In a nutshell
- Tipping is always a tricky issue. It feels like every country has its own rules. But how much should you actually tip in your destination country?
- We often ask ourselves this question when visiting a restaurant in a new country for the first time. That’s why we’ve put together a tipping guide for you, with info for each country. Pretty awesome, right?
- We’ll tell you how to tip around the world, in which countries you don’t need to tip at all, and where it might even be seen as an insult. At the end of the article, you’ll find a detailed table for every country in the world.
How Much Should You Tip?
The amount you tip varies from country to country. In some places, tipping is forbidden and in others, it’s common to leave up to 25 percent. Sometimes it’s already included in the bill, and sometimes you leave it on the table after paying.
You can’t even categorize it by region. Even within continents like Europe, the differences are huge. That’s why we’ve put together a table with tipping customs for every country in the world, making travel tipping easy for you.
However, you usually can’t go wrong with a tip of 5–15 percent. Just make sure you’re not in a country where tipping is prohibited or considered offensive. We’ll give you more detail on that in the next section.
In some situations, it’s a good idea to tip whatever you feel is appropriate. And if you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to ask a local. Most people are happy to help.
In Which Country is Tipping Not Customary?
There are some countries where tipping is not customary. You can group these countries into three categories: tipping included in the bill, not customary, and forbidden. We’ll show you which countries fall into each category.
Countries where tipping is already included in the bill
In these countries, you don’t necessarily have to add anything on top. However, everyone is happy to receive a few extra coins, especially if you were particularly satisfied with the service.
- Belgium
- Costa Rica
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Sweden
- Vatican City
Countries where it is simply not customary to give something
You are still welcome to give something. The locals are always happy about travel tipping. But they are not used to it and you don’t have to feel forced to do so.
- Australia
- Belarus
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Ecuador
- Fiji
- Indonesia
- Kiribati
- Laos
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Micronesia
- Mongolia (but it’s becoming increasingly common to leave a tip)
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Palau
- Rwanda
- Solomon Islands
- Thailand
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
Countries where tipping is (almost) forbidden or considered an insult
You really shouldn’t tip in these countries. Sometimes the waiters are not allowed to accept it or even feel insulted because good service is taken for granted in this country.
Overview of Tipping Customs Around the World
Finally, we’ve listed the typical tipping amounts for each country. We have summarized the most popular destinations in advance so that you don’t have to search for long.
- Popular destinations where tipping is usually included in the bill: Italy, France
- Popular destinations where 5-10 percent is common: Germany, Spain
- Popular destinations where 10 percent is common: United Kingdom
- Popular destinations where 10-15 percent is common: Mexico
- Popular destinations where 15-25 percent is almost mandatory: Canada, USA
You can find more detailed information and the remaining countries in the table. The countries are sorted alphabetically.
| Country | Tipping guideline | |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | around 10 % | |
| Albania | 5 to 10 % | |
| Algeria | 5 to 10 % | |
| Andorra | 5 to 10 % | |
| Angola | not common | Tipping is not appreciated. Cigarettes and other small items are gladly accepted. |
| Antigua and Barbuda | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Argentina | There's no general rule. | |
| Armenia | around 10 % | |
| Australia | not common | But you’re still welcome to leave a little extra. |
| Austria | 5 to 10 % | |
| Azerbaijan | 5 to 10 % | |
| Bahamas | 10 to 15 % | Most of the time, 15 percent is already added to the bill. |
| Bahrein | 10 to 15 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Bangladesh | 5 to 10 % | |
| Barbados | 10 to 15 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Belarus | not common | You can still leave around 5 percent if you were very satisfied. |
| Belgium | not common | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Belize | 10 to 15 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Benin | 5 to 10 % | |
| Bhutan | not common | But you’re still welcome to leave a little extra. |
| Bolivia | around 10 % | Locals usually don't leave a tip. However, the staff is always happy to receive a small tip. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 to 10 % | |
| Botswana | around 10 % | |
| Brazil | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill as servicio. |
| Brunei | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Bulgaria | 5 to 10 % | |
| Burkina Faso | There's no general rule. | |
| Burundi | around 10 % | |
| Cabo Verde | There's no general rule. | |
| Cambodia | 5 to 10 % | |
| Cameroon | There's no general rule. | |
| Canada | 15 to 20 % | A tip is almost mandatory. |
| Central Afrikan Republic | 10 to 15 % | |
| Chad | around 10 % | |
| Chile | around 10 % | When paying by card, you’ll be asked if you want to leave a tip (propina). |
| China | not common | It is often even seen as an insult. |
| Columbia | around 10 % | In local restaurants and street stalls, tipping is not expected, but you can still give some. In many restaurants, the Propina is already included. |
| Comoros | around 10 % | |
| Costa Rica | not common | The bill already includes 10 percent. |
| Croatia | 5 to 10 % | |
| Cuba | around 10 % | |
| Cyprus | 5 to 10 % | |
| Czechia | 5 to 10 % | You can also simply round up. |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 10 to 12 % | |
| Denmark | not common | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Dschibuti | 5 to 10 % | |
| Dominica | around 10 % | |
| Dominican Republic | around 10 % | Sometimes the tip is already included in the bill. |
| Ecuador | not common | The locals are not used to tipping, but they are very happy when you leave one. |
| Egypt | 10 to 15 % | Tipping is considered very important in Egypt. |
| El Salvador | around 10 % | |
| Equatorial Guinea | 5 to 10 % | Tipping is not strictly expected, but it is appreciated. |
| Eritrea | around 10 % | |
| Estonia | 5 to 10 % | |
| Eswatini | around 10 % | |
| Ethiopia | 5 to 10 % | |
| Fiji | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Finland | not common | Service is already included in the bill. |
| France | not common | Most of the time, around 15 percent is included in the bill. |
| Gabon | 10 to 15 % | |
| Gambia | There's no general rule. | |
| Georgia | around 10 % | |
| Germany | 5 to 10 % | |
| Ghana | 5 to 10 % | |
| Greece | around 10 % | You can also simply round up. |
| Grenada | around 10 % | Sometimes the tip is already included in the bill. |
| Guatemala | around 10 % | |
| Guinea | 5 to 10 % | |
| Guinea-Bissau | 5 to 10 % | |
| Guyana | around 10 % | |
| Haiti | around 10 % | |
| Honduras | around 10 % | |
| Hong Kong | not common | In most restaurants, the tip is included in the bill. |
| Hungary | around 10 % | In some restaurants, the tip is included in the bill. |
| Iceland | not common | It is often already included in the bill. |
| India | 5 to 10 % | |
| Indonesia | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Iran | 5 to 10 % | |
| Iraq | around 10 % | |
| Ireland | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Israel | 10 to 15 % | |
| Italy | not common | It is usually added to the bill as Coperto. You can still leave a few euros. |
| Ivory Coast | 5 to 10 % | |
| Jamaica | 10 to 15 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Japan | not common | It is often even seen as an insult. |
| Jordan | around 10 % | |
| Kazahstan | 5 to 10 % | |
| Kenya | 5 to 10 % | |
| Kiribati | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Kosovo | 5 to 10 % | |
| Kuwait | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Kyrgyzstan | 5 to 10 % | |
| Laos | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Latvia | 5 to 10 % | |
| Lebanon | 10 to 15 % | |
| Lesotho | There's no general rule. | |
| Liberia | around 10 % | |
| Libya | around 10 % | |
| Liechtenstein | 5 to 10 % | |
| Lithuania | 5 to 10 % | |
| Luxembourg | not common | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Madagascar | around 10 % | |
| Malawi | 10 to 15 % | |
| Malaysia | not common | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Maledives | not common | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Mali | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Malta | 5 to 10 % | |
| Marshall Islands | There's no general rule. | |
| Mauritania | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Mauritius | not common | Waiters, taxi drivers, and guides are still happy to receive a tip. |
| Mexico | 10 to 15 % | When paying by card, you can include the Servicio. |
| Micronesia | not common | However, it is still gladly accepted. |
| Moldova | 5 to 10 % | |
| Monaco | not common | Service is already included in the bill. |
| Mongolia | not common | However, it is becoming more and more common to leave a tip. |
| Montenegro | 5 to 10 % | |
| Morocco | 5 to 10 % | |
| Mozambique | around 10 % | |
| Myanmar | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Namibia | around 10 % | |
| Nauru | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Nepal | 5 to 10 % | |
| Netherlands | not common | Most of the time it is already included in the bill. |
| New Zealand | not common | Service is often already included in the bill. |
| Nicaragua | around 10 % | |
| Niger | There's no general rule. | |
| Nigeria | 5 to 10 % | |
| North Macedonia | 5 to 10 % | |
| North Korea | forbidden | |
| Norway | not common | Service is already included in the bill. |
| Oman | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Pakistan | 5 to 10 % | |
| Palau | not common | Sometimes it is already included in the bill. |
| Palestine | There's no general rule. | |
| Panama | around 10 % | |
| Papua New Guinea | not common | Tipping is not appreciated. |
| Paraguay | around 10 % | |
| Peru | around 10 % | |
| Philippines | 5 to 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Poland | around 10 % | |
| Portugal | 5 to 10 % | You can also simply round up. |
| Qatar | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Republic of Congo | around 10 % | |
| Romania | 5 to 10 % | |
| Russia | 5 to 10 % | In upscale restaurants, a service charge is often included. |
| Rwanda | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Samoa | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| San Marino | 5 to 10 % | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 5 to 10 % | |
| Saudi Arabia | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Senegal | There's no general rule. | |
| Serbien | 5 to 10 % | |
| Seychelles | 5 to 10 % | |
| Sierra Leone | 10 to 15 % | |
| Singapore | not common | It’s even officially declined. |
| Slovakia | 5 to 10 % | |
| Slovenia | 5 to 10 % | |
| Solomon Islands | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Somalia | not common | Sometimes it’s even considered an insult. If you want to give something, keep it to small amounts. |
| South Africa | around 10 % | For groups of 6 or more people, a small tip is automatically included. |
| South Korea | not common | It is sometimes even considered impolite. |
| South Sudan | around 10 % | |
| Spain | 5 to 10 % | You can also simply round up. |
| Sri Lanka | around 10 % | In some restaurants, the service charge is already included. |
| St. Kitts und Nevis | around 10 % | In some restaurants, the service charge is already included. |
| St. Lucia | around 10 % | In some restaurants, the service charge is already included. |
| St. Vincent und die Grenadinen | around 10 % | In some restaurants, the service charge is already included. |
| Sudan | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| Suriname | around 10 % | |
| Sweden | not common | It’s often already included in the bill. But you’re still welcome to leave a little extra. |
| Switzerland | 5 to 10 % | Most of the time it is already included in the bill. |
| Syria | 5 to 10 % | |
| Tajikistan | 5 to 10 % | |
| Tanzania | 5 to 10 % | |
| Thailand | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Timor Leste | 10 to 15 % | |
| Togo | around 10 % | It’s expected for every service. |
| Tonga | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Trinidad and Tobago | around 10 % | |
| Tunisia | 5 to 10 % | |
| Turkey | 5 to 10 % | |
| Turkmenistan | 5 to 10 % | |
| Tuvalu | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Uganda | around 10 % | |
| Ukraine | 5 to 10 % | |
| United Arabic Emirates | around 10 % | It is often already included in the bill. |
| United Kingdom | around 10 % | It is often already added to the bill. |
| USA | 18 to 25 % | It is almost considered mandatory. |
| Uruguay | around 10 % | |
| Uzbekistan | 5 to 10 % | |
| Vanuatu | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Vatikan City | not common | The coperto is already included in the bill, just like in Italy. But you can still leave a few euros if you like. |
| Venezuela | around 10 % | |
| Vietnam | not common | You can still leave something if you want to. |
| Western Sahara | around 10 % | |
| Yemen | 5 to 10 % | |
| Zambia | around 10 % | |
| Zimbabwe | around 10 % | |
That was our overview of tipping customs in other countries
Have you ever been unsure how to tip in other countries? Did our World Tipping Guide help you? How much do you usually tip? Let us know in the comments!