How to Change Your Xbox Region (and What Happens to Your Balance)
October 30, 2026 · Updated November 2, 2026
On an Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Language & location, choose your new location and restart. Then update the country on your Microsoft account profile. Do two things before you start: spend your Microsoft account balance, because Microsoft says "the funds in your Microsoft account will not move with you", and remember you can't change again for three months.
Key facts
- Microsoft: "The funds in your Microsoft account will not move with you." It can't transfer money between regions.
- You can't change country or region if you already changed it within the last three months.
- Xbox Support says to change only if you've actually moved. If you're temporarily elsewhere, "such as on military assignment, you don't need to change your region".
- A suspended account, an open balance, or incomplete billing details block the change, and so does a change in your legal minor status.
- Your gamertag, achievements and profile move with you, and so does any time left on Game Pass, though it may not work as expected in the new region.
- Your first purchase in the new region prompts you to update your billing information.
Step 1: Use up your balance
Microsoft's support pages are blunt: it can't transfer money between regions, so spend what's in your account before you change location. That includes money from redeemed gift cards. Check your Xbox gift card balance shows how to see what's left, and Microsoft's own path on the console is Profile & system > Settings > Account > Payment & billing.
Step 2: Change your Microsoft account country
Xbox Support lists this as the first step, and it's what the store and your billing go by. Sign in at account.microsoft.com, open Your info, select Edit profile info and update Country/region and your billing and shipping address, then save.
On Windows 11, you can also set the store region under Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region; on Windows 10 it's under Region.
Step 3: Change the console location
Sign in, open the guide with the Xbox button and follow Profile & system, Settings, System, Language & location. Pick the new country under Location, change the system language if you need to, then select Restart now so the store reloads for that region. The first time you buy something afterwards, Microsoft says you'll be asked to update your billing details.
On an Xbox 360 the two Microsoft pages differ: Xbox Support gives a path under Settings > System > Console Settings > Language and Locale > Locale, while the Microsoft Store page says the profile has to be migrated, which "could impact other subscriptions and services". Expect the longer route.
Things that can block the change
Xbox Support lists the reasons a change is refused:
- The three-month rule. If you changed region recently, you'll have to wait.
- Billing suspended or incomplete. An expired card on a subscription, an open balance, or a wrong address or phone number on the account all block it. Fix the billing first.
- Age rules. If you're a minor in one country and an adult in the other, in either direction, the change is blocked.
- Subscriptions. Microsoft says time left on an Xbox subscription moves with you but "may not work as expected" if it isn't sold in the new region, and that a Microsoft 365 subscription from the old region has to expire or be cancelled before it can be activated in the new one. Third-party game subscriptions are the publisher's call.
What happens to your games
Games you bought stay in your library after a region change, and Xbox Support confirms your gamertag, achievements and the rest of your profile move with you. What changes is the store: prices, currency and some availability follow the new region, and Microsoft warns that "items you get in one region might not work in another". It also notes that changing region won't fix backward-compatibility errors, so don't switch hoping an older game will suddenly work.
Moving abroad: a sensible order
- A month before you move, stop topping up and spend down your balance.
- Decide what to do with Game Pass. Let it lapse or cancel auto-renew if it isn't sold where you're going; Xbox Support says you can cancel to stop recurring payments if it stops working.
- After you arrive, add a payment method from your new country.
- Change your Microsoft account country, then the console location.
- Buy gift cards from your new country only from then on.
Don't change region just to redeem a code
It's tempting to switch region to redeem a cheaper card from another country. Microsoft says to change region only if you're relocating for a long time, your balance won't come back with you, and the three-month lock means you'd be stuck in the wrong store. Xbox gift card in a different country explains the card rules, and Microsoft vs Xbox gift cards lists the balance limits that apply in each country.
Frequently asked questions
How often can I change my Xbox region?
Microsoft lists a change within the last three months as a reason you can't change again.
What happens to my Xbox balance when I change region?
It stays behind. Microsoft says it can't transfer money between regions, so spend it first.
Can I change my Xbox region on PC?
Yes. Change the Windows region in Settings and your Microsoft account country on the Your info page.
Will Game Pass work after I move?
Any time left moves with your account, but Microsoft says it may not work as expected if Game Pass isn't available in the new region.
Do I need to change region for a holiday or deployment?
No. Xbox Support says a temporary stay, such as a military assignment, doesn't need a region change.
Can I earn Xbox gift cards for my new country?
Yes, once your account has switched. Pick an XPReward Xbox code for the country your Microsoft account now uses, since a code only works in its own region. Sign up.
Sources
Xbox region rules checked on 3 November 2026 against: