Guides / Away from home
VPNs and UK TV: what's legal, what isn't, and when one is worth having
November 2026. Desk research from the sources listed below.
Using a VPN is legal in the UK. Using one to make iPlayer, ITVX or NOW think you're in the UK when you're not goes against those services' terms, and they actively try to block it.
What a VPN does
A virtual private network sends your internet traffic through an encrypted connection to a server run by the VPN company. Websites see that server's location rather than yours, and the Wi-Fi network you're on can't see what you're doing.
When one is worth having
- On Wi-Fi you don't control: hotels, marinas, cafés, trains and airports.
- Signing in to banking, email or work accounts while travelling.
- Privacy from your own broadband or mobile provider.
Where the line is with streaming
UK services buy the rights to show programmes in the UK. BBC iPlayer, ITVX and NOW say you must be in the UK to watch, and ITV says plainly that ITVX won't play if it detects a VPN. Getting round that isn't a criminal matter for viewers, but it breaks the agreement you accepted when you signed up, and the service can block it at any time.
Services that run worldwide, such as Netflix and Disney+, work abroad without one; you just see the local catalogue. The dependable way to take UK programmes with you is to download them before you leave. Our table of what each service allows abroad has the details.
Choosing one
- Apps for every device you use, including a streaming stick if you travel with one.
- Servers in the countries you'll be in, so connections stay quick.
- A clear refund period, so you can test it on your own connection.
- A published no-logs policy that has been independently audited.
Sources: ITV help: why does ITVX think I'm outside the UK (checked November 2026); NOW help: watching abroad (checked November 2026); Netflix help: watching while travelling (checked November 2026).