Posted in:

 Can You Use Netflix Overseas?

Netflix is an awesome streaming site. The only question is – can you take it with you when you travel or move abroad?

We’ll answer that question in-depth in this article. And we’ll also offer you some useful unblocking tips (you’ll see what we mean in a bit).

So let’s not make this intro longer than it needs to be!

Can You Use Netflix Overseas?

Yes, you can. Netflix is available in almost any country – with a few exceptions (China, Crimea, North Korea, and Syria).

Just access the site like you normally do and log into your account. You’ll be able to instantly use Netflix.

But … 

And it’s a pretty big “but,” unfortunately.

But you won’t be able to watch the same shows and movies as you do back home. True, you might be lucky and they’ll show up for you. However, most of the time, you likely won’t find them when you search for them.

Why?

Because Netflix uses geo-blocks to stop you from finding those titles. Basically, the site sees what country you are accessing it from. Based on that information, it won’t let you access certain titles if they’re not available where you’re currently located.

Don’t worry – Netflix doesn’t have a personal grudge against you. They’re doing this to comply with the licensing agreements they signed. The documents essentially say “we, Netflix, are buying the rights to stream this title in X, Y, Z country and we promise not to stream it in Q country.” 

The copyright holders might have sold the rights for the region you’re in to a Netflix competitor – like another streaming site or a local TV network. In that case, Netflix can’t legally stream the licensed content there. So, it has to geo-block it to avoid getting into legal trouble.

Here’s an Example

Let’s say you want to watch Supernatural on Netflix, and you’re currently in Italy.

Well, you can’t do that. That Netflix title is only available on Netflix US and Japan. Those are the only two countries Netflix licensed that show in.

Can You Check Where Netflix Titles Are Available?

Yes, you can. You just need to use a tool like StreamCatcher – click here to check it out. Just type the name of the show/movie and StreamCatcher will instantly show you which regional Netflix libraries have it.

There are other tools that do this, but we found that StreamCatcher is the most accurate one. Also, it has a very user-friendly design.

Can You Unblock Netflix Overseas?

Yes, and it’s actually very easy to do that – if you use a VPN, that is. That’s a service that unblocks sites for you by hiding your IP address. Without it, websites like Netflix can’t tell what your geo-location is. They’ll only see the VPN’s IP address, so they’ll think you’re based in the country where the VPN is.

If that sounds too complicated, here’s a sketch that displays how a VPN connection looks like:

You ISP VPN Server Netflix

So, if you use a UK VPN server to visit Netflix, the site will think you’re actually in the UK. Due to that, it will send your connection to the UK library.

And that’s not all a VPN can do! It also encrypts your Internet traffic, making it unreadable to anyone who tries to monitor it (ISPs, government surveillance agencies, hackers, you name it). ISPs not being able to read your traffic is very important. That way, they won’t be able to throttle your speeds for specific service like Netflix (they won’t know you’re using them).

How to Unblock Netflix Overseas with a VPN

VPNs get a pretty bad rep – many people think they’re too complicated to use so they don’t even bother. But that’s not true at all! VPNs are actually very user-friendly tools. Here’s how you can use one to unblock Netflix in just 5 steps:

  1. You start off by subscribing to a good VPN.
  2. Then, you download and install the VPN app.
  3. Run the VPN app.
  4. Connect to a VPN server (it needs to be in the same country as the Netflix library you want to unblock).
  5. Connect to Netflix and watch anything you want!

And if that still seems like a tough process, don’t worry – most VPNs have excellent support sections where they have step-by-step tutorials that show you how to install and use their apps. Some VPN providers even have video guides!

What Are Some Good Netflix VPNs?

To work well with Netflix, a VPN has to actually unblock it. Not many VPNs can do that reliably because Netflix detects and blocks them. That results in people seeing the Netflix proxy error:

The best way for a VPN to unblock Netflix 24/7 is to offer tons of IPs and refresh them very often. VyprVPN, for example, has 300,000+ IPs and has no problem unblocking Netflix. ExpressVPN and NordVPN are also able to unblock Netflix, though they don’t specify how many IPs they have (but they likely refresh them very often).

On top of that, a Netflix VPN also has to offer fast streaming speeds. That’s usually made possible with a huge server network which allows you to find nearby servers to get fast speeds (PIA has the largest network: 30,000+ servers). VPNs also offer good speeds through fast protocols. Most VPNs now offer WireGuard which is very lightweight and speedy. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, made its own protocol (Lightway) which offers lightning-fast speeds.

Finally, a good Netflix VPN should have user-friendly apps that work on the most popular platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android; if it can also work on smart TVs, even better).

Do You Watch Netflix Overseas?

If yes, how do you unblock the content you want to watch? Do you use a VPN, or do you rely on other unblocking methods? Please let us know in the comments below.