UK VPN: Get a British IP Address from Australia
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A UK VPN gives you a British IP address from Australia, which is what you need for BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4. Every result below carries its test date, because iPlayer results can flip within days.
VPNs with servers in the United Kingdom
| VPN | Servers in the United Kingdom | Lowest price | Our speed test from Melbourne |
|---|---|---|---|
 PrivateVPN | Listed | US$2.00 (about A$2.85) a month | 34% of our line speed (August 2021) |
 IPVanish | Listed: 5 cities | US$2.19 (about A$3.12) a month Visit IPVanish → | 29% of our line speed (August 2021) |
 CyberGhost | Listed | A$3.27 a month | 68% of our line speed (August 2021) |
 Surfshark | Listed | A$3.49 a month Visit Surfshark → | 55% of our line speed (October 2026) |
 NordVPN | Listed: 4 cities | A$4.79 a month Visit NordVPN → | 62% of our line speed (October 2026) |
 Proton VPN | Listed: 6 cities, 929 servers | US$3.49 (about A$4.97) a month Visit Proton VPN → | 68% of our line speed (October 2026) |
 ExpressVPN | Listed | US$4.99 (about A$7.10) a month Visit ExpressVPN → | 42% of our line speed (August 2021) |
 Astrill VPN | Listed | US$12.50 (about A$17.79) a month | 81% of our line speed (March 2022) |
Server locations read from each provider's own server page between 19 Oct 2026 and 2 Nov 2026; "listed" means the provider names the United Kingdom as a location, which can be a physical or a virtual server. Speed is the share of our Melbourne line's download speed kept on a server in the United Kingdom, against the same line with the VPN off, on the date shown; line speeds differ between test years, so the share is the fair comparison. Ordered by lowest monthly price in Australian dollars.
How fast is a UK VPN from Australia?
Expect to lose a fair share of your speed: London is about as far from Sydney as a server gets. On a UK server, PureVPN, PrivadoVPN and Astrill VPN kept the most of our Melbourne line (tested March 2022 to October 2026). At the other end, Windscribe kept the least (tested late 2021).
The table covers every VPN we have tested on a UK server, whether or not it appears above.
| VPN | Speed kept | Download | Ping | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 PureVPN | 94% | 33 Mbps | 300 ms | October 2026 |
 PrivadoVPN | 87% virtual location, server in  Amsterdam, Netherlands | 29.6 Mbps | 504 ms | October 2026 |
| Astrill VPN | 81% | 87.9 Mbps | – | March 2022 |
 Intego VPN | 77% | 31.2 Mbps | 334 ms | October 2026 |
| Proton VPN | 68% | 34.2 Mbps | 302 ms | October 2026 |
| CyberGhost | 68% | 73 Mbps | – | August 2021 |
| NordVPN | 62% | 32.9 Mbps | 280 ms | October 2026 |
| Surfshark | 55% | 29.3 Mbps | 310 ms | October 2026 |
 Private Internet Access | 54% | 58.2 Mbps | – | late 2021 |
 Mysterium VPN | 42% | 18.5 Mbps | 341 ms | October 2026 |
| ExpressVPN | 42% | 43.1 Mbps | – | August 2021 |
 AdGuard VPN | 39% | 18.3 Mbps | 337 ms | October 2026 |
| PrivateVPN | 34% | 37.2 Mbps | – | August 2021 |
| IPVanish | 29% | 30.9 Mbps | – | August 2021 |
 Windscribe | 24% | 26.6 Mbps | – | late 2021 |
Our download speed to the location each app offers for the United Kingdom, from Melbourne, as a share of the same line's speed with the VPN off that day. Line speeds differ between test years, so compare the share kept. A virtual location is listed under this country but its server is elsewhere, as shown.
Tested on an account Surfshark gave us free of charge (16–25 Oct 2026). Tested on an account NordVPN gave us free of charge (14–25 Oct 2026). Tested on an account Proton VPN gave us free of charge (17–21 Oct 2026). Tested on an account PrivadoVPN gave us free of charge (29 Oct 2026). Tested on an account PureVPN gave us free of charge (21 Oct 2026). Tested on an account Intego VPN gave us free of charge (22 Oct 2026). Tested on an account AdGuard VPN gave us free of charge (24 Oct 2026). Tested on an account Mysterium VPN gave us free of charge (24 Oct 2026).
Read the shares as a rough guide. Our first round (August 2021 to March 2022) ran on a faster home line than we have now. The results for Surfshark, NordVPN, Proton VPN, PrivadoVPN, PureVPN, Intego VPN, AdGuard VPN and Mysterium VPN come from our October 2026 retest, on a different line and different servers.
Ping matters more than speed for games and calls. NordVPN’s ping to London ran 280 to 322 ms when we tested it in October 2026: a lag you would notice on a call home and in fast online games.
Which VPNs work with BBC iPlayer?
iPlayer played for us on Surfshark, NordVPN, Proton VPN, PrivadoVPN, PureVPN, Intego VPN, PrivateVPN, ExpressVPN, Astrill VPN, AdGuard VPN and Private Internet Access. The table shows each VPN’s latest result on iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVX, with its date.
| VPN |  BBC iPlayer |  Channel 4 |  ITVX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark | Played tested 17 Oct 2026 | Site loaded; playback not tested tested 16 Oct 2026 | Site loaded; playback not tested tested 16 Oct 2026 |
| NordVPN | Played tested 17 Oct 2026 | Site loaded; playback not tested tested 14 Oct 2026 | Played tested 25 Oct 2026 |
| Proton VPN | Played tested 21 Oct 2026 | Played tested 21 Oct 2026 | Site loaded; playback not tested tested 21 Oct 2026 |
| PrivadoVPN | Played tested 29 Oct 2026 | Not tested | Not tested |
| PureVPN | Played tested 21 Oct 2026 | Played tested 21 Oct 2026 | Not tested tested 21 Oct 2026 |
| Intego VPN | Played tested 22 Oct 2026 | Played tested 22 Oct 2026 | Played tested 22 Oct 2026 |
| CyberGhost | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
| IPVanish | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
| PrivateVPN | Played (Match of the Day 2) tested August 2021 | Not tested | Not tested |
| ExpressVPN | Played (EastEnders) tested August 2021 | Not tested | Not tested |
| Windscribe | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
 hide.me | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
 IVPN | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
 Mozilla VPN | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
 Mullvad VPN | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
| Astrill VPN | Played (The Apprentice) tested March 2022 | Not tested | Not tested |
| AdGuard VPN | Played tested 24 Oct 2026 | Played tested 24 Oct 2026 | Played tested 24 Oct 2026 |
| Mysterium VPN | Blocked tested 24 Oct 2026 | Blocked tested 24 Oct 2026 | Blocked tested 24 Oct 2026 |
| Private Internet Access | Played (Cristiano Ronaldo: Impossible to Ignore) tested late 2021 | Not tested | Not tested |
Our own results from Melbourne, with the date we tried. "Site loaded" means the service's local site opened through the VPN but we did not play anything (usually no account). Results from different years come from different test rounds.
What stood out in the October 2026 round:
- Intego VPN (22 Oct) and AdGuard VPN (24 Oct) played all three British services. See the Intego VPN and AdGuard VPN reviews.
- Mysterium VPN went the other way (24 Oct): Netflix UK played, but iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVX all blocked it.
- NordVPN was refused by iPlayer on five UK servers (14 Oct), then played on its London server (17 Oct).
- One NordVPN server passed one service and failed another (25 Oct): ITVX played on London, while Netflix UK refused two London servers.
NordVPN’s five refusals covered London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and an obfuscated London server (one that disguises VPN traffic as ordinary web traffic). Each said “Sorry, BBC iPlayer isn’t available in your region”, and we were signed in to a UK-registered BBC account on all but the first. The full write-up is in our NordVPN review.
Streaming services block VPN addresses as they find them, so check the date beside each result and try your service inside the refund window. The dated screenshots are in each review.
- iPlayer’s terms say it is for people in the UK, and it asks whether you have a TV licence. Using a VPN is legal in Australia, but it breaks those terms.
- Plenty of BBC and ITV programming is licensed to Australian services. Search for the show before assuming you need a VPN.
Other reasons for a British IP address
- UK banking and government sites that are cautious about overseas logins.
- Sport. Rights are split differently in the UK, so some events sit on different services there.
- Travelling in the UK. For Australian services while you are there, you need the reverse: a VPN with Australian servers.
FAQ
Is using a UK VPN legal in Australia?
Yes. See are VPNs legal in Australia?
Does BBC iPlayer work with a VPN?
With some VPNs, some of the time. Check the dates in the table above: NordVPN went from blocked to playing within three days.
Is there a free UK VPN?
Free plans rarely include streaming, which is what most people want a UK server for. See best free VPN in Australia.
Do I need a TV licence to watch iPlayer?
iPlayer asks whether you have one before it plays. Its terms say the service is for people in the UK.
Which UK city should I choose?
Any of them gives you a British address. London usually has the most servers.