Why You Need to Change Your Country on Amazon
You just moved to a new country, or perhaps you’re traveling for an extended period. You open your Amazon app to order a familiar product or check a deal, only to find your recommendations are off, prices are in a different currency, and items you want won’t ship to your new location. The app feels like it’s stuck in the past, tied to a marketplace you no longer use.
This common frustration happens because Amazon operates as separate, country-specific marketplaces. Your account’s default country setting determines which products you see, the currency for prices, available shipping addresses, and the payment methods you can use. Changing this setting is essential for a seamless shopping experience after a move.
Understanding Amazon’s Marketplace Structure
Before you change your country, it’s crucial to know what you’re actually changing. Amazon isn’t one global store. Instead, it’s a collection of localized stores like Amazon.com for the US, Amazon.co.uk for the United Kingdom, Amazon.de for Germany, and so on.
Your account has a “default marketplace” or country setting. This is the primary storefront associated with your login credentials. It influences everything from the language of customer service to the digital content available in your Prime Video or Kindle library.
Changing your country in the app doesn’t merge accounts or transfer your order history. It essentially tells Amazon, “I now primarily want to shop from this specific country’s store.” This action has several immediate effects on your app experience.
What Changes When You Switch Your Country
The product catalog updates to show items available for sale and shipment within that new country. You’ll see prices in the local currency, such as Euros, Pounds, or Canadian Dollars. Available shipping addresses will be limited to addresses within that country, and you may need to add a new local address.
Your payment methods will also be filtered. A credit card issued in the United States might not be accepted as a valid payment method on Amazon Japan. You will likely need to add a payment method from your new country of residence.
Perhaps most importantly, your Amazon Prime membership does not transfer internationally. Your Prime benefits, including free shipping, Prime Video, and Prime Music, are tied to the specific country’s marketplace where you subscribed. You will need to cancel your old Prime membership and subscribe anew in your new country, if available.
How to Change Your Country in the Amazon Mobile App
The process is straightforward but must be done through the app’s settings. You cannot change your default country through a simple menu toggle on the home screen. Follow these steps carefully.
First, open the Amazon app on your iOS or Android device and ensure you are logged into the account you wish to update. Tap the three-line “hamburger” menu icon, typically located in the bottom right corner (iOS) or top left corner (Android) of the screen.
Scroll down within this menu and locate the “Settings” option. It is usually near the bottom of the list, represented by a gear icon. Tap on “Settings” to enter your account configuration area.
Inside Settings, look for an option labeled “Country & Language” or “Country/Region Settings.” The exact wording may vary slightly depending on your current app version and marketplace. Tap on this option to proceed.
Selecting Your New Default Country
You will now see your current default country displayed. To change it, tap on the option to “Change” or “Update” your country. The app will present you with a list of available Amazon marketplaces.
Scroll through this list and select your new country of residence. For example, if you have moved from the US to Spain, you would select “Spain” or “Amazon.es.” After selecting, the app will likely present you with a summary of the changes.
It will warn you that your shopping cart, Wish Lists, and digital content may be affected. Read this information carefully. To confirm the change, tap “Update” or “Confirm.” The app will refresh and reload, now displaying the storefront for your newly selected country.
Essential Steps to Take After Changing Your Country
Simply changing the setting is not enough. To shop effectively, you must update the core components of your account. Start by managing your addresses. Go to “Your Addresses” in the app settings and add a new, verified shipping address within your new country. This is often a mandatory step before you can place any orders.
Next, review your payment methods. Navigate to “Your Payments” in the settings. Your existing credit or debit cards from your old country might still appear, but they may fail at checkout. It is highly recommended to add a payment method issued by a bank in your new country of residence.
Finally, manage your subscriptions. Visit “Your Memberships & Subscriptions.” Here, you must manually cancel your Amazon Prime membership from your old country. You can then visit the new country’s storefront and sign up for a new Prime membership if you wish, subject to its local price and terms.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
You may encounter a message stating, “You cannot change your country at this time.” This is often because you have an active Amazon Prime membership, an outstanding digital order like a Kindle book rental, or an active subscription service. You must cancel these services on your old marketplace before the country setting can be changed.
Another frequent issue is payment methods being declined after the switch. Even if your international card is accepted in principle, the system may reject it because the card’s billing address is in a different country. The most reliable fix is to add a local bank card or use a localized payment option like SEPA Direct Debit in the EU.
Your shopping cart and Wish Lists will be empty after the change. This is normal and cannot be avoided, as those lists contain products from a different marketplace’s catalog. You will need to rebuild them by searching for items on the new storefront.
What About Your Digital Content?
This is a critical area. Your purchased Kindle books, Amazon Music downloads, and Prime Video library are licensed for the country where you bought them. Changing your country does not transfer these licenses.
You will still be able to access and download your previously purchased digital content by switching back to your old marketplace. However, new purchases and streaming availability will be governed by the licensing agreements in your new country, which can differ significantly.
For example, a movie available on Prime Video in the US might not be available on Prime Video in Italy. It’s important to set your expectations accordingly regarding your existing digital library.
Alternative Method: Using Multiple Amazon Accounts
For many expats and frequent travelers, changing the default country back and forth is impractical. A powerful alternative is to maintain separate Amazon accounts for different countries. You can have one account for Amazon.com (US) and a completely different account for Amazon.co.uk (UK).
This approach allows you to keep your local payment methods and addresses neatly separated. You preserve your existing digital content libraries on each account without conflict. The main trade-off is the inconvenience of logging out and logging in to switch between stores, and managing multiple subscriptions if you want Prime in more than one country.
Most mobile devices allow you to stay logged into multiple shopping apps. You could even install two separate Amazon apps in some cases by using different app store accounts, though managing a single app with multiple logins is more common.
Strategic Tips for International Amazon Shoppers
If you frequently shop from international Amazon sites without moving, you don’t need to change your default country. Instead, use the built-in global store features. On the desktop website, you can often find a flag icon or a “Deliver to” selector at the top of the page. This lets you shop from another country’s catalog and ship internationally without altering your core account settings.
Be acutely aware of total costs. When ordering from a foreign marketplace, you must factor in international shipping fees, import taxes, and customs duties, which are often calculated and charged by Amazon at checkout. These can significantly increase the final price.
Always double-check the product’s voltage, plug type, and warranty terms when ordering electronics or appliances from another country. A device meant for the US (110V) could be damaged if plugged into a European socket (220V) without a proper converter.
Final Steps to Complete Your Transition
To ensure your Amazon app works perfectly in your new country, follow this final checklist. Verify your default delivery address is correct and set as primary. Confirm at least one local payment method is added and validated. Review and cancel any old-country subscriptions, especially Prime.
Take a moment to update your communication preferences in the “Email, Messages, and Ads” settings to ensure you receive relevant deal notifications and delivery updates. Finally, spend some time browsing the new marketplace to understand the local bestsellers, deal cycles, and major sales events like Prime Day in that region.
By methodically changing your country setting and updating your account details, you transform your Amazon app from a source of frustration into a convenient tool for your new daily life. The process is a one-time setup that unlocks local pricing, faster shipping, and a product selection tailored to your current location.
