Pop quiz. You’re subscribed to Netflix but annoyed by the fact that other countries get access films and TV series at an earlier date. What do you do?
Well, one option is that you could invest in a VPN. That will allow you to surf the internet and tap into versions of Netflix from other countries and watch content, but are you allowed to?
We’ll explain what the rules are with regards to VPNs and Netflix, and what restrictions are in place over VPN use.
What is a VPN?
A VPN stands for virtual private network, and it’s used to establish a secure connection between devices over the Internet.
By using a secure connection, a VPN can hide your IP address so that third parties won’t be able to track where you are, your identity or your browsing history.
There are free VPNs and paid-for VPN services, but you tend to get more features and better performance with the latter.
Can you use a VPN with Netflix?
There’s nothing stopping you from using a VPN to view Netflix as VPNs are legal to use.
However, Netflix acknowledges that while you can use a VPN to view its service from another location, it does cause issues.
Using a VPN allows you to see films and TV series that Netflix has worldwide rights for, such as its ‘Original’ programming like Stranger Things.
Nonetheless, you won’t be able to see any live events on Netflix, and a VPN isn’t supported on any of Netflix’s ad-supported plans. You can find out more about Netflix’s price plans by reading our explainer.
What’s the alternative?
Granted, heading to another country just to watch Yellowjackets on Netflix is not the best use of your time and money, but if you happen to be visiting a certain country on a trip, when you log into Netflix, you’ll see content from that country and not your own. However, just because a film or TV series is on Netflix in one country, that doesn’t mean that’s the case in others.
Film studios strike deals across the world with different streaming platforms, so it may be the case that if it’s not available on Netflix, it could be available on another streaming service.
If you end up going to another country, you could download content available on your mobile device and enable Airplane mode to avoid Netflix’s detection strategies. However, we’ve found that the method doesn’t always work as we suspect the Netflix app knows where you are based on your device’s time and date rather than your specific location. You might be able to play that download but after a few hours it’ll become inaccessible.
Another option is that you wait. It won’t be for everyone, but we’ve found that it takes a few months for content to jump from one country to another. For instance, No Hard Feelings was available on Netflix in the US in January 2025 and by April 2025, it found its way to Netflix UK.
The same applies to other streaming services. Alex Garland’s Civil War could be watched in Japan in late 2024 via Amazon Prime Video, and a couple months later it was made available on the UK service.
