How to Watch Netflix and Hulu Outside the US in 2026

According to Netflix’s Help Center, Netflix is available in over 190 countries, and each country has its own catalog of original and licensed TV shows and movies. That is why the show you started at home is missing the moment you land somewhere else, and why people search for how to watch Netflix and Hulu outside the US. This guide gives you the four steps that bring the US catalog back, Netflix’s own test for checking that they worked, and Netflix’s own fix order for the “VPN or proxy” message.

It also covers the case where you need none of it: inside the EU, a paid streaming service must give you the same content you get at home while you are temporarily in another member state, at no extra charge. Current as of September 2026. Every rule quoted here comes from Netflix’s Terms of Use and Help Center, the Hulu Subscriber Agreement, or the EU regulation itself, and each is linked in the sources.

Key Takeaways

• Netflix runs a separate catalog in each of its over 190 countries, and the country on your account cannot be changed unless you move.
• Netflix’s Terms of Use say you may access content primarily within the country in which you established your account, and only where Netflix has licensed it.
• According to the Hulu Subscriber Agreement, Hulu is only available in the United States and certain of its territories, per the Subscriber Agreement updated February 5, 2026.
• According to Netflix’s own VPN help page, with a VPN on, Netflix may only show titles it has worldwide licensing for, and VPNs are not supported for Live events or on an ad-supported plan.
• EU Regulation 2017/1128 has applied since 20 March 2018 and requires the same content, devices and functions for subscribers temporarily in another member state.
• According to Netflix’s troubleshooting page, Netflix’s own fix for error E106 runs VPN off, network reset, router reset, then your ISP’s DNS, in that order.

Why Netflix and Hulu Show Different Catalogs by Country

According to Netflix, Netflix serves over 190 countries, and each one gets its own catalog. Its Terms of Use, section 1.5, say you may access Netflix content primarily within the country in which you have established your account, and only in geographic locations where Netflix offers your plan and has licensed that content.

Hulu goes further: its Subscriber Agreement says the Hulu service is only available in the United States and certain of its territories, and only residents of that territory are eligible to subscribe.

So the catalog is not a bug. It is the contract, and the studio licenses behind it, and every step below works with that fact rather than pretending it is not there. Netflix also says the content that may be available will vary by geographic location and will change from time to time.

Here is who is allowed to watch what, in one list:

• Netflix, in any country it serves: your account works, but you see that country’s catalog.
• Netflix, inside the EU: your home catalog follows you by law (more on that below).
• Hulu: the United States and certain of its territories, nowhere else.

The rules explain the wall. The next section is the kit you need before you climb it.

What You Need Before You Start

Netflix itself recommends adding a backup payment method before traveling, because gift cards and other cash payment methods vary by country and may not be eligible in your travel location.

Beyond that, you need a VPN with servers in the United States. NordVPN lists US servers in 55 cities, and ExpressVPN lists 24 U.S. locations across a network of 113 countries. Either qualifies for Step 1.

With those four in hand, Step 1 is choosing the server, not the app.

Step 1: Pick a VPN With Servers in the United States

NordVPN’s own server list shows the US with 55 cities, from Albuquerque and Anchorage onward. ExpressVPN’s server page lists 24 U.S. locations and 113 countries in total. Both figures are the vendors’ own, checked on their server pages on September 2, 2026, and either is enough US coverage for this job.

Source: NordVPN and ExpressVPN server-location pages, checked September 2, 2026.

Why does the US footprint matter more than the country count? Netflix says that with a VPN on you may only be shown TV shows and movies it has worldwide licensing for, and that you may need to turn the VPN off to see titles available in your region. A provider with many US cities gives you somewhere else to connect when one address is flagged, which is the whole game.

If you already pay for a VPN, check its server list for the United States before buying another one; the free-trial VPN services roundup covers the ones you can test first.

Picking the server is half of Step 2. The other half is proving to Netflix that it worked.

Step 2: Connect to a US Server and Run Netflix’s Own Location Test

Connect to any US server in the VPN app, then use the test Netflix publishes for checking whether a VPN is on. Netflix’s steps are: open a web browser on a device that is on the same network, go to fast.com, wait for the connection test to stop, click Show more info, and note the country next to Client. That is 5 steps, and none of them needs an app beyond a browser.

Here is how to do that, in order:

1. Open your VPN app and connect to a server in the United States.
2. On the same device, or another device on the same network, open a browser and go to fast.com.
3. Wait for the speed test to finish, then click Show more info.
4. Read the country next to Client.
5. If it says United States, the VPN is doing its job. If it shows your real country, reconnect to a different US server and run the test again.

Netflix uses the same fast.com check inside its own troubleshooting for the “You seem to be using a VPN or proxy” message. That is worth knowing: it means Netflix reads the same signal you are reading, so if Client says United States, you have passed the first gate.

If Client says United States, Step 3 is just signing in. If it does not, skip ahead to Step 4.

Step 3: Sign In to Netflix or Hulu and Check What You Can See

The country on your Netflix account cannot be changed unless you move, so you sign in to your normal account and let the US server decide the catalog. Nothing in the account settings needs to change for this step, and nothing should.

Open Netflix or Hulu in a browser or the app, sign in, and search for a title you know is US-only. If it plays, you are done. Expect small differences: choices for streaming and downloading vary by country, My List and Continue Watching titles may not be available, and maturity ratings are shown for the country you are in.

Two account rules trip people up here. A Netflix Household is the collection of devices connected to the internet at the main place where you watch, and an extra member must be activated in the same country where the account owner created it. So an extra member slot bought at home will not activate for a relative abroad. Hulu has its own rule, covered in the Hulu question near the end.

For a side-by-side look at the two services themselves, see Netflix and Hulu. Most readers are done here. The rest see one message, and Netflix has already written the fix for it.

Why does Netflix only show a few titles with the VPN on?

Netflix says a VPN can make your device look like it is connecting from somewhere other than your physical location, so with a VPN you may only be shown titles it has worldwide licensing for, like Squid Game or Stranger Things. Netflix has spotted the VPN and shrunk the catalog. Switch to another US server and re-run the fast.com test.

Step 4: Fix “You Seem to Be Using a VPN or Proxy” (Error E106)

The message reads “You seem to be using a VPN or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again.” It may arrive as error code E106. Netflix’s own fix order is: turn the VPN off, reset the network settings on the device, restore your modem or router to its default settings, and then contact your ISP. That is 4 stages, and the last one hands the problem to your ISP.

Follow that order before you blame the VPN, because the last step catches a cause no server switch can fix. For playback errors that are not about location at all, the fixes in our guide to Netflix problems still apply.

1. Turn the VPN off and try Netflix again. If it plays, the flagged address was the problem; reconnect to a different US server later.
2. Reset the network settings on the device that shows the error.
3. Restore your modem or router to its default settings, then try Netflix once more.
4. Still stuck with the VPN off? Run fast.com, note the country and IP address next to Client, and give both to your ISP so they can confirm they match the location and IP address assigned to your home.
5. If they do not match, ask your ISP to confirm your connection uses their DNS server; if it does not, ask them to switch it, then restart the Netflix app.

And if you are in Europe, you may not need any of the four steps. First, though, the question everyone asks about this message.

Why does Netflix say I am using a VPN or proxy?

Netflix says VPN apps or services can make your device or network look like it is connecting from somewhere other than your physical location, and that this can cause the error. It also names a second cause: if your ISP’s DNS does not match the location assigned to your home, Netflix may think you are in a different country. That second cause is why Step 5 above exists.

How to Watch Netflix Outside the US Without a VPN (Travel and the EU Rule)

Short answer: yes, on the same account, with the local catalog while you travel, and with your home catalog intact if you are an EU resident traveling inside the EU. Netflix says it is easy to use when traveling: use it as usual on your mobile devices and computers, or sign in to a new TV at a hotel or a holiday rental, and expect only small differences in the catalog. So a US subscriber on a trip keeps the account and gets the local catalog; a subscriber from an EU country gets something better.

Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1128 requires a paid online content service to let a subscriber who is temporarily present in another member state access the same content, on the same range and number of devices, for the same number of users and with the same functionalities, with no additional charges. Netflix’s help pages point EU sign-ups watching in another EU country to its “using Netflix outside of your home” guidance rather than to the VPN troubleshooting.

The four dates that set today’s rules:

Put the two Netflix pages side by side and a trip and a move are different procedures. On a trip: the account stays, the catalog changes, downloads may vanish, and you should carry a backup payment method. On a move: the account has to be closed and reopened, which is the next section. A trip keeps your account as it is. A move is a different procedure, and Netflix spells it out.

Can I watch Netflix in a different country?

Yes, on the same account, and without a VPN. What changes while you are away: the selection of TV shows and movies, the audio and subtitle options, the maturity ratings shown, and whether your downloaded titles are available. What does not change: your account, your profiles and your plan price.

Moving Abroad? Change Your Netflix Country the Official Way

If you are moving to a new country, Netflix says you will need to cancel your membership and sign up again in the new country, and until you do you keep paying the plan price in the currency of the country you signed up in. There is no setting for this, and no VPN changes it.

Unless you have recently moved, the country on your account cannot be changed at all. The official route has three parts:

1. Cancel the membership from your account page.
2. Wait for the current billing period to end.
3. Restart the account from inside the new country, and check that pricing and payment methods for that country suit you before you confirm.

How do I change my Netflix region?

Netflix’s three steps are: cancel your account, wait until your membership ends, then restart your account while you are physically in the country you moved to. Netflix saves your Viewing Activity for 24 months after the account closes, so you can pick up where you left off.

Is It Illegal to Use a VPN for Netflix?

This guide cannot give legal advice, and the honest answer is that “illegal” and “against the Terms” are different questions. On the Terms, Netflix says you may access content primarily within the country in which you established your account and only where it has licensed that content.

In practice, Netflix’s own help page tells you that you may need to turn the VPN off to see your region’s titles, and that VPNs are not supported for Live events or on an ad-supported plan. So Netflix’s published position is “turn it off”, not “we will close your account”. Whether VPN use itself is lawful where you are is a question for local law, and it varies by country.

Can You Watch Hulu Outside the US?

Not the Hulu app you know. The Subscriber Agreement says the Hulu service is only available in the United States and certain of its territories, and only residents of the territory where a service is offered are eligible to subscribe. A VPN changes where Hulu thinks you are, not who is eligible.

What you can get abroad is the Hulu brand inside Disney+: from October 8, Disney made Hulu the global General Entertainment brand on Disney+, replacing Star in international markets, with a Hulu tab depending on your subscription. So if a show you want is a Hulu title, check the Hulu tab in your local Disney+ before you touch a VPN. For sites and services that block by country in general, see How to Access Blocked Websites ».

Should You Use a VPN to Watch Netflix and Hulu Outside the US?

As of September 2026, Netflix serves over 190 countries with a separate catalog in each, and the country on your account only changes when you move. The four steps work with that design: VPN with US servers, connect, prove it on fast.com, sign in, and run the E106 fix order if needed. Inside the EU, the regulation already gives a resident their home catalog at no extra charge, and for Hulu, no VPN changes an agreement that limits the service to the United States and certain of its territories.

Travelers with a stable Internet connection and a card on file get the most out of this; expats moving for good should take the cancel-and-restart route, and anyone on a slow hotel network should fix the connection first so the VPN is not blamed for buffering. Disney’s stated plan for a fully integrated unified app experience next year is the most likely thing to change what “Hulu abroad” means, so watch for it.