Google doesn’t offer one universal country or region switch that changes everything across your account. Your Google Play country, Google Payments profile country, personal information, and other regional settings are managed separately.
For example, changing your Google Play country can affect the apps and digital content available in the Play Store. However, it won’t automatically change the country associated with your existing Google Payments profile.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the different ways to change your Google Account region, including how to update your Google Play country and create a new payments profile.
Change Your Region on Google Account
If you want to change your Google Account region, follow these steps to identify and update the appropriate regional setting:
- Sign in to your Google Account: Open your browser and visit your Google Account settings.
- Check your personal information: Open the Personal Info section and review your existing address details.
- Open Google Payments settings: Visit the Google Payments Center and check the country associated with your current payments profile.
- Create a new payments profile: If you’ve moved to another country, create a new profile with your current country’s information.
- Update your Google Play country: Open the Google Play Store, navigate to Country and profiles, and select the eligible country.
- Verify the changes: Review your account settings and allow time for Google’s regional updates to take effect.
Important: You don’t necessarily need to complete every step. Choose the method that matches the Google service or regional setting you want to change.
Step 1: Open Your Google Account Settings
First, you need to access your Google Account settings. This is where Google lets you manage personal information, security preferences, account details, and other settings.
Open Google Chrome or your preferred web browser and visit Google Account. Sign in using the Gmail address associated with the account whose region you want to update.
Once you’re signed in, you’ll land on your Google Account dashboard. You’ll find several sections, including Home, Personal Info, Data and Privacy, Security, and Payments and Subscriptions.
For now, click Personal Info from the navigation panel. This section contains information such as your name, birthday, contact details, and addresses.
Remember that your Google Account’s personal information and your payments profile country are different things. Updating an address here doesn’t automatically change your Google Play country or payments profile country.
Step 2: Check Your Current Country and Regional Information
Before making changes, it’s worth checking which country is currently associated with your Google services.
On the Google Account dashboard, navigate to Personal Info > Other Addresses. Depending on your account, you may find additional address information, including legal addresses associated with your payment profiles.
You can also check your payment information separately.
Open Google Payments Center > Settings and look for the Payments Profile section. Here, Google displays information about your existing payment profile, including its country or region.
Take a moment to review these details.
If you have recently moved, check whether your current address and payment information reflect your new location. If the country is incorrect, remember that Google generally requires a new payments profile rather than allowing you to edit the country of an existing profile.
This step helps you determine which settings actually need updating.
Step 3: Open Google Payments Center
Now, let’s move to Google Payments Center. This is where you can manage payment methods, billing information, transactions, and payment profiles associated with your Google Account.
Open Google Payments Center in your browser and sign in using the same Google Account.
Once the page loads, click Settings. Scroll down until you find the Payments Profile section.
If you have multiple payment profiles, Google may display a profile selector near your name or profile picture. Click the dropdown menu and select the profile you want to review.
Look for the Country/Region field.
If your existing payments profile is associated with your previous country, you won’t be able to directly change that country’s settings. Google requires you to create a separate payments profile for the new country.
Don’t worry. You can keep your existing profile for previous transactions and services while creating another one for your new location.
Step 4: Create a New Google Payments Profile
This is one of the most important steps if you’ve permanently moved to another country.
From Google Payments Center, open Settings and locate the Payments Profile section.
Next, find the Country or Country/Region option. Click Edit beside it.
Google will display a message explaining that you cannot change the country of your existing payments profile. Look for the option to Create New Profile and click it.
Select Continue when prompted.
You’ll now need to choose the country you want to associate with your new payments profile. Select your actual country of residence from the available options.
After selecting the country, enter the required information, including your name and current address. Make sure the information is accurate and matches your actual residential or business details, as applicable.
Once everything is correct, click Submit.
Google will create a new payments profile associated with the selected country.
Keep in mind that creating a new profile doesn’t automatically transfer your existing subscriptions or payment arrangements. Your previous services generally remain associated with the original payments profile.
Step 5: Change Your Google Play Country
If your main goal is to access apps, games, movies, or other digital content available in another country, you’ll also need to update your Google Play country.
On your Android phone, open the Google Play Store.
Tap your Profile Picture in the upper-right corner. From the menu, navigate to:
Settings > General > Account and Device Preferences > Country and Profiles
Google will display the eligible country or country profiles associated with your account.
If you’re eligible to add a new country, tap the country you want to select and follow the on-screen instructions.
You may need to provide a valid payment method issued in that country.
After completing the instructions, Google will begin updating your Play Store country.
If you’re using a computer, you can also visit Google Play on the web, open your profile settings, and look for the Country and Profiles section.
Important: Google requires you to be physically located in the new country and have a payment method from that country. You generally must wait at least 90 days between Google Play country changes. Additional restrictions may apply.
Step 6: Verify Your New Google Play Region
After submitting your request, you should verify whether Google Play has successfully updated your country.
Open the Google Play Store again and tap your profile picture.
Navigate to Settings > General > Account and Device Preferences > Country and Profiles.
Check whether the newly selected country appears in the list.
You can also browse the Play Store to see whether the available apps, games, and digital content reflect your new region.
Don’t panic if the changes aren’t visible immediately. Google states that updating your Play country can take up to 48 hours.
During this period, some regional settings and content may continue displaying information associated with your previous country.
Step 7: Review Your Payment Methods and Subscriptions
Once you’ve updated your regional settings, take some time to review your payment methods and active subscriptions.
Open Google Payments Center > Payment Methods and check whether your available payment options are appropriate for your new country.
If you’re planning to purchase Google services or digital content in your new location, make sure you’re using the correct payments profile.
Also, review your existing subscriptions.
Google Play subscriptions generally remain associated with your previous payments profile unless you cancel them. If you want to subscribe again using your new country’s payment profile, you may need to cancel the existing subscription and subscribe again, depending on the service.
Pay attention to your Google Play balance, too. Your old balance remains linked to your previous Play country and cannot be used in the new country. Google Play Points also don’t transfer when you change countries.
Taking care of these details can help prevent unexpected payment errors later.
FAQs
1. Can I change my Google Account country directly?
Not entirely. Google doesn’t provide one universal country-setting option that changes every regional preference. You may need to create a new Google Payments profile and separately update your Google Play country.
2. How often can I change my Google Play country?
Generally, Google requires you to wait at least 90 days after initially setting your Play country and between subsequent country changes. Additional restrictions may apply depending on your account.
3. Why can’t I see the Country and Profiles option in Google Play?
There are several possible reasons. You may have changed your country within the last 90 days, may not be physically located in the new country, or may be a member of a Google Family group.
Check your eligibility before trying again.
4. Will changing my Google Account region delete my Gmail account?
No. Changing your Google Play country or creating a new payments profile doesn’t automatically delete your Gmail account, emails, contacts, or Google Account.
Your account remains accessible as usual.
5. Will I lose my Google Play balance after changing countries?
Your existing Google Play balance remains associated with your previous country. You cannot use that balance in your new country, but it remains available if you switch back to the original country.
6. How long does it take Google to update my region?
Google Play country updates can take up to 48 hours. If the change hasn’t appeared immediately, give the system some time before attempting another update.
7. Can I change my Google Account region using a VPN?
A VPN doesn’t satisfy Google’s country-change requirements. Google may require your actual location and a valid payment method from the new country. Simply connecting to a VPN server in another country doesn’t guarantee that the option will become available.
Final Words
Changing your Google Account region isn’t as complicated as it might initially seem, provided you understand how Google’s regional settings work.
If you want to update your payment information after moving abroad, creating a new Google Payments profile is the appropriate approach. However, if you’re trying to access apps and digital content available in another country, you’ll need to change your Google Play country separately.
Before making any changes, review your existing subscriptions, Google Play balance, and payment methods.
Also, remember that Google has specific eligibility requirements, including location, payment method, and waiting-period restrictions.