You arrive on Mallorca, settle in, open Netflix, and find that the film you wanted to watch is not available here. You try BBC iPlayer and get a message saying the service is not available in your country. You pull up a YouTube clip and it says the video is blocked in your region.
This is geo-blocking, and it affects virtually every English-speaking expat on the island. Understanding how it works, what you can do about it, and where the grey lines are will save you a lot of frustration.
What Geo-Blocking Is and Why It Exists
Geo-blocking is the practice of restricting access to online content based on the user's geographic location. It is not technically difficult - services just check where your internet connection comes from and show or block content accordingly.
The reason it exists is almost entirely about licensing and commercial rights. Streaming services do not buy global rights to content in one transaction. Instead, they - or the studios that own the content - license it territory by territory. A film can be licensed to Netflix UK, to a different platform in Spain, to Movistar+ in Spain, and to nobody at all in Australia. Each deal is negotiated separately.
The result is a fragmented map of availability. The service cannot show you content it does not hold the licence for in your territory, and it is contractually obliged not to do so.
This applies to:
- Subscription streaming (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video - different catalogues per country)
- National catch-up TV (BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, Hulu, Peacock, CBC Gem, SBS)
- Live sports broadcasts (different rights holders per country)
- YouTube (some videos are geo-restricted due to music or broadcast rights)
How Streaming Services Detect Your Location
Services use several signals to determine where you are:
IP address is the primary method. Every internet connection is assigned an IP address, and these are mapped to countries. When you connect to Netflix, it checks your IP against its geo-database and serves the appropriate catalogue.
DNS resolution is a secondary check. Your DNS server's location can reveal your country even if your IP has been modified.
GPS and device location are used on mobile devices. If your phone shares its location, the app can use that directly.
Payment method is used for account registration and billing. If your account was created with a UK credit card, the service knows something about your original location.
Account history and behaviour - Netflix in particular looks at patterns: which IP addresses you connect from, whether they are consistent with a specific country, whether many users connect from the same IP (a sign of a VPN server).
For most services, the IP address check is the one that matters day to day. The others come into play when services are trying to detect long-term relocation or VPN use.
The EU Portability Regulation
Before we get to VPNs, it is worth understanding a legal mechanism that is relevant to some expats: the EU Portability Regulation (Regulation EU 2017/1128), which came into force in 2018.
What It Does
The regulation requires subscription-based services to let you access your home-country subscription when you are temporarily in another EU member state. If you are a French subscriber to Canal+, you should be able to watch Canal+ France during a two-week holiday in Spain. If you are a German Netflix subscriber, you should in theory be able to access German Netflix during a short trip to Mallorca.
The Critical Limitation
The key word is temporary. The regulation covers travel - holidays, short business trips, studying abroad temporarily - not permanent relocation. Once you are resident in Spain, you are no longer a "temporary visitor" and the regulation does not apply to you.
Services interpret "temporary" loosely, but after a few weeks to months of connecting consistently from a Spanish IP address, they will assume you are resident and switch your catalogue. Netflix typically does this automatically.
What This Means for You
If you recently moved to Mallorca and your subscription was taken out in an EU country, you may continue to access your home catalogue for a while simply because the service has not yet detected your permanent residence. Do not rely on this lasting.
If you moved from the UK, the portability regulation does not apply at all - the UK is not in the EU and there is no equivalent UK-Spain arrangement.
Portability does not protect permanent residents
The EU Portability Regulation is designed for travellers, not emigrants. As a resident of Spain you have no legal right to your home-country catalogue under this regulation, regardless of where you took out your subscription.
How VPNs Work
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) routes your internet traffic through a server in another location. When you connect to a UK VPN server, your internet traffic appears to originate from that UK server's IP address. Streaming services see a UK IP address and serve the UK catalogue.
The VPN also encrypts your traffic between your device and the VPN server, which is why VPNs are also used for privacy and security on public Wi-Fi.
The basic process:
- You install the VPN app and choose a server location (e.g. United Kingdom).
- Your device connects to the VPN server in the UK.
- Your traffic passes through that server and exits with a UK IP address.
- BBC iPlayer or Netflix UK sees a UK IP and unlocks the content.
This is technically straightforward. The challenge is that streaming services actively try to detect and block VPN IP addresses, which has turned into an ongoing technical competition.
How Netflix and Others Detect VPNs
Netflix invests heavily in VPN detection. It uses several methods:
IP reputation databases. Commercial databases track which IP addresses are associated with VPN providers, data centres, and proxy services. Netflix subscribes to these and blocks listed addresses. Good VPN providers counter by constantly cycling in new, "clean" IP addresses.
Traffic patterns. Hundreds or thousands of users streaming through the same IP address is unusual for a residential connection. Services can flag IPs where the traffic volume is implausibly high for a household.
DNS leak detection. If your DNS requests are not routed through the VPN (a "DNS leak"), they can reveal your true location even when your IP appears to be in another country. Good VPN apps prevent DNS leaks.
Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). Some detection systems can identify VPN-encrypted traffic by its signature in the data packets, even without knowing the IP address. Advanced VPNs use "obfuscation" techniques to disguise their traffic as normal HTTPS web browsing.
The result is a cat-and-mouse situation. Netflix or iPlayer blocks a batch of VPN IP addresses; the VPN provider adds new ones; those get blocked in turn. This cycle happens constantly.
How This Plays Out in Practice
With a reliable paid VPN:
- Netflix: Works some of the time. Not every server works, and you may need to switch UK servers (or US servers, depending on what you are trying to access) before finding one that connects.
- BBC iPlayer: Works well with the right VPN. The BBC has good detection but top-tier VPN providers maintain dedicated iPlayer servers.
- Disney+: Somewhat easier to bypass than Netflix.
- YouTube: Rarely blocked; a VPN UK server almost always unlocks geo-blocked YouTube videos.
- ITVX, Channel 4: Generally easier to bypass than Netflix.
With a free VPN: Almost nothing works. Free VPN IP addresses are among the first to be blacklisted.
Which VPNs Work in 2026
Here is an honest assessment based on available information as of mid-2026. No VPN guarantees access - performance varies by server, day, and which services are actively blocking. Treat these as starting points, not guarantees.
NordVPN
Overview: Based in Panama, one of the largest VPN providers globally. Around 6,400 servers in 111 countries, with several hundred UK servers.
Streaming performance: Strong. NordVPN maintains dedicated "Obfuscated" and "P2P" server clusters and actively monitors which servers work for which services. Their SmartPlay technology automatically routes streaming requests for better success rates.
Netflix: Works reliably with specific server groups; may require switching servers if the first one is blocked.
BBC iPlayer: One of the better performers for iPlayer, which has strong detection. Use dedicated UK servers, not the general pool.
Price: From around 3-4 EUR/month on a two-year plan. Single month is more expensive.
Best for: Users who want one VPN that works across multiple services and countries.
Surfshark
Overview: Based in the Netherlands. Unlimited simultaneous connections (the only major VPN to offer this), which means one subscription covers every device in your household.
Streaming performance: Good, though slightly less consistent than NordVPN for iPlayer.
Netflix: Works, may require server switching.
BBC iPlayer: Works on most servers but less reliably than NordVPN.
Price: From around 2-3 EUR/month on a two-year plan. Good value given unlimited connections.
Best for: Households with many devices, or users who want a low-cost option for general streaming.
ExpressVPN
Overview: Based in the British Virgin Islands, one of the most established VPN providers. Known for fast speeds and reliable streaming.
Streaming performance: Among the best for consistency. ExpressVPN was an early provider of streaming-optimised servers and has maintained good performance.
Netflix: Works well. Lightway protocol (ExpressVPN's own) is fast and stable.
BBC iPlayer: Works reliably on UK servers.
Price: From around 6-8 EUR/month on a yearly plan. More expensive than NordVPN or Surfshark.
Best for: Users who prioritise reliability and speed over cost, and who use a VPN for iPlayer daily.
Mullvad
Overview: Swedish provider with a strong privacy focus. No email address needed to sign up; you get an anonymous account number. Accepts cash payment.
Streaming performance: Less optimised for streaming than the above three. Mullvad does not maintain dedicated streaming servers.
Netflix, iPlayer: Hit and miss. Works sometimes, not always.
Price: A flat 5 EUR/month, no long-term commitment needed.
Best for: Privacy-conscious users who want a VPN primarily for security rather than streaming. Not the first choice if streaming is your main use case.
ProtonVPN
Overview: Swiss provider, sister service to ProtonMail. Strong on privacy, has a genuine free tier (with no speed cap, which is unusual).
Streaming performance: The paid tiers have streaming-optimised servers ("Plus" servers) that work with Netflix and sometimes iPlayer. The free tier is not suitable for streaming geo-blocking.
Netflix: Works on Plus servers.
BBC iPlayer: Inconsistent even on paid servers.
Price: Free tier available (slow for streaming). Paid from around 5 EUR/month.
Best for: Users who want to combine privacy email (ProtonMail) with VPN, or who want a reputable free VPN for non-streaming uses.
What to Look for When Choosing
- Dedicated streaming servers: Look for providers that explicitly mention iPlayer, Netflix, etc. in their feature list.
- Obfuscation: Important for bypassing deep packet inspection; NordVPN and ExpressVPN have this.
- IP rotation: The provider should regularly add fresh IP addresses to replace blocked ones.
- Kill switch: If the VPN drops, a kill switch stops your traffic from leaking until the VPN reconnects.
- No-logs policy: Ideally independently audited. NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN have all had third-party audits.
Free VPNs are not suitable for streaming
Free VPNs - with the exception of ProtonVPN's limited free tier - are not useful for streaming. Their IP addresses are universally blocked by Netflix, iPlayer and other services. They are also frequently slow, have data caps, and some monetise your browsing data. Use a paid provider.
Smart DNS - A Faster Alternative
A Smart DNS service is different from a VPN. Instead of routing all your traffic through a remote server, it only intercepts the DNS requests that reveal your geographic location and reroutes those through a server in the target country.
Advantages:
- No encryption overhead means no speed reduction. You get your full internet speed.
- Works on devices that cannot run a VPN app natively, such as smart TVs, Apple TV (without additional setup), gaming consoles and some streaming boxes.
- Easy to set up - it is just a DNS server address change in your network settings.
Disadvantages:
- Does not provide any privacy or security. Your real IP address is still visible to the streaming service. Only the DNS origin is masked.
- Netflix and BBC iPlayer have detection methods that go beyond DNS. Smart DNS is not reliable for these services.
- Works better for older or simpler geo-blocking systems.
When Smart DNS makes sense:
- For services that rely primarily on DNS-based geo-detection rather than full IP checks (some smaller or older services).
- As a complement to a VPN: use Smart DNS on your smart TV (where running a VPN natively is difficult) for services that it can handle, and a VPN on your laptop or phone for Netflix and iPlayer.
- Some routers support running a VPN at the router level, which covers all connected devices including smart TVs.
Providers like Unlocator and others offer Smart DNS services, often combined with a VPN option. Prices are typically similar to or slightly lower than standalone VPNs.
The Legal Picture
This is the question most expats ask, and the answer is reassuring on the key point:
Using a VPN in Spain is completely legal. Spain has no law against VPN use. Businesses use VPNs for remote access, digital nomads use them for privacy, and individuals use them to protect their data on public Wi-Fi. There is nothing illegal about running VPN software on your devices.
The grey zone is contractual, not criminal. When you use a VPN to bypass geo-blocking on Netflix or BBC iPlayer, you may be violating the terms of service of that platform. The terms of service are a private contract between you and the service. Breaching them can result in the service restricting or closing your account. It does not result in any legal action against you.
The realistic risk for account closure:
Netflix and Disney+ have strong commercial incentives to keep you as a subscriber. Closing accounts for VPN use would alienate millions of customers. In practice, they respond to VPN use by blocking specific IP addresses and showing an error message, not by terminating accounts. Account closures for VPN-based geo-bypassing are extremely rare and are not something most expats need to worry about.
BBC iPlayer has different incentives (it is a public broadcaster funded by the licence fee) and has taken a harder line on non-UK access in recent years. But account closures for iPlayer VPN use are also very uncommon. The BBC's resources are spent on technical blocking, not on pursuing individual users.
Spanish law has no problem with this. No Spanish authority cares that you are using a VPN to watch British TV.
What you should honestly know:
Bypassing geo-blocks does technically violate most services' terms of use. The practical consequences are minimal. You can make your own informed decision about whether that trade-off is acceptable to you.
Recommendation from most expats: VPN is worth it
The consensus among English-speaking expats on Mallorca and across Spain is clear: a VPN subscription is a small ongoing cost (3-8 EUR/month) that makes a significant quality-of-life difference if you regularly want to access home-country content. The legal risk is negligible. The practical risk (account closure) is very low. Most people who try it do not go back.
Practical Strategy for Expats
Here is a sensible approach for the first year after moving to Mallorca:
In the first few months:
Keep at least one home-country streaming subscription active and continue accessing it via VPN. The EU Portability Regulation may still give you legitimate access to EU home-country subscriptions for a while, but do not rely on it. For UK subscriptions (outside the EU), a VPN is the straightforward approach from day one.
Subscribe to Netflix Spain and Disney+ Spain as your primary services. The Spanish catalogues are large and overlap heavily with what you know. You will find that most of what you actually watch is available anyway.
For live UK TV:
If you own your home or have your landlord's agreement, consider a satellite dish. It receives BBC One, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and hundreds of other UK free-to-air channels live, with no ongoing cost and no geo-blocking. A dish is a one-time expense (roughly 200-400 EUR installed) that pays for itself quickly if you watch regularly.
If a dish is not practical (renting, apartment building restrictions), a VPN with BBC iPlayer and ITVX covers most of what you want. Use NordVPN or ExpressVPN for the most consistent iPlayer performance.
For sports:
DAZN Spain is a genuinely good local subscription that covers the Premier League, La Liga, Formula 1, NFL and more. It is legal, Spanish-priced, and requires no workaround. If you want supplementary sports coverage from your home country (Sky Sports, TNT Sports, ESPN+), a VPN plus maintaining a home-country payment method is the route.
Transition over time:
After a year or so, most expats find they rely less heavily on home-country streaming than they expected. Spanish content gets more familiar, the Spanish Netflix catalogue proves large, and DAZN handles most sports needs. The VPN remains useful for specific things - iPlayer for BBC drama, a UK sports match, or accessing home-country banking websites that sometimes block non-UK IPs.
Recommended setup:
- One paid VPN subscription (NordVPN or ExpressVPN recommended for streaming).
- Netflix Spain as the main streaming service.
- Disney+ Spain for family and Marvel/Star Wars content.
- DAZN if you follow sport.
- VPN for iPlayer, ITVX and home-country content as needed.
- Satellite dish if you watch a lot of live UK TV and have the option.
This covers the vast majority of what English-speaking expats actually want to watch, at a total monthly cost that is likely lower than what you were paying at home.
For the full picture on what streaming services work in Spain and how to set up your TV room, see the companion article on streaming and TV for expats on Mallorca.