VPN not working in New Zealand: 11 ways to FIX it

With a great VPN, you can access region-locked websites and apps while from New Zealand. Different countries have access to different services, so a VPN lets you swap between them. But what happens if your current VPN stops working? Our guide to quick fixes can help.

Our team of telly obsessives has done the hard work for you, putting VPNs to the test to see which ones work well in New Zealand. Plus, we’ve listed ways you can troubleshoot your existing software. Keep scrolling for the details.

Which VPNs work in New Zealand?

Why you can trust GadgetMouse: Our content is written by a team of humans and we refuse to use AI. Plus, we own (and use) every VPN that we write about. For more details, see our editorial policy.

Why is my VPN not working in New Zealand?

If a website or app sees that you’re trying to access content from outside of a supported country, your connection could be blocked. For example, perhaps you’re trying to use a service that is usually restricted in New Zealand. However, trusted VPNs can still help you unlock content from anywhere in the world.

How does my VPN get detected?

Your current VPN isn’t working in New Zealand and that’s probably because it’s not hiding your location. The VPN servers you have available to you through your current VPN may be blacklisted by the website you’re trying to stream from.

In summary:

• Your VPN servers might have been blacklisted by a website or app that limits access to folk based in New Zealand
• Cookies stored in your browser are telling services about your real location in NZ and not your spoofed location
• A flawed VPN is leaking your IP address, which causes websites and apps to block traffic

How to fix a VPN that doesn’t work in New Zealand

1. Update your VPN

Make sure you’re using the latest version of your VPN in NZ – the developers might have identified an issue and patched it with an update. You need to take a trip to your VPN settings if your VPN isn’t working in New Zealand.

On a PC, open your VPN and then the Settings or Options menu. Some VPNs will display a message on the start screen telling you about updates. ExpressVPN, for example, shows this:

Selecting Update will usually take you to the VPN provider’s website, where you can learn more about what’s new. Top providers are constantly improving their software.

If you’re using an Android phone, you need to open the Google Play store, tap your user profile in the top-right corner of the screen and then Manage apps and device. Choose Update or Update all.

On an iPhone, open the Apple App Store and tap your user profile in the top-right corner of the screen.

2. Use a different VPN server while based in New Zealand

In some cases, specific VPN servers can become temporarily unavailable or slower than usual. If your VPN isn’t unlocking websites and apps while you’re based in NZ, this could be the problem. Try disconnecting from the current server that you’re using.

The best VPNs offer multiple servers per country. For example, ExpressVPN hosts a ‘UK – Docklands’ server as well as alternatives in East London, London and the Midlands. Cycle between them and see which one works best for you.

Precise steps will vary depending on your VPN, but ExpressVPN users can select the three dots icon to see a list of alternative servers in the same country. You can also favourite the server (use the Star icon) that works best for you.

3. Contact your VPN support team

Our recommended VPN providers further down the page all manage support teams that can deal with specific problems you’re dealing with.

From a computer, head to your VPN provider’s website and find the Support or Contact us pages. Some VPNs offer a live chat service for members.

4. Reset your VPN

Regardless of whether you’re on a PC, smartphone or tablet, restart your device and open your VPN again. If that doesn’t work, delete and reinstall your VPN. Load up your VPN and a geo-restricted website or app and see if performance has improved.

5. Check your internet

The problem might actually lie with your own internet connection rather than your VPN.

Disconnect from your wi-fi network and then reconnect. Try and run your VPN once again. You can also go a step further and restart your internet router. Speeds of 5-10Mbps should be enough, but you might prefer over 20Mbps if you’re streaming or gaming.

Run a free download speed tool and compare the results alongside your ISP’s ‘minimum guaranteed speed’ promise. Contact your ISP if your connection is unstable outside of VPN use.

More VPN fixes for users in New Zealand:

Are your details public due to a DNS leak? An ineffective VPN fails to mask your IP address and location while in New Zealand. To assess its performance, deactivate the VPN and visit the IP Address Lookup tool to record your IP address. Then, activate your VPN and rerun the test – if your IP and location remain unchanged, you need to swap to a better VPN.

Clear cache and cookies from your internet browser. On Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. On Safari, go to Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data.

Have you entered your VPN username and password correctly? Double-check your credentials. If you can’t remember them, select the ‘Forgot’ option on your VPN provider’s website.

Are the VPN servers active? If you can’t connect to a server, your provider might be experiencing an outage. We’ve noticed that the best providers are transparent and actively update their server status online.

Is your firewall blocking your VPN? If you’re dealing with errors on desktop, make sure your VPN is mentioned in the ‘Allow’ list. On Windows, head to open Windows Security > Allow an app through the firewall. On Mac, try System Settings > Network > Firewall.

Does your web browser need updating? Your current web browser version might be incompatible with your browser-based VPN. Assuming you’ve updated your VPN, make sure you update your browser as well. On Chrome, for example, you would go to Settings > About Chrome.

Are you overworking your VPN? If you’re streaming, gaming and using social media at the same time, your VPN might struggle to keep up. We suggest you close a couple of apps to test if doing so has a noticeable impact.

Best VPNs for New Zealand

ExpressVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.53 per month
• 6-month subscription: £8.12 per month
• 1-year subscription + 3 months free: £5.42 per month (49% off)

🌎 Number of servers	160
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	5
⏱️ Our speed test results	-8.7% download, -5.5% upload (London)

If you want to enjoy streaming video from any on-demand service while you’re in New Zealand, create a membership with ExpressVPN. It’s easy to use, delightfully fast and works well if you’re looking to access content that’s usually reserved for a specific country. To watch TV anywhere, all you need to do is open up ExpressVPN, connect to a server in a supported region and go from there.

This VPN keeps your real IP address hidden at all times, so websites won’t know you’re accessing content from outside of a supported country. Every ExpressVPN member has access to servers in over 90 countries around the world. ExpressVPN works on a range of different devices including Mac, PC, Android or iOS smartphone.

Pros: Smartphone app lets you connect in seconds, 'favourite' most-used VPN servers for quick access, performed remarkably well in our chat support speed test

Cons: Rival VPNs are cheaper, can't use many devices at once

Try ExpressVPN today

Ivacy

• 1-month subscription: £8.62 per month
• 1-year subscription: £3 per month (65% off)
• 5-year subscription + FREE password manager: 80p per month (90% off)

🌎 Number of servers	5,700
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	10

Ivacy works well if you’re currently based in New Zealand and it’s a reliable option if you don’t want to spend lots of money on a VPN to watch TV. This service supports 256-bit encryption, which helps keep cybercriminals away. On top of that, you also get public wi-fi security that protects your gadgets against malware if you’re connecting to a hotspot in a public area.

While you’re in NZ, you can use Ivacy to access geo-restricted websites without anybody knowing about it. That’s thanks to Ivacy’s very strict no-logs policy, which prevents your valuable personal data from being sold to sinister third parties.

This is one of the most widely-used VPNs proven to work in New Zealand. If you try it for yourself today, you’ll get instant access to over 3,000 VPN servers around the world. A single subscription for Ivacy has you covered on up to 10 different devices at once, which is ideal for a family of streamers.

Pros: Connection is steady when using multiple devices, notifications mention if Ivacy is disabled, server locations split by country and city

Cons: We think the ExpressVPN mobile app is faster, below-average results in our chat support speed test

Try Ivacy today

NordVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.49 per month
• 1-year subscription: £3.99 per month (40% off)
• 2-year subscription: £2.79 per month (58% off)

🌎 Number of servers	5,200+
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	6
⏱️ Our speed test results	-14% download, -7% upload (London)

Here’s another VPN that lets you watch region-locked content while you’re sat somewhere in New Zealand. NordVPN has servers all over the world and all of them are protected by military-grade encryption. With Nord’s enhanced encryption technology, you can even stay safe on public wi-fi networks without speeds being affected.

NordVPN’s servers are secure and you can connect without handing over personal data. This VPN doesn’t watch how you’re using the service, so privacy is guaranteed in NZ. You can also try the CyberSec feature, which blocks suspicious-looking websites and lowers the risk of your device being infected with data-grabbing malware.

In just a couple of minutes, you can start streaming shows using NordVPN. To access the service, just connect to a VPN server based in a supported country. If you need help at any time, you can call on NordVPN’s 24/7 live chat service.

Pros: Built-in internet kill switch works well, profile page on app includes 'Security score' with privacy tips, takes less than a minute to reach a live chat agent (based on our tests)

Cons: Other VPNs tested are cheaper, some streaming services require multiple resets to work

Try NordVPN today

PureVPN

• 1-month subscription: $10.95 per month (12% off)
• 1-year subscription: $3.74 per month (70% off)
• 2-year subscription + 4 extra months: $1.96 per month (84% off)

🌎 Number of servers	6,500+
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	10

PureVPN is still one of our favourite services to recommend for VPN newbies that are based in NZ. It’s a breeze to use and doesn’t limit bandwidth per user. PureVPN is a great VPN that allows you to bypass geo-locked websites so you can enjoy TV without a fuss, even if you’re not currently based in a supported country.

Pros: Surprisingly affordable considering features, lots of UK and US-based servers, generous with simultaneous devices

Cons: Takes a couple of minutes to reach live chat agents (based on our tests), performs better on iOS compared to Android (in our experience)

Try PureVPN today

How to use a VPN in New Zealand

Before you start using a VPN while you’re in NZ, you need to pick a geo-restricted website or service that you’re aiming to unlock.

As an example, let’s say you’re based in New Zealand and you want to enjoy shows streaming on BBC iPlayer – that service is usually only available to viewers based in the UK. So, to unlock iPlayer while you’re in New Zealand, you would need to run through these steps:

1. Pick one of our suggested VPNs – we’ll use ExpressVPN for this example.
2. Once you’ve created your ExpressVPN account, sign in.
3. From Windows or Mac, open ExpressVPN and select a server in a supported country. In this example, you’d need to choose a server based in the UK that’s compatible with BBC iPlayer.
4. Once you’re connected, head to the BBC iPlayer website.
5. Log in to your BBC iPlayer account and enjoy.

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