How to Change Your Starlink Service Address (Moving House, State or Country)

The short answer

To change your Starlink address, update the service address in your Starlink account before you move. Most new customers in Nigeria are on Priority plans, which Starlink’s standard terms let you use anywhere on land in the country of service. A Residential dish works only at its registered address: anywhere else the app shows “Unexpected Location” and service is Restricted, and if Residential is not offered at the new address, you may have to switch plans.

Why your Starlink service address matters

How much the address matters depends on your plan. Residential is not open to new customers in most locations, including Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, so most new customers in Nigeria are on a Priority plan, such as our small business plan. Starlink’s standard terms let Local Priority plans be used anywhere on land in the country of service; using one on the move still needs government approval for in-motion use.

Residential is stricter. Starlink’s standard terms say Residential customers may use the service only at the location on their order. We have not seen Nigeria’s version of those terms, but the app enforces the same rule with its “Unexpected Location” warning. For Residential, the address also matters because Starlink plans capacity area by area. When an area is full, it stops taking new customers there; an engineer quoted in the Nigerian press put it as the area “cannot take a new customer due to its designed capacity at the time”. So for a Residential customer, an address change is not just paperwork: Residential has to be available at the new address.

How to change your Starlink address before you move

1. Check availability at the new address. Look up the new address on starlink.com, or ask us to check. This matters most on Residential, which is not open to new customers in most locations, including Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Our Starlink coverage guide explains how availability works across Nigeria.
2. Update the service address in your account. Sign in on the Starlink website and change the service address before the move. We have not found Nigeria-specific steps published by Starlink, and its menus change, so look for the service address in your account and subscription settings.
3. Accept or decline any plan change. Starlink’s standard terms say that if your plan is unavailable at the new address, you “may be required to transfer to a different Service Plan available at your new Service address”, or you can cancel. Where Residential is closed to new customers, which is most locations, that usually means a Priority plan such as our small business plan, or Roam. The Nigerian press has also reported that activating a kit outside its original zone can trigger a switch to Roam, sometimes with a fee.
4. If the account will not let you change it, raise a ticket from the Support section of the Starlink app or website. Include your kit number, the old and new addresses, and a screenshot of any error.
5. Take the kit down carefully. If the dish is on a roof, pole or high wall, do not climb up alone or without a secure ladder; this is a job our installers do. Keep the dish, cable, router and power supply together, and coil the cable loosely without kinks.
6. Set it up at the new place with a clear view of the sky. Use the app’s obstruction check before you fix anything, and follow the app’s alignment guide. Our Starlink setup and activation guide walks through it.
7. Power on and check the app. If it still shows “Unexpected Location” after the address change has gone through, restart the router and give it time.

On fees: under Starlink’s standard terms, the fee for changing your service address applies only to customers on a 12-month service commitment. We have not seen such commitments confirmed for Nigeria, and we have not found a published Nigerian fee for moving address.

Moving to another state in Nigeria

On a Priority plan, which most new customers are on, the land-use rule above means moving state is mainly a reinstallation job; still update the address on your account. On Residential, the rules are the same whether you move across Lagos or from Kano to Port Harcourt: update the address, and Residential must be available at the new one. It is not open to new customers in most locations, including Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, so check before you move. Our installers work in all 36 states and the FCT, so distance between the old and new homes is not a problem for the reinstallation.

Moving abroad or using a Nigerian Starlink in another country

• Residential stays in Nigeria. It is tied to your registered address, so it will not work abroad.
• Roam is for trips, not moves. Starlink’s standard terms allow Roam for up to 60 consecutive days outside the country of your service address. After more than two months, Starlink may require you to move your registered address to the new country or return home; otherwise service can be limited, restricted or suspended.
• The country must be served. The same terms say Starlink may suspend service at once if you are in a territory its map does not mark as available or waitlist.
• Priority plans. Under the same terms, more than 30 days in another country on Local Priority can mean moving the registered address or upgrading to Global Priority.

These rules come from Starlink’s standard terms; we have not seen Nigeria’s version, so check your own account before a long stay abroad.

“You are unable to change to a service address outside of your country.” We could not find Starlink’s official explanation of this message. It fits the rule above: a long stay abroad means moving the account to the new country, not typing a foreign address into a Nigerian account. If you see it, contact Starlink support from the app, ask how to move your account or start service in the new country, and check that Starlink is available there. Reports differ on whether a kit bought in one country can be activated in another, so ask before you ship it.

How to fix “Unexpected Location”

“Unexpected Location” means the dish is not at its registered Residential address, or a Roam plan has passed its travel limit. The dish then goes into Restricted status, where only Starlink’s own app and website load.

1. If you have moved, update the service address, or change to a plan that covers where you are, then restart the router.
2. If you have not moved, restart and wait. After a restart the app may show “Determining Location” for a while.
3. If the message stays while the dish is at your registered address, raise a ticket in the Starlink app with a screenshot.

For Restricted and Disabled messages in more depth, see our guide to Starlink “Restricted” and “Disabled” messages.

If you move often: Priority or Roam

If you split your time between two homes, run field teams or manage sites, a plan that is not tied to one address suits you better than repeated address changes. A Priority plan, which most new customers already have, already works this way within Nigeria, and its priority data gets precedence on the network. Roam is not tied to one address either, but it has the lowest priority on Starlink’s network, and the Nigerian press has reported that using Roam at a fixed home can lead to restrictions. Our Starlink Roam guide covers the rules.

Changing owner is a different process from changing address. If you are selling your kit or buying a used one, read our guide to buying a used Starlink and transferring the kit.

Moving house? We can move your Starlink

We check Starlink’s availability at your new address before you move, take the dish down, reinstall it at the new place with a clear view of the sky, and confirm it is online before we leave. Book it through our Starlink installation service and ask us for a quote. WhatsApp us or call 0802 859 5303, 24 hours a day.

Starlink change of address FAQs

Can Starlink location be changed?

Yes. Update the service address in your Starlink account. On Residential, make sure the plan is available at the new address, or be ready to switch plans.

Why is Starlink unable to update my address?

Possible reasons include Residential not being open at the new address, since it is closed to new customers in most locations, or the new address being in another country. Send Starlink support a screenshot of the error so they can tell you which.

Can I take my Starlink to another state?

Yes. On a Priority plan, which most new customers have, Starlink’s standard terms allow use anywhere on land in the country; still update your address. A Residential dish will not work at the new house until the address is changed, and Residential must be available there.

Does changing my Starlink address cost money?

We have not found a published Nigerian fee. Your monthly cost can change if you have to move to a different plan at the new address.