How to Access Netflix When You Are Traveling Abroad

How to Access Netflix When You Are Traveling Abroad

Netflix has risen to become a global phenomenon. The popular streaming service has been on the rise for many years now, but the global lockdown of 2020 has really helped it to gain massive amounts of traction.

While many people enjoy binge watching Netflix and waiting for the latest shows to arrive, some people don’t have access to some movies and series. In some countries, the Netflix service is not available at all.

Netflix might not be available in your region, or the area that you are traveling to. However, that shouldn’t stop you from keeping up with the latest episodes, movies, documentaries, and overall the best Netflix travel shows that are released on a daily basis.

Why is Netflix Not Available Worldwide?

Despite its massive popularity, Netflix is not available in all countries. This mainly comes down to licensing and TV rights. Netflix has to abide by the rules set by the licensing restrictions of specific movies and TV shows which limits them from streaming it in some countries.

This is done by using geoblocking which is a way for Netflix to determine your location by using the IP address that your connection is coming from. Your IP address gives your location away, and if you are in a region where they are not allowed to be streamed, the title will not show up at all.

Some countries such as China block Netflix entirely which means you can’t even access the streaming service. In other countries, the Netflix platform might not be available at all. Luckily though, there is a way to get around this.

How to Bypass Geoblocking

Your IP address is the key to identifying your location. Luckily, however, your IP address is not a ball and chain, and it can easily be changed in order to ‘trick’ the system into believing that you are accessing Netflix from elsewhere.

You can use a VPN, or Virtual Private Network to easily bypass blocking and access Netflix from anywhere in the world. A VPN can encrypt your internet connection, and while it is mainly used as a cybersecurity tool, it has features that can help you to bypass being blocked.

One such feature is a VPN’s ability to change the location of your IP address. You can do so by connecting to one of the global servers offered by the VPN provider. Each server will give you a unique Netflix experience with different movies and TV shows.

It’s highly recommended to use a premium VPN service rather than a free one. A free VPN is not ideal for streaming Netflix, YouTube, sports or any other kind of video content. There are several reasons for this.

The first is that a free VPN offers slower internet speeds. This could lead to an unpleasant viewing experience with a lot of buffering and lag. This will still be the case even if you have a faster internet connection because the speed limit is imposed by the VPN provider.

Another reason why you should avoid using a free VPN is that they often have a data cap. Most VPN providers will put a daily limit of 500 MB on their service. Streaming Netflix can take up to 1.2GB per hour, which means you will most likely only get about 30 minutes of streaming before you hit your daily data cap.

Finally, free VPNs also have limited servers to choose from. In most cases they will also give you a less popular server to use, so you might not get the US or UK server, which is the one you would be looking for if you want to stream Netflix.

Follow the quick steps below to start watching Netflix from anywhere in the world:

  1. Choose a VPN provider and create an account on their website.
  2. Install the VPN on the device that you prefer to stream Netflix from.
  3. Activate your VPN and choose the United States server.
  4. Log in to Netflix from your device.
  5. Enjoy your streaming!

Are There Any Risks to Using a VPN to Watch Netflix?

There are some important factors that you should know about when using a VPN. Firstly, in most countries, the government encourages the use of a VPN because it offers extra privacy and security.

However, in some countries such as China, the use of a VPN has been made illegal. Despite this though, there have been no reports of people being fined or arrested for using a VPN in China. The way they control VPN usage is by blocking the websites that allow you to download them. The solution is to simply have the VPN installed before you travel. However, should you still use a VPN in these countries it will be at your own risk.

Recently Netflix has stated that they will begin to crack down on people who use a VPN to access different content that has been geoblocked. This is because Netflix has several legal issues that arise when this happens. However, there are still some VPN providers that allow you to stream Netflix. It’s important to do your research beforehand to ensure that your selected VPN provided allows Netflix streaming.