Starlink has drastically expanded the availability of high speed, low latency internet around the globe. Their constellation of satellites has created a vast grid of coverage, providing service virtually anywhere in the world. But what about countries that still aren’t officially supported? I get this question a lot – can you use Starlink in a country that doesn’t officially offer service?
The answer is yes, probably, but it depends on the specific country where you plan to use Starlink. In this article, we will explore how to use Starlink service in a country that doesn’t offer it yet. I’ll explain coverage vs availability, why some countries don’t officially support Starlink, and how other countries block it completely. Finally, I’ll recommend the Starlink service plan that works best in unsupported places.
Table of Contents
Starlink coverage vs official availability
The first thing we need to discuss is the difference between coverage and service availability. You see, Starlink satellite coverage is global at this point. You can be anywhere in the world and connect to Starlink satellites, as long as you have a clear view of the sky. Although coverage is not a concern, service availability is.
Service availability refers to whether or not Starlink officially offers their products and services to a specific location, which is usually broken down by country. For example, Starlink doesn’t offer products or service for many countries in Africa. You can’t buy service or a dish from an address in Morocco, but you could bring a dish you bought in Europe to use in Morocco with the right service plan.
Why aren’t all countries officially supported?
Official Starlink support for products and services in a country depends on many factors. Regulatory approval is one of the main ones. Starlink has to work with the government of each country to receive regulatory approval to operate there.
Another factor is customs and hardware approval. In order to ship products into a country, Starlink has to work with the local authorities to obtain approval on the products they are shipping in to customers in the area. That’s why some Starlink accessories and dish models are only available in some markets. The Flat High Performance dish, for example, isn’t approved for sale in every country.
As you can see, getting Starlink officially supported in a country is a complicated task that takes time. Starlink is working to expand their services globally, but that means working with hundreds of different governments to get approval. In some cases, Starlink is working through the approval process. For other countries, official support may never come, for one reason or another.
Some countries block Starlink
Starlink will probably never operate in some countries, like China and Russia. Those countries actively block Starlink services. In many cases, Starlink shuts off coverage to avoid legal or political battles. Even though coverage is global, if Starlink decides they don’t want users to have access in a particular area, they can disable connections for dishes inside that area.
Using Starlink Roam to get service in unsupported places
At this point, we’ve learned that Starlink satellite coverage is virtually global, but official service availability is broken down by country. And in some places, Starlink or the local government can turn off service completely, regardless of satellite coverage.
If you want to get Starlink internet service in a country that doesn’t officially offer service, you need the Starlink Roam service plan. Two version of Roam are offered, Global Roam or Regional Roam:
- Global Roam allows you to use your Starlink dish anywhere on land with active coverage, even outside of your home continent
- Regional Roam allows you to use Starlink anywhere on land with active coverage, within your home continent
Going back to our Africa example, if you bought a Starlink kit and subscribed to the Global Roam plan from the United States, you could get service in a country like Libya, even though it isn’t officially supported. Because Global Roam allows you to travel with Starlink outside of the home continent of North America, you can get service almost anywhere on earth.
Regional Roam is cheaper than Global Roam. So if you want to travel and use Starlink in a country that isn’t officially supported, it’s best if your home country can be within the same continent. For example, Starlink isn’t offered in Serbia. But since it’s in Europe, all you need to do is buy Starlink from some officially supported country in Europe, and subscribe to Regional Roam. Then, you’ll be able to get service in Serbia by simply traveling there with your dish.
Most of the time, you will need Global Roam to use Starlink in an unsupported country, even if you bought the dish from another country within the same continent. So if you try Regional Roam and can’t get online, switch to Global Roam and try again.
List of unsupported countries where Starlink is confirmed to work
I know what you’re thinking, how do I know if Starlink service is blocked in a specific unsupported country? Well, we don’t really have any way of knowing for sure. If you are interested in operating Starlink in a country that isn’t officially supported, you will have to rely on reports from other users, or simply try it out for yourself.
Fortunately, online Starlink communities, like the Starlink subreddit on Reddit, have done just that. They’ve compiled a list of unsupported countries where Starlink is confirmed to work. Please understand that this information could change at any time, and that this list isn’t complete. If you would like to add to the list, comment below, or send me an email.
- Argentina
- Ascension Island
- Belize
- Chad
- Costa Rica (officially supported as of November 2023)
- Ghana
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras (service in Honduras added in December 2023)
- Iran
- Kazakhstan
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Malawi (officially supported as of January 2024)
- Morocco
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Oman
- Pitcairn Island
- Serbia
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Suriname and French Guiana
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Zimbabwe
Final thoughts
Although not every country in the world officially offers Starlink, that does not mean you can’t get service in an unsupported country. Starlink Roam utilizes the global coverage provided by the Starlink satellite constellation to offer internet virtually anywhere. With a few exceptions, you will be able to use Starlink Roam in an unsupported area.
Have a country to add or remove from the list above? Let me know in the comments below!
Hi.can you please assist. i bought a starlink kit but now its at customs in namibia,they say i need a cran certificate due to the fact the hs number the importer use require licensing for starlink and we dont have it.is there maybe other hs numbers that be be used without the need for the approval
Sorry, I have no idea about customers or importing Starlink units.
Hello Noah, my question is about the subscription to others from another country were the starlink is not available there what is the best way for that?
Global Roam is probably the best way to get service where it’s not officially available.
Hi Noah. Respectfully, I think this is incorrect. In unlicensed countries, Starlink can (and does) restrict their service regardless of what roaming plan you subscribe to. For their global roaming customers, they allow you to connect for no more than 2 months at a time and then they will restrict your service, based on tracking your location and usage. They do this by being able to track the physical location of the dish via the satellite it connects to. Its unclear yet if after you are restricted and return back to a “licensed” country that the service will automatically be reestablished or whether you have to get Starlink to do this for you. The Starlink service desk is unresponsive to this question. Either way its an important issue which your readers would like to have clarification on. Eg: If I am a US global roaming customer setting off on an Africa three month exepdition, I would like to know if I can use my Starlink service in unlicensed counytries and what the risk to my subscription would be.
Thank’s for the information. I’m only publishing what other people have reported, so I’ll happily publish your comment so people can decide on their own. It’s very clear, based on user reports from various unsupported countries, that the Regional and Global Roam plans do function in unauthorized areas. It’s highly variable, down to each country and whether or not they have requested that Starlink cease services there. Zimbabwe is a good example. It’s not officially supported, but there are 5,000+ users of Starlink’s Roam service in that country. This is also an evolving situation, I highly suggest checking out my most recent blog post discussing Roam and Starlink’s warning to users in unauthorized areas: https://www.starlinkhardware.com/starlink-to-users-in-africa-service-will-be-terminated-in-unauthorized-locations/
Hi, I want to purchase a device in USA to use it in my country (Venezuela). I’ve heard I can use with Regional Roam, but what about the 2 month limit on being in another country?
So far I haven’t heard of Starlink doing any kind of enforcement in regards to the 2 month billing issue for Roam users. I don’t think it’s a concern.
Hello Noah
I want to know if it is possible to use starlink in DR Congo and starlink sends this message to many users: UNEXPECTED LOCATION
starlink is currently not available in this country
you have a solution, what can i do to use starlink in this country??
You need to be on the Roam plan, probably Global Roam. In some places, access is completely blocked.
Hi Noah, Starlink availability in Bosnia & Hercegovina are not on your list?
I’m not sure, the list is built from various social media communities who report on where it works and doesn’t work. If you try it and it works, let us know!
Hi Noah..
I want to buy a starlink device(ROAM)-MOBILE – REGIONAL type from KENYA,can I activate and use it in SOUTH SUDAN?
You can activate it where Starlink offers service. Roam allows you to use it within the same continent, or globally with Global Roam.
Mr. Noah thank you for your reply!
If I have been using a “Mobile – Regional” plan for more than two months outside of the country in which I ordered Starlink,I am asked to change my account country or return to the country in which my service was ordered. Otherwise, my service will be restricted.But I can not return to the country in which my service was ordered.I live in the same continent the country is not on “Starlink Availability Map”.How can I solve the “two months period” problem?
It’s a new enforcement measure by Starlink. Please see this relevant post for more info: https://www.starlinkhardware.com/starlink-to-users-in-africa-service-will-be-terminated-in-unauthorized-locations/
We need Starlink in Central African Republic
Greetings,
We need Starlink services in Central African Republic, most country where starlink operate have fiber optique through subseas cables, but we don’t have that in the whole country yet, only mobile data, vsat and not even 4g, it will be great for us to have starlink in our country, it will greatly help us to communicate and work faster,
looking forward to get starlink in a few months even few weeks in Central African Republic,
Thank you
Hi Noah
Starlink units are sold in Zambia, where they are registered and then set up in Namibia. After 3 month the subscription is passed to the buyer. What are the chances that service is discontinued? Even if it is installed for permanent use in an unsupported country for longer than 2 month?
Or can I go for it and enjoy the benefits of fast internet?
You shouldn’t have an issue using Global Roam for more than 2 months.
Starlink is now available in Malawi – I could buy it there in Jan 2024.
Thank you! I’ve updated the list with this new information.
Hi Noah,
Thanks for your article. If I purchase the hardware in a supported country so that I can use it in a country that doesn’t offer it yet, do I have to activate it in the country I purchased it from and then buy the global plan, or can I just activate it once I arrive in the country that I am wanting to use it in?
Thanks so much.
With Global Roam you can activate it for an address in a supported country at any time. I.e you don’t need to physically be in the country to activate it in that country. But I do recommend powering it on and making sure everything works, before heading out.
We live in a rural area not currently supported by Starlink. We have set up several solar and wi-fi safety cameras at various sites in our area. Firstly, does is works with solar, secondly do each site separately subscribe for regional roam.
Starlink requires AC power, so if you have an inverter, Starlink will work. Each dish needs a separate subscription. If it’s just one property with many buildings, you can probably just share one connection by building a wired or wireless network around the property.
Hello Noah,
I intend to purchase a new standard kit not assigned to an account in Europe.
Can I activate Regional roam from Africa?
Thank you
You can only activate a dish from a country that supports Starlink officially. You need a bank account in that country. After you activate it, you can use Global Roam in unsupported countries. Your results with Regional Roam will vary when using Starlink in unsupported places. I recommend Global.
Hi Noah..
I’m from Sudan planning to get starlink kit from Libya and I don’t know from which country it’s bought Nigeria or USA
Can I subscribe to regional roaming without knowing the source of the hardware ?
Will the source of kit matter?
The source of the kit shouldn’t matter, as long as it is not already assigned to another account.
I bought the device from Britain But I want to activate the account on Nigeria on the continent The problem is that it tells me that the country cannot be changed
You will have to cancel and transfer the hardware to a new account on the same continent as where you want to use it. Or just subscribe to Global Roam.