Watch home TV abroad, access your bank securely, and protect your privacy. We compared the top VPNs for expats living in Europe.
6,400+ servers in 111 countries. Unblocks BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and streaming from home. From €3.59/month on the 2-year plan. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Get NordVPN — 67% offThe best all-round VPN for expats. NordVPN has 6,400+ servers in 111 countries, consistently fast speeds for streaming, and excellent apps for every device. It reliably unblocks BBC iPlayer, Netflix (all regions), RAI Play, RTL+, and most European streaming services. The Threat Protection feature blocks ads, trackers, and malware.
The best budget option. Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections (great for families), solid streaming unblocking, and a clean, easy-to-use app. CleanWeb blocks ads and trackers. Slightly slower than NordVPN on some servers, but excellent value for the price.
Premium option with the fastest speeds. ExpressVPN has proprietary Lightway protocol that delivers the best streaming quality. Excellent for 4K streaming and gaming. More expensive than alternatives but consistently reliable. Strong privacy jurisdiction (British Virgin Islands).
| Feature | NordVPN | Surfshark | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price (2yr) | €3.59 | €2.19 | €6.25 (1yr) |
| Servers | 6,400+ | 3,200+ | 3,000+ |
| Countries | 111 | 100 | 105 |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | Unlimited | 8 |
| Netflix unblock | ✅ All regions | ✅ Most regions | ✅ All regions |
| BBC iPlayer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Speed (avg) | Fast | Good | Fastest |
| No-logs audit | ✅ (PwC) | ✅ (Deloitte) | ✅ (KPMG) |
| Ad/tracker blocker | ✅ Threat Protection | ✅ CleanWeb | ❌ |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Best for | Overall best | Best value | Fastest speeds |
Moving to a new country often means losing access to streaming services from home. BBC iPlayer blocks anyone outside the UK. RAI Play is Italy-only. RTL+ requires a German IP. Even Netflix shows different content in every country. A VPN routes your internet connection through a server in your home country, making it appear as though you're still there.
Beyond streaming, a VPN protects your privacy on public Wi-Fi (airports, cafes, co-working spaces), helps you access your home banking portal without triggering fraud alerts, and prevents your ISP from tracking your browsing activity.
For most expats, NordVPN is the best choice. It strikes the right balance of speed, reliability, streaming unblocking, and price. If you're on a tight budget or need to cover many devices (family), Surfshark at €2.19/month is unbeatable value. ExpressVPN is worth the premium only if you need the absolute fastest speeds for 4K streaming or are very privacy-focused.
All three offer 30-day money-back guarantees, so you can try them risk-free.