How to get a UK IP address with a VPN in 5 easy steps

There are a variety of reasons why you might want a public IP address from the UK. British holidaymakers or expats living abroad might want to access news, TV shows, and movies on UK Netflix, ITV Hub, BBC iPlayer, and All 4. Or perhaps you may want to unblock British sporting coverage on Sky Sports or BT Sport. Those with UK bank accounts with Barclays, Natwest, Lloyds, and HSBC, might also need a British IP address to avoid being flagged by security regulators.

In this guide, we’ll teach you how to safely and securely acquire a real IP address from the UK. The easiest and quickest way to do that is by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN is basically software that encrypts all the traffic flowing to and from your device and routes it via an intermediary server of your choice. By choosing a VPN service that offers servers in the UK, it’s possible to make it appear that you’re actually located back home in the UK.

How to get a UK IP address with a VPN

It’s very simple to get a UK IP address and access all of your favorite British content from anywhere.

Here’s how to get a UK IP address using a VPN:

1. Register for a VPN service and download the app relevant to your device. We particularly recommend NordVPN.
2. Clear all cookies and restart your device.
3. Launch and log into the VPN mobile app or desktop client.
4. Connect to a UK server and wait for the connection to be made
5. Now you have a UK IP address and can browse the web at your leisure.

It doesn’t matter where you’re located in the world – it could be the US, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, India, Singapore, Thailand, or elsewhere – the process to obtain a UK IP address is the same.

Video: How to get a British IP address with a VPN

Our list of the most efficient services that provide UK IP addresses has been curated based on the following factors (more on these later):

• Maintains multiple VPN servers located in the UK
• Unblocks geo-restricted streaming content with ease
• Incorporates rigid encryption protocols so your data is protected
• Provides apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS
• Doesn’t store detailed internet traffic logs
• Offers value for money

We’ll get into plenty of details about each provider further down, but if you only have time for a brief summary, here’s a list of the best VPNs for getting a UK IP address:

1. NordVPN: The best VPN for getting a UK IP address. Plenty of British servers, best-in-class security features, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark: Best value VPN. Connect as many devices as you like. Great unblocking ability and a strong security offering with MultiHop servers.
3. ExpressVPN: Lots of UK servers. Tuned for fast and secure performance. Top-notch privacy features and apps are easy to use.
4. CyberGhost: Beginner friendly and offers solid security features and the fastest speeds we’ve tested.
5. IPVanish: Ideal for privacy and torrenting. WireGuard protocol for fast speeds. Allows any number of simultaneous connections.
6. PrivateVPN: Servers in 60+ countries. Achieved fast connection speeds in our testing. Ample privacy and security.
7. AtlasVPN: A reliable and fast VPN with servers in dozens of countries. Apps for all platforms. Malware protection and ad blocking.

Best VPNs for getting a UK IP address – at a glance

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for getting a UK IP address.

1. NordVPN

May 2023

NordVPN operates approximately 400 servers in the UK, within a global network of more than 5,000 across 60 countries. It’s highly secure service that’s been offering VPN solutions for over a decade. Best of all, it currently has some of the the fastest servers of any major provider.

This provider should have no problems with unblocking geo-restricted content platforms. It’s also one of the rare services that allow internet users to select a server based on how they’d like to access the web; this includes streaming TV, ultra-secure privacy, anti-DDoS, and more.

Encryption standards are robust. The service uses the 256-bit AES protocol by default coupled with 2,048-bit SSL keys. DNS leak protection is enabled. NordVPN doesn’t log user data or any form of personally identifiable information so your digital footprint will remain hidden.

Apps are available for Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and MacOS.

BEST VPN FOR A UK IP ADDRESS:NordVPN is our first choice. A speedy, secure option that unblocks most UK sports and streaming services. Comes with a strict no-logging policy and a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark currently has around 3,000 servers spread across 95 countries, the UK included. This service’s download speeds are fast enough for streaming live HD video without any noticeable lag or buffering, and it can even unblock notoriously stubborn media streaming platforms like BBC iPlayer. Unlike most other VPNs, Surfshark has no connection limit, which means you can safely browse and stream on whichever devices you prefer.

This service uses effectively uncrackable 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against WebRTC, IPv6, and DNS leaks to ensure your internet traffic cannot be read by snoopers. What’s more, it doesn’t log any personally identifiable information, and you can sign up anonymously by using cryptocurrency and a disposable email address.

Surfshark offers Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, and Linux apps. It also works with supported internet routers although manual installation is required.

Read our full Surfshark review.

BEST VALUE VPN:Surfshark is nice and affordable, but doesn’t skimp on security features or unblocking ability. What’s more, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a solid all-rounder. It offers reliable service and fast connection speeds, along with top-notch customer support. At the moment, the company offers more than 3,000 high-speed servers spread across 94 countries around the globe. There’s a sizeable list of options in the UK and more in North America and parts of Europe.

One of the provider’s distinguishing features is its ability to securely access geo-restricted streaming content platforms including Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Sky, and more.

ExpressVPN makes use of military-grade encryption protocols which go a long way in firming up your internet connection and quelling any attempts to pilfer your data. It leverages 256-bit AES-CBC as the default encryption standard as well as HMAC authentication and perfect forward secrecy. An internet kill switch is included, which it refers to as a ‘network lock’. The best part is that these rugged protocols don’t deteriorate speed parameters at all.

The company doesn’t store any detailed internet traffic logs on its servers. It does retain a sliver of metadata, but that’s to improve the quality of the service, and real user IP addresses are never recorded. ExpressVPN is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands which means it’s out of the jurisdiction of government authorities in both the US and the UK.

ExpressVPN offers apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

GREAT FOR STREAMING:ExpressVPN unblocks plenty of services both from the UK and elsewhere. It’s secure, too, with speedy connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

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4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost offers a choice of nearly 700 servers in the United Kingdom, part of a global network that numbers over 8,000 servers across 90+ countries. We recommend the VPN solution for its budget-friendly pricing, fast service, and impeccable encryption standards. Other nifty features which are available at no extra cost include an ad blocker, anti-malware defense, and anti-tracking.

CyberGhost is able to reliably access a bunch of geo-restricted content including Netflix. That puts it in an elite category of VPNs.

All internet traffic is secured by 256-bit AES encryption on the OpenVPN protocol by default along with perfect forward secrecy. An internet kill switch is included. The company is headquartered and registered in Romania. As such, it isn’t subjected to any mandatory data retention laws. It firms up the privacy angle with an internal policy of not storing any user data.

Apps are available for Android, iOS, Windows, Linux and MacOS.

Easy-to-use apps:CyberGhost is great for beginners. Hundreds of servers to choose from in the UK. Works well with most popular UK sports and streaming sites. Stores no logs and streams HD video reliably. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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5. IPVanish

IPVanish operates 100+ servers in the UK. Its total global server network comprises over 2,000 spread across more than 75 worldwide locations. The service is fast, private, and has minimal downtime. IPVanish works seamlessly with BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Sling TV.

Encryption standards are in the top-tier. IPVanish uses 256-bit strong encryption on the OpenVPN protocol by default, SHA512 authentication, and a DHE-RSA 2,048-bit key exchange with perfect forward secrecy. It stores no data other than when an account is registered for the first time, which puts it in a similar vein to NordVPN.

This service is popular with Kodi users because it enables them to download the Android APK directly to their device. The interface is also remote control-friendly for Kodi devices that lack a keyboard and mouse.

Apps are available for Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS.

UNLIMITED DEVICES:IPVanish works with any number of connected devices which makes it great for families. Very good speeds thanks to WireGuard protocol. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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6. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN has a relatively small choice of servers compared to the other recommended services on our list. But that doesn’t mean the service is sub-par. In fact, PrivateVPN is so confident about its product that it’s able to offer a 30-day money-back guarantee to all users. The company offers servers in London and Manchester. Globally there are just over 200 in 60+ countries.

PrivateVPN has an impressive ability to work with popular streaming services including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and ITV Hub. PrivateVPN uses the industry-leading 256-bit AES encryption along with perfect forward secrecy on the OpenVPN protocol. An internet kill switch is offered too. The service doesn’t store any user logs or engage in data mining of any nature.

Apps are available for Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS.

GREAT SPEED:PrivateVPN is a good family choice. Unblocks many popular UK shows and allows up to 6 devices on the same account. Small network of servers but fast connections. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our full PrivateVPN review.

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7. AtlasVPN

AtlasVPN is a provider that has only been around since 2019, however, it has quickly proven to be superb if you want to stream from abroad. It has servers in 30+ countries, which, admittedly, is fewer than any of our other recommendations. However, it has a choice of servers in the UK that will get you a useful British IP address.  What’s more, those IPs work to watch Netflix UK, BBC iPlayer, Sky TV, Now TV, BT Sport, and All4.

Apps are available for all platforms, and while the VPN doesn’t have as many advanced features as our #1 option, it still has a pretty impressive feature set. You will find a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, AES encryption (IKEv2 protocol), and malware protection. It also has split tunneling.

The VPN is very fast thanks to its implementation of the WireGuard protocol. This makes it good for gaming, torrenting, and HD streaming. It also has excellent support that is available 24/7 via email. You can install and use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices.

PERFECT FOR STREAMING:Atlas VPN has servers in the UK that work with most major streaming platforms. Great speeds. No logs policy.  Allows unlimited connections. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Atlas VPN review.

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Can I use a free VPN for a UK IP address?

One of the basic reasons for opting to use a VPN is the reassurance that your digital footprint will remain secure as long as you stay connected to a VPN server. After all, that’s why the software was developed in the first place: to keep yourself hidden on the internet. We’re aware that free VPN services are heavily advertised on app stores and elsewhere across the internet, but the experience they offer is shoddy, unreliable, and not worth your time.

Free VPN services ship with a ridiculously small choice of servers, deploy feeble encryption standards, regularly indulge in bandwidth throttling, and, in some cases, mine your data to sell for a profit. We’re not saying it’s impossible to get a UK IP address with a free VPN but it’ll be very cumbersome and may require a fair bit of trial and error. Plus it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get an IP address for a specific city like London.

Having said that, you should know such services are registered businesses. They need to make money to pay for staff salaries, the cost of maintaining servers, and other business overheads. A free product should raise eyebrows because there’s definitely a catch involved. Some will bombard you with migraine-inducing popup advertisements or insert tracking cookies and sell your personal data to advertisers. Others might interrupt the service frequently to pester you to upgrade to a premium plan.

Overall, we recommend investing a few dollars and obtaining a paid VPN service. Free ones don’t cut it.

I’ve decided on a VPN. What do I do next?

After you’ve settled on a VPN service that works for you (an easy way is to click on the links beneath each mini-review) and signed up with your credit card information, then all you need to do is proceed to download the client software for your device.

Log into your account after the installation is complete. Browse through the list of available server locations until you find those that are located in the UK. Some providers let you select a server based on country alone, while others let you select by city.

A successful connection will normally be indicated by a green icon on your taskbar or a VPN symbol at the top of your smartphone screen. Now your connection will be anonymous and secure, and you’ll have a UK IP address that will give you access to all the British content you want.

Why do I need an IP address from the UK?

Advocacy body Freedom House says the internet landscape in the United Kingdom is “free”, noting that it “is considered to be a key element determining societal and democratic participation”.

Access to broadband internet is a fundamental human right in the UK. This is backed by a commitment to allow access to the free and unfettered internet, bereft of content censoring or other abhorrent practices.

However, torrenting copyrighted material is considered illegal in the country. There have been instances of copyright trolls flexing the law to gain settlements. Try to stay out of harm’s way.

An IP address from the UK can help if you’d like to access the free and open web. Normally that’s not available to citizens of countries like Iran, China, Russia, and the UAE where state-appointed engineers impose all sorts of blockades to throttle access to sites.

UK residents who are traveling abroad will find it useful to obtain an IP address from back home. This helps to access content like BBC iPlayer, Sky Go, UK Netflix, and ITV Hub. If you’re looking for a more detailed guide on how to stream UK shows while abroad, then our primer on the topic should help.

Other use cases for a UK IP address are accessing online banking services and watching premier league football.

DISCLAIMER: Comparitech does not encourage using a VPN to stream content illegally. Please consult local laws thoroughly before deciding to embark on this route. If you have any questions then it’s best to talk to a lawyer in your country of residence.

Using a DNS server in the UK

Your IP address operates as a physical identifier of sorts, helping websites determine where you’re accessing the web from. But that’s just one (albeit popular) method. Another common mechanism is via Domain Name Systems (DNS) which act as a hybrid registry of sorts. DNS addresses are used to verify domain names using their IP address. When trying to access geo-restricted content, most websites will check where the DNS request is originating from. If both your IP address and DNS server don’t originate from a country that allows access (such as the UK for BBC iPlayer), the host website or app will block you.

All the recommended VPNs in this list make sure that DNS requests are handled accordingly. After a successful connection to a VPN server, your DNS requests will also be routed through the same encrypted tunnel. Many of them offer DNS leak protection to boot. Therefore, it’s not possible for snoopers to monitor your web activity simply by examining DNS requests.

Free VPN services ordinarily route your DNS requests through the encrypted tunnel but then use a public DNS service on the other side. This means search engines can track which websites you visit, thereby compromising privacy.

It’s possible to manually configure DNS servers on most device platforms. OpenNIC can do the trick for you; it offers free DNS servers in specific countries.

Can I obtain a UK IP address without signing up for a VPN?

There is an alternative option for getting an IP address from the UK. This is obtained via the Tor browser; a product conceptualized by the Tor project which aims to help people escape network surveillance and violation of confidential business relationships and privacy.

The Tor browser is free and incorporates sophisticated encryption and anonymity standards. It’s popular with journalists, human rights activists, and whistleblowers as it allows them to hide their identity without a monthly charge.

But the Tor browser is only viable for limited use. If you’re a blogger or whistleblower, then Tor can help. It’s a terrible option if you want to engage in online banking services or stream British content. That’s because all the sophisticated encryption makes it insufferably slow. However, if you’d still like to get a UK IP address with Tor, then this guide will break it down in more detail.

Another option is to deploy a free proxy server. However, this is similar to the free VPN services we warned you about earlier in the article). Proxy servers also operate with download caps and shady privacy policies. Most streaming providers like Netflix have started to block proxies as well and others are quickly catching on.

An additional problem is those proxy servers won’t encrypt your traffic the way a VPN does, so you’re leaving yourself susceptible to online monitoring by an ISP or other intrusive entities. The proxy provider itself could also monitor your online behavior.

VPN for UK IP – testing methodology

Finding a VPN that provides high levels of privacy, reliable apps, watertight security, and servers in the UK that work with popular British services like iPlayer, All 4, and ITV Hub can be hard. Not all VPNs work to access British content, and many VPNs fail to provide important security features.

At Comparitech, we use a carefully devised VPN testing methodology to review and compare market-leading VPNs. This allows us to recommend services for a particular use case. Below, we have included some of the important features we searched for when recommending VPNs with a UK IP.

• Servers worldwide. A VPN is only as useful as the servers it provides. We search for VPNs with large global networks of Tier 1 servers, including servers in the UK. We test those servers to ensure they provide fast enough speeds for streaming, torrenting, gaming, and other data-intensive tasks.
• Superb accessibility. We also test the VPN’s servers to see whether they successfully bypass geo-restrictions. To this end, we use the VPNs to access Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, UK TV services, HBO Max, Disney+ and many more. We also ensure that the VPN can bypass censorship in places like China.
• Apps for all popular platforms. Nowadays, consumers need to protect their privacy on an array of devices. To make sure you can cover all your devices, we recommend VPNs with apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android. Some also have apps for Firestick, Smart TVs, and routers. As well as easy-to-use browser extensions.
• Watertight security. We test the VPN for IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks that would betray your privacy. We also check the encryption implementation and look for reliable VPN protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard. Finally, we check for a kill switch to ensure you never leak data outside of the VPN tunnel.
• Fully featured apps. Many VPNs provide just the basic features needed to connect to a VPN server and encrypt your data. We look for versatile VPNs that also provide things like obfuscation, split tunneling, Smart DNS, port forwarding, malware protection, ad blocking, and a SOCKS5 proxy.
• Outstanding customer care. We recommend VPN providers that have live chat and email support that are available around the clock. This allows you to ask questions and means that you can always get help at any time of day. Plus, our recommendations have superb web resources such as guides and FAQs.
• No logs policy. A trustworthy VPN has a policy that promises never to keep any details about what its users do while connected to the VPN.

UK IP Address FAQ