How to watch EastEnders abroad

EastEnders – one of the biggest soaps on UK TV – is finally back on our screens after the pandemic delaying filming numerous times.

If, however, if you’re not based in the UK (or you’re abroad on holiday), then you probably won’t be able to tune into the BBC on your telly. However, there is a workaround that we’ve found through using a VPN and a channel catch-up service. We have a similar guide for watching The Great British Bake Off in America, and for watching Line of Duty abroad. 

Watch EastEnders using a VPN

EastEnders is available to stream and watch on BBC iPlayer, BBC’s official licensed catch-up service. However, iPlayer is only available if you’re browsing from the UK. However, you can get round this by using a VPN.

VPNs (virtual private networks) allow you to browse the internet as if you’re from another country by rerouting your IP address. Then, you can connect to a server that is based anywhere in the world – for watching EastEnders this would be the UK.

For the most reliable and speedy performance (and affordable price) we recommend either NordVPN or ExpressVPN. You can also check out our list of the best free VPNs, but these options won’t likely have enough servers to be able to stream successfully.

Here’s all the steps you need to take to stream EastEnders from abroad:

• Sign into your VPN and connect to a UK server

• Head to the BBC iPlayer website

• Register for a free BBC account – but you’ll need to give your date of birth, gender, and email address, along with a valid UK postcode

• Search for EastEnders and watch the latest episode

It’s worth noting that the BBC states that the reasoning being creating accounts isn’t to pursue iPlayer users who haven’t paid for a TV Licence, but the company will cross-reference details to see if the user has paid for a Licence fee or not in the past.

If you’re a British resident with a paid-for Licence Fee and an iPlayer account, you can simply sign into your existing BBC account through using a VPN. If you don’t have an online account, you’ll need to create a new one. 

If you don’t have a Licence because you’re based internationally or just haven’t paid for one, and are hoping to access iPlayer anyway, you’ll still need to give a valid UK postcode and your details to get access. But be warned – this is against the BBC’s terms of service.

If you want to watch on another device, or just want more information, check out our guide to watching BBC iPlayer abroad.