Can I watch BBC iPlayer abroad?

Not officially. iPlayer is for viewers in the UK, and your TV Licence doesn't change that. Before you go, download what you want to watch while you're still in the UK.

Can I watch NOW when I'm abroad?

Not streaming, including in the EU. NOW works as normal in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Scottish islands and the Isle of Man, and you can download shows before you travel to watch offline.

Does Netflix work abroad?

Yes. You sign in as normal, but you see the catalogue of the country you're in, so some UK titles won't be there and some downloads may not play.

Is it legal to use a VPN in the UK?

Yes. Using a VPN is legal in the UK and common for security and privacy. Using one to appear to be in the UK when you aren't breaks the terms of services such as iPlayer, ITVX and NOW, which try to block it. That's a breach of the service's terms, not a criminal offence in the UK.

Can I watch BBC iPlayer abroad with a VPN?

Many people try. It breaks iPlayer's terms, and the BBC blocks VPN servers it detects, so it may work one week and not the next. If you try, use a VPN with a money-back period and test it in the first few days. Downloading before you leave the UK is the reliable option.

Does my TV Licence cover my boat or touring caravan?

Your home licence covers a boat, touring caravan or vehicle unless someone is watching live TV at your licensed home at the same time. If they are, you must complete a declaration. A second home, such as a holiday cottage, usually needs its own licence.

How do I watch TV on a boat in UK waters?

Near the coast or in a marina, a small aerial picks up Freeview. Away from a signal, streaming over 4G or 5G data works for apps, and downloads made before you leave need no signal at all.

Help at home

Watching UK TV away from home.

On holiday, living abroad, on a boat or in a caravan: which UK services still work, what to download before you go, and the straight answer on using a VPN. Checked November 2026.

Where are you watching from?

On holiday abroadDownload before you go. Netflix and Disney+ work with the local catalogue.Living abroadUK subscriptions don’t follow you. What to use instead.On a boatAerial, data or downloads, and what the TV Licence says.Caravan or holiday homeWhen your home licence covers you, and when it doesn’t.Hotel or marina Wi-FiKeeping your accounts safe on a network you don’t control.

What each service lets you do abroad

Service	Streaming abroad	Downloads	Source
BBC iPlayer	No. iPlayer is for viewers in the UK.	Download in the UK first, and check the BBC's help on watching downloads away	BBC iPlayer help
ITVX from £5.99	No. You need to be in the UK, and ITVX blocks playback when it detects a VPN.	Yes. Shows downloaded in the UK play abroad.	ITV help: why does ITVX think I'm outside the UK
NOW from £7.99	No, including the EU. Works as normal in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Scottish islands and the Isle of Man. You can't buy a membership from abroad.	Yes. Download before you travel and watch offline.	NOW help: watching abroad
Sky Go (UK customers) from £15	Streaming abroad is offered to customers in Ireland, not the UK.	Yes. UK customers can download before travelling.	Sky Go app page
Netflix from £7.99	Yes, but you see the catalogue of the country you're in.	Some downloads may not play in another country.	Netflix help: travelling
Disney+ from £6.99	Yes where Disney+ runs, with that country's catalogue.	Downloads made in the UK are the fallback where it doesn't run.	Cordbusters, after the 2021 portability change
Prime Video from £7.99	A smaller selection. UK live sport isn't included.	Download before you go for the full UK choice.	Cordbusters, after the 2021 portability change
Apple TV from £9.99	Largely the same, because the catalogue is mostly Apple's own shows.	Yes.	Cordbusters, after the 2021 portability change

Channel 4 and 5’s apps are also built for UK viewers. Since the UK left the EU, the rule that let subscriptions travel within Europe no longer covers UK accounts, which is why most of these changed in 2021.

On holiday abroad

Download the night before. ITVX, NOW, Sky Go and Prime Video all let you take downloads with you. Do it on home Wi-Fi: a series can be several gigabytes.
Expect a different Netflix and Disney+. Both work, but show what’s licensed where you are. Your favourite UK title may not be there.
Check your phone data. Streaming uses roughly 1 to 3GB an hour. A travel eSIM or a roaming bundle is usually cheaper than paying per megabyte.
Don’t cancel anything. A NOW membership has to be bought in the UK, so stopping it while you’re away can make it hard to restart until you’re home.

Living abroad

UK subscriptions are sold for use in the UK, so moving abroad usually means switching to services that run where you live. Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV all operate in most countries, with local catalogues and prices. Some British programmes reach other countries through international services such as BritBox International, which runs in a handful of countries. You don’t need a UK TV Licence while you live abroad.

On a boat

In a marina or close to the UK coast: a small powered aerial picks up Freeview, and it’s free. Signal comes and goes as you move.
Further out: streaming apps work over 4G or 5G data where there’s coverage. Downloads need no signal at all, so they’re the dependable choice on passage.
The TV Licence: your home licence covers a boat unless someone is watching live TV at home at the same time. If they are, TV Licensing asks you to complete a declaration. If the boat is where you live, it needs its own licence.
In another country’s waters: the abroad rules in the table apply, the same as on land.

Caravan or holiday home in the UK

Everything works as at home, because you’re still in the UK. The question is the licence. A touring caravan, static caravan or mobile home is treated like a boat: covered by your home licence unless someone watches live at home at the same time. A second house or cottage usually needs its own licence, unless you only use devices running on their own internal batteries. The TV Licence in 2026.

Where a VPN fits

A VPN encrypts the connection between your device and the internet. Using one is legal in the UK, and it’s genuinely useful away from home:

Hotel, marina, café and airport Wi-Fi. Other people on the same network can’t see what you’re doing, including when you sign in to email or banking.
Banking and UK sites from abroad. Some UK sites restrict or flag visits from overseas; a UK connection can help.
Privacy on any network. Your internet provider and the network owner see only that you’re connected to the VPN.

Using a VPN to watch UK TV abroad

Plenty of people do: they connect to a UK server so iPlayer, ITVX or NOW thinks they’re at home. It’s your call. Here’s the straight picture.

Is it against the law? Using a VPN is legal in the UK. Watching UK-only services from abroad through one breaks those services’ terms, which is between you and the service: it can block the connection or, in principle, close the account. It isn’t a criminal offence in the UK. Some countries restrict VPNs themselves, so check the rules where you’re going.
Does it work? Sometimes. The services block VPN servers they spot, so it changes from week to week and service to service. ITV says ITVX stops playback when it detects a VPN. No VPN can promise it will work.
If you try it, choose a provider with a money-back period and test the exact service you care about in the first few days, before you rely on it for a match or a series.
The reliable fallback is downloading before you go: see the table above for what each service allows.

Quick answers

Can I watch BBC iPlayer abroad?: Not officially. iPlayer is for viewers in the UK, and your TV Licence doesn't change that. Before you go, download what you want to watch while you're still in the UK.
Can I watch NOW when I'm abroad?: Not streaming, including in the EU. NOW works as normal in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Scottish islands and the Isle of Man, and you can download shows before you travel to watch offline.
Does Netflix work abroad?: Yes. You sign in as normal, but you see the catalogue of the country you're in, so some UK titles won't be there and some downloads may not play.
Is it legal to use a VPN in the UK?: Yes. Using a VPN is legal in the UK and common for security and privacy. Using one to appear to be in the UK when you aren't breaks the terms of services such as iPlayer, ITVX and NOW, which try to block it. That's a breach of the service's terms, not a criminal offence in the UK.
Can I watch BBC iPlayer abroad with a VPN?: Many people try. It breaks iPlayer's terms, and the BBC blocks VPN servers it detects, so it may work one week and not the next. If you try, use a VPN with a money-back period and test it in the first few days. Downloading before you leave the UK is the reliable option.
Does my TV Licence cover my boat or touring caravan?: Your home licence covers a boat, touring caravan or vehicle unless someone is watching live TV at your licensed home at the same time. If they are, you must complete a declaration. A second home, such as a holiday cottage, usually needs its own licence.
How do I watch TV on a boat in UK waters?: Near the coast or in a marina, a small aerial picks up Freeview. Away from a signal, streaming over 4G or 5G data works for apps, and downloads made before you leave need no signal at all.

Sources: ITV help, NOW help, Sky Go app page, Netflix help and TV Licensing’s FAQ on other accommodation, all checked November 2026; BBC iPlayer help; Cordbusters on UK streaming after the 2021 portability change, for Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV, which we’ll replace with the services’ own pages as we confirm them. This page isn’t legal advice. Free to reuse with credit under CC BY 4.0.