How to get a UK postal code to stream ITV from abroad
Watching channels like ITV on-demand is pretty simple for viewers in the United Kingdom — you register with your home postcode and away you go. But what happens if you’re trying to access these platforms from abroad?
ITV’s streaming service ITVX (the successor to ITV Hub) and other UK streaming providers use geo-restrictions that prevent users from accessing the platforms from outside the country. On top of the IP-address check, some UK services also ask you to enter a valid UK postal code during registration, so they can check that your account looks authentically British and that you’re not signing up from the other side of the world. Fortunately, this requirement isn’t foolproof, so I’ll show you an easy workaround to have you up and running with the latest UK TV in no time.
How to get a UK postal code FAST
In a rush? Here’s how to get a postcode you can use with services like ITVX (no, I’m not giving away my personal postcode). These steps work regardless of where you’re located:
- Head over to Google and search for a well-known landmark in the UK — for example, search for "The Tower of London."
- The landmark's address and postcode (for the Tower of London, "EC3N 4AB") will be listed on the right-hand side of the search results.
- Open Le VPN on your device and connect to a UK VPN server — any UK location works for ITV.
- Open the registration screen on ITVX and enter a few details.
- When you reach the UK postal code requirement, enter the postcode you found in step 2.
- Enjoy watching UK TV from anywhere!
Note: Only postcodes in England, Scotland, and Wales will work with UK streaming services — postcodes from the Republic of Ireland will not. Any genuine, publicly listed UK postcode of a business, attraction, or public building will do the job; the search trick above gives you an endless supply.
The key ingredient is the VPN connection. The postcode satisfies the registration form, but it’s your UK IP address — provided by the VPN server — that convinces the service you’re actually in the country. You can double-check that your IP shows as British on Le VPN’s test-your-IP page before you register.
Having problems accessing ITVX with Le VPN?
If you’ve successfully set up your account and you’re seeing an error message when trying to stream a UK TV channel, don’t worry. There are several tried and tested fixes:
- Swap servers: Streaming providers like ITVX detect VPN usage when many users access services from the same IP address (which is common with VPNs). Once detected, the service may blacklist that server's IP range. To get around this, try a different UK server — Le VPN offers several UK locations, and the Coventry server in particular is a reliable choice when ITV or Channel 4 are acting up.
- Clear your browser cache: If you previously visited a UK streaming platform from abroad without Le VPN, the provider may have stored a tracking cookie, and your browser may have cached the geo-blocked page. Wiping your browser cache ensures previous geo-blocks aren't still being applied when you connect with Le VPN.
- Check for updates: Le VPN regularly updates its apps to iron out bugs and vulnerabilities. If you're running an old version, update and see whether your issue persists.
If you still have problems, reach out to our friendly support team, and someone will be in contact asap.
More UK channels while you're at it
Once you’re set up with a UK server and a valid postcode, the rest of British telly opens up too:
- BBC iPlayer and ITVX — work with any Le VPN UK server;
- Channel 5 (My5) — use the Celesterra server;
- Channel 4 — use Celesterra or London, and note it works in a desktop web browser only (not on mobile devices); some live programmes also need your device's date/time set to UK time;
- Anything glitching? The Coventry server is the go-to fallback for ITV and Channel 4.
With servers in 100+ locations worldwide, up to 5 simultaneous connections per account, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase, Le VPN makes keeping up with UK TV from abroad about as painless as it gets.
