Steam lets you change your region, but the process depends on whether you want to change your store location or your account region

Your Steam region affects which games appear in your store, what prices you see, and which regional restrictions explore to your purchases. You can change your store region through your account settings without losing your library or games. The change takes effect when ready, though Steam may ask you to confirm your new location with a payment method or billing address.

Account region and store region work differently. Your account region is tied to where you created the account and is harder to change. Your store region is what you see when you browse — this is what most people mean when they say they want to change regions, and it's the one you can adjust in settings.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your store region by going to Account Settings, then Country, and selecting a new location from the dropdown menu.
  • Steam may ask you to confirm the change with a valid payment method or billing address from that region before the change takes effect.
  • Changing your store region does not delete your games or library — you keep everything you've already bought.
  • Some games have regional restrictions that prevent you from playing them in certain countries, and these restrictions are enforced by the game publisher, not Steam.
  • If you move to a new country permanently, update your region within a few weeks to avoid payment issues or account restrictions.

How to change your store region in Steam settings

Open Steam on your computer and click your account name in the top right corner. Select Account from the dropdown menu. On the Account page, find the Country field under your profile information. Click the dropdown next to your current country and select the new region where you are located.

After you select a new country, Steam displays a confirmation message. Click Change Country to confirm. Steam may ask you to verify the change by entering a valid payment method or billing address from that region. If you have a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account registered to an address in the new region, use that to verify. Once verified, the change takes effect when ready and your store will show games and prices for that region.

What happens to your games and library when you change regions

Changing your region does not remove any games from your library. Every game you have bought stays in your account regardless of which region you switch to. You can still read, install, and play them. Your friends list, achievements, playtime, and all other account data remain unchanged.

The only thing that changes is what you see when you browse the store and what new games cost. Some games may become unavailable for purchase in your new region due to publisher restrictions, but games you already own will still work. If a game has regional restrictions that prevent it from running in your new location, Steam will show a warning on the store page before you buy it.

Regional restrictions and why some games won't work in your region

Game publishers, not Steam, decide which regions can buy and play their games. These restrictions exist because of licensing agreements, content laws, or business decisions. When you change regions, you may find that some games are no longer available for purchase in your new store. This does not affect games you already own — you can still play them.

A few games have region locks that prevent the game from running at all in certain countries. These are rare and usually involve games with licensing tied to specific regions. Before you move to a new region permanently, check whether any games you play frequently have region locks by searching the game's store page or community forums. If a game is region-locked and you move to a blocked region, you will not be able to launch it.

Changing your account region versus your store region

Your account region is the country where you created your Steam account. This is different from your store region. Account region is much harder to change and requires contacting Steam Support. You should only try to change your account region if you have moved to a new country permanently and your store region no longer matches where you actually live.

For most situations, changing your store region is all you need to do. Your store region is what controls which games you see, what prices appear, and which payment methods Steam accepts. If you are traveling temporarily, you can change your store region and change it back when you return — Steam allows this without penalty as long as you are not doing it repeatedly to exploit regional pricing.

How to verify your region change with a payment method

When you change regions, Steam usually asks you to confirm with a valid payment method or billing address from that region. This prevents fraud and ensures you are actually in the region you claim. You can use a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account that has a billing address in your new country.

If you do not have a payment method registered to your new region, you have a few options. You can add a new payment method with a billing address in that region. You can also ask a family member or friend in that region to help verify by letting you use their payment method temporarily — Steam will only charge a small verification amount that gets refunded. Once the verification goes through, you can remove that payment method and add your own.

What to do if Steam won't let you change regions

Steam may block a region change if you have recent purchases, active trades, or a market hold on your account. Market holds last 15 days after you list an item for sale. If you have made a purchase in the last few days, wait a week before trying to change regions again. If you have active trades pending, complete or cancel them first.

If you still cannot change regions after waiting, contact Steam Support through the Help menu in your account settings. Explain that you have moved to a new country and need to update your region. Steam Support can manually verify your location and process the change if you provide proof such as a recent utility bill or government ID with your new address. The process usually takes a few days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my region affect my Steam friends or multiplayer games?

No. Your friends list stays the same, and you can still play multiplayer games with friends in other regions. Changing your region only affects what you see in the store and what prices appear. It does not change your account or how you connect to other players.

Can I change my region back to my original country later?

Yes. You can change your region as many times as you need. However, if you change regions very frequently — more than once a month — Steam may temporarily block region changes to prevent abuse of regional pricing differences. If this happens, wait 30 days before trying again.

What if a game I own stops working after I change regions?

This is rare, but it can happen if a game has a region lock. Check the game's store page or community forums to see if region locks are mentioned. If the game is region-locked and you are now in a blocked region, contact Steam Support with proof of purchase. They may be able to refund the game or help you find a solution.

Do I need to change my region if I am just traveling temporarily?

You do not have to change your region for a short trip. Your store region is based on your account settings, not your current location. However, if you are moving to a new country permanently, update your region within a few weeks to avoid payment issues or account restrictions later.

Can I use a VPN to change my Steam region?

Steam detects and blocks VPN connections. Using a VPN to change your region violates Steam's terms of service and can result in account restrictions or bans. Always change your region through your account settings with your actual location, not through a VPN.