If you’re trying to watch The Office on Netflix, and it isn’t available on the Netflix library, you probably live in a country where Netflix doesn’t have the rights to broadcast the show.
For example if you live in the US, your Netflix library won’t have The Office.
This can be frustrating as you’ll have to subscribe to a different streaming service (Peacock) in order to stream The Office.
Fortunately, there’s a simple way you can watch The Office on Netflix anywhere in the world. All you need is a VPN.
This article will explain how to watch The Office on Netflix using a reliable VPN.
See also:
- How to watch Better Call Saul on Netflix: The EASY way! (2023)
- How to watch US Netflix while travelling: The EASY way! (2023)
How to watch The Office on Netflix: Quick Guide
At the moment, there are several countries where Netflix has the rights to broadcast every episode of The Office.
To watch The Office on Netflix, you need to change the location of your Netflix library to the the Netflix library based in one of these locations.
To do that, follow these simple steps:
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Create a new account with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month).
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Download and install the new VPN app on your device
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Select a server in a country where The Office is available on Netflix (See below)
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Open Netflix
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Watch The Office on Netflix
Countries where Netflix broadcasts the Office
These countries all have the rights to broadcast The Office on Netflix.
In order to get the best connection, make sure you select a country on ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) that’s the closest to your country. For example, if you’re in the US, the best country to pick would be Canada.
- Australia
- Czech Republic
- Greece
- India
- Lithuania
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Israel
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Slovakia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- UK
Why isn’t The Office on Netflix?
The Office isn’t on your Netflix library because Netflix in your country doesn’t have the rights to broadcast the show.
Although Netflix as a platform is available all over the world, the content it broadcasts varies from country to country.
Film and TV studios are the ones that decide who has the rights to their content and where their content can be broadcast. If a tv company or film studio sells the rights to their show to a streaming service, then only that streaming service can broadcast it.
In the US, NBCUniversal holds the rights to The Office, so only NBC can broadcast it on their streaming service, Peacock.
The countries in the list above have the rights to broadcast The Office on Netflix.
Why can’t I access other Netflix libraries?
This is all to do with your IP address.
When you connect to Netflix it scans your IP address to determine where you’re located.
When you go online, you’re given a unique IP address. This is used to form a communication line between your device and Netflix. This IP is kind of like an area code for a landline phone, in that it contains information that defines where you are in the world.
When you connect to Netflix, you’re IP address is scanned for this location information.
Once Netflix determines where you are, it provides you with the Netflix library from that country.
How to Watch The Office on Netflix: FAQs
Q: Can I use a VPN to watch The Office on Netflix from a country where it’s not available?
Answer: Yes, you can use a VPN to change your virtual location and access The Office on Netflix from a country where it’s not currently available.
Q: Will using a VPN to stream Netflix slow down my internet connection?
Answer: A VPN may slightly reduce your internet speed due to encryption and server distance, but a high-quality VPN minimises this impact.
Q: How do I choose the right VPN for streaming The Office on Netflix?
Answer: Look for a VPN with fast servers in countries where The Office is available on Netflix, strong privacy features, and a proven ability to bypass geo-restrictions.
Q: What should I do if Netflix detects my VPN?
Answer: If Netflix detects your VPN, try switching to a different server, clearing your browser’s cookies and cache, or contacting your VPN’s customer support for assistance.
Q: In which countries is The Office available on Netflix?
Answer: The Office is available on Netflix in numerous countries, including Australia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Lithuania, Portugal, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the UK. For the most current availability, it’s advisable to check Netflix’s listings or use a VPN to access these regions.
How can I access other Netflix libraries?
To gain access to the Netflix in another country, you need to make Netflix think you’re accessing its service from within that country. Basically you need to change your IP address to an IP address based in one of those countries.
Although this may sound confusing, and complicated a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) makes it incredibly easy.
All you need to do is download ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) on your chosen device, click on a server in a country listed above and you’ll be given an IP address from that country.
Now when you connect to Netflix, you’ll have access to that countries Netflix library and you’ll be able to watch The Office on Netflix anywhere in the world.
Will any VPN work?
No, not any VPN will work.
Because Netflix has strict requirements in regards to where it can broadcast certain content, it tries to block VPNs. It does this to protect itself from potential copyright and licensing fines . A VPN could be the reason for these fines.
Netflix is very good at blocking lesser VPNs, especially free ones. This is because Netflix uses one key technique, it scans for an abnormal amount of connections coming from the same IP address.
Usually only a household of devices (8-10) connects to Netflix using the same IP address. Lesser/free VPNs have a lot of customers and they don’t have the IP addresses to meet the demand. When this happens, these VPNs force customers to share IP addresses.
When Netflix sees hundreds or thousands of connections coming from the same IP address it knows its a VPN and it blocks the connection.
The good news is ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) don’t have these problems. They have lots of IP addresses, so you won’t end up sharing with other customers, and on the off chance an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) gets identified and blocked by Netflix, these VPNs will close that IP address and open a new one so you can watch The Office on Netflix anywhere in the world reliably.
The best VPNs to watch The Office on Netflix
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
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Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
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2. NordVPN 🥈
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
Read our NordVPN review.
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3. Private Internet Access
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
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4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
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5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
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Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
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Will a free VPN work with Netflix?
Using a free VPN to access Netflix can be challenging. Free VPNs often have limited server options and lower speeds, making them less effective for streaming. Additionally, Netflix’s robust detection system frequently blocks IP addresses associated with free VPNs.
While some free VPNs might occasionally work, they often have data limits and may not consistently bypass Netflix’s geo-restrictions. For a more reliable experience, a paid VPN with a proven track record of working with Netflix is generally recommended.
Is watching Netflix with a VPN legal?
In most countries, using a VPN is legal. There are only a handful of countries (spot the authoritarianism link) where using a VPN is illegal; these are: China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Seychelles, Suriname, Namibia, Slovenia, Nicaragua and Tajikistan.
If you’re outside these countries and are using a VPN, you’re legally allowed to do so. However, it’s important to know that using a VPN with some streaming services may breach that service’s terms of use.
If you subscribe to a streaming service, you automatically accept its terms of use. If we look at Netflix’s terms of use, it states, “You may access the Netflix content primarily within the country in which you have established your account and only in geographic locations where we offer our service and have licensed such content.” And “You also agree not to circumvent, remove, alter, deactivate, degrade or thwart any of the content protections in the Netflix service; use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Netflix service… We may terminate or restrict your use of our service if you violate these Terms of Use or are engaged in illegal or fraudulent use of the service.”
This means, Netflix can stop your subscription and ban you from the streaming service if you try to access its content with a VPN turned on.
However, given the wide-spread use of VPNs, plus the many legitimate and legal use cases for VPNs, it’s fair to suggest that banning customers for using a VPN would be a heavy-handed and financially costly policy for Netflix (and other streaming services) to enforce.
If you’re trying to watch Netflix in a region where it does not traditionally operate or you’re trying to change the location of the Netflix library, you risk having your account banned. In theory. However, as the best VPNs for Netflix use military-grade encryption it is impossible for Netflix to trace where you’re physically accessing its content from.
There’s one final thing to note on the subject: Netflix has never banned anyone for using a VPN to access its service.
For more information you can check out article answering Is streaming with a VPN legal?
