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I recently moved countries and had to update my billing address in iTunes (change of full address and credit card info). This went fine, no problems whatsoever. It also meant that I had to change App Stores.

Unfortunately in this process all items from my Purchased list disappeared. If only they're not listed, I don't much care for it, but I'd like to know whether I won't be charged again when I want to update them which would essentially mean re-buying the apps.

Michal M
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  • Have you tried logging in again with the new email? –  Jul 20 '11 at 10:01
  • Yup. No luck. :( – Michal M Jul 20 '11 at 10:05
  • Hmmm, sounds weird. I changed my email address before but never came across this problem –  Jul 20 '11 at 10:06
  • Try changing the country back to the original one, and see if it works –  Jul 20 '11 at 10:09
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    I don't think it's the country that causes it. Might try setting the old email address as the primary one (and login), but don't want to mess things up. Thought I'd ask here first if anyone had ever done that. – Michal M Jul 20 '11 at 10:14
  • Change the App Store country, not the adress. –  Jul 20 '11 at 10:15
  • Hmmm... This kind of... worked. But for this to work permanently (apps to be displayed in the Purchased list and update) I need to actually change my billing address back to what it was before which is going to cause problems. I need to update my question... – Michal M Jul 20 '11 at 10:28
  • If I'm not wrong the apps are restricted to the country you bought it in –  Jul 20 '11 at 11:20
  • The answer by @mojuba below http://apple.stackexchange.com/a/239802/49307 works as of April 2017. You just have to find the app and directly download it. You won't be asked to pay. It's just that the purchase history list will still be shown as empty. – xji Apr 03 '17 at 14:53

3 Answers3

9

So... unfortunately the answer is...

Yes, but there are ways around it...

All the apps you bought in country A are permanently assigned to your AppleID. Once you move to country B and you updated your details (billing address) you:

  • still can use them
  • you cannot re-download them
  • you cannot update them
  • you cannot convert your music to iTunes Plus (but still can listen, obviously)

There are two solutions to this:

  1. Switch Store's country and update your billing details each time you want to get your apps up to date (or re-download them). But this is a rather painful process, so a better solution is to...
  2. Create a new AppleID with the billing details for the country B. Switching between AppleIDs is much easier and quicker than switching Store's country and updating your billing address.

Let me quote why it has to be this way:

[...] this how iTunes has been designed.

So. It's gonna be problematic, but nothing can be done really. :(

Michal M
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    More so this is how the backing legal systems are designed. I used to work for an Internet payment company and they have similar constraints – accounts created in one country can't be moved to another because all the agreements that were "signed" (read: you clicked OK on) and the subsequent KYC requirements were to satisfy the laws of a particular country and hence generally not transferrable. TL;DR: blame it on the lawyers and politicians. – adib Dec 11 '15 at 12:25
  • Actually you don't have to pay again as of April 2017. See the answer by @mojuba below http://apple.stackexchange.com/a/239802/49307 – xji Apr 03 '17 at 14:53
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There is no problem with switching the billing country as of November 2016 in terms of purchases.

Except, the only problem I had (after completely switching countries, in fact with different currencies) was that my purchase list in the App Store app was empty. It was an all new computer with no previous installations.

Here is how it worked: once I find an app via Search, click BUY, the App Store app says something along the lines of "there is no need to purchase this app because you already own it" and then it downloads it without any problems.

So I suppose Apple fixed it with the only issue being the purchases list.

mojuba
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    I can confirm this, I moved from the Netherlands to Belgium and when I bought a new MacBook and wanted to install my apps the purchased list was empty. When clicking and buying the same app again, after clicking on the 'buy app' button you get an message 'This update is free, because you own a previous version of this item.'. Thanks for answering, without this answer I don't think I would have tried re-buying apps. :) – Niels van Reijmersdal Nov 27 '16 at 18:05
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    Wow, this works. It is very helpful to me since I already don't have any credit card in my previous country, meaning I can't ever switch back. This answer should really be upvoted more as of now. I guess Apple somehow found a workaround, but still, they should just also restore the purchase history as well. After one year and a half without Mac I can't exactly remember what apps I bought and used in the first place... – xji Apr 03 '17 at 14:52
4

In the past you couldn't do this without contacting support. I don't know when Apple changed iTunes on the computers, but you can simply sign in to your account and switch countries as long as you are not enrolled in iTunes Match or carrying a balance on your current store. Cancel or spend down as needed and then you can start the process of switching.

I do not recommend anyone switch countries lightly - there are serious downsides like no longer getting re-downloads, app updates, and general confusion from support since an account that started in one country and migrated to another is an edge case that breaks many assumptions about how the app store works (and doesn't work).

iTunes screen to change your country or region for purchases

Also, I feel the need to reiterate, I do not recommend most people to ever switch an account with any apps you are not ready to simply repurchase to another country.

Losing app updates in the future is hard to guess and this switch is quite disruptive - moreso than juggling two accounts on one device in my experience.

bmike
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    Already contacted Apple Support. I really hope there is a good solution as I'm sure I'm not the only one in the world to be affected. – Michal M Jul 20 '11 at 13:36
  • You will have several options - new account is a bad option IMHO - and they can't suspend all past purchases when you move. It's just whether you need a human's help each time you move (to prevent people from gaming the rules continually) or you can simply do it once every 90 days is the nub of the issue. Please let us know! The store people are going to be REALLY BUSY so it might take a while for an answer. Ask again if you don't get an answer in a few days. – bmike Jul 20 '11 at 13:41
  • Exactly, I wish I asked Apple last week. This is going to defer me buying Lion until the question is clearly answered. – Michal M Jul 20 '11 at 14:11
  • It doesn't look good at the moment. Safal from iTunes Customer Support kindly told me that "after I change countries in my account, I won't be able to upgrade the content I purchased while my account was set to the previous country", this is with regards to iTunes music. He also said: "The content from the App Store is also country-specific. If you wish to upgrade any of your applications, please do so before changing countries". This is simply unacceptable and I've already replied expressing my "unhappiness" with the resolution (or its lack in fact). – Michal M Jul 22 '11 at 21:59
  • Oh dear - I had hoped it would be more flexible. I would certainly take a week and let things sink in. I would also probably ask for a name and a postal address to send a letter so it's clear you understand the limitations. If you really get cut off from updates on the apps bought when you switch geo, that would make me think long and hard before switching. I could see keeping two accounts on my mac if I needed to buy some new apps in the new country - but would try to maintain a link to the old account forever. Thanks for sharing - i had no idea how this DRM and store might restrict moving. – bmike Jul 22 '11 at 22:15
  • You can theoretically use one Apple ID and switch countries (inc. billing details) back and forth as it's doable. But probably easier to get a separate one to be honest. I do have one after a suggestion from iTunes Support a while back (I moved a year ago, but held off until now). But I was hoping a simple country switch won't do any harm. And it turned out it did. I am still fighting with them and won't easily let go as I think such a limitation is very hurtful. – Michal M Jul 22 '11 at 22:31
  • You may have had an impact - but it's now possible to change things. Please see my substantial edit above! I hope it's not too late to help you. – bmike Jun 11 '12 at 04:05
  • Well, I remember that this option was available for quite a while now and that's how I switched my accounts. The problem is not with switching per se, but with transferring purchases. Once you switch your AppleID's country, you can no longer update the apps bought when your ID was assigned to the previous country which of course is undesired. – Michal M Jun 14 '12 at 14:40
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    Wow - that seems harsh. No wonder people maintain two accounts with two billing addresses - to keep updates alive. – bmike Jun 14 '12 at 14:59
  • Yup. That's the only option. I've tried battling Apple on this, but they have strict regulations and purchases are assigned to both Apple ID and the Store of the country billing address is in. There were rumours of possibility of merging two accounts, but even if this happens, I think it would only be within a single country anyway. Oh, well - have to live with two accounts and switch them from time to time to get updates. – Michal M Jun 14 '12 at 21:58
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    I work and live across, the US, UK and Australia and have three apple accounts, one for my wife and I, one for work in the US, one for work in Australia. Similarly we have three AMAZON accounts. It is a pain but it works, if your move is work related try to get them to pay for it. – Deesbek Oct 15 '13 at 21:25
  • @MichalM anybody knows if this situation improved by 2015? ohh I'm so disappointed... – JPCF Aug 27 '15 at 23:06
  • Did this situation improved by '15? – JPCF Aug 27 '15 at 23:14
  • @JPCF I don't know. Why not ask Apple yourself and then answer us with an update or edit this? – bmike Aug 27 '15 at 23:27
  • @bmike TL:DR https://support.apple.com/en-sa/HT201272 – JPCF Aug 27 '15 at 23:29
  • Just had a chat with Apple support in the past days and the situation didn't change a bit: "Content purchases follows the country and account that made the purchases. So if you change the country on your account then the purchases will not follow. So you will not be able to use them." That's what I've been said when I asked "Will I have to re-buy everything?" – iMacTia Nov 27 '15 at 16:48