Can you watch BBC iPlayer abroad? How to take programmes with you

If you are already overseas, you cannot start a BBC iPlayer stream or download a new episode there. If you are still in the UK, you can download eligible programmes in the mobile or tablet app and take them with you. TV Licensing confirms that someone covered by a TV Licence can watch programmes downloaded before travelling abroad. A UK licence on its own does not give access to the live iPlayer stream overseas.

Do this before you leave the UK

1. Choose the device you will take. Open the BBC iPlayer app on your compatible phone or tablet and sign into your BBC account. If you update the app before travelling, open it again while you are still in the UK.
2. Open the individual episode. Select Download where the option is available. Do this for the episodes you want in order, particularly if a series has specials mixed in. Watchlist and Continue Watching entries have no offline video attached to them.
3. Check the Downloads section. Wait for transfers to finish on Wi-Fi. If space runs out, remove an episode you have already watched and complete the missing one. A queued episode cannot finish downloading from your overseas hotel.
4. Read the availability date. A download can expire during the trip. A programme due to leave iPlayer on Friday makes a poor choice for a flight home on Sunday. The date shown for that item is more useful than a general estimate.
5. Try playback on the same device. Switch off its network connections briefly, open Downloads and try a programme. Reconnect afterwards. A file on your phone does not also appear in Downloads on the tablet, even if both are signed into your account.

What can I do once I am overseas?

For example, if a drama airs on the second night of a week away, downloading the first episode before departure does not reserve the second one. Look up the exact series and season rather than subscribing to a service whose promotional image merely shows the cast. Our streaming title-finder guide explains how to separate listings, trailers and offers that actually include the programme.

Why does iPlayer think I am abroad when I am in the UK?

IP-based location checks can misidentify a connection. On a personal UK connection, see whether a personal VPN or proxy is enabled. Disconnect it if you are comfortable using that network, open the programme again and compare. If your home broadband gives an error but the same phone plays over UK mobile data, record the time, broadband provider and message for your provider or iPlayer support. That comparison gives them something specific to investigate.

On a business or university network, ask its administrator whether traffic exits elsewhere. Use a personal connection to try again rather than changing an organisation’s security settings. From abroad, selecting a UK VPN exit may change the apparent IP address, but the BBC’s rules for overseas streaming still apply.

BBC and TV Licensing guidance

• TV Licensing on iPlayer, including the specific question about travel abroad
• BBC iPlayer help with watching downloads abroad
• BBC iPlayer help when a UK connection is misidentified
• The BBC’s iPlayer app for iPhone and iPad