Can The Amazon Firestick Be Used Abroad?

Whether you are traveling abroad for business or leisure, you may want to enjoy the same shows and streaming content that you are used to watching from your own couch.  Having the comforts of home with you like a Firestick could make the trip a little easier. 

Can Firesticks be used abroad?  Firesticks have the capability to be used while traveling to several countries outside the United States.  As of 2019, Amazon operates twelve global sites to reach all over the world.  Therefore, in most cases, (with a reliable internet connection) Firesticks can be used while traveling abroad.

The Firestick experience may be possible on your next overseas journey, however, you may need to take a few steps first, depending on where you are headed. 

Why Use a Firestick while Traveling?

Traveling expenses can add up quickly.  While traveling abroad, additional fees for premium channels can seem outrageous and excessively costly.  Also, who wants to pay for a channel that you already pay to access at home? Save the money on pay-to-view and stream your content with a Firestick.

Advantages to Traveling With A Firestick

• Avoid additional fees (pay-per-view)
• Plug and Play
• Access most of the same content
• Native language content
• Portable

The basic Firestick can be used to access digital contact (with reliable internet) just about anywhere.  In some cases, you may be limited to exactly what type of content you can access, hopefully, with a few tricks, you can get access to the content you want. 

Basic Firestick Access

According to Amazon, the Firestick will work in the following countries outside the United States: 

• Canada
• The United Kingdom (UK)
• Germany
• Austria
• Japan
• India**

**Requires 2^nd generation Firestick

You may need to change the country settings on your Amazon Account to gain access.  The country settings can be found under Manage Your Content and Devices. 

Go to Settings → Country Settings → Change. 

By entering a new address and selecting Update, your Firestick will now be registered to the new address.  Do not forget to change the country settings back when you return home. 

It is also important to know if the country you are traveling to uses a different outlet than the United States.  You may want to make sure you have an adapter to plug in the Firestick power cord.  These can be purchased online and, in most airports, as well.

Purchased Content

Premium content such as Prime Video purchases and rentals are only available for streaming in the United States, UK, Germany, Austria, and Japan.  Additional countries offer some Prime customers the ability to stream included content.  These countries include:

Greece Hong Kong Hungary Macao Netherlands Poland Thailand Ukraine

France Italy Spain Canada Mexico Croatia Czech Republic Taiwan

Be aware, if you decide to change your country settings, you will lose any rental content you have purchased.  Prime video purchases will return when country settings are returned to the original settings.

Planning ahead will help to make sure you do not miss that movie you wanted to rent and watch from your hotel room.  Wait until you get there, change the country settings and then rent the movie.

Streaming Premium Content

Many Firestick users add streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube to their Firestick.  These apps have their own individual restrictions for countries. 

This table shows a few of the most popular streaming content services and their accessibility by country.

Streaming Service	Countries Available
Netflix	Over 190 Countries
Hulu	The US Only *
Crackle	The US Only *	*These limitations may be bypassed using a VPN app (see below)
Sling TV	The US Only *
Vudu	US and Mexico *
YouTube	Many countries, blocked videos may appear *

Accessing Additional Firestick Apps

Many people use their Firesticks for much more than watching or listening to Amazon content.  The use of independent apps broadens the content you can view or hear using a Firestick.  YouTube, for example, blocks some of their content depending on where you are accessing the app. 

When Traveling, There Is No Guarantee Any Of These Apps Will Work. You may have to contact the app developer directly if you have questions or concerns about using an app in a specific country. 

Making Firestick Work Abroad Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network)

There are plenty of people who spend their time figuring out ways to get around guidelines or limitations.  In this case, there are apps called VPNs or Virtual Private Networks that are designed to protect your online identity.  For the benefit of travelers, using a VPN app on a Firestick can disguise what country in which the Firestick is being used. 

VPNs work by rerouting your IP address to appear as if you are in a different location.  For example, you may be in a hotel in London, while a VPN app allows you to appear to a website or streaming service as if you are in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

It is important to note that VPN apps are not typically free, but some may offer free trials.  If you are only going to need access for a one-week vacation, why not sign up for the trial and cancel it when you get back home.  Just make sure to set up your VPN app to your home location.

And don’t worry, using a VPN is legal in most countries; if the VPN is not being used for illegal purposes.

Some VPN apps you may want to check out are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and CyberGhost. Check out this side by side comparison for popular features:

Feature	ExpressVPN	NordVPN	CyberGhost
Price	As low as $6.67/month **	As low as $2.99/month**	As low as $2.75/month**
Free Trial/ Length	Yes / 30 days	No	No
Money Back Guarantee	30 days	30 days	45 days
# Countries	94	60	55
# of Servers	3000+	5100+	3700+
Technical Assistance	24/7	24/7	24/7

Don’t Forget to Pack the Firestick!

Now that you know the basics of how to use your Firestick abroad, make sure to pack it when you travel.  With a few adjustments, you will never have to miss your favorite shows or live streaming content.  And if you are feeling adventurous, you may just decide to check out some of the local streaming options.  You never know what you might find.

Related Questions

Can I use a Firestick on multiple TVs? 

A Firestick is not registered directly to a specific TV but rather to the Wi-Fi connection that is available.  Therefore, you can plug your Firestick into any TV in your home that has an HDMI input.  In fact, you can quickly move your Firestick between multiple TVs as often as you wish.

Can I use my Firestick in another house?

The Firestick is extremely portable.  Take the Firestick and connection components to another house within the same, plug it in, set up the internet connection and you are all set.  Additionally, a Firestick makes a great addition to SUVs, campers, and RVs that have internet access, though you may need to buy a plug-in adapter to power the Firestick.