Spotify lets you change your country, but only once every three months
You can change the country associated with your Spotify account through your account settings on the web. The process takes a few minutes, but Spotify enforces a three-month waiting period between changes — once you switch, you cannot switch again until 90 days have passed. This limit exists because Spotify's licensing agreements vary by country, and frequent changes would let people bypass regional restrictions on music availability.
The country you set determines which songs, podcasts, and features are available to you. Some artists release music in certain countries before others, some podcasts are only available in specific regions, and certain features like Spotify's ad-supported tier may not exist in your chosen country. Changing your country also changes which payment methods Spotify accepts and which currency your subscription is billed in.
Key Takeaways
- You can only change your country once every three months, so choose carefully before making the switch.
- Spotify determines your country based on your payment method and billing address, not your location, so you need a valid payment method from the country you want to switch to.
- Changing your country may make some songs or podcasts unavailable if they are not licensed in the new region.
- You must change your country through the web version of Spotify, not through the mobile app.
How to change your country on the web
Go to spotify.com and sign into your account. Click your profile name in the top right corner and select Account from the dropdown menu. On the Account page, scroll down to find Country or region and click Change next to it.
A dropdown menu will appear showing your current country and a list of other countries you can switch to. Select the country you want and click Confirm. Spotify will ask you to confirm the change one more time. Once you confirm, the change takes effect immediately, and you will see the new country listed in your account settings.
If you do not see a Change button next to your country, it means you changed your country within the last three months and must wait until the 90-day window closes. Spotify will show you the date when you can change again.
What you need before you change
Spotify bases your country on your payment method and billing address, not on where you physically are. If you want to change to a country where you do not live, you will need a valid payment method from that country — a credit card, debit card, or local payment service registered to an address in that country.
If you do not have a payment method from your target country, you have two options. You can ask someone who lives there to add their payment method to your account temporarily, then remove it after you change your country. Or you can use a virtual card service that lets you create cards tied to different countries, though you should check Spotify's terms to confirm this is allowed in your situation.
Once your country is changed, you can switch back to your original payment method if you want — Spotify will not force you to keep the payment method from the new country. However, you will still be locked into that country for the next 90 days.
What happens to your music and podcasts when you change
Some songs and podcasts may become unavailable when you switch countries because artists and creators license their work to Spotify in specific regions. If a song is not licensed in your new country, it will disappear from your playlists and you will not be able to play it. Downloaded songs will also stop working if they are no longer licensed in your new country.
Your playlists themselves do not disappear — they stay in your library — but any unavailable songs will show as grayed out with a lock icon next to them. If you change your country back later, those songs will become playable again.
Podcasts follow the same rule. Some podcasts are only available in certain countries, so switching may hide some shows from your library. This is less common than with music, but it does happen.
Why Spotify limits you to one change every three months
Spotify's three-month rule exists because music licensing is tied to geography. Record labels and artists negotiate separate deals with Spotify for each country, and those deals control when songs can be released, which songs can be available, and how much Spotify pays per stream. If people could change countries instantly and repeatedly, they could access music before official release dates in their home country or bypass regional restrictions entirely.
The 90-day window is long enough to prevent casual switching but short enough that people who genuinely move to a new country can update their account within a reasonable timeframe. If you move countries permanently, you should change your Spotify country to match your new location so your billing address and payment method align with where you actually live.
What to do if you cannot change your country
If you see an error message when you try to change your country, the most common cause is that your payment method does not match the country you are trying to switch to. Spotify requires that your billing address and payment method be from the country you want to change to. If your card is registered to a different country, the change will fail.
Another reason the change might fail is if you are trying to switch to a country where Spotify does not operate. Spotify is available in most countries, but not all — if you are trying to switch to a country where Spotify has no service, you will not see it in the dropdown list.
If you are within your three-month waiting period, you will not see a Change button at all — instead you will see text telling you when you can change again. In this case, you must wait until the 90 days have passed.
How changing your country affects your subscription and billing
When you change your country, your subscription price may change because Spotify charges different amounts in different currencies and markets. Your billing cycle does not change — you will still be charged on the same day of the month — but the amount may be different.
If you have a family plan, changing your country only affects your own account, not the other family members'. Each person on the plan can have a different country setting. However, the account owner's country determines the primary currency for the family plan, so changing the owner's country will change the currency everyone sees.
If you have a student discount or a promotional rate, changing your country may affect whether you still may have access to. Some countries do not offer student pricing, and some promotional rates are country-specific. Check your account after changing to confirm your subscription type and price are what you expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my country on the Spotify mobile app?
No, you can only change your country through the web version at spotify.com. Open the web version in a browser on your phone or computer, sign in, and follow the steps in your account settings. The mobile app does not have a country change option.
What happens to my playlists if I change my country?
Your playlists stay in your library, but songs that are not licensed in your new country will be grayed out and unplayable. If you change your country back later, those songs will work again. You can still see the playlist and all the song titles — they just will not play.
Can I change my country more than once every three months?
No, Spotify enforces a strict 90-day waiting period between country changes. Once you change, you must wait three months before you can change again. The exact date when you can change next is shown in your account settings.
Do I need to live in the country I set on Spotify?
Technically no — Spotify only checks your payment method and billing address, not your physical location. However, if you are traveling temporarily, you should keep your account set to your home country. Changing it permanently to a country where you do not live can cause issues with payment methods and billing.
Will changing my country affect my Spotify Wrapped?
No, your Spotify Wrapped is based on your listening history and does not change when you switch countries. However, if you change your country partway through the year, your year-end summary will only include the songs you listened to while in each country — it will not be affected by the country change itself.