No Need to Exchange Currency: QRIS to be Available for Transactions in China and South Korea in 2026

KOMPAS.com - Starting in March or April 2026, transactions in China and South Korea can be made using QRIS. This means that Indonesian citizens planning to visit these two countries will no longer need to exchange currency at money changers.

“Regarding the Indonesia-China and Indonesia-South Korea cross-border QRIS, we will implement this at the end of March or early April,” said Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI) Filianingsih Hendarta during a press conference, as quoted by Kompas.com (20/2/2026).

Furthermore, she stated that the implementation in China has completed its trial or sandbox and pilot phases at the end of January.

After the completion of this final process, the public will be able to transact more easily in China and South Korea without having to exchange currency and calculate exchange rates.

“So, it’s just a matter of cutting the ribbon, so to speak. Just wait for the launch date. Remember, it will be at the end of March or early April,” she said.

Through the cross-border QRIS, people can transact abroad simply by scanning the local QR code of the partner country, using a digital payment application from Indonesia.

Not only that, this digital payment system also opens up opportunities for MSMEs in the tourism sector.

With the cross-border QRIS, domestically produced products can be accessed by foreign tourists without payment limitations.

BI recorded that, as of mid-2025, the value of cross-border QRIS transactions has reached around Rp 1.66 trillion.

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