If you're planning an overseas vacation or traveling internationally for any reason, you may discover your home Netflix content is unavailable while you're abroad.
As a paying Netflix subscriber, you may feel frustrated, especially as prices continue to rise. But due to various licensing agreements, Netflix can only show certain content in certain countries. This means that when you're out of the country, you could potentially be blocked from streaming the shows and movies you like to watch from home.
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With the help of a virtual private network, you can watch all the Netflix content you want, from wherever you are in the world. Here's how to do it, with one caveat.
While Netflix no longer makes efforts to explicitly block access when it detects a VPN, the streaming provider says that you'll only be able to watch content for which it holds worldwide rights to when you use a VPN. However, in my experience, using any of CNET's top VPNs for Netflix has allowed me to stream region-specific content from abroad without any issues. That said, it's important to keep Netflix's terms of use in mind, as they can change at any time, and the company can terminate your account if it detects abuse. We don't encourage people to violate their user agreements.
Can I watch Netflix internationally with a VPN?
Yes, you can -- in four simple steps:
- Subscribe to a VPN service. Not all VPNs will be up to the task of unblocking Netflix, but a top VPN service like ExpressVPN or Surfshark should work reliably while you're abroad. Before subscribing, make sure VPN use is legal in your destination country.
- Download the VPN software to your computer or device. The download and installation process is just like downloading any other app.
- Connect to a VPN server in your home country. To watch your home Netflix catalog while traveling overseas, simply open your VPN app and connect to a server in your home country by clicking of the corresponding country. For example, if you're from the US, connect to a US server, or if you're from the UK, choose a UK server.
- Launch Netflix. Head over to Netflix on your computer or device as you normally would and you should be able to watch all the titles you'd watch at home. If you're having issues or are getting an error message, try connecting to a different server from your country or contact your VPN provider's customer support.
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How does this work?
This works because when you connect to a VPN server, your IP address changes to match the address of the VPN server you're using. Your real IP address and physical location are hidden from Netflix in the process. Netflix will therefore register your location as the location of the VPN server you're connecting through and should deliver the content it makes available in that country.
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Remember to only try this in regions where Netflix offers its service and, according to the company's Terms of Use, has the rights to stream such content.
Keep in mind that while using a VPN to bypass geo-blocking isn’t usually illegal (unless VPN use is banned in the specific country you are visiting), Netflix could still suspend or terminate your account if it determines you’ve violated the company's terms of service. So proceed at your own risk. That said, I haven't heard of any reports of people's accounts being terminated for using a VPN to unblock Netflix content.
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