How to Change Your Steam Store Country (and the 3-Month Rule)

You change your Steam store country by making a purchase from your new country with a local payment method. Valve's FAQ says that when your location differs from your store country, Steam offers the change on the cart page or at checkout. Once the purchase goes through with a payment method from that country, your account switches. You can only do this once every three months.

Key facts

• Your store country is first set by the location of your first Steam purchase, and it's shown on your Account Details page.
• You can change it once every 3 months.
• The change happens at checkout, when you're in the new country and pay with a payment method from there.
• Valve: "CD Keys and Steam Wallet Codes cannot be used to change your store country setting."
• New users who are travelling can't set their home country until they return.
• The Subscriber Agreement bans using a proxy to disguise where you live, and says Valve may terminate your account access for it.

Step by step

1. Check your current store country. It's shown on your Steam Account Details page.
2. Be in the new country. Steam only offers the change when your location doesn't match your store country. Valve's wording is "if you have moved to a new place, or are living abroad for an extended period of time".
3. Add something to your cart. Any purchase works, even something small.
4. Select your new country on the cart page. Steam updates the prices and the list of payment methods.
5. Pay with a local payment method, like a card issued in that country. When the purchase completes, your store country changes.

Valve's own example is someone moving from Germany to the United States. They choose the United States on the cart page, pay with a US payment method, and the account country becomes the United States.

What happens to your Steam Wallet

Valve's store-country FAQ doesn't say what happens to an existing balance, and its Wallet FAQ only says that once a wallet exists, new funds are added "in your Steam Wallet's current currency". Players who have switched report that the balance is shown in the new currency afterwards, converted at Steam's rate, so spend down a large balance before you move if the exchange rate worries you. For a Steam card in a currency that doesn't match your account, see Steam gift card from a different country. Valve now limits code redemption to the currency of your wallet, so a card from your old country stops being useful once the switch goes through.

Why a VPN won't do it

A VPN might change what the store page shows, but you still need a payment method from the country you pick. The Steam Subscriber Agreement is explicit: "You agree that you will not use IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence, whether to circumvent geographical restrictions on game content, to order or purchase at pricing not applicable to your geography, or for any other purpose. If you do this, Valve may terminate your access to your Account." A cheaper game isn't worth your library.

Before you change: a quick checklist

• Have a local payment method ready. Steam lists the payment methods for your new country at checkout. Valve's fallback advice if you can't pay from your current store country is to look for "Steam-compatible CD Keys and/or Steam Wallet Codes" at local shops, which keep you buying, though they won't switch the country itself.
• Note your current prices. Regional pricing differs. Some games cost more or less in the new store, and a few are not sold in every country.
• Time it. Because you get one change every three months, don't switch during a short trip. Valve says that while travelling "the Steam store will show your country's prices and you will be able to make purchases as you would from home", so there's no need to change anything for a holiday.
• Expect your gifting to change. Since July 2026, Steam lets you gift a game to a friend in a pricier region by matching their price at checkout, and email gifts only work within one country. How to gift a game covers the rules.

Special cases

• Travelling, not moving. You don't need to change anything. Steam keeps showing your home prices while you travel. If you swap countries often, Valve suggests "choosing the country that is your primary residence".
• New account made abroad. Valve's example is a US resident who creates an account while travelling in Spain: they can't set the United States as their store country until they're home, and until then must buy with a Spanish payment method or a Spanish wallet code. Valve suggests creating your account and setting your country before you travel.
• US military abroad (APO). Valve says you can update your store country to the United States by paying with any US payment method, but notes Steam hardware can't ship to APO or FPO addresses.

Frequently asked questions

How often can I change my Steam store country?

Once every three months.

Can Steam Support change my store country?

Steam's FAQ says you change it yourself at checkout with a local payment method. Wallet codes and game keys can't change it.

Will I lose my games if I change country?

No. Games you own stay in your library. Some titles have regional restrictions that can affect what you can buy or play.

Can I use a gift card to change my Steam region?

No. Valve says CD keys and Steam Wallet codes can't be used to change your store country setting.

Can I use a VPN to buy games cheaper?

Valve's agreement forbids it and says it may terminate account access. You'd also still need a local payment method for the country you picked.

Can I earn Steam credit in my new country?

Yes, once the card's currency matches your new store country. Steam codes from XPReward work in your wallet like shop-bought ones, from 3,600 points for $25. Sign up free.

Sources

Store country rules checked on 3 November 2026 against:

• Steam Support: Steam Store Country
• Steam Subscriber Agreement, section 3.A
• Steam Support: Steam Wallet FAQ
• Steam News: Gifting made easier (22 July 2026)