How To Watch American Netflix in Germany

TechJunkie covers a lot of VPN topics and quite a bit on how to access Netflix and other geoblocked services out of their original area. Usually this is for leisure purposes. Accessing more content from outside the US, accessing foreign language content outside the US and so on. Today it’s a little different as we are answering a direct question from a reader about how to watch American Netflix in Germany.

The reader didn’t supply background but there are a lot of Americans serving within Germany still so let’s go with that.

Netflix is constrained by its content providers to limit access to different programming in different regions. The service has no choice but to offer most content within the US and limit access to other content worldwide. Depending on what licensing model each region has, some TV shows and movies won’t be available outside the US.

If you visit this website, it has a snapshot from 2018 comparing the movies and TV shows in the US versus the rest of the world. For example, we (US) had 4,052 movies and 1,580 TV shows. Germany had 2,214 movies and 849 TV shows. In total, the US had 5,632 titles while Germany had just 3,063.

Those numbers have likely changed since then but you can see quite a difference in the volume of content available outside the US. Reason enough to want to access American Netflix I think.

American Netflix in Germany

To be able to watch American Netflix in Germany, you will need a good quality VPN. It needs to have multiple endpoint server locations, many thousands of IP addresses and offer a free trial. Only with a VPN will you be able to watch your usual content while you’re away from home.

Netflix appreciates that people travel so you don’t have to change your account. You may see a message or receive an email telling you that you won’t see all of your usual content in your current location and that some of your saved shows or My List favorites may not be available. Other than that, nothing happens.

To watch American Netflix in Germany, or anywhere else, you will need a Netflix subscription, something to watch it on and a VPN. You will also need to set up your Netflix account before leaving the US, or have a US bank account to pay Netflix. While the company does not seem to link IP address and bank location, you can only set a permanent home location in the region where your bank is.

The process is very straightforward.

Install Netflix on whatever device you’re taking to Germany with you.
Sign up to a VPN service that works with Netflix and install it into the same device.
Launch the VPN, sign in and select a US server.
Open Netflix and play the content!

You should see the full collection of US titles you’re used to. My List should be present and any saved or partially watched shows should be there too. Your experience should be just like if you were at home.

Troubleshooting Netflix outside the US

If you have selected a good quality VPN service that works with Netflix, you should have no problems watching content. Netflix does actively fight VPN services and blacklist IP address ranges to counter these services. That’s why you need a quality VPN that says they work with Netflix. As soon as an IP address range is blocked, another should be provided and so on and so on.

If you cannot access content or don’t see the US version of Netflix, shut down Netflix, shut down the VPN and select a different endpoint server. Keep trying US servers until you find one that works with Netflix. It may take a few attempts but one range should surely work.

If you still cannot get a connection, clear all browsing history, cache and cookies from the browser you use with Netflix and retry.

VPN selection

For information on selecting a VPN, What is the Best VPN Service? – April 2019 has the information you need. Just be sure to select a VPN that actively works to enable Netflix access out of territory, has multiple server endpoint locations, a high number of actual servers and a free trial.

This is a game of cat and mouse that Netflix is obliged to play with Netflix providers to keep copyright holders on side. Therefore VPN servers that work one week may not work the next. Using a VPN service with multiple servers and IP ranges and who work to add more when others are blacklisted should provide the least risk.

It isn’t fair that you have to go to such lengths to watch American Netflix in Germany but that’s how it is. It isn’t the fault of Netflix but of copyright holders. At least there is a way round even if it does involve a bit of effort!