International Restaurant Tipping Etiquette



African Tipping Guidelines

Egyptian Tipping Etiquette

A 12% service charge may be added to your bill, but this is not a tip for your waiter. A 10% tip is suggested.

Kenyan Tipping Etiquette

Western visitors often leave a tip of up to 10% when they pay for a meal. Kenyans give a minimal tip.

Moroccan Tipping Etiquette

In more expensive restaurants and bars, 10%-15% percent of the bill is a suffice tip. For many service people, such as porters and guides, tips are their sole income.

Nigerian Tipping Etiquette

Tips are optional— 5% is fine.

South African Tipping Etiquette

Visitors are expected to give a 20% tip when paying for a meal.

Asian Tipping Guidelines

Chinese Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is generally considered an insult in China. Most government operated hotels and restaurants prohibit acceptance of tips. It is sometimes expected, however, in some of the bigger hotels and by younger service personnel, in the more open cities.

Filipino Tipping Etiquette

Restaurants and hotels usually charge a service fee. Tipping is optional on bills that already include a 10% service charge. That’s the standard practice. However, if you aim to build a strong presence, both indirectly and directly with your local business contact and the people around him, be generous.

Indian Tipping Etiquette

Normally, excessive tipping is not encouraged, but a certain amount of tip is expected. In most restaurants, 10% is a sufficient tip, which may be added to the bill. You can, however, give an additional tip by leaving the change to show your appreciation.

Indonesian Tipping Etiquette

Tax and service charges (10%-15%) are included in the bill. If the service is exceptional, a supplemental tip in an amount of your choice is appropriate. Also, an extra tip is appreciated in the more traditional restaurants.

Japanese Tipping Etiquette

There is no tipping in Japan.

Malaysian Tipping Etiquette

Restaurants often have a service charge, and it is customary to leave the smaller notes from the change as an extra tip.

Singapore Tipping Etiquette

Tips are usually included in the bill, but if you want to reward especially good service, you can add an additional 10%. However, if you add this tip to a credit card slip, the wait staff who attended you will most likely not get this money—the owner or manager will take it.

South Korean Tipping Etiquette

Gratuities may be included in the bill at higher-end restaurants, but tipping is generally not done.

Taiwanese Tipping Etiquette

If you want to give a tip, 10% would be fine.

Thai Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is not common practice in Thailand. In large hotels and restaurants, a 10% service charge is automatically added to the bill, and no additional gratuity is expected. Elsewhere, tipping occurs only in tourist areas. Nonetheless, restaurant employees everywhere appreciate a small tip—10% at most. Outside the tourist areas, the meals are so reasonably priced that even a 10% tip rarely amounts to more than US$1.

Vietnamese Tipping Etiquette

If you are paying the bill, a standard 10%-15% tip is acceptable without seeming effusive. More than that is considered showing off. Be sure to double check the bill, as many restaurants add the tip as a matter of course. In that case, you leave no additional tip.

Australian and the Pacific Tipping Guidelines

Australian Tipping Etiquette

A 10 % tip is typical if a gratuity is not included in your bill.

Guam Tipping Etiquette

Hotels automatically add a 10% or 15% service charge to the bill. Locals rarely tip more than $1-$2.

New Zealand Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is not mandatory, though a growing number of restaurant staff are coming to expect it. In a formal restaurant, when you are pleased with the service, you could leave around 10%. Tipping is not expected in the more casual cafes.

Caribbean Tipping Guidelines

Cuban Tipping Etiquette

The typical tip is 10%, but in many cases it is less.

Dominican Tipping Etiquette

Dominicans rarely tip, but the staff will appreciate a 10%-15% tip.

Eastern European Tipping Guidelines

Czech Tipping Etiquette

Tipping depends on the restaurant. Follow the lead of your host or ask your host if you are unsure. In the smaller restaurants, it is customary to round up the total. So, if the price is 75Kc, pay 100Kc. However, in the most expensive restaurants, a 10%-15% tip is expected. If you have bad service, don't bother leaving a tip.

Hungarian Tipping Etiquette

There is no standard practice regarding the inclusion of tips or service charges on the bill. Most "local" restaurants do not include a tip of charge, while a number of tourist-oriented venues will. Visitors should check the bill before adding an additional tip.
The standard amount, when service is satisfactory, is 10% (usually rounded up to the nearest 100 HUF [Hungarian Forint, merely called "forint" when speaking], or 500HUF for a large group). If a gratuity is not left, this indicates to the staff that service was totally unacceptable. Exceptional service warrants between 15 and 20%.

The bill and the tip should be presented directly to the server. You should not leave payment for your meal on the table, nor should you leave a tip separately after paying the check. The Hungarian practice is to complete all transactions face-to-face and it is wise to follow this, both for the sake of being polite and to ensure all parties are aware the bill has been calculated and paid accurately.
Calculate the bill plus tip. If you have exact change, give this amount directly to your server, all at once. Otherwise, hand your payment to the server and request change so that the server walks away with the check plus tip during this single transaction.
For example: If your bill was 2000 HUF, the standard tip is 200 HUF. If you have exact change, hand this to the server. Otherwise, give the server 3000 HUF and ask for 800 HUF back.

Remember: Tipping is always at your discretion. Do not feel pressured into tipping if staff or managers challenge the amount you leave and the service was surly or poor, even if the service charge was included on the bill. While wages in this region are considerably lower than other areas of Europe, you should only pay for what you get.

Polish Tipping Etiquette

If visitors are paying for a meal, they should leave a 15% tip.

Romanian Tipping Etiquette

Tip waiters 5-10% if the service was good. Service will be included in the bill, but a small tip will not go unappreciated.

Russian Tipping Etiquette

If you are paying for the meal, it is appropriate to leave a 10%-15% tip. Originally illegal, today a tip of about 9 or 10% is typically included in the bill. However, another tip is always welcome, even if you were overcharged. Most Russians will look at the bill just to see the final figure. It's considered rude to study the bill as this will make a server uncomfortable.

Ukrainian Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is a relatively new concept in Ukraine, but it is catching on quickly, especially in finer restaurants frequented by foreigners. As wages are very low, a 10%-15% tip, depending upon the level of service, is greatly appreciated.

European Tipping Guidelines

Austrian Tipping Etiquette

A 10 % tip is typical if a gratuity is not included in your bill.

Belgian Tipping Etiquette

If a host invites visitors for a meal at a restaurant, the visitors should not offer to pay the bill. It is not necessary to leave a tip, as a service charge of 15% is included in the bill. If you wish to reward exceptional service, you should give a tip to the maitre d', who will ensure it is distributed to the various waiters.

Dutch Tipping Etiquette

Tips are included in the price of the meal in the Netherlands. However, you may wish to round up the price of the meal if you had very good service. A tip is usually split among the entire staff of the restaurant and is not held by the particular person who served you.

Finnish Tipping Etiquette

Tips are generally 10%, though some of the more upscale restaurants expect 12%.

French Tipping Etiquette

A service charge is usually included on restaurant bills, but it's common practice to leave a bit more if the service was good—perhaps 5% of the total. This is particularly true in better restaurants.

German Tipping Etiquette

Tips are automatically included in a bill, so it's not necessary to leave a tip. However, good service may be rewarded with a slight addition to the tip.

Greek Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is not obligatory, as all restaurant bills already include a service charge. You may leave a tip of 5% or 10% if you are satisfied with the service.

Irish Tipping Etiquette

A tip of roughly 10% is sufficient for groups of four or more. Irish people do not over-tip and will feel awkward if a visitor does, so be discreet.

Italian Tipping Etiquette

For restaurants, a tip of 10% will be sufficient. Even if the tip is included in the bill, it can still be appropriate to leave some extra change amounting to another 5% if the service was exceptional. Since tipping is expected, be sure to ask if the gratuity is included in the bill whenever you are in doubt. Do not leave a tip of less than 1 euro.

Norwegian Tipping Etiquette

You generally should leave a tip of 10% at restaurants.

Portuguese Tipping Etiquette

If, for some reason, the visitors are paying for the meal, they should leave a tip, though tips are not mandatory in Portugal. Tips are generally 10% of the bill or less.

Spanish Tipping Etiquette

If there is no service charge for a meal, it is considered polite to leave a tip, which is usually somewhere in the area of 10% of the total bill.

Swedish Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is not required in Sweden since restaurant personnel receive wages in line with other categories of workers. If you receive excellent service, a 10% tip would be appropriate and appreciated.

Swiss Tipping Etiquette

A visitor is not required to leave a tip.

Middle Eastern Tipping Guidelines

Israeli Tipping Etiquette

Look carefully at a restaurant bill to see whether a tip is included. If not, a 12% tip is appropriate.

Jordanian Tipping Etiquette

Most restaurants add a service charge to the bill. If not, then 10%-15% would be an appropriate tip.

Pakistani Tipping Etiquette

It is common practice to leave a tip, but there are no customs regarding the amount. It depends on the total amount of the bill and the type of restaurant. In many restaurants a tip from 1%-5% would be appropriate. In more sophisticated restaurants the tip would range from 10%-15%.

Turkish Tipping Etiquette

If visitors are paying for the meal, it is appropriate to leave a 10%-15% tip.

UAE Tipping Etiquette

When the visitor is entertaining in a restaurant or hotel, tipping is the same as in Europe; ten percent over and above the service charge if merited. Also as in most of Europe, it is not customary to tip taxi drivers.

Central American Tipping Guidelines

Costa Rican Tipping Etiquette

People do not tip in Costa Rica. At nice restaurants, a gratuity is always included on the bill.

Salvadoran Tipping Etiquette

Tips are not customary in El Salvador, although they are becoming more common with the growing North American influence and are beginning to be expected at many restaurants. At most of the upscale restaurants, the tip will be included in the bill. If you do leave a tip, 10% would be appropriate.

Guatemalan Tipping Etiquette

Tips are not customary in Guatemala. But this is changing with North American influence, and tipping is now expected in many restaurants. In many of the best restaurants, the tip will be included in the bill. If not, it would be appropriate to tip 10%.

Panamanian Tipping Etiquette

Visitors should tip 10% if they are paying for the meal.

North American Tipping Guidelines

Canadian Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is not compulsory in Canada. However, in a business situation it is appropriate. Tips are at your discretion but need not be more than 15%.

Mexican Tipping Etiquette

If you are hosting the meal, note whether the tip is included on the bill (servicio incluyo). If the tip is not included, the same percentage is appropriate as in the U.S. and Canada.

South American Tipping Guidelines

Argentinean Tipping Etiquette

A 10-15 % tip is typical if a gratuity is not included in your bill.

Chilean Tipping Etiquette

A 10-15 % tip is typical if a gratuity is not included in your bill. The gratuity is usually included in the bill. For exceptional service, it is polite to leave an additional 5% tip on the table. If a gratuity is not included in your bill, then a 10-15 % tip is in order.

Ecuadorian Tipping Etiquette

If you are hosting the gathering, it is appropriate to leave a 15% tip.

Peruvian Tipping Etiquette

A tip should be from 8%-10% of the total bill. Most restaurants in Peru will include a 15% service charge with the bill. If the service was outstanding, be sure to tip an additional amount.

Venezuelan Tipping Etiquette

It is customary to tip 10%-15%.