How to use an Amazon Fire TV Stick in France
Chris
Chris, a UK-born media connoisseur, is an expert in watching international TV. Known as "The Global Screen Wanderer", he has travelled extensively across the globe with long stints away from home. With over 10 years of experience he has become the go-to guru for streaming content from home and abroad.
If you’ve ended up on this page because you want to use an Amazon Fire TV Stick (or Fire TV / Fire TV Cube) in France then this is the guide for you.
In this guide I’ll be showing you the super easy (yes, beginner friendly!) way you can use your Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Cube in France.
While the Amazon Fire TV devices are cool and France is beautiful, put them together and they don’t work well at all.
You see, the Fire TV Stick or any of the other Fire TV devices aren’t actually officially available in France which means most of the apps you’ll use on a regular basis are blocked.
The great news is there’s a super simple way to fix that and below I’ll be showing you how.
So if you’re an NBC app watcher from America, an iPlayer app watcher from the UK, a SonyLiv watcher from India or any other kind of Fire TV device user then read on.
Can I use the Amazon Fire TV Stick in France?
Yes, yes and yes. However, if you turn up in France with a Fire TV, Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Cube from another country or you order one online and have it sent to you in France then it won’t work out of the box.
Almost all the apps you’ll want to use are blocked.
To use your Fire TV Stick, Fire TV or Fire Cube in France you’ll need the help of a VPN app.
A VPN app lets you disguise your real location and make it look like you’re somewhere else.
So if you’ve got a UK Fire TV Stick for example and you’re trying to watch BBC iPlayer you’ll find its blocked in France. However, when you use a VPN app you can pretend you’re still in the UK which unblocks BBC iPlayer.
This works for almost all apps on the Fire TV devices and for any country. So it doesn’t matter if you’ve got an American, British, Indian Fire TV device or one from any other country, they all work in France when using a VPN.
So where can you get a VPN app?
Where do I get a VPN for the Amazon Fire TV Stick?
VPN apps are really popular for unblocking TV content these days. This means there are many available these days.
It’s really important to know that not all VPN apps work with the Fire TV, Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Cube. In fact, 90% don’t work.
There are however a couple of great services that have dedicated VPN apps for the Fire TV devices and after some careful testing, we found the following three worked the best.
Our three recommended VPN apps for the Fire TV in France are:
- ExpressVPN – Other readers recommend this + 30 day money back guarantee
- NordVPN
- IPVanish
Now all you need to do is choose one of the three above. You can’t make a mistake because they all work well, so just choose the one you like the sound of the most.
I found ExpressVPN to be a little easier to use and really liked their app so that would be my recommendation.
A VPN service will cost you a few dollars per month. If you’re going to be in France for more than a couple of weeks it’s worth signing up for 12-months because most services are a lot cheaper when doing so.
For example, ExpressVPN is 49% cheaper when you take their 12-month package than if you pay per month.
How do I use the VPN with my Amazon Fire TV Stick?
Now you’ve signed up for one of the three VPN services above you’ll need to download their app.
Switch on your Amazon Fire TV Stick (or Fire TV / Fire TV Cube) and on the top menu locate the ‘Search‘ button (it’s the magnifying glass icon).
In the search box start typing ‘ExpressVPN‘ or the name of the service you signed up for until you see it appear.
Then scroll down and click on the name.
Click on ‘Download‘, ‘Get‘ or ‘Install‘ depending on what it says to download and install the app.
The app will start to download and when installed, alert you. Press the ‘Home‘ button on your Fire TV device’s remote control.
Now press on the new ‘ExpressVPN‘ icon you see on your main screen.
When the app opens you’ll need to login or activate it if it’s your first time using it. These are the same details you used when signing up.
Then press on ‘Choose Location‘. You should now select your home country, the country you purchased your Fire TV device in or the country of the app you’re trying to watch.
The app will take a few seconds to connect. Once it’s connected press the ‘Home‘ button. You can now use all your favourite apps in France like normal.
What apps can I use in France?
Almost all apps will work once you’re connected to the VPN service.
For example, you can watch different regions of Netflix with your regular Netflix account. The best is the American Netflix site because it has the most content. Simply connect to America on the ExpressVPN app.
You can also use other apps like NBC Sports, ITV Hub, TV Player, SonyLiv and others.
Some such as BBC iPlayer will require you to visit their direct website using a Fire TV web-browser. For this using the built-in Silk Browser (also known as ‘Internet’) or FireFox is the best.
It’s unfortunately impossible to unblock different regions of Amazon Prime.
In Summary: Can I use the Amazon Fire TV Stick in France
You can use the Amazon Fire TV Stick in France but for this, you’ll need to get an additional app called a ‘VPN‘.
You can get our recommended VPN app for doing this by clicking the button below.
Sign up for their service and then download their app on to your Fire TV, Fire TV Stick or Fire Cube. Then connect to the country your Fire TV device is from.
You’ll now be able to unblock the majority of apps and services.
We would love to hear what your favourite app is on the Fire TV Stick, so why not let us know in the comments below?
I currently live in the US but will be moving to France. I have two Amazon Fire Sticks I will take with me. Can I go ahead and download a VPN app on them now, before I move , to use once I’m there? Also, I have a Hulu + Live Tv account, can I use it in France with the VPN app on my Fire Sticks?
Hi Donna,
Yes, you can download the VPN app before, or after you arrive. It may be easier to download before so you can have it set up and ready.
If you have the Hulu+ Live app on the Firestick then yes. You will also need to ensure the VPN app you’re using works with Hulu+ Live, best check with your VPN provider ahead of time.
Hi Chris,
I live in France, have Nord VPN and fibre internet with Orange. I also have a UKTV router which is brilliant for watching UK TV. I have a bedroom TV with the same apps but the UKTV router with its own VPN doesn’t reach the bedroom – and reverts back to the Orange Fibre network. ( Thick brick Walls !!) It’s not the end of the world as I still get Netflix (France), Sky news but it would be nice to have the other channels. I have been wondering if, when I’m next in the UK , I could buy an Amazon Firestick, set it up on my sons TV , download my Nord VPN and all my usual channels. If I then disconnect it from his TV and bring it back to use with my bedroom TV – do you think it would work? Appreciate any advice you could give me. Kind regards. Beverley
Hi Beverley,
You can certainly install your current NordVPN account on an Amazon Firestick and use it in any room that has a good internet connection.
If it’s simply a case that your UKTV router isn’t powerful enough to reach that room but your regular router does then you should be good to go. The Firestick has apps for most of the UK channels and streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ etc but doesn’t have apps for some of the subscription based services like Sky and Virgin so your only consideration is what channels are you wanting to access in that room.
Hope this helps but if you need more help, feel free to ask.
Hi Chris, Will this guide/method work with a Roku?
Hi David,
Unfortunately not, Roku devices don’t support VPN apps. For this to work on a Roku you would need a hardware device, a ‘VPN Router’.
This is a more expensive option. Look into the Invizbox 2 or ExpressVPN’s router if you want to explore that option. However, they’re often €100+ and then a VPN subscription on top.
Hi
I am just about to get internet services in France! I am an Amazon Prime customer in the UK.
I am a bit confused as to which Fire Stick I should get.
British Fire Stick & use VPN.
International Fire Stick & use VPN.
Buy an Amazon stick in France and use VPN?
Many thanks in anticipation of your reply!
Barry
Hi Barry,
I would recommend buying one in the UK and use a VPN.
However, if you’re already in France there shouldn’t be any problem buying one there. You may find it comes pre-installed with French apps as oppose to British ones.
For Amazon Prime this shouldn’t make too much of a difference.
I am looking to purchase a fire stick and use Express VPN in France, however our internet is not very strong, is there a minimum strength for this to all work?
Hi,
To stream video you will need a certain level of speed. If you can barely stream local video from French websites then this is unlikely to work for you. Do you know what speeds you can currently achieve?
Between 3-5mb. Orange say it cannot improve until fibre is available.
Hi David,
Unfortunately at those speeds you’re likely to have a lot of problems using this method. Mostly buffering and very low quality. Sorry I can’t offer a better outlook.
I am living in France, have NordVPN and a French Amazon account. If I buy a Firestick from here will I be able to watch BBCiplayer, ITV hub, English Netflix?
Hi Beverly,
You should be able to but you will need to use the following guide to install the UK apps as it will likely come pre-loaded with localised French streaming apps.
https://www.watchtvabroad.com/install-amazon-fire-tv-apps-outside-intended-country/
Thank you Chris for your prompt reply. I looked at the How to change the loaded apps on the Fire stick. I also have a UK Amazon account so if I go to the relevant link on there will that work? This account has my French address registered to it. Thanks.
Hi Beverly,
Sorry for the slow response this time.
It would be best if you login to your UK Amazon account on the Firestick which should (in theory) give you access to install the UK apps. This would allow you to skip the earlier instructions for loading the apps from other countries.
You would then need the VPN app to access the apps, essentially to play the services you require. I can’t give 100% guarantee for your specific circumstances but I’m mostly confident this solution would work in your situation.
Chris:
Hello!
My husband and I are in France for six months. We are missing some of our favorite sports and TV form the USA and Canada. Will the Amazon Fire Stick work for the sports and TV?
Thank you for your time and expertise.
Sincerely,
Sheri
Hi Sheri,
The Amazon Fire Stick will work for Sports and TV with a VPN which will allow you to access most services you have a subscription for back home or any ‘free to air’, provided they have an Amazon app. It’s not 100% but most of the major services should work.
Can I use the same Firestick & VPN at 2 different locations (Home & Boat)?
Yes, as long as your internet connection is reliable enough on the boat.
Hi,
I live in France and have a ExpressVPN. My VPN allows me to watch Prime Video via my UK Prime account.
I also use it to connect to SkyGo and my UK Netflix account. However, I’ve found that Netflix is increasingly spotting the VPN and blocking me. (I have use Google, Safari and Firefox as required to regain access but this is often temporary).
Two questions:
If I buy an Amazon Fire Stick in France and use my existing VPN, will this get around the Netflix problem?
I access BBC iPlayer using VPN via the internet. This works but always encounters prolonged buffering and poor picture quality. Would thus improve with a FireStick?
Thanks in advance
Hi Andy,
Unfortunately simply using a Fire Stick probably wouldn’t resolve the issues you’re describing.
We haven’t noticed much issue recently with ExpressVPN. Have you tried contacting their support directly to see if they can offer a solution?
The buffering issue sounds more like an internet problem. Do you live remotely or in an area that has a poor internet connection?
Do I need a different router as well as the app?
Hi Hetty,
No, just the app, they work with all standard routers.
Would I be able to unblock the YouTubeTV app in France with one of these VPN services?
Hi,
Yes, as long as you have a valid subscription to YouTube TV in another country, eg; the United States.
I have installed ExpressVPN for use in France but Bbc IPlayer is still blocked as are lots of films on Prime! Any suggestions or should I get my money back?
Hi Susan,
For BBC iPlayer if you’re using the app you may still find yourself blocked. You would need to use one of the Fire TV Stick’s web browsers such as ‘Internet’, sometimes called Silk Browser.
Amazon Prime is notoriously difficult to unblock so if this is your main usage you may want to get a refund before the 30 days are up.