Can I Change Nationality on PayPal?

A question commonly asked in online forums is whether it is possible for PayPal users to change their nationalities. Since this is a frequently asked question, I decided to write an article on the topic – “Can I change my nationality on PayPal?” Continue reading to find out. 

Paypal is country-specific and the rules that apply in one country may not apply in another. As a result, you’ll have to open a new PayPal account if you move from one country to another. 

More information will be given about PayPal’s policy on changing nationality or country of residence later in this article. You should know that you have to open a PayPal account in the country you are residing in. If you are a French living In the US, then you’ll have to open a US PayPal account that will have your nationality listed as French. Keep reading to learn all you need to know about changing nationality on PayPal. 

Can I change my PayPal address to another country?

So let’s assume you move from the US to England. It’d be very convenient if you can just change your country of residence from the US to England, right? But it doesn’t work that way. Why? Because PayPal is country-specific as I said above and there are different regulations guiding the use of PayPal in both countries. 

The effect of this is that you’ll have to open a PayPal account in the country you are currently residing in (England in the above example) and then add an address/phone number / and bank accounts from within that country.

Note that you’ll have to withdraw your funds, resolve issues as well as remove cards and bank accounts before you leave your old country. Should you fail to do this before you leave, you may have problems doing so after you leave your old country. You’ll have to contact PayPal support for help.   

However, PayPal allows U.S expats to add their bank accounts to other countries’ PayPal accounts. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to guess the reason for this. PayPal is a U.S company so they allow their citizens to do this.

How do I change my account details in PayPal?

If you’ve been using PayPal for a while, then you’ll know that there are some changes that are easy to make on the platform. An example of such changes is adding a credit or debit card or updating your phone number. The first change is easy to implement by simply logging in to your account and then updating your details under wallet.  

Note that it’s possible to change your billing address on PayPal. To do this, you’ll log into your PayPal account and then navigate to Wallet at the top of the page. After this, you’ll be able to choose the card you’re updating, edit it to add your new details and then save it. 

There are also changes that cannot be implemented on PayPal and one of such changes is changing your “nationality” or “country of residence.” PayPal expects you to open an account in the country you are currently living in. 

So let’s assume I live in the US, then I can only create a US PayPal account.  But if I move from the US to Canada, then I’ll have to deactivate/close my US PayPal account and open a new Canadian PayPal account. 

It doesn’t matter whether I’m a permanent resident in Canada or not. As long as I’m in Canada, I can only use a Canadian PayPal account. Your nationality or country where you currently hold permanent residence should not affect your overall ability to use the PayPal system. Hopefully, this clarifies your concerns. 

Remember I said that you have to close your existing PayPal account before changing your nationality or country of residence. To do this, login to your PayPal account and go to ‘Profile’. After that, click on ‘My Money’ and then ‘Update’ depending on the info you want to remove. You’ll be able to choose the information you want to remove on the next page. Then click on ‘Remove’ to complete the process. 

Here’s how to close your old PayPal account:

To close your old PayPal account, log into your PayPal account and select ‘Profile’ which can be found near the top of the page. Then, select ‘My Settings’. Under the ‘Account Type’ section, click on ‘Close account’ and then follow the instructions that follow. Note that any transactions that are in progress will be canceled as soon as you close your account. 

Here’s how to create a new PayPal account:

You can always create a new PayPal account in your new country by visiting the PayPal website and then clicking ‘Sign Up’ at the top of the page. You will then be prompted to select your country or region and your language. You’ll also choose the type of account you want to create, and then click ‘Get Started.’ After putting in all the necessary information, click ‘Agree and Create Account.’ You’ll be able to use your new account as soon as PayPal confirms your email address. It is recommended that you add a credit card that is issued by a bank in the same country as that on your PayPal account. 

PayPal is very popular and is accepted in the majority of countries across the globe. However, there are a number of countries where PayPal is blocked or better put where PayPal doesn’t make its services available. Such countries include Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Syria, etc.