Why is my Apple ID only valid for the Apple store in one country (Ireland) even though I have moved to and live in the USA?

Right. You will need to establish a new iTunes account in the US iTunes Store as well as get another Apple ID tied to a US mail provider. You will also need a US charge card issued by a US bank. The billing address must be the one for the charge card.

I think you will find Amazon is much the same. If I sign into Amazon.com they check which mailing address I have set. If it's my Canadian address they tell me they cannot ship to that address because I'm purchasing from the US.

Do NOT create another ID. Change the country of your present ID.

App Store Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2001 when using iTunes --> "To change countries, scroll to the end of the iTunes Store home page and click the flag indicating the current country. To choose a different country, click the appropriate flag."

iOS: Changing the signed-in iTunes Store account - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1311 - Change your iTunes Store country: "Sign in to the account for the iTunes Store region you'd like to use. Tap Settings > iTunes & App Stores > Apple ID: > View Apple ID > Country/Region."

You will, of course, need to change your address and enter valid credit card information after you have changed the settings.

iTunes Store: Changing Account Information - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1918

Further tips on changing country - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4435728?answerId=20029737022#20029737022 - problems you encounter when changing iTunes country

Realize, however, just as you can no longer visit your old public library in Ireland you also no longer have access to the store or your purchases made there. You can continue to use them as they are on your computer now but that makes it all the more important you maintain backups in case of loss. If you upgrade an app I think you will have to pay for it again since you no longer have access to the Irish Store.

Exactly my point. Amazon requires I switch from one country to another using appropriate credit cards and billing addresses. That way I have no problems buying in Canada or the US. That's what I explained. Surely, if that isn't a problem for you with Amazon, why is it a problem with Apple? They are requiring the same thing: A valid US billing address; A US bank issued credit card; A separate account for whichever country you are in at the time.

But, gee, if it's such an aggravation, then don't buy anything from Apple online while here in the US. Wait until you return to Ireland.

I sure do understand your frustration. I am an American tax-paying citizen and have lived in the Netherlands for many years. I have investments and bank accounts - with online access - in the U.S., as well as here in the Netherlands.

My U.S. banks and my U.S. brokerage firm have mobile apps for the iPods and iPads. BUT I can't get them from the U.S. store!--- Since I have my Apple gear (iPod's iPads) registered to me here at my Netherlands address, I'm limited to the Dutch store.

I've also been using Quicken since the mid-80's, but their new mobile app for the iPhone/iPad is only available in the U.S. store.

I find Apple's store policy extremely restrictive. They should take a lesson from Amazon.com - I've had an Amazon account for years, I can charge to either my U.S. bank VISA card or one of my Netherlands credit cards, and I can buy from any Amazon store.

Did it ever occur to Apple that they have users that are citizens of one country and residents of another?

I wonder if Android apps are restricted by country or not - but it's worth thinking about possibly switching to Samsung if Apple becomes more an more restrictive, (not to mention Adobe Flash!)

rmxpat

We're not talking about brick and mortar stores or libraries or offices - we're talking about 21st century internet shopping, banking, working, and even filing our tax returns and paying our taxes to our home country using the Internet- no matter where we're physically located.

We're talking about new ways of doing almost evrything...

rmxpat wrote:

I sure do understand your frustration. I am an American tax-paying citizen and have lived in the Netherlands for many years. I have investments and bank accounts - with online access - in the U.S., as well as here in the Netherlands.

My U.S. banks and my U.S. brokerage firm have mobile apps for the iPods and iPads. BUT I can't get them from the U.S. store!--- Since I have my Apple gear (iPod's iPads) registered to me here at my Netherlands address, I'm limited to the Dutch store.

I've also been using Quicken since the mid-80's, but their new mobile app for the iPhone/iPad is only available in the U.S. store.

I find Apple's store policy extremely restrictive. They should take a lesson from Amazon.com - I've had an Amazon account for years, I can charge to either my U.S. bank VISA card or one of my Netherlands credit cards, and I can buy from any Amazon store.

Did it ever occur to Apple that they have users that are citizens of one country and residents of another?

I wonder if Android apps are restricted by country or not - but it's worth thinking about possibly switching to Samsung if Apple becomes more an more restrictive, (not to mention Adobe Flash!)

rmxpat

Did you even read the posts above yours? As was mentioned, an AppleID is NOT restricted to any one country/store. However, the payment information and billing address linked to that AppleID ARE restricted to a given country (by that country's own laws and regulations governing internet commerce). Change your AppleIDs payment and address information to the country you wish to use, and you are free to shop in that country's iTunes store.

Bricks and mortar or not does not make a difference. International borders do. International laws do. The media owners might decide they don't like a country's copyright laws and tell Apple, "You may not distribute our media in that country, including any form of distribution across international borders." That might well include items already purchased. Just because something is in digital form many similar laws apply as for physical items. It could also be the country's laws. Perhaps Apple simply does not want to have to deal with declaring all your purchases to each country's customs agency?

Apple is NOT "confiscating" your purchases. Confiscating means they take it away from you. Amazon did that with a book on its Kindle device a few years ago and it made a lot of media noise. People woke up one day and it had been deleted remotely. Apple isn't doing that. They simply are not replacing it if you have moved outside the country where you purchased it. You would have to ask them why they cannot send it to you if you lose it but likely there is a nightmare web of international laws and restrictions. Apple itself used to have different versions of its operating system software for different countries. Theoretically you were not allowed to carry a set of the disks out of the USA, probably because they included encryption technology not permitted outside the USA at the time.

Yes, Apple is international, but so are many stores. There's things I can buy in a Walmart down the street that are not legal in another country's Walmart. Even if they are, for example a DVD, I won't find a region 1 copy of The Avengers in a European Walmart.

I had the same issue: being in Canada but being asked to switch to the US store.

Solution for me: When I logged in to the Apple Store account I did not find any option to change the store, but just logging in and out seems to have solved the problem. Now I can suddenly use the Apple (App) store in Canada.

I solved this problem by opening itunes and log in to my account then switch country in Account Info. In the process you'll be ask to enter another address and other stuff that are related to the country and also a credit/debit card issued in that country. my account luckily created when there was an option to not put any credit/debit card and everytime i switch country I still have that option.

I know I am replying to a post x2 years old but this really racks me off. Its not just Apple but many US based companies assume international boarders mean they can slap regional restrictions on people and claim they have too because of country laws, but they ignore existing free trade agreements between countries. I live in FR, work in CH, shop in DE and do my banking in the UK. Sounds exotic and weird right? Well for the first three countries I can drive between them in under 30 minutes. For someone living in the USA do they face such restrictions between states? does a New Yorker have to have a Californian credit card to by from Amazon? The guise of country eCommerce law is only a cover for regional pricing (which in the EU is now illegal, ask MS about it).

On top of all that many of these offending sites mandate the language of TOC etc in the country they assume you should be speaking the language of because either your credit card is based there or your IP address is there.

thank you and AMEN. We lived in the US and that's where I created my apple account....now we moved to italy and I am actually from Germany...

I have the same trouble.....I can't change my apple account from US to Italy....it always takes me back to the page where it tells me that my ID is only valid in the US. I can't even change my address to Italy....the system won't let me. If I try to set up a new account....it's also not possible....since I don't want to set up a new email account. so of course the system will tell me....hey, you already have an account. that's a vicious cycle! I tried in the italian itunes store....to use a paypal account for paying....but the system won't let me do this as well...since our address is italian...but our bank account is a german one and it is supposed to be in the country you are buying from. YAY!

I guess I can't win! Will switch to a windows phone and go from there! but that's weird for apple! Amazon is so much better with this kind of expat situations! they accept any card or address....as long as it corresponds with the bank information. THANKS AMAZON for making it a little easier on that front!!!!