expect to find ATMs that have language options such as Spanish, German, French, etc. Use Google Translate’s camera function if you need to translate ATM’s English language into your home language.

Do ATMs in India work similarly as other countries?

Yes. ATMs in India are modern, the machines look and feel the same as those in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia. So, you will have no trouble navigating through the ATM to withdraw your money easily.

Join the discussion, read and share cash related travel experiences on ATM Fee Saver’s Community Travel Forum at Money & Travel in Asia.

What currencies can I withdraw from ATMs in India?

ATMs in India dispense only the official currency Indian Rupee (INR). A handful of banks at some of their ATMs allow withdrawing USD and few other currencies, however, this is not very common.

ATM withdrawal limits in India?

ATMs in India have a maximum withdrawal limit per transaction of INR 10,000. There are no limits on number of transactions per day.

ATM Fees in India?

There are many fee-free ATMs in India. Many private sector bank ATMs charge INR 200 to INR 335 per transaction to foreign cardholders and many bank ATMs (mainly the public-sector banks) do not charge any ATM fees to foreign cards. (Figures in Indian Rupees). Be sure to Decline Conversion to avoid additional Currency Conversion charges of the ATMs. So, there are many fee-free ATMs you can use in India as a foreign cardholder!

Apart from ATM Access Fees, there can be other potential charges to withdraw cash in India – something every traveller handling cash in India should be aware of. These are:

Currency Conversion Fees (Accept or Decline Conversion)
Your Bank’s currency conversion fee – Some banks charge the card holder a fee to use the card abroad. Cross check with your bank on what the charges are.

How to avoid high fees when withdrawing cash in India?

Use the fee-free or lower fee ATMs in the country.
Use the ATM Fee Saver app to find fee-free or low-fee ATMs.
Opt for “Decline Conversion” or “Without Conversion” during ATM transactions.
Consider getting a fee-free travel card from your home country.
Get one Visa and one Mastercard fee-free cards as some ATMs abroad accept only Visa and some only Mastercard.
Avoid using ATMs at the airports, sometimes they have higher fees.

For a detailed guide, read Withdrawing cash abroad? 9 best ways to save foreign ATM fees.

Ways to find fee-free ATMs in India?

Discover fee-free and low-fee ATMs on the ATM Fee Saver mobile app for iOS and Android. This app provides ATM PINs and details of leading bank ATMs such as ATM fees and withdrawal limits for foreign cardholders at ATMs in Singapore. Moreover, its simple fee calculator helps you determine exact withdrawal charges. You can also find cash tips and tricks on the app for 160+ countries including Singapore.

Download now from the App Store or Play Store.

Is it safe to use India ATMs?

Typically, yes. A lot of ATMs have camera. Near ATMs, the crime rate is lower but it does need precaution especially in remote areas and empty streets.
To be safe, use precautions such as:

Use the ATMs located inside bank branches instead of standalone ones.
Avoid using ATMs on empty streets or late at night.
Keep your card visible at all times.
Cover the PIN pad with the palm of your hand to avoid revealing your PIN to hidden cameras.
If you find any suspicious devices attached around the keypad area of the ATM, do not use the ATM.
Be aware of your surroundings, if you see suspicious people, move away.
Keep two or more cards as backup.
If also using your mobile phone for the transaction, avoid using public Wi-Fi. Use VPN for extra protection.

FAQs

What to do if an ATM takes your card?

If an ATM in India takes your card, contact the bank (if you used an ATM inside a bank branch), they may retreive your card if you have proof of identity. You can also contact the bank’s helpline but they usually retreive and resend new cards only for their own customers. If so, you’ll need to contact your own bank and ask them to deliver a new card at home or abroad.

Fee-free ATMs and possible to withdraw cash free of cost at ATMs here?

Yes, it is possible. There are many fee-free ATMs in India. Many private sector bank ATMs charge INR 200 to INR 335 per transaction to foreign cardholders and many bank ATMs (mainly the public-sector banks) do not charge any ATM fees to foreign cards. (Figures in Indian Rupees). Be sure to Decline Conversion to avoid additional Currency Conversion charges of the ATMs. So, there are many fee-free ATMs you can use in India as a foreign cardholder!

Foreign cards from US, UK, India, China, Europe, Australia accepted at ATMs in India?

In general, yes. International debit and credit cards from all major continents and countries are accepted in India at most ATMs (except some countries that are sanctioned by India from time to time.

Bitcoin ATMs?

No. India does not have bitcoin ATMs yet and most places do not accept bitcoins as a alternate form of payment. You might find some hotels, hostels that do so, but that is rare.

Foreign bank ATMs’ in India

Bank of America: No. There is no Bank of America ATM in India. But you can still withdraw cash from an ATM in India. Note that Bank of America charges a foreign transaction fee and a currency conversion fee.
Citibank: Citibank in India has been sold to Axis Bank. However, there is a 2 year transition period. So you will still find Citibank ATMs in India.
Barclays: There are only a handful of Barclays bank ATMs in all of India. And as you probably already know, India is BIG. So you are unlikely to find a Barclays Bank ATM when you need it.
HSBC: Yes, there are some HSBC ATMs in India.
Standard Chartered: Yes, a handful.