You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Change country for Apple ID issue

Apple ID says I cannot change my country at this moment. I have followed all steps in Apple's guide including canceling subscriptions, using my balance etc. The last step asks me to add a payment method for my new region (yet I cannot change my old billing address country), but the new payment method keeps getting rejected. Therefore, I cannot change my country and am stuck in a loop.


Any ideas how to solve this issue? I'm using my AppStore on a Mac to make these changes.

Posted on Oct 6, 2021 5:36 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 6, 2021 5:49 AM

This article describes how to change your country setting and the requirements and results of doing this:

Read how to "Change your Apple ID country or region" click here --> https://support.apple.com/HT201389


Here are common issues and how to deal with them:


● Subscriptions

Make sure you have canceled all your subscriptions ( https://support.apple.com/HT202039 ). However, subscriptions will then still continue until the expiration date. You need to contact Apple and request any ongoing subscriptions you have be ended immediately if you do not want to wait until they expire naturally.


● Spend all your Apple ID balance

One way to zero your balance is to add a credit or debt card as a payment method to your Apple ID and buy items just in excess of your remaining Apple ID balance. This will use up all the balance and any remainder will get charged to the card.

The other way is to contact Apple and ask them to keep any remaining balance.


● Pending purchases and refunds

If you have pending purchases, or refunds in the process of being returned to you, you will have to wait until these clear.


For items where you need to contact Apple to resolve an issue:

Click here --> https://support.apple.com/choose-country-region/media-services Select your country, then a product. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.


or:


Contact Apple for support and service --> "See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world." Click here --> https://support.apple.com/HT201232


From: Payment methods that you can use with your Apple ID; click here --> https://support.apple.com/HT202631

"Make sure that the billing address for your payment method matches the billing address for your Apple ID. In some cases, you might need to call your bank or financial institution to authorize international or online purchases. You might also need to confirm that the mobile number associated with your payment method is correct."


You apparently can use a card issued in a different country but it has to be billed to you at an address that is in the country to which your iTunes and App Stores are set. This requirement makes it unusual to be able use a card from a different country since card companies may be reluctant to issue a card unless the customer's address is in the card company's country.


Note, however, that the article may be in error as suggested by an Apple recommendation for a post saying, "You need a valid credit card issued by a bank in the country the store is in..." This is despite a post quoting the above section from an Apple document. - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253211481

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 6, 2021 5:49 AM in response to filipe193

This article describes how to change your country setting and the requirements and results of doing this:

Read how to "Change your Apple ID country or region" click here --> https://support.apple.com/HT201389


Here are common issues and how to deal with them:


● Subscriptions

Make sure you have canceled all your subscriptions ( https://support.apple.com/HT202039 ). However, subscriptions will then still continue until the expiration date. You need to contact Apple and request any ongoing subscriptions you have be ended immediately if you do not want to wait until they expire naturally.


● Spend all your Apple ID balance

One way to zero your balance is to add a credit or debt card as a payment method to your Apple ID and buy items just in excess of your remaining Apple ID balance. This will use up all the balance and any remainder will get charged to the card.

The other way is to contact Apple and ask them to keep any remaining balance.


● Pending purchases and refunds

If you have pending purchases, or refunds in the process of being returned to you, you will have to wait until these clear.


For items where you need to contact Apple to resolve an issue:

Click here --> https://support.apple.com/choose-country-region/media-services Select your country, then a product. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.


or:


Contact Apple for support and service --> "See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world." Click here --> https://support.apple.com/HT201232


From: Payment methods that you can use with your Apple ID; click here --> https://support.apple.com/HT202631

"Make sure that the billing address for your payment method matches the billing address for your Apple ID. In some cases, you might need to call your bank or financial institution to authorize international or online purchases. You might also need to confirm that the mobile number associated with your payment method is correct."


You apparently can use a card issued in a different country but it has to be billed to you at an address that is in the country to which your iTunes and App Stores are set. This requirement makes it unusual to be able use a card from a different country since card companies may be reluctant to issue a card unless the customer's address is in the card company's country.


Note, however, that the article may be in error as suggested by an Apple recommendation for a post saying, "You need a valid credit card issued by a bank in the country the store is in..." This is despite a post quoting the above section from an Apple document. - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253211481

Change country for Apple ID issue

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.