How To Buy Amazon Kindle Books From A Different Country?

buying kindle books from a different country’s Amazon store isn’t straightforward, but it’s doable with some adjustments. The main hurdle is Amazon’s regional restrictions, which link your store access to your account’s country setting. To bypass this, I changed my account’s country to the target region in the ‘Manage Your Content and Devices’ section. However, Amazon requires a valid payment method from that country, which I didn’t have. My workaround was purchasing an Amazon gift card for the target region (e.g., Amazon US for me) and redeeming it on that site. This gave me a balance to buy books without a local card.

Another method is using a VPN to mask your location, but Amazon sometimes detects this. I’ve heard mixed results—some friends swear by it, while others get blocked. If you travel frequently, consider keeping two Amazon accounts: one for your home country and one for your current location. Just note that Kindle content isn’t shareable between accounts. Also, check if the book is available in your desired region; licensing restrictions can block certain titles. For me, combining a gift card and occasional VPN use worked best.

I ran into this issue when I moved abroad and wanted to keep buying kindle books from my home country’s store. The trick is to manage your Amazon account settings. You’ll need to update your country settings in your Amazon account, but this can be tricky because Amazon ties your store region to your payment method’s billing address. I found that using a VPN to access the store of your desired country helps, but you also need a payment method from that country or a gift card balance. I used a digital gift card from the target country’s Amazon site to add credit, which let me purchase books without a local card. Just remember, changing your country too often can lock your account, so stick to one region if possible.

I love collecting Kindle books, but when I moved to Japan, I couldn’t access my usual US store. After some trial and error, here’s what worked: I created a new Amazon account with a US address (I used a friend’s) and added a US payment method. Since I didn’t have a US card, I bought digital Amazon US gift cards from third-party sellers and applied them to my account. This let me shop in the US store without issues.

One caveat: your Kindle’s region must match your account’s country. I changed my device’s country in the settings, but this wiped my existing books temporarily—they reappeared after switching back. If you’re tech-savvy, sideloading books via Calibre is another option, but it lacks the convenience of direct purchases. For most, the gift card method is the simplest fix.