If you're an ex-pat living overseas, or just traveling on holiday and want to regain access to websites that are geo-restricted to the UK, you will need a UK IP address. The best way to get a UK IP is to use a VPN. As well as allowing you to change where in the world you appear to be, a VPN helps to secure your online activities by providing another layer of encryption. However, in this article, we will describe three different methods for getting an IP address in the UK.
In this guide, we will show you how to unblock UK websites by getting UK IP address anywhere in the world!
Get a UK IP address with these VPNs
The simplest way to get a UK IP address is to connect to a UK VPN server. We list the best VPNs that have UK servers below, so that you can easily get a UK IP address. Scroll down to read more details about each service and the privacy features they provide.
- ExpressVPN - The best service to get a UK IP. It unblocks all major streaming providers and users get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- NordVPN - The best mid-range VPN for anyone who needs a UK IP address, with access to BBC iPlayer and great customization on the offer.
- Surfshark - The best budget service with UK IP addresses, costing a little over $2 a month and even offering users unlimited simultaneous connections.
- Private Internet Access - The most secure VPN for UK IP addresses, with access to streaming services. Comes with a court-proven zero-logs policy.
- CyberGhost VPN - The most beginner-friendly service to obtain a UK IP address. It's easy to use, speedy, and offers a superb customer support.
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How to get a UK IP address with a VPN
To get a UK IP address all you need to do is follow the steps below:
- Subscribe to one of the VPNs mentioned in this guide. All of them have servers based in the UK.
- Download and install the VPN software onto your device(s).
- Connect to a server location in the UK.
- Go to the website you want to access (such as BBC iPlayer).
| TEST WINNER ExpressVPN | NordVPN | Surfshark | Private Internet Access | CyberGhost VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | Surfshark | Private Internet Access | CyberGhost VPN |
| Ranking for UK IP | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Performance | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Reliability | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Free trial | |||||
| Total servers | 3000 | 5300 | 3200 | 3386 | 9723 |
| Payment | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency |
| Unblocks: | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu |
| Supported platforms | Windows macOS iOS Android | Windows macOS iOS Android | Windows macOS iOS Android | Windows macOS iOS Android | Windows macOS iOS Android |
The best services to get a UK IP - In-depth analysis
All the VPN services in this article have locations in the UK that'll allow you to get a UK IP address. However, they also have a whole host of useful privacy and security features. Below you can see exactly what makes each service unique, so you can pick the right service for your needs. For more info, you can read our in-depth VPN reviews.
ExpressVPN is the best service to get a UK IP address. It has four super-fast servers based in the UK, it's very reliable, and comes backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN Demo ExpressVPN tops on our list of recommended VPN services for anyone that needs to unblock websites in the UK. The service is highly-featured and uses top-of-the-range OpenVPN encryption, which means that your data and online habits will always remain private. The provider has plenty of UK servers to choose from, and they are all lightning-fast. This makes it great for streaming HD content or torrenting. It is also a zero-logs VPN, which is the best kind of VPN privacy policy money can buy. Thanks to its servers in over 94 countries
worldwide, you can spoof your IP address to anywhere else that you fancy. And this VPN is known to work with Netflix UK, Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Customer service is 24/7 and ExpressVPN has some of the best operatives in the business. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the service entirely risk-free. It also lets you install the VPN on up to 5 devices simultaneously - which makes it great for families or people with more than one device. NordVPN is the best mid-range VPN for getting a UK IP address, boasting plenty of UK locations for you to choose from and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Nord Demo NordVPN is a service that we recommend for people that want a highly secure connection! Navigating the user-friendly menus, you'll notice just how feature-packed Nord is with DNS leak protection, double encryption, shared IPs and Tor over VPN. One slight drawback is that double encryption does slow speeds down a little. However, if you have particularly high-security needs, this is the VPN for unblocking UK IP addresses. Finally, Nord's UK servers are superb, and customer care is also fantastic. An excellent way to get a UK IP. Surfshark is among the cheapest VPNs with UK IP addresses, costing around $2 a month. It's packed with features and unblocks streaming sites. Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Surfshark Demo Surfshark is an excellent option if you want to pretend to be in the UK to access geo-restricted services. Not only does Surfshark have a choice of servers located in the UK, but those servers are capable of unblocking highly sought-after British services, such as ITV, BBC iPlayer, and Channel 4. With Surfshark you can easily get a UK IP address to ensure that you can access British online banking services and other English content while outside of the British Isles. Because Surfshark provides strong encryption and plenty of privacy features, you can trust this service to keep your data completely private. Besides providing a UK IP, Surfshark has servers located in over 100 countries
around the world, meaning that you can easily unblock content in any one of them. And because Surfshark has excellent customer support, you can get help setting it up or accessing the content at any time. It's an excellent VPN for the UK that will not break the bank and can be tested for free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee. Private Internet Access is the most secure VPN for obtaining a UK IP address. It has a court proven no-logs policy and is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. PIA Demo Private Internet Access (PIA) is a US-based VPN provider that keeps zero logs, a claim it has proven in court. The VPN was recently acquired by Kape Technologies - a cybersec firm based in London whose primary aim is to help consumers gain protection online. PIA is a cheap VPN service that has apps for all popular platforms, each providing strong encryption, including OpenVPN. PIA is one of the most popular VPN services among Reddit users, offering a superb choice of servers across more than 84 countries
around the world, including the UK. This means it can easily unblock a decent amount of highly sought-after content, from Netflix US to BBC iPlayer. It has 24/7 live chat support in case you get stuck, and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied. It's a superb service for customers in need of a VPN with advanced features for torrenting - as well as an IP address in the UK. CyberGhost is an easy-to-use VPN for getting a UK IP address. It has intuitive apps for Android, iOS, iPhone, and Mac and comes with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. CyberGhost Demo CyberGhost VPN is a well-known VPN service that does everything right. Its latest software is easy to use and offers a wealth of excellent features. This makes it great for gaining privacy both at home and on public Wi-Fi. Plus, this VPN is a zero-logs service, which means it never has any records of what you do online. CyberGhost VPN has servers in over 91 countries
worldwide, including the UK. With your subscription, you'll get access to servers located in Berkshire, London, and Manchester. We enjoy using this service to unblock BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, and Netflix UK. It will also let you unblock sought-after content from the USA. You can test it yourself using its generous 45-day money-back guarantee. Plus, this service lets you use the VPN on a whopping 7 devices - which definitely increases its value for money. It's not quite as fast as ExpressVPN, but still perfectly suited to streaming in HD. 1. ExpressVPN
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What can you do with a UK IP address?
Once you connect to a VPN with an IP address in the UK, you can access any UK-restricted services. Below we have included a list of the kinds of services you can unblock.
- UK Internet banking
- BBC iPlayer
- Netflix UK
- ITV Hub
- Channel 4
- BT Sports
- Now TV
- Sky TV
Can you get a UK IP address with a Free VPN?
Although there are some free VPN services available on the market, it is important to take extreme care when deciding to use one of these providers. The vast majority of free services have been found to have concerning privacy policies, weak encryption, IP address leaks, and even apps that contain spyware and adware. If you want watertight privacy, it is important to get a free VPN that does not put you at risk.
The good news is that there are some free VPN services that you can trust. Our recommendations provide a limited free service to allow users to test the service. Those restrictions limit how useful the VPN, but some of the services will allow you to get a UK IP address. Below we have detailed the kinds of restrictions you will encounter when using trustworthy free service plans that do not put your data at risk:
- Fewer server locations
- No access to iPlayer or other sought-after streaming services
- Slower speeds
- Monthly download limitations
If you want to know what it feels like to use a full, unrestricted VPN service that has no limitations of this kind, we recommend that you try out one of the VPNs in this guide. Our recommendations all have a money-back guarantee. That means you can test the VPN for between 30 and 45 days and then get a full refund.
UK IP address with SmartDNS
SmartDNS is another method that people can use to pretend to be in the UK. SmartDNS services work by rerouting your DNS requests in such a way that you seem to be living in England. This technique is great for gaining access to UK services on your Smart devices, but it does not provide any of the privacy and security benefits you get with a VPN.
A VPN prevents your ISP and the government from knowing what you are doing online. It also prevents the websites and services you use from being able to detect your real IP address. SmartDNS does not provide these benefits, it just allows you to access UK-based web services.
The good news is that some of the VPNs we have recommended in this article actually throw in a SmartDNS service for free; bundled with the VPN subscription. That means that when you pay for a subscription, you get the use of a VPN and of a SmartDNS service.
UK IP address with a Proxy
Years ago, proxy servers were considered the best way to both bypass internet restrictions and gain a foreign IP address. Over time, however, the availability of good proxy services has dwindled and the privacy and security benefits that a VPN provide have made them come out on top as the best way to get a UK IP.
While a VPN is the best way to get an IP address in the UK, it is still possible to use website based proxies and browser-based proxy extensions to get an IP address in Britain. Some VPNs provide a browser-based proxy as part of their service. Alternatively, you can find a proxy online.
However, please bear in mind that proxy extensions and websites may track what you do online. As a result, they do not provide the privacy and security that you get with a no logs VPN.
How to get a UK IP Address - Conclusion
In this guide, we have shown you how to get a UK IP address. Although our most highly recommended VPN service for getting a UK IP is ExpressVPN, we have included several other services in the guide.
These VPNs all have fast and secure server networks that are perfect for streaming in HD. In addition, they all have strong encryption that will ensure you always gain privacy online. All our recommended VPNs are top of the range, which means that deciding which one to go with is just a matter of personal taste!
From $6.67/month
The best service to get a UK IP. It unblocks all major streaming providers and users get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 10 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- 5
- Server locations
- 160
- Free trial
- No
From $3.69/month
The best mid-range VPN for anyone who needs a UK IP address, with access to BBC iPlayer and great customization on the offer.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 9.9 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- 6
- Server locations
- 60
- Free trial
- No
From $2.30/month
The best budget service with UK IP addresses, costing a little over $2 a month and even offering users unlimited simultaneous connections.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 9.8 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- Unlimited
- Server locations
- 100
- Free trial
- Yes
From $2.19/month
The most secure VPN for UK IP addresses, with access to streaming services. Comes with a court-proven zero-logs policy.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 9.7 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- Unlimited
- Server locations
- 84
- Free trial
- No
From $2.11/month
The most beginner-friendly service to obtain a UK IP address. It's easy to use, speedy, and offers a superb customer support.
- ProPrivacy TrustScore:
- 9.6 out of 10
- Simultaneous connections
- 7
- Server locations
- 117
- Free trial
- Yes
How to get a UK IP address – FAQs