Tip by Country Guide

Look up tipping customs around the world.

Search by countryFilter by region

General guidance only. Tipping customs vary by venue, region and over time, and many bills already include a service charge — always check your receipt and follow local cues.

Showing 36 of 36 countries

Argentina

Tipping optional

South America

Restaurants: Around 10% if you were happy; not always expected
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for helpful staff

Cash tips are preferred as they may not reach staff via card.

Australia

Tipping optional

Oceania

Restaurants: Optional; 10% for excellent service or for groups
Taxis: Not expected; round up if you like
Hotels: Not expected

Staff are paid a fair minimum wage, so tipping is a genuine extra.

Brazil

Tipping optional

South America

Restaurants: A 10% service charge is usually added; extra is optional
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters is welcome

The 10% "serviço" on the bill is customary to pay but not legally required.

Canada

Tipping expected

North America

Restaurants: 15–20%, broadly expected
Taxis: 10–15%
Hotels: $1–2 per bag; a few dollars per night

Similar norms to the United States; card terminals often suggest tip amounts.

China

Tipping unusual

Asia

Restaurants: Generally not expected outside upscale or tourist venues
Taxis: Not expected
Hotels: Not expected in most hotels

Tipping is uncommon, though high-end tourist hotels may accept it.

Egypt

Tipping expected

Africa

Restaurants: 5–10% on top of any service charge
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: Small tips ("baksheesh") for many small services

Small tips for helpful service are a widespread part of daily life.

France

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: Service is included by law; rounding up or leaving small change is enough
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A euro or two for porters

"Service compris" means staff are paid a fair wage; large tips are unusual.

Germany

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: Round up or add 5–10%; tell the server the total when paying
Taxis: Round up to the nearest euro or two
Hotels: A euro or two for porters

It is customary to state the full amount you want to pay, including the tip.

Greece

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: 5–10% for good service; small change is common
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A euro or two for porters

Tipping is appreciated but never demanded.

India

Tipping optional

Asia

Restaurants: 5–10%; many venues add a service charge you can decline
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters and housekeeping

A service charge on the bill is optional — you may ask for it to be removed.

Indonesia

Tipping optional

Asia

Restaurants: A service charge is common; small extra tips are optional
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters

Tipping is appreciated, especially for drivers and guides.

Ireland

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: 10–15%; some venues add a service charge for groups
Taxis: Round up to the nearest euro or so
Hotels: A small tip for porters

Tipping is more common in restaurants than in pubs.

Israel

Tipping expected

Middle East

Restaurants: 10–15%, generally expected and often paid in cash
Taxis: Not expected; round up if you like
Hotels: A small tip for porters

Restaurant tipping is a strong norm; check whether it can be added to the card.

Italy

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: A "coperto" cover charge is common; extra tipping is optional
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A euro or two for porters

Tipping is modest; rounding up is more common than a percentage.

Japan

Tipping unusual

Asia

Restaurants: No tipping; it can cause confusion or be refused
Taxis: No tipping; pay the metered fare
Hotels: No tipping; excellent service is standard

Tipping is not part of the culture — attentive service is simply expected.

Kenya

Tipping optional

Africa

Restaurants: 5–10% for good service
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters; safari guides are tipped separately

Tipping safari guides and drivers is an established custom.

Mexico

Tipping expected

North America

Restaurants: 10–15%; check whether a service charge is already added
Taxis: Rounding up is enough; metered taxis rarely need a tip
Hotels: A small amount per bag and for housekeeping

Tips matter to service workers; small change is appreciated everywhere.

Morocco

Tipping optional

Africa

Restaurants: 5–10% for good service
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters and guides

Tips for guides and helpful staff are customary and appreciated.

Netherlands

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: Round up or add about 5–10% for good service
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A euro or two for porters

Service is included; tips are a modest thank-you, not a duty.

New Zealand

Tipping optional

Oceania

Restaurants: Optional; a tip rewards standout service
Taxis: Not expected
Hotels: Not expected

Tipping is not part of the culture but is welcomed for great service.

Norway

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: Round up or add about 5–10% for good service
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: Not expected

High wages mean tipping is discretionary and modest.

Peru

Tipping optional

South America

Restaurants: 10% is a kind gesture; check the bill for a service charge
Taxis: Not expected; agree the fare in advance
Hotels: A small tip for porters and guides

Tipping tour guides is more common than tipping in everyday venues.

Portugal

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: Round up or leave 5–10%
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A euro or two for porters

Modest tips are welcome; there is no strong expectation.

Russia

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: 10% for good service; check for a service charge
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters

Tipping has become more common in cities but is still discretionary.

Singapore

Tipping unusual

Asia

Restaurants: A 10% service charge is standard; extra tipping is unusual
Taxis: Not expected
Hotels: A small tip for porters is optional

Tipping is officially discouraged in some venues; the service charge covers it.

South Africa

Tipping expected

Africa

Restaurants: 10–15%, broadly expected
Taxis: 10% or round up
Hotels: A small tip per bag; petrol attendants are also tipped

Tipping is a normal part of service culture, including for car guards.

South Korea

Tipping unusual

Asia

Restaurants: Not expected; service charges may apply at upscale venues
Taxis: Not expected
Hotels: Not expected

Tipping is not customary and may be politely declined.

Spain

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: Small change or up to 5–10% for good service
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A euro or two for porters

Tipping is not obligatory and locals often leave only loose change.

Sweden

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: Round up or add a little for good service
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: Not expected; a small tip is a bonus

Service is included; tipping is light across the Nordic countries.

Switzerland

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: Service is included; rounding up is the norm
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A franc or two for porters

Wages are high, so tipping is light and entirely discretionary.

Thailand

Tipping optional

Asia

Restaurants: Round up or leave small change; upscale venues add a service charge
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters and housekeeping

Tipping is increasingly common in tourist areas but never required.

Turkey

Tipping optional

Middle East

Restaurants: 5–10%; some venues add a service charge
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters and housekeeping

Tips are appreciated in cash and welcomed in tourist areas.

United Arab Emirates

Tipping optional

Middle East

Restaurants: A 10% service charge is often added; extra is optional
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters and housekeeping

The added service charge may not reach staff, so a small cash tip helps.

United Kingdom

Tipping optional

Europe

Restaurants: 10–12.5%; many restaurants add an optional service charge
Taxis: Round up to the nearest pound or so
Hotels: A small tip for porters; housekeeping tips are optional

You may decline an added service charge if service was poor.

United States

Tipping expected

North America

Restaurants: 15–20%, often expected and a core part of staff income
Taxis: 10–15% of the fare
Hotels: $1–2 per bag; a few dollars per night for housekeeping

Service charges are rarely included; tipping is deeply embedded in the culture.

Vietnam

Tipping optional

Asia

Restaurants: Not expected; small tips are appreciated in tourist areas
Taxis: Round up the fare
Hotels: A small tip for porters

Tipping guides and drivers is more common than tipping in restaurants.

Quick tip helper

Once you have decided on a percentage, work out the amount.

Bill amountTip percentage

Tip amount

7.50

Total with tip

57.50

Processed on your device. We never see your files.

How to use Tip by Country Guide

What this tool does

The Tip by Country Guide is a searchable reference of tipping customs for around thirty-five countries across every inhabited continent. For each country it summarises what is normal for restaurants, taxis and hotels — whether tipping is expected, optional or unusual, and the typical percentage or gesture — along with a short note on local context. You can search by country name or filter by region, and a small built-in helper works out a percentage of a bill once you have decided how much to leave.

When you’d use it

Tipping is one of the easiest ways for a traveller to feel out of step. Leave nothing in a country where service staff depend on tips and you look mean; leave a large tip in a country where tipping is not done and you cause confusion or even mild offence. This guide is for the planning stage of a trip and for the moment the bill arrives. Use it before you travel to understand the culture of your destination, while planning a multi-country itinerary to compare norms, and on the ground to settle the small but recurring question of what to do at the end of a meal, a taxi ride or a hotel stay.

How to use it

Search for a specific country by name, or pick a region to browse a whole continent.
Read each country card: the restaurant, taxi and hotel lines give the typical norm, and the badge shows whether tipping is expected, optional or unusual.
Check the note at the bottom of each card for local context — such as service charges or cash preferences.
When you have decided on a percentage, use the quick tip helper to enter your bill and see the tip amount and the total.

How to read the result

The expectation badge is the fastest signal. “Tipping expected” means a tip is a normal and important part of the transaction — budget for it. “Tipping optional” means a modest tip rewards good service but is not obligatory. “Tipping unusual” means tipping is not part of the local culture and may be unnecessary or even unwelcome. Within that, the per-service lines give you the detail: restaurants, taxis and hotels often follow different conventions in the same country. The note adds the nuance — whether a service charge is typically included, whether cash is preferred, or whether guides and drivers are tipped separately from everyday venues.

Tips

Carry small amounts of local cash. Even in card-friendly countries, tips for porters, housekeeping and drivers are smoother in cash, and a card-added tip does not always reach the staff. Always check the bill for a service charge before adding more. When in doubt, watch what local people do — it is the most reliable guide of all. Remember that customs evolve, so treat every figure here as a well-informed starting point rather than a rule. For working out exact amounts once you know the percentage, the tip calculator is a fuller tool. To plan the rest of your journey, see the packing list generator and the trip duration calculator.

Privacy

This guide runs entirely in your browser. The country data is bundled into the page, and the quick tip helper does its maths locally — nothing you type is uploaded, stored or logged. Close the tab and nothing remains. No account, no tracking, just an instant local reference.

Frequently asked questions

Are these tipping amounts exact?

No — they are general guidance, and they are meant to be. Tipping is a social custom, not a fixed law, so it shifts over time and varies by region, by the kind of venue, by how the bill is structured and even by city. The percentages and norms here describe what a traveller can reasonably expect in each country, but a smart hotel restaurant, a rural café and a street stall in the same country can all have different conventions. Use the guide to understand the local culture and avoid awkward mistakes, then read your receipt and follow the cues of the people around you. The numbers are a starting point for good judgement, not a precise instruction.

How is this different from a tip calculator?

A tip calculator answers 'how much is fifteen percent of this bill'. This guide answers the question that comes first: 'in this country, should I tip at all, and roughly how much is normal?' In some places a generous tip is expected and part of how staff are paid; in others it is a modest thank-you; in a few it is genuinely unusual and can even cause confusion. The guide tells you which situation you are in for restaurants, taxis and hotels in each country. There is a small built-in helper to work out a percentage of a bill once you have decided on a figure, but the main purpose is cultural orientation, not arithmetic.

What does 'service charge included' mean for tipping?

Many countries add a service charge to the bill automatically — often around ten percent — and where that happens an extra tip is optional and usually small. The catch is that an added service charge does not always reach the staff, so in some places a modest cash tip on top is still appreciated even when a charge appears. Always check your receipt for a line such as 'service', 'servizio' or 'service compris'. If you see one, you have likely already tipped; if service was poor, in some countries you may politely ask for an added charge to be removed.

How do I use the search and filter?

Type a country name into the search box to jump straight to it, or use the region filter to browse a whole continent at once — handy when planning a multi-country trip. Each country card summarises the norm for restaurants, taxis and hotels, shows a badge for the overall expectation level, and adds a short note on local context. The counter tells you how many countries match. The quick tip helper at the bottom lets you enter a bill and a percentage to see the tip amount and total.

Is my information kept private?

Yes. The entire guide is bundled into the page, so browsing, searching and filtering happen instantly inside your browser with nothing fetched from a server. The quick tip helper does its arithmetic locally too — the bill amount you enter is never uploaded, never stored and never logged. Close the tab and nothing remains. No account, no tracking, no data leaving your device.

Related tools

Tip Calculator

Calculate tips and split the bill.

Tip Splitter

Split a bill and tip evenly across a group.

Travel Distance Converter

Convert distances between km, miles, and nautical miles.

Packing List Generator

Generate a packing list from your trip type.

Trip Duration Calculator

Calculate trip length across time zones.

Discount Calculator

Work out sale prices and savings.