Hub · 22 destinations · 2026

Tipping by country: customary amounts in 22 destinations.

Tipping is one of the easiest ways to misread a culture. In Tokyo the wait staff will chase you down the street to return the change you left "by mistake." In Cairo, you'll tip the man who points you to the bathroom. The pages below give you the customary number in local currency, the phrase to say at the table, and the mistakes US travelers make most often.

Americas

United States

18–22% sit-down

Tipping is the wage.

Canada

15–20% sit-down

Prompted on the terminal.

Mexico

10–15% sit-down

Cash on the table.

Brazil

10% often added

Couvert is the catch.

Argentina

10% cubierto + propina

Cash, in dollars or pesos.

Europe

United Kingdom

10–12.5%

Check for "service charge."

France

Service compris

Round up; don't add 18%.

Germany

5–10%

Tell the server out loud.

Italy

Coperto on bill

Round up. Don't tip on tap.

Spain

5–10%

Coins on the saucer.

Netherlands

5–10%

Round to the next €5.

Greece

5–10%

Cash, even on a card bill.

Turkey

10%

Bahşiş in Turkish lira.

Asia & Pacific

Japan

Do not tip

Considered rude. Bow instead.

China

Not customary

Service charge in hotels only.

South Korea

Not customary

Refused, mostly.

India

5–10% if no service

Check for the 10% line.

Thailand

10% or round

Leave change on the tray.

Australia

Optional, 10%

Living wage; tipping creeping in.

New Zealand

Not expected

Optional for great service.

Middle East & Africa

United Arab Emirates

10–15%

Service charge ≠ tip.

Egypt

Baksheesh everywhere

Small bills, often.

The 22-country snapshot

If you only need the customary number for one row of the table, here it is. Each row links to the full country page, which includes the local phrase, money-mechanics (cards vs. cash on the terminal), and the common mistakes US travelers make.

Country	Restaurants	Bars	Taxi	Notes
🇺🇸 United States	18–22%	$1–2/drink	15%	Tipping is the wage.
🇨🇦 Canada	15–20%	15%	10–15%	Terminal prompts everywhere.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	10–12.5%	£0	10%	Check for "discretionary" service charge.
🇫🇷 France	Service compris	€1–2	Round up	15% is in the menu price by law.
🇩🇪 Germany	5–10%	Round up	Round up	Tell server amount when handing card.
🇮🇹 Italy	€1–2 / round	€0	Round	Coperto is the cover charge, not a tip.
🇪🇸 Spain	5–10%	€0	Round	Coins, on the table, in cash.
🇳🇱 Netherlands	5–10%	Round	Round	Service is included; rounding is the tip.
🇬🇷 Greece	5–10%	€1	Round	Cash even when paying card.
🇹🇷 Turkey	10%	10%	Round	Pay tip in lira, not USD.
🇯🇵 Japan	Don't	Don't	Don't	Tipping can be returned or refused.
🇨🇳 China	Don't	Don't	Don't	Hotel service charges aside.
🇰🇷 South Korea	Don't	Don't	Don't	Service charge in upmarket hotels.
🇮🇳 India	5–10%	10%	Round	10% service charge ≠ tip to the server.
🇹🇭 Thailand	10%	Round	Round	20฿ to porters; baht only.
🇦🇺 Australia	Optional, 10%	A$0	Round	Living wage; tipping is creeping in.
🇳🇿 New Zealand	Optional	NZ$0	Round	Tip only for genuinely great service.
🇲🇽 Mexico	10–15%	$10–20 MXN	$20 MXN	Propina, in pesos, on the table.
🇧🇷 Brazil	10% on bill	Included	Round	Couvert is bread, not a tip.
🇦🇷 Argentina	10% cash	10%	Round	Cash; USD welcome at many places.
🇦🇪 UAE	10–15%	10%	Round	10% "service charge" often goes to the house.
🇪🇬 Egypt	10–15%	10%	£E10–20	Baksheesh is structural — small bills, often.

Sources: national tourism boards (JNTO, France.fr, VisitBritain, Tourism Australia), GSA per-diem guidance, and on-the-ground reporting from Lonely Planet, Frommer's, and Rick Steves' Europe guides. Updated for 2026.

What changes the answer

Three things bend the customary number more than any guide will admit. First, where you are inside the country: tipping in Naples is not tipping in Milan, and a Tokyo izakaya is not a Kyoto ryokan. Second, what's already on the bill — "service compris" in France, the 10% line on Brazilian and UAE bills, the cubierto in Argentina. Third, who you are: at tourist-heavy spots, the staff has come to expect US-style amounts whether or not the country's norm asks for it.

For the cultural background, read the complete tipping guide. For US-specific service rules, the service hub covers it.

How to use this hub

Each country page opens with a one-paragraph TL;DR — "is it expected, customary %, local currency, the sentence that captures the norm." If you only have ten seconds before the bill arrives, that's enough. The rest of the page covers the situation table (restaurant, café, bar, taxi, hotel, tour guide, hairdresser), the money mechanics, and the local-language phrase to use.

If you're traveling between countries, the table above prints fine on one page. The essay on the 20% default explains why US norms feel high abroad — and why locals are starting to feel the pressure too.