The following sales page copy was written for ExpressVPN and went live on August 21st, 2023.
Change your Steam region with a VPN
Steam is the world’s largest digital distribution platform for PC gaming, but sometimes games that you want to purchase won’t be available in your region. While your Steam Store region is based on the location of your first Steam purchase, there are ways to change it.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Steam, helping you to securely game online with minimal lag.
What to know before changing your Steam region
Before changing your Steam region, it’s important that you keep a few things in mind:
- To stop people from changing their regions too often, Valve (Steam’s developer) will only allow you to change your Steam Store region and currency once every three months.
- When changing your Steam Store region, please ensure that you have a method of payment and billing address from that particular region.
VPNs are legal, and they are consistently used by individuals and companies around the world to protect their online privacy. That said, the Steam Terms of Service strictly prohibit the use of VPNs to disguise your location; and violating this may lead to restrictions on your account or being banned outright.
If you are concerned about your primary account being restricted or banned, you could also consider creating a new Steam account altogether that you can use for just purchasing games in different regions.
How to change your Steam region with a VPN
Here’s an overview on changing your Steam region with a VPN:
Step 1: Get ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN provides a secure tunnel between your device and the internet that protects your online traffic from prying eyes. Using a VPN when going online also helps you to change your IP address so that your device appears to be in a different country.
Sign up for ExpressVPN and download the app for Windows, macOS, or Linux—available on Linux PCs and the Steam Deck. Every subscription is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Step 2: Choose a VPN server location
Open the ExpressVPN app and connect to one of thousands of high-speed, secure VPN servers across 105 countries. Steam is available in most countries around the world so connecting to the server closest to your region of choice is advisable.
Step 3: Create a new Steam account
Head on over to the Steam website and sign up for a new account. Please make sure you select the correct Country of Residence in the dropdown on the sign up page.
Please keep in mind that you will not be able to transfer anything over from this new account to your existing Steam account.
Step 4: Securely use Steam from a new region
Once you’ve completed signing up, securely use Steam online from a new region!
Change your Steam Store country without a VPN
If you’re intent is to keep your Steam account intact, here are ways you can change your Steam Store country:
If you’re permanently relocating to another country
If you have recently relocated or are residing abroad for an extended period, you can modify your Steam country setting by making a purchase using a payment method from your new region. During the checkout process, while viewing your cart or completing the purchase, you will be provided with the option to change your store region to match your current location.
If you want to purchase a game in a different currency or region
To make purchases on Steam, your store country must match your current place of residence and you must have access to a local payment method. When going through the checkout process, you will be presented with a list of available payment methods specific to your region.
If you can’t make purchases in your current region, you can explore alternative options such as purchasing Steam-compatible CD Keys or Steam Wallet Codes from local gaming retail stores.
If you’re going on an extended holiday
If you are a new user, it is not possible to temporarily change your store region for making purchases while traveling—you need to be in your country of residence to do this. It is recommended that you set up your Steam account and configure your store region before you travel. This will allow you to access the store with your home country’s pricing to make purchases.
If you constantly divide your time between more than one country
If you spend a lot of your time between countries, it’s recommended that you select the country that serves as your primary residence as your store country for convenience and consistency.
While it’s possible to update your store country each time you change locations, the change to your store/Wallet is permanent until you move again. Also keep in mind that Steam will not let you change this again for another three months.
FAQ: Change regions on Steam
Can you use VPN with Steam?
Steam’s Terms of Service strictly prohibits the use of VPNs to disguise your location for the purposes of redeeming region-specific content or circumventing currency restrictions. Violating this may lead to restrictions on your account or being banned outright.
That said, Steam has advised their customers that VPNs are a reliable way of protecting your IP address online.
Why can’t I use VPN on Steam?
Steam has advised that use of a VPN while gaming may affect the Steam client application from accessing the Steam network and games that require network access may also be affected. In this case, you’re advised to configure your network to allow Steam traffic.
Can you get banned for changing Steam region with VPN?
Steam’s Terms of Service strictly prohibit the use of VPNs to disguise your location for the purposes of redeeming region-specific content or circumventing currency restrictions. Violating this may lead to your account being banned.
What is the best VPN for Steam?
With servers across 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, and ultra-fast speeds that offer minimal buffering, ExpressVPN is the best and most reliable VPN for gaming online via Steam.