Tipping etiquette by country
Tipping varies wildly by country — what's required in the US is insulting in Japan. Here's the honest, country-by-country breakdown for 45 destinations.
By tipping intensity
Never tip (locals don't)
Light tipping (optional)
Australia Not expectedChina Not expectedDenmark Not expectedFinland Not expectedFrance Service includedIceland Not expectedItaly Service includedNew Zealand Not expectedNorway Not expectedSingapore Service includedSouth Korea Not expectedSweden Not expectedSwitzerland Service includedTaiwan Service included
Modest tipping (5-15%)
Argentina 10%Austria 5-10%Belgium 5-10%Brazil 10%Chile 10%Czechia 10%Egypt 10%Germany 5-10%Greece 5-10%Hong Kong 10-15%Hungary 10-15%India 10%Indonesia 5-10%Ireland 10-12.5%Israel 12-15%Kenya 10%Mexico 10-15%Morocco 10%Netherlands 5-10%Peru 10%Poland 10%Portugal 5-10%South Africa 10-15%Spain 5-10%Thailand 5-10%United Arab Emirates 10-15%United Kingdom 10-12.5%Vietnam 5-10%
Heavy tipping culture (15%+)
Universal tipping rules
- Cash beats card every time. Card tips often go through payroll and skim taxes/processing fees. Cash goes directly to the person — and in some countries (US, France, Italy) only cash tips reach the staff at all.
- Tip in local currency. A US$1 tip on a hotel bag in Tokyo looks like trash to a local — they can't easily spend it, and conversion fees eat most of the value.
- Always check the bill first. Many countries (Italy, France, Brazil, Hong Kong) bake a "service charge" into the bill. Tipping again on top is generous to the point of weirdness.
- The single biggest tipping mistake isn't under-tipping or over-tipping — it's tipping in countries where it isn't done (Japan, much of Scandinavia, parts of East Asia). Locals find it embarrassing or insulting.
- For multi-day services (safari guides, ski instructors, dive guides, drivers, tour leaders): tip at the END of the trip, often via a sealed envelope handed personally. The amount per day per guest typically runs $5-25 depending on the country and quality of service.