Best Credit Cards in India for International Travel in 2024 (2024)

Best International Travel Credit Cards

Scapia Federal Bank Credit Card

From free foreign transactions and zero joining fees to unlimited domestic lounge access and 24X7 customer service, Scapia Federal Bank credit card is one of the ideal options as international travel credit cards. It ensures instant in-app repayment facility along with and access to global airlines and more than five lakhs stay.

Annual fee: Nil (no joining fee)

Features and Benefits of Scapia Federal Bank Credit Card:

The following are some of the key features and benefits of Scapia Federal Bank credit card:

• For both online and offline transactions, the cardholders will earn 10% of the spendings
• For travel bookings made through the Scapia mobile app, cardholders can earn Scapia Coins valued 20% of the spend
• For flights and hotel bookings through the Scapia app, Scapia coins can be redeemed instantly
• Cost-effective option for global spending, as no additional fees or markups for international transactions
• No joining or annual fees are charged
• Ensures 24X7 customer assistance
• Repayment can be done through Scapia application
• Access to global airlines is provided through the card or loyalty program
• On a minimum spend of Rs.5000 in the previous month, domestic lounge can be accessed by the cardholders.

RBL Banks World Safari Credit Card

Those who are frequent foreign travelers, RBL Banks World Safari credit card is one of the ideal options for them as offers zero forex and saves 4.00% on international transactions. The card also comes with additional benefits, such as travel insurance, complimentary airport lounge access, and other travel benefits.

Annual fee and joining fee: Rs.3000 plus GST

Features and Benefits of RBL Banks World Safari Credit Card:

The following are the key benefits and features if RBL Banks World Safari Credit Card:

• Zero forex charged on international transactions
• On spending every Rs.100 on all your purchases, two travel points can be earned
• On every Rs.100 spent on travel, five travel points can be earned
• MakeMyTrip voucher worth Rs.3,000 will be offered as welcome gift
• On annual spends of Rs.2.5 lakh, 10,000 travel points will be offered
• On annual spending of Rs.5 lakh, 15,000 travel points will be offered
• On purchases of Rs.7.50 lakh in a year from brands, including Amazon, Taj Experiences, Croma, Myntra, and Makemytrip, cardholders will get additional gift card of Rs.10,000

IDFC Wow Credit Card

These cards are designed for students and individuals traveling abroad and come with zero forex mark-up charges for currency conversion and other benefits.

Annual fee and joining fee: Nil

Features and Benefits of IDFC Wow Credit Card:

The following are the features and benefits of IDFC Wow Credit Card:

• Complimentary roadside assistance
• No documentation for card issuance
• On every transaction, cardholders can earn 4X rewards
• Various offers can be availed across 300 merchants
• Personal Accident Cover and Lost Card Liability Cover of Rs.2 lakh and Rs.25,000, respectively
• Discount of 20% and 15% at partner restaurant and health and wellness, respectively
• Fuel surcharge waiver of 1.00%, up to Rs.200 per month at all fuel stations across India
• Ensures flexible redemption options
• With a minimum requirement of Rs.10,000, cardholders will get interest rate of 7.25% on the Fixed Deposit linked to the card

Yatra SBI Credit Card

SBI offers Yatra credit card which is an international credit card that comes at an affordable annual fee and offers several offers not only travel but also on international shopping.

Annual fee: Rs.499

Features and Benefits of Yatra SBI Credit Card:

The following are the features and benefits of Yatra SBI Credit Card:

• On spending Rs.100 on all other categories, one reward point can be earned
• On fuel transaction ranging between Rs.500 to Rs.3000, 1.00% fuel surcharge waiver can be availed at all petrol pumps (maximum of Rs.100 per month per cardholder)
• Annual membership fee reversal can be availed on spending Rs.90.000 in the current year
• On paying the joining fee, cardholders can avail themselves of Rs.8250 worth vouchers at Yatra.com
• For domestic and overseas travels, cardholders can avail themselves of two Rs.500 and Rs.1000 vouchers, respectively
• On a hotel stay booking, cardholders will receive one Rs.750 vouchers
• For booking domestic and international air tickets, instant discount of Rs.1000 and Rs.4000, respectively, is available that can be availed at a minimum transaction of Rs.5000 and Rs.40,000, respectively
• For primary cardholder, complimentary air accident cover of Rs.50 lakhs can be availed on Yatra portal
• Cradholders will earn six reward points on using the card at grocery, departmental stores, Yatra.com
• On every Rs.100 on retail products other than grocery, cardholders can earn one reward points
• On every Rs. 3000 spent on Yata.com, cardholders can earn discount vouchers
• Direct access to the top MasterCard airport lounges can be availed within in the country
• Surcharge waiver of 2.50% can be availed on spending between Rs.500 to Rs.3000

HDFC Bank Regalia Credit Card

This international credit card ensures low forex fees and comes with multiple gift vouchers, reward points on transactions, lounge access, and many more that makes your international transactions seamless.

Annual fee: Rs.2,500

Features and Benefits of HDFC Bank Regalia Credit Card:

The following are the features and benefits of HDFC Bank Regalia Credit Card:

• The card charges low forex markup fees of 2.00%
• On card activation, cardholders will receive MMT Black Elite membership, Club Vistara Silver membership, and gift voucher worth Rs.2,500
• At both International & domestic terminals in India, the card offers 12 complimentary lounge access
• On completing four retail transactions on the card, cardholders will receive six complimentary lounge access outside India via Priority Pass Membership
• On spending Rs.150 including utilities, education, and insurance, four reward points will be earned
• On spending Rs.150 at Marks & Spencer, Nykaa, Myntra, and Reliance Digital, 20 reward points will be awarded
• On spending Rs. 1.5 Lakh in a quarter, milestone benefit worth Rs.1,500 will be offered
• On spending Rs.4 lakh in a year, annual fee will be waived off
• On spending Rs.5 Lakh and Rs.7.50 lakh in a year, flight voucher of Rs.5000 and additional voucher worth Rs.5000 will be offered

Air India SBI Platinum Card

This card is ideal for frequent travelers as the card offers various rewards, discounts, and vouchers along with fuel surcharge waiver.

Annual fee: Rs.1,499

Features and Benefits of Air India SBI Platinum Card:

The following are the features and benefits of Air India SBI Platinum Card:

• The interest charged on outstanding balance is 40.2% per annum
• The reward points earned can be converted into Air India Air Miles
• On payment of joining fees, cardholders will earn welcome gift of 5000 reward points
• On payment of every Rs. 100 using the card, two reward points will be offered
• The card offers free Frequent Flyer Program, FFP membership at Air India
• On payment of renewal fee, 2000 bonus points are rewarded every year as an anniversary gift
• On spending Rs.2 lakhs and Rs.3 lakhs in a year, 5000 bonus points and 15000 points are rewarded, respectively, within 15 days of paying the annual or joining fee
• On spending Rs.100 on Air India flight tickets, cardholders will earn 15 reward points
• On transactions between Rs. 400 to Rs. 4,000, fuel surcharge waiver of 1.00% can be availed across all petrol pumps in India
• Maximum waiver of Rs.250 is offered in a billing cycle
• At Indian airports, free access to visa lounge is offered for eight complimentary visits
• Up to Rs.1 lakh is offered as lost card liability coverage
• Access to lounges at more than 600 international airports if offered under the Priority Pass Program
• Outstanding balance can be transferred to this card and can be paid as EMI

HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card

This invite-only international credit card comes at a high annual fee but offers high reward points on activation along with multiple other benefits at a low forex markup fee.

Annual fee: Rs.12,500

Features and Benefits of HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card:

The following are the features and benefits of HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card:

• On spending Rs. 10 Lakh in a year, renewal fee is waived off
• The card offers forex markup fee of 2.00%
• For first year, the card offers Complimentary Club Marriott membership
• On activation of the card, 12,500 bonus reward points are offered
• For Primary and Add-on member, the cardholder can avail themselves of unlimited airport lounge access across the globe
• For every Rs.150 spent, the card offers five reward points
• On payment of card renewal fee, 12,500 reward points are offered as bonus
• On travel and shopping spends at Smartbuy, cardholders will earn 10X reward points
• Cardholders can avail themselves of unlimited complimentary golf games at selected courses across the world and leading courses across India
• Flight and hotel bookings via Smartbuy, Apple products and Tanishq vouchers and for air mile conversion can be availed by redeeming reward points in 1:1 ratio

• At participating ITC hotels, cardholders can experience complimentary nights and buffet

SBI Card Elite

This international credit card ensures seamless international transactions that comes at a minimum annual fee which can be waived off on spending Rs.10 lakh every year.

Annual fee: Rs.4,999

Features and Benefits of SBI Card Elite:

The following are the features and benefits of SBI Card Elite:

• The card charges low forex markup fee of 1.99%
• On spending Rs.100 on international transactions, cardholders will earn two reward pints
• Cardholders can avail themselves of Complimentary Trident Privilege Red Tier Membership and Club Vistara membership with one upgrade voucher
• On every Rs. 100 spent on Vistara Flights, nine CV points can be earned by the cardholders
• Complimentary domestic and international lounge access of two per quarter and six in a year via Priority Pass is offered to the cardholders
• Welcome benefit in the form e-gift voucher worth Rs.5000 is offered to the cardholders
• Cardmembers can avail themselves of free movie tickets every year worth Rs.6000
• Offers five and two reward points dinning, departmental, and grocery spends, and on all other spendings
• On spending Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 4 Lakh, and Rs. 5 Lakh & Rs. 8 Lakh in a year 10,000 and 15,000 bonus reward points, respectively

AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card

This card is offered by AU Small Finance Bank that comes with this credit card that provides multiple benefits and rewards points that makes your international travel seamless.

Annual fee: Rs.4,999

Features and Benefits of AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card:

The following are some of the features of AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card:

• Forex mark-up fee of 0.99%
• Per Rs.100 spend on retail purchases one reward point is earned
• For every Rs. 100 spent on travel, dining, and international spends, two rewards points can be earned
• Via Priority Pass membership, 16 international airport lounge access visits can be availed which is four per quarter
• Subject to spending Rs. 12 Lakh per year, Complimentary Taj Epicure membership is provided by the card
• The card also offers four end-to-end airport VIP check-in services per year
• Reward points worth Rs. 5,000 or luxury brand vouchers will be offered on card activation
• Cardholders will also get 16 domestic airport lounge visits every year and 8 golf games or lessons annually
• On spending Rs.8 lakh per year, annual fee gets waived off
• On paying annual fee, 5000 bonus rewards points are offered
• The card also offers buy-one-get-one offer at BookMyShow

Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card

The card comes at a high annual fee, but the card offers great discounts on international transactions, movie tickets, dining and offers lounge access for international travelers.

Annual fee: Rs.12,500

Features and Benefits of Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card:

The following is the list of key features and benefits of Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card:

• Forex markup fee charged is around 2.00%
• Offers complimentary eight end-to-end airport concierge services
• on every Rs. 200 spent on cumulative monthly spends of up to Rs.1.5 Lakh 12 EDGE reward points can be earned by the cardholder
• Per Rs.200 spent above cumulative monthly spends of Rs.1.5 Lakh cardholders can earn 12 EDGE reward points
• Priority Pass and 8 additional guest visits per year can be availed by the cardholder apart from unlimited complimentary international lounge visits
• Per Rs.200 spent on Travel EDGE portal by the cardholder above monthly spends of Rs.2 Lakh, 35 EDGE reward points is offered by the card
• At more than 4,000 partner restaurants in India, discount of 40% can be availed using this card
• Both primary and add-on cardholders can avail unlimited visits to select domestic airport lounges
• On BookMyShow, on purchasing one movie or event ticket, the second ticket can be availed at a discount of up to Rs.500
• On spending Rs.25 lakh per year, cardholders can avail themselves of annual fee reversal
• The card also offers insurance and medical concierge services

How to Select the Right International Travel Credit Card

The majority of credit cards let you make purchases internationally. On the other hand, some credit cards allow you to save more on your spending and provide advantages for overseas transactions. The following factors need to be taken into account when selecting the best international credit card:

• The card should be accepted at a variety of international online and offline outlets.
• In comparison to regular credit cards, you might want to apply for a credit card with no or low forex markup fees.
• It is a good idea to select a credit card that provides discounts on flight and hotel bookings if you are a frequent traveller.
• Choose a credit card that provides access to international lounges in numerous countries.

FAQs on International Travel Credit Cards

1. How important is my credit score if I am looking to apply for a credit card for international travel?

It is important you maintain a very good credit score preferably around 750 if you wish to apply for a credit card for international travel. Having a good credit score also makes it easier for the bank to approve your credit card application.

2. What will happen if I do not pay my credit card bills on time?

If you do not pay your credit card bills on time, then your credit score will fall making it difficult for you to apply for a loan or credit card in future. If you fail to pay your bill on time, then the bank will also impose a penalty on your outstanding amount.

3. How can I apply for a credit card for international travel?

You can apply for a credit card for international travel online by visiting the said bank’s official website where you can click on the 'Apply Now' button and fill out the application form and submit the documents to complete the application process. You can also visit the nearest bank branch along with all the documents to apply for a credit card.

4. Is it possible to get my annual fee waived off?

Some banks do not charge annual fee if you are able to make a minimum annual spend using your credit card.

5. I am a Non-Resident Indian (NRI). Can I apply for a credit card for international travel from a bank in India?

Whether you can apply for a credit card for international travel from an Indian bank as an NRI is completely at the discretion of the bank. However, there are banks in India such as Axis Bank who do allow NRIs to apply for their credit card for international travel.

6. Is there a credit limit on purchases made in foreign currencies?

There is no credit limit on credit cards that is exclusive to foreign currency transactions. There is a general credit limit, which includes both domestic and foreign currency transactions.

7. Which credit cards are free for international transactions?

There isn't a credit card that is completely free for foreign transactions because almost all of them have a forex markup fee. However, certain credit cards have reduced forex markup fees.