Netflix and Traveling: Can You Use Your Netflix Account in Another Country
Studios have always sought to earn big sales at the box office, but the life of a movie after it leaves the theaters has changed dramatically over the last decade. Piracy used to only be a small problem, as it took a lot of work to replicate VHS tapes and re-sell them on the underground market. But with the rise of the Internet, digital piracy and the shift from physical tapes and DVDs to online streaming has taken a toll on studio profits.
Why Netflix Content Is Different Abroad
Eric Rosenberg is a finance, travel, and technology writer. He has 10 years of experience in banking, corporate finance, and corporate accounting.
Updated July 15, 2023
Reviewed by
Reviewed by Thomas J. Catalano
Thomas J Catalano is a CFP and Registered Investment Adviser with the state of South Carolina, where he launched his own financial advisory firm in 2018. Thomas’ experience gives him expertise in a variety of areas including investments, retirement, insurance, and financial planning.
Netflix (NFLX) offers its streaming movie and television service in more than 190 countries. However, the content you watch at home is not always available when traveling between countries. There are several reasons why your favorite show might not be viewable when crossing borders.
Key Takeaways
- If you’ve ever tried to log into your Netflix account to watch shows or movies while traveling overseas, you may have encountered that the available content is different from home—or it may not work at all.
- This is due to the enforcement of copyrights and royalties, as each country has different laws and regulations around intellectual property and copying of media content.
- VPNs are one way around these limitations as they can make your IP address appear as if it comes from the U.S. even when traveling. Still, Netflix has blocked certain VPN providers.
Why There Are Different Shows Available in Each Country
Hollywood movie and television studios invest millions into each movie and show they make, and costs can vary widely. While independent studios churn out films for only tens of thousands of dollars, big blockbusters can cost hundreds of millions to produce and market. At the top of the list, with an estimated budget of $460 million, is Avatar: The Way of Water.
With so much money at stake each time a film is created, the studios do their best to strictly enforce copyright and earn as much as possible for their investments.
Studios have always sought to earn big sales at the box office, but the life of a movie after it leaves the theaters has changed dramatically over the last decade. Piracy used to only be a small problem, as it took a lot of work to replicate VHS tapes and re-sell them on the underground market. But with the rise of the Internet, digital piracy and the shift from physical tapes and DVDs to online streaming has taken a toll on studio profits.
Studios have adapted by offering movies for sale through outlets including Apple’s (AAPL) iTunes Store and Amazon.com (AMZN). As Netflix has shifted from a DVD by mail service to a streaming service, their budget for digital content has increased and become an important revenue source for the studios. Netflix had more than $17 billion in licensed content on its balance sheet as of 2020, up from $11.8 billion in 2017.
Studios enforce copyright by country, as different markets have different demands for specific content. For example, a movie that was very popular in the United States might be uninteresting in Brazil, and a hit British comedy might not be so funny to American audiences.
Netflix and the studios both understand this, and the studios charge more for Netflix to offer the streaming of specific titles in some countries compared to others. Because the content deals are country-specific, Netflix may choose to pay the studio-demanded price to stream a title in one country, while negotiations in other regions fall flat.
Why Netflix Does Not Work When You Travel
The same rules that govern which countries have access to specific content apply to global travelers. To avoid conflict with their studio partners, Netflix filters what you can see when you travel to another country. You can access that country’s Netflix library, which may differ from what you can watch at home. There are nearly 4,000 movie titles available for viewing in the U.S. But if you travel to Italy for vacation, for example, you would have access to only around 2,500 titles.
One way around this is to use a virtual private network (VPN). Netflix in its Terms of Use does not specifically prohibit subscribers from using a VPN, proxy, or other measures to evade geographic restrictions. However, the company has taken steps to ensure that subscribers could only access content for the country where they currently are, such as blocking known VPN provider IPs.
The Bottom Line
Just as Netflix is in the business of streaming video to its users around the world, the studios are in the business of earning profits on their content. With current copyright laws and agreements, Netflix negotiates with each studio to arrange specific agreements to stream titles in each territory.
Netflix now reaches more than 220 million paid subscribers globally, with over 100 million of that user base coming from outside of the U.S. Being able to offer content unfettered by geographic restrictions will play an important part in attracting and retaining new subscribers. To this end, Netflix is ramping up original content production. It spent $6 billion in original content assets as of 2018, up from $2.9 billion the year before, and a whopping $17.3 billion in 2020.
Netflix and Traveling: Can You Use Your Netflix Account in Another Country?
Yes, you can use your Netflix account in a different country. The streaming service is available in over 190 countries, but what you can stream varies depending on your location.
When traveling, you might find some of your favorite movies and TV shows missing, including My List and Continue Watching titles.
You can use your Netflix account in another country.
Your Netflix library will, however, be limited or different from your home country.
You can, however, change your IP address to that of your home country. In this case, you will see the same content you would normally see from home.
Do these to change your IP address to that of your home country:
- Click here to get NordVPN
- Install NordVPN on your device
- Connect to an NordVPN server from your home country
- Go back and refresh the Netflix page; it should now show the same content as in your home country.
Important: Sometimes, using a VPN will not work with Netflix. All you need to do is to try connecting to several other servers before you will find one that works. This is normal; don’t give up.
In this article, I’ll explain the changes to expect when watching Netflix outside your country and how to access your Netflix library abroad.
Let’s get started!
Chapters
- Changes To Expect When Using Netflix Abroad
- Why Does the Netflix Library Differ Internationally?
- How to Access My Netflix Library Abroad?
- Wrap Up
Changes To Expect When Using Netflix Abroad
Netflix may have a global presence, but the viewing experience is far from uniform. When watching Netflix overseas, you might experience changes to the following:
Available movies and TV shows: Netflix’s content library varies by country due to regional licensing agreements and rights. If you cross the border into Canada from the US, you’ll lose access to some titles but also gain access to new ones.
Maturity ratings: If you’ve enabled parental controls, a difference in maturity ratings between your country and destination can shrink or expand your content library.
Downloads: Some downloaded titles may not be accessible outside your home country.
Why Does the Netflix Library Differ Internationally?
Netflix content libraries differ because of regional licensing agreements. Sometimes, the streaming service buys the rights to distribute a movie or TV show in a specific country or region.
Content producers then require Netflix to geo-restrict the title, allowing them to sell the same content to other distributors and maximize revenue.
In addition to licensing, Netflix content has to comply with local government policy. Some countries ban violent and LGBTQ content, forcing Netflix to remove it from its catalog.
How to Access My Netflix Library Abroad?
While Netflix will automatically serve you the content library available in the country you’re visiting, there are workarounds you can use to access your original Netflix library.
Use a VPN
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, spoofs your location allowing you to access any Netflix version.
It works by routing your data through an encrypted tunnel, masking your actual IP address, and providing you with a new virtual IP address.
To watch Netflix US, you must connect to an American VPN server. Some VPN providers support obfuscation, which allows you to bypass VPN blocks like the Great Firewall of China and unblock various content.
You can watch Netflix with a VPN on most primary streaming devices, including PCs, Macs, smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs.
Use a Smart DNS Proxy
A Smart DNS routes your DNS queries to a proxy server location. However, a Smart DNS doesn’t change your IP address. It also doesn’t encrypt your traffic. This makes it faster and ideal for streaming.
Another advantage of Smart DNS is that it works on devices that don’t support VPNs, such as Apple TVs, Xbox, and Samsung/LG smart TVs.
Will Netflix Password Sharing Rules Prevent You from Using Your Account Overseas?
The new Netflix password won’t affect your ability to use your account in a different country. The only caveat is that you need to connect your Netflix device to your home network at least once every 31 days.
Past that, you’ll need to ask the main account holder or someone back at home to re-register your device. This will allow you to use your account for an additional 7 days.
Alternatively, you can update your primary location and avoid the password-sharing prompts altogether.
Is It Legal to Watch American Netflix in a Different Country?
You won’t be breaking any laws when streaming American Netflix with a VPN outside the US. If Netflix detects that you are using a VPN, your catalog will be limited to Netflix originals – movies and TV shows for which Netflix owns the global rights.
Wrap Up
You can use your Netflix account in a different country without tinkering with any settings or using special tools.
But if you want to access your country’s Netflix library when traveling abroad or bypass Netflix geo-restrictions, you’ll need to use a premium VPN or Smart DNS service.