
How to Watch American Netflix From a Different Country
With over 13,000 films and TV shows to choose from, including new releases, classics, and acclaimed originals, it’s little surprise that Netflix has become one of the most popular streaming platforms in the world.
The only issue is that some of those highly sought after titles are only available in certain countries. The Netflix library on offer is very different depending on whether you’re watching from the US, France, India, or Japan, for example.
Sometimes these geo-restrictions are down to licensing issues at Netflix – they may not have paid the production company that owns the material for the rights to stream that show in one particular part of the world.
Other times, the laws of a specific country mean that the content of a film or TV show is banned or censored there. Singapore, for example, has outlawed a ton of movies. In Vietnam, Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is a no-go. Germany asked for Night of the Living Dead to be taken down. In Saudi Arabia, you can’t watch one particular episode of Hasan Minhaj’s The Patriot Act. In China and North Korea, Netflix is outlawed altogether.
So what is a Netflix subscriber to do if they want to get around their country’s censorship? Or they find out that the show they’re most excited about is only available in the US? How to watch US Netflix in Europe?
In this article, we will explain everything.
- How to Change Location on Netflix From Wherever You Are
- How to Change Netflix Country with ExpressVPN – Detailed Tutorial
- How to Change Netflix Region with NordVPN – Detailed Tutorial
- What to Do if You Get a Proxy Error Message
- Proxy Workaround For NordVPN
- Bottom line: How to Watch Netflix from Other Countries
- Interesting Netflix Readings
How to Change Location on Netflix From Wherever You Are
If you’re wondering how to change Netflix country, or how to change Netflix region, Netflix doesn’t let you change your location manually. So the bigger question is how to change location on Netflix easily.
Netflix automatically loads the library for the region it detects you to be in, based on your IP address. This means that the only way to change your location on Netflix is to convince Netflix that you’re actually in the country you want to change to.
There is only one way to achieve this: you need to install a VPN. VPNs mask your true IP address by routing your internet traffic through another server. If you want to make it look like you’re in the US, for example, you have to choose to connect via a US server. Netflix will then see the US IP address and automatically show you the US video library.
It sounds easy – and it usually is. But there are three important things to bear in mind.
1.You need to use a VPN that gives you the option of choosing the US as a server
Some very basic VPNs, especially free ones, will automatically allocate you a proxy server and may not offer the country of your choice. They may also be inundated with people from all over the world trying to use the same server, which means slower speeds and more chance of Netflix crashing anyway.
2.Netflix doesn’t want people gaming the system.
The company dedicates a ton of resources to identifying and blocking internet traffic that comes from VPNs – and often, it succeeds. There are, in fact, only a handful of VPNs powerful enough to reliably have Netflix unblocked. Two of the best VPNs that work with Netflix are ExpressVPN and NordVPN. I’ve explained how to use these below.
3.While VPNs are legal in most of the world, they aren’t legal everywhere.
What’s more, trying to bypass Netflix licensing rules can put you on shaky ground, legally speaking. This makes it all the more important to choose a VPN with rigorous privacy protections in place. Again, it’s well worth paying for the service. Especially as some individual countries, like China, will also attempt to block your VPN – and only a handful of VPN service providers (ExpressVPN, NordVPN, SurfShark) can bash through the Great Firewall.
How to Change Netflix Country with ExpressVPN – Detailed Tutorial
ExpressVPN is claimed to be one of the best VPNs in the world. Its consistently fast streaming speed with ping times minimally affected makes it an excellent option for streaming Netflix. Also, it’s known to work extremely well in high censorship countries.
- Download and install ExpressVPN.
- Click “select location” and choose the server country you want to connect to. For the US, you can then narrow this down to New York, New Jersey or Washington DC. To get the best connection speed and stability. it’s usually best to pick the one nearest to your actual location.
- Press the connect button. As soon as it turns green, you’re ready to go.
- Open Netflix and start browsing.
Find out more about all the features of this VPN in our ExpressVPN review.
Price: Starting from $6.67/month
ExpressVPN offers an amazing deal where you can save 49% (giving you 3 months for free) when you sign up for the year plan.
How to Change Netflix Region with NordVPN – Detailed Tutorial
NordVPN has over 5,000 servers located across over 60 countries around the world. This is great for accessing many different Netflix libraries. They also offer real-time server load indicators so you’re guaranteed the fastest connection.
- Download and install NordVPN.
- Select the server country you want to connect to. For American Netflix, you can actually choose any server that is NOT based in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, India, Brazil, or Spain. Again, to get the best connection speed and stability. it’s usually best to pick the one nearest to your actual location.
- Hit the connect button.
- Open Netflix and start browsing.
Get to grips with the ins and outs of NordVPN in this review.
Price: Starting from $3.71/month
What to Do if You Get a Proxy Error Message
Occasionally, Netflix might spot that you’re actually connecting from a VPN. If that happens, you’ll get an error message that says something along the lines of “proxy error” or “you seem to be using an unblocker or proxy”.
Don’t panic. Top VPNs have thousands of servers and IP addresses and the chances are that you’ll be able to get straight back in just by switching to a different one. Here’s what to do next
- Close your browser.
- Switch to a different server through your VPN before you reopen it. As we’ve seen, when you’re using either NordVPN or ExpressVPN this is really easy – you can just pick a different US location.
- Open Netflix in a “Private” or “Incognito” browser.
- If that doesn’t work, clear your cookies and refresh your cache. This is straightforward to do, but how you do it differs slightly depending on what browser you are using. If you’re not sure how to refresh your cache, click here for detailed instructions for each type of browser.
- If that doesn’t work, restart the VPN application.
- If that doesn’t work, restart your device.
In the vast majority of cases, this clears up the issue.
Proxy Workaround For NordVPN
The best option is to manually set up your devices to point to NordVPN’s DNS addresses. Close your browser, refresh your cache, close NordVPN, and then follow the relevant steps for your device:
On a Mac
- Go to System Preferences > Network > Advanced > DNS
- Press the + button
- Add the following two numbers: 103.86.96.100 and 103.86.99.100
On Windows
- Go to Network and Sharing Center (or right-click the Network icon).
- Select “Change Adapter Options” under “Change Your Network Settings”.
- Right-click “TAP-NordVPN Windows adapter V9” and select Properties.
- Highlight “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and select Properties.
- Check “Use the Following DNS server addresses” and type in 103.86.96.100 and 103.86.99.100.
- Repeat these steps, but instead of “TAP-NordVPN Windows adapter V9”, choose “Wi-Fi” or “Ethernet” this time.
On Android
- Go to Settings > WiF.i
- Long Press on “Current Network” and select Modify Network.
- Select Advanced Settings.
- Change “IP Settings” to “Static”.
- In DNS1 and DNS2, add: 103.86.96.100 and 103.86.99.100
What Now?
Now restart your device, reopen the NordVPN app, select a US location, and open up Netflix in your browser. You shouldn’t get a proxy error message now.
If for any reason you still do, it’s probably a brand new problem, so give your VPN’s customer services a call. They should be able to help – and both NordVPN and ExpressVPN famously have great customer service.
Bottom line: How to Watch Netflix from Other Countries
In this article, we’ve focused on how to watch US Netflix in Europe and other places around the world. But what if you’re already in the US and want to know how to watch Netflix from other countries? If you want to tap into TV from back home or discover new movies from all around the world?
You may not realize it, but Americans can’t access many shows on Netflix that are available to users in other parts of the world. That includes:
- Rick and Morty (anywhere outside the US)
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (only available in the UK)
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (available everywhere but the US)
- Hannibal (UK, Japan, Mexico)
- Orphan Black (UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Mexico)
- Star Trek – Discovery (everywhere but the US and Canada)
- Fargo (anywhere outside the US)
There are also a ton of enormously popular shows that many Americans may never have heard of, like iconic British shows ‘Peep Show’, ‘Doctor Who’, and the superb ‘The Thick of It’, the last two of which are only available in the UK. Or one of my personal favorites, the Australian show ‘Please Like Me’.
And that’s just a few English-language examples! There’s also a wealth of options in French, Spanish, German, Korean, and other languages available in these countries.
So how do you tap into these? Well, the good news is that the principle is exactly the same. Using your VPN, you simply need to select a server in the country you prefer to access Netflix from… and start browsing. Enjoy!
i did trial for netflix korea as dying watch a movie only they had-i did wk trial wiyj express but did not work once
express no help at all 2hrs one message we kept going once still nothing if i did get close or on to the folder-press play it said error87867 it was other numbers u get my drift
everytime that happened only if i got on it,and finally the other was once we nearly got on-was on korea i logged in it said same/welcome etc,but soon as we clicked movie it send us back to log in again-everytime we tried the same-even if i logged in then iy still was the same–sorry if bit confusing but im oap and novice,
Great article. Everyone feels this information is valuable.Finally i got anwser for my question when i read this.Thanks a lot from Viva tv
Hi Viva TV,
We’re so glad you enjoyed the article
I loved your article, and also feels good to know that I made the right choice getting the ExpressVPN to watch Netflix outside of USA. I am in the UK and got myself the service with VPNranks website recommendation on American Netflix in UK. I was quite easily able to connect and get access to the American Netflix Library. All I had to do was to connect to a US server in Washington. Amazingly written piece of information. Good Job
Hi Anabelle,
So, so happy to hear that you are happy with ExpressVPN! We are happy to have been able to help 🙂
Pretty well written and i like how you stick to the facts! Alltough i would recomend that you put this in your article too: With NordVPN you get 2 Years VPN accses for 69$ AND you can use it on !!6!! different Maschines AT THE SAME TIME!!! (i tried it and after connecting the 9th device i didn´t get disconected on any of them)
ExpressVPN and else are also able to connect more then one Device, how many i can’t say.
Keep up the good work, greetz from Germany
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Most VPNs have the potential to slow the internet connection of the user, except ExpressVPN. It is one of the fastest and users rarely notice a difference. In fact, ExpressVPN might actually improve the internet connection of the user if his ISP has been throttling Netflix traffic.
By selecting a US server closest to your actual location, any drop in the video streaming quality can be pulled up. Also, if you’re using a streaming media device like an Apple TV, you may want to try watching Netflix by changing your DNS setting, a feature which is included with every ExpressVPN subscription.
So far, totally satisfied with ExpressVPN!
Good post! Well done.
Hi, while visiting USA on business, I discovered netflix. From this post, I understand that I may not have to do without it. Please what VPN in particular do you recommend to best suit my location?
Hi Andy, everyone loves Netflix US because it has the largest selection of movies and television shows. However, once you venture outside the US, depending on the country, the library is much smaller. To access Netflix US from your home country, we highly recommend ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or HideMyAss.
Netflix is one of the most popular and on-demand sites at the moment for watching movies and TV series, we all know that. But in order to gain unlimited access to Netflix, the user needs to access it from the USA as access is restricted beyond the States border. This article does provide appropriate details about various VPNs that let users browse Netflix comfortably. However, as we can see there are VPNs that are blocked by Netflix, hence, using ExpressVPN can be fairly expensive as the cheap and free ones are mostly banned by Netflix. Also, cheap and free VPNs might not provide the right amount of privacy and security which is confirmed by ExpressVPN. Hence, if a user needs to switch VPNs in order to continue watching his favourite TV shows on Netflix, isn’t it still a slower and unreliable approach to browsing sites as the faster streaming of movies is hindered?
Hey there, thank you for a great question! Free or lower-priced VPNs tend to give you what you pay for, and often are heavily limited versions of paid services. While they are useful for basic browsing, to get the full gamut of protection you should opt for a paid version. ExpressVPN, while still our top recommendation for both speed and security, can be a bit on the pricier side, but there are other great services that still grant access to Netflix and the like. While switching between VPNs is an option, it’s not recommended as it can leave your computer and data exposed at the worst possible moments. If you feel like you can’t afford ExpressVPN, there are still other options that have shown excellent streaming and browsing speeds for VPNs at more affordable rates. Any of the options on this page are great recommendations, and offer different blends of features and price points that can satisfy your needs!
Great information. After reading this post now i can access american TV shows from any where outside USA. I want to ask you that which VPN should i use if i’m in India.
Glad to hear our article was helpful, and good to know you’re enjoying all your favorite shows! There are several great alternatives for VPNs in India, including ExpressVPN, IPVanish, and HideMyAss. You can learn more about the best options for you in our article here!
Super stoked about this! Just moved to Asia (hopping between China/Japan/Korea) and was sure I was going to have to miss out for a while. I had heard US Netflix was getting better at blocking VPN’s but glad I decided to give it a try again. Thanks from Tokyo!
You don’t have to be half way around the world to have problems with accessing Netflix. I regularly travel to Toronto and while I have a Canada Netflix account, they only have about half of the US shows, so I have to get on Nord in order to watch.
I’m getting ready to head over to China in about a month and apparently they are cracking down pretty rough on VPN. Do you know if Nord will work over there or do I need to pick another provider. I’d like to know ASAP so if I need to setup another service, I can do so before I go.
Hi Sam, NordVPN will work while you are in China. However, we recommend that you download the software before you travel to China, as China has blocked access to VPN sites. But, if you already have it on your computer prior to traveling, you will be good to go.
I was watching an old series of DEXTER on Netflix when I was in the US but soon after I came back to Belgium they restricted my account because it was registered for US Netflix. I tried different VPN services but nothing worked and this I found Express VPN which is amazingly good and I was able to complete my pending season just because it helped me get back my US Netflix account.
This is very helpful. I am an American but I actually travel a lot. I am also TV show freak to I have to always keep up. Thank you for this
Thank you very much for this post. Please, is VPN still working with Netflix as of this very day?
Hi, and thank you for the kind words! It’s hard to tell if and where Netflix is working on a day to day basis, as the company is notoriously hard on VPNs. However, the companies we list in the article have shown to be great at getting around new restrictions Netflix puts on them. We recommend ExpressVPN, as it offers you several server options in the United States, as well as reliable connection. However, in some cases you’ll have to try to access Netflix on a few different servers before you get a reliable stream. Even so, if you don’t succeed with your VPN at first, try again with a different server, as it may still be available. We hope this helps, and let us know how it goes when attempting to access US Netflix!
try ExpressVPN service. It’s great to unblock Netflix from abroad! Check it!
Is it still working December 2017 with Netflix ?
Hi Jimmy, as far as our tests go, yes, all services listed above work to access US Netflix library anywhere.
Awesome post… Been in France for a while now, didn’t know I could use VPN to access Netflix. Definitely going to try this
haven bounced around from vpn to vpn over the years, express VPN is definitely the best choice in as much as their services are expensive.
I rock Netflix from India with ExpressVPN. When I left US, I thought all my Netflix programmes has gone with it. With this VPN, I never miss a thing.
NordVPN almost never works, and ExpressVPN is only setup for Netflix in 2 random US locations, not all of them it seems. It does work most of the time.
How come Windscribe is not on this list? They have a working solution as well, called WINDFLIX
Hi George,
Thank you for this! We will certainly look into it!
I am using IPvanish and initially Netflix worked but it isnt working anymore for US content. My netflix account is in India.
hi, i live in the USA.I’m going for a 3 months vacation in Cameroon, central Africa. do you think
i can use one of those vpn to watch netflix? if yes what will be better?
Hi Arlette,
Thank you for reaching out.
I would suggest either ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Both unblock Netflix from many locations in the world, with many features which ensures a smooth streaming.
Have a look at our recent article https://securethoughts.com/make-an-effective-vpn-comparison/ for a quick comparison at their features.
Thank you!
Ilana
Is a us Netflix account needed , I’m guessing so as Australian account won’t work
Hi Mattman,
Here is a step by step guide for you to get US Netflix from where you are:
1. Sign up with a VPN provider (we recommend ExpressVPN to unblock Netflix).
2. Download / install the application to your device.
3. Launch the VPN application and sign in using your VPN account.
4. Connect to an American VPN server.
5. Go to Netflix website (you can also launch the Netflix application).
Enjoy your streaming!
Thank you,
Ilana
I am using ExpressVPN and keep getting a proxy error page on Netflix saying I cannot access. Does ExpressVPN still work?
Hi Devin,
Absolutely. Please get in touch with ExpressVPN customer service (live chat). We have testimonies that they will help you in no time.
Thank you,
Ilana
The entertainment industry wants to squeeze every dollar they can out of you, and that’s one reason you cannot freely watch Netflix anywhere in the world. The good news is that you can use a VPN to get around georestrictions and access all that Netflix has to offer.
Is ExpressVPN working with Netflix as of April 2017?
Thanks
Yes it is. They have been the most consistent at keeping it up and running.
With VPN you could access any countries/continent content.
Hi,
Would ExpressVPN only give me access to US Netflix or will other countries be available as well? Eg Canada, UK, Etc
Thanks for the list of VPN’s and set up information. I have express VPN and Netflix continues to give a blocked Proxy notification so I can’t get my USA content. It’s frustrating paying for both the VPN and Netflix and not being able to use it. Any ideas?
Hi,
I live in San Francisco, USA but I am in india right now for vacation. I tried accessing netflix from India and I could able to access movies and seasons. Is it okay to watch these shows outside USA ?
Hello,
Just for the sake of clarification, do want to access American Netflix from India or are you asking if you can access Indian Netflix with an American account in India?
Thank you
BufferedVPN not working anymore
Hello Nasthy,
we’ll look into this. It’s often a constant back and forth between Netflix and VPN providers. Hopefully the situation will resolve soon.
I live in US. Is there a way for me to access Netflix New Zealand.
Hey Ed,
To do so, you’ll likely just want to select a VPN server that’s based in New Zealand. That should place your IP address in New Zealand and solve your issue.
Best,
Lyndon
I have been using PureVPN to stream videos on Netflix and it works. I spoke to their support staff when i read this article. They told me that purevpn is working for all locations with neflix.
If anyone is interested, they can contact their support staff to find out the same news
I would suggest a credit card based in the usa as well. or getting a walmart refillable card with a usa address.
Looks like to me that media streaming companies or just media companies don’t want people to be able to use legal means of viewing media. The solution? Use a vpn and use a torrent streamer. More selection, free, and best of all you don’t have to deal with this BS.
Express vpn does not work, currently i have also tested nordvpn and private internet access and none work to access netflix, hulu, cbs just to name a few.
Hey V Rendz,
Thanks for the information! Unfortunately we often see the situation go back and forth in which streaming companies and VPN companies are constantly finding workarounds to each other’s workarounds. It’s an ongoing situation.
Best,
Lyndon
After Netflix crackdown on vpn’x most services can no longer Access Netflix, For now express vpn is the only vpn service that is reportedly working for Netflix. so we will advice you to stick to them, thanks
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Keeep up the great writing.