Streaming abroad: which VPNs unblock Netflix, Disney+ and more
Streaming abroad is a game of where you appear to be. A film that is on Netflix in your home country may not be there on holiday, and some services are not sold at all in most of the world. Hulu and BBC iPlayer are not offered in 129 countries, Disney+ is not offered in 60, and HBO Max is not offered in 80. A VPN can fix that, but only if the VPN still works with the service. This post explains how to choose one.
Why Streaming Is Blocked Abroad
Streaming rights are sold country by country. That is why a service may be missing entirely in your country and why catalogues differ when you travel. It is not censorship. The service simply does not have the rights to show that film or series where you are.
The same rule applies to libraries: the Netflix or Disney+ catalogue in one country is not the same as in another. If you change your apparent location with a VPN, you see the catalogue of the VPN server country. That is why the server country matters more than the VPN brand for streaming.
Which VPNs Work For Streaming
Streaming platforms detect and block VPNs, so the VPN has to keep up with them. What matters is whether the VPN still opens the service you want, not its speed score alone. Our Best VPN ranking has a scored ranking for streaming, and our app pages show Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video and BBC iPlayer and where each one is offered.
Look for a VPN with servers labelled for streaming when it is offered. CyberGhost, one of the six VPNs we follow, has servers labelled for specific streaming services. If your service stops working, try another server in the same country before you give up. Streaming blocks change often, and a different server in the same country can work.
Netflix Abroad
Netflix itself is restricted in only 1 country on our tracker, but its catalogue changes everywhere you go. That is the part people notice: the choice of films and shows follows the country. A VPN lets you reach the catalogue of the server country, so pick a server in the country whose catalogue you want, and check that the VPN still opens Netflix before you settle on it.
We cover the full method in our unblock guide, and the complete VPN guide explains the basics of how a VPN makes your traffic appear to come from another country.
Disney+, Hulu And BBC iPlayer
These are the hard cases. Disney+ is not offered in 60 countries and Hulu and BBC iPlayer are not offered in 129 countries. That is not a block you can fix with settings. You need a VPN server in a country where the service is offered, and the VPN has to work with that service.
For BBC iPlayer and Hulu, the server has to be in a country where the service is offered. Choosing a VPN server in the wrong country is the most common streaming mistake. Choose the country first, then the VPN.
How To Pick A Streaming VPN
Pick the service, pick the country where it is offered, then check whether the VPN works there. Our app pages show each service and where it is offered, and the Best VPN ranking shows the streaming picks from the six VPNs we follow. If the first server fails, try another one in the same country before you change VPNs.
Start from the country you are in, open the app page for your service, and our unblock guides give the steps that follow.