Need to reset Apple ID to change account region

The article https://support.apple.com/HT201389 describes how to change your Apple ID country or region, and the requirements and results of doing this.

You may encounter various issues and here is how to deal with them:

● Subscriptions

Make sure you have canceled all your subscriptions (see: https://support.apple.com/HT202039 ) and wait for any memberships, pre-orders, movie rentals, or season passes to fully expire. Items will still be active until their expiration date. You need to contact Apple and request any ongoing items you have be ended immediately if you do not want to wait until they expire naturally.

● Remove all your Apple Account balance using one of these ways:

- 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 excess will get charged to the card, leaving nothing in your account.

- Use the link in this article --> https://support.apple.com/119902 to contact Apple about removing account balance. Apple will keep the balance.

● Payment Methods. In the first link above Apple says: "Make sure that you have a payment method for your new country or region." Refer to the list in: https://support.apple.com/111741 Note that some payment methods in that list may not be acceptable to set as a payment method for country change purposes.; for example, account balance.

Here is where I challenge declarations made by other forum contributors that the payment method must come from the new country. Apple does not say that. The statement from Apple, and Apple referring to the link, to me only says that the broad payment type must be valid in the new country (e.g., mobile billing is not valid in all countries). I do not see anywhere where it says the specific payment method (e.g., the bank issuing a credit card) must originate from the new country. Apple through the years appears to have deliberately avoided making a simple, clear statement about this, which suggests to me they have more complex criteria other than it must be a payment method from the same country (e.g., the billing address has to be in the new country even if the card is from a different country). Still, using one from a financial institution in your new country may be the easiest way to ensure you don’t run into problems.

● 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.

● Leave or disband any Family Sharing groups.

Refer to https://support.apple.com/HT201081

● Read this support article If your Apple ID or other options are greyed out in Settings —> https://support.apple.com/HT213770

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

Click here ➞ https://support.apple.com/choose-country-region

Select your country (if you do not see your country, also look for "other" regions; e.g., "Other Africa"), then "Choose a product". Click the "show" item under each category for more selections. 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:

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

we are not apple just users such as yourself

if this do not help you

Change your Apple Account country or region - Apple Support

then if it was me then I would reach out to their official support channels

Get Support (apple.com)

And or

Contact - Official Apple Support

And or

https://www.apple.com/contact/

Or

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Prerequisites you must clear before Apple lets you change regions

• Spend your entire Apple ID balance
• Cancel all active subscriptions and wait for them to fully end
• Remove any payment methods tied to another country
• Leave Family Sharing if you’re in one
• Make sure there are no pending refunds, pre‑orders, or rentals

See actions to change the region as follows:

Open Settings ➡️ Apple ID ➡️ Media & Purchases ➡️ View Account ➡️ Country/Region ➡️ Change Country or Region ➡️ select new country ➡️ add valid payment method and address

Are you getting a specific error message when you try to switch the region?

Axel F.

You’ll either need to spend it or if it’s not enough to purchase a product or service, you’ll need to contact Apple Support to have your account set to zero. As an alternative, add a payment method and purchase an item for more than your account balance. The purchase will first be withdrawn from your account and then any remaining balance with be charged to the payment method in your account.  If you’re in the US please call  1-800-MY-APPLE or outside the US, consult the support articles below.

Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Change your Apple ID country or region - Apple Support

Hello ~If you are trying to zero your balance before changing regions…you may purchase an item from the App Store for more than your balance and the remainder will be billed to your credit card on file thus zeroing your balance . You may also go to lower left hand corner and click on Support and they can zero it for you or…

Contact Apple for support and service

Also if you are changing regions take a look through this article as well…

Change your Apple ID country or region - Apple Support

Take care.

~Katana-San~