Last updated: 22 October 2026
Uber works in most of the US, Europe, Latin America and the Gulf, but in several big destinations it is not the app to open first: in South Korea it is Kakao T or Kakao's visitor app k.ride, in Japan GO, in Southeast Asia Grab and in China DiDi. In Japan, Italy, Greece and Turkey, Uber mostly books licensed taxis (and in Italy premium cars) rather than the usual UberX ride.
Whichever app it is, set it up at home: most send a sign-in code by text to your home number, and you need mobile data at the curb to book the ride.
Which app gets you a car, country by country
Availability changes city by city, so check the app for your city before you rely on it.
| Country | Apps to install | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| United States, Canada | Uber, Lyft | Both work in most cities |
| Mexico | Uber, DiDi, inDrive | |
| United Kingdom | Uber, Bolt, FreeNow | FreeNow books licensed taxis |
| France | Uber, Bolt, FreeNow, G7 | G7 is the Paris taxi company's app |
| Spain | Uber, Cabify, Bolt, FreeNow | Cabify is Spanish |
| Italy | Uber, FreeNow, itTaxi | No UberX: Uber Taxi and Uber Black only |
| Germany | Uber, Bolt, FreeNow | |
| Portugal | Uber, Bolt | |
| Greece | FreeNow, Uber | Both book licensed taxis |
| Turkey | BiTaksi, Uber | Uber in Istanbul books taxis |
| United Arab Emirates | Careem, Uber | Uber has owned Careem's ride business since 2020 |
| Egypt | Uber, inDrive | Uber also books Cairo taxis |
| South Korea | Kakao T, k.ride, Uber | Uber here is Uber Taxi, licensed cabs only |
| Japan | GO, Uber | Both book licensed taxis |
| China | DiDi | DiDi also runs inside Alipay |
| Hong Kong | Uber | Books metered taxis; HKTaxi closed in April 2025 |
| Taiwan | Uber, 55688 (Taiwan Taxi) | 55688 has an English option |
| Thailand | Grab, Bolt | No Uber in Southeast Asia |
| Vietnam | Xanh SM, Grab, Be | Gojek left Vietnam in September 2024 |
| Indonesia | Grab, Gojek | Motorbike taxis on both |
| Malaysia, Philippines | Grab | |
| Singapore | Grab, Gojek | |
| India | Uber, Rapido, Ola | |
| Australia | Uber | |
| Brazil | Uber, 99 | 99 belongs to DiDi |
| Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru | Uber, DiDi, Cabify |
Japan: GO first, Uber for taxis
Yes, there is Uber in Japan, but as a taxi app. Uber Taxi works in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Yokohama, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Hiroshima, Okinawa and other cities, according to Uber's Japan pages, at the metered taxi fare. Uber says some partner companies in Tokyo and Osaka add a pickup fee. Since April 2024 Uber has also offered Japan's limited ride-share, private cars run under licensed taxi companies, in set zones of Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanagawa and Aichi.
GO is the app most travel guides tell visitors to install first. GO says it covers all 47 prefectures and accepts international credit cards and Apple Pay, and its site is in English.
A taxi app in Japan saves you from flagging cabs in the rain and lets you pay in the app. It does not make the ride cheaper than a cab hailed on the street. Our guide Will my phone work in Japan? covers getting online there.
South Korea: Kakao T, k.ride or Uber Taxi
Uber's standard service ended in Korea in 2015, and only licensed taxi companies can offer rides. What visitors can use:
- Kakao T is the app most Koreans use. It needs a Kakao account, and travel guides report that it can be hard to set up without a Korean phone number or card.
- k.ride, launched by Kakao Mobility in June 2024 for visitors, signs you up with a phone number or a Google, Apple or email account, takes overseas cards and works in English, Japanese and Chinese. Korea JoongAng Daily reported at launch that it only offers Kakao T's pricier taxi types, not the cheapest general taxi, and adds a fee.
- Uber works in Seoul as Uber Taxi, the name its Korean joint venture UT took in 2024. It books licensed taxis.
Italy: Uber Taxi and Uber Black, not UberX
Italy has Uber, but not the cheap UberX service. Uber's Italian site lists Uber Taxi, which books licensed taxis at the meter, in Rome, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Cagliari and Olbia, and it also sells Uber Black premium cars. Many visitors use FreeNow or itTaxi, which also book licensed taxis, or take a cab from a taxi rank.
China: DiDi
Uber left China in 2016, when it sold its business there to DiDi. Travel guides from 2026 report two ways in for visitors: DiDi's own app in English, signed up with a foreign phone number that can receive the text code, or DiDi inside Alipay, paid with the foreign card you added to Alipay. The guides disagree on which works better, and we found no official DiDi statement on foreign numbers and cards, so set up both before you go.
Southeast Asia: Grab
Uber sold its Southeast Asian business to Grab in 2018, so Grab is the default from Bangkok to Manila. In Indonesia and Singapore, Gojek is the other big name, and in Thailand Bolt competes on price. In Vietnam, the local electric taxi company Xanh SM has overtaken Grab in market share, according to 2025 estimates, with Be third. Grab also sells motorbike rides in several countries, which are cheaper and quicker in traffic.
Turkey and the Gulf
In Istanbul, Uber books taxis: Turkish courts halted its private-car service, and its taxi-calling service carried on. BiTaksi, the local taxi app in Istanbul and Ankara, takes cash or card. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Careem and Uber both work, and Careem's ride-hailing has been part of Uber since 2020.
The maps app matters too
Google Maps works in most of the world, with three cases worth planning for:
- South Korea: Google Maps still does not give full walking or driving directions. Korea approved Google's request to export detailed map data in February 2026, but we found no confirmation that full navigation has launched. Install Naver Map, which Naver supports in English, Chinese and Japanese, or KakaoMap.
- China: Google's apps are blocked on Chinese networks. Use a local map app or Apple Maps.
- Japan: Google Maps works well, including train times.
Download offline maps of your first city before you leave, so you can find your hotel even before your data connects.
Why you need data the moment you land
Ride apps need mobile data to book, track the car and message the driver, and the airport is where you need them most. Airport Wi-Fi often stops at the arrivals hall door, which is where pickup zones start.
Three things to do at home:
- Install the app and sign up. Most apps verify your account by sending a code by text to your phone number. A data-only travel eSIM has no number of its own, so the code goes to your home line. Do it at home, where that text arrives for free.
- Add your card and, if the app allows it, price a short trip to check that the card is accepted.
- Install your travel eSIM on the day you leave. For most plans the days start when the eSIM first connects in a covered country, so it is ready when you land, and your own number stays on your main line for calls and texts. Our guide eSIM for Europe explains how one plan covers several countries.
FAQ
Is there Uber in Japan?
Yes, as a taxi app. Uber Taxi books licensed taxis at the metered fare in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and other cities, and Uber runs a limited ride-share with taxi companies in parts of Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanagawa and Aichi. GO is the taxi app most travel guides recommend first.
Is there Uber in Italy?
Yes, but not UberX. Uber Taxi books licensed taxis in Rome, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Cagliari and Olbia, and Uber Black offers premium cars. FreeNow and itTaxi also book taxis.
Is there Uber in South Korea?
Yes, as Uber Taxi, which books licensed taxis. Most Koreans use Kakao T, and visitors can use Kakao's k.ride app, which takes foreign cards and phone numbers.
Does Uber work in Europe?
In most countries, yes, alongside Bolt and FreeNow. In Italy and Greece it books taxis (and in Italy premium cars) rather than UberX.
Is there Uber in China?
No. Uber sold its China business to DiDi in 2016. Use DiDi's English app or DiDi inside Alipay.
What app replaces Uber in Southeast Asia?
Grab, in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Gojek is the other big app in Indonesia and Singapore, Bolt works in Thailand, and Xanh SM leads in Vietnam.
Do I need mobile data to use Uber abroad?
Yes. Ride apps need data to book, track the car and message the driver. Sign up at home, where the verification text reaches your home number, and have a travel eSIM or a roaming plan ready for when you land.
Facts checked on 22 October 2026 against Uber's Japan, Italy, Hong Kong and city pages, GO's website, Naver's press releases, Lyft's FreeNow announcement, Cabify's help center, BiTaksi's app listing, Korea JoongAng Daily, The Korea Times, CNN Türk, TechCrunch, the Bangkok Post, GoTo's Vietnam announcement, and 2026 travel guides where no official source exists. Apps change city by city: check yours before you go.