International release of Kindle 2!

Kindle International Coverage Map
Kindle International Coverage Map

Well, my speculations actually came true and even sooner and on a much larger scale than I have expected: Kindle 2 World version is available for pre-orders and will start shipping on Monday, October 19. Generally, International version of Kindle 2 is identical to the one that was released in February, except that it uses AT&T 3G network for book downloads and Internet connectivity in the US and roaming partner networks in more than 100 countries outside of the USA. I’ve glued together a full coverage map and a a table that lists different features and restrictions that apply to different countries.

Kindle is currently not available in the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chad, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Democratic People’s Republic Of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

Yes, unfortunately Kindle is not available in Canada yet but Amazon promises to fix this as soon as possible. They wouldn’t want to miss such lucrative market after all.

Residents of other 169 countries can buy the international version of Kindle here.

For each country features like whispernet and browser availability vary. In general the picture currently looks like this:

Country Wireless Duty included in checkout price Typical book price Browser and blogs Books under $5.99 Total books
Aland Islands No No $11.99 No 25,000 160,000
Albania Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
American Samoa No No $11.99 No 45,000 180,000
Andorra No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Angola No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Anguilla Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Antigua and Barbuda Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Armenia No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Aruba Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Australia Yes! Yes! $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Austria Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Bahamas Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Barbados Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Belarus No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Belgium Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Belize No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Benin No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Bermuda Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Bhutan No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Bolivia Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Bosnia and Herzegovina No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Botswana No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Brazil Yes! Yes! $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Bulgaria Yes! No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 35,000 170,000
Burundi No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Cambodia No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Cape Verde No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Cayman Islands Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Central African Republic No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Colombia Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Comoros No No $11.99 No 35,000 0
Congo No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Cook Islands No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Costa Rica No No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Cote d’Ivoire No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Croatia Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Cyprus No No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Czech Republic Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Democratic Republic of the Congo No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Denmark Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Dominica Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Dominican Republic Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Ecuador Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
El Salvador Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Equatorial Guinea No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Estonia No No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 25,000 170,000
Ethiopia No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Falkland Islands No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Faroe Islands No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Federated States of Micronesia No No $11.99 No 45,000 170,000
Fiji No No $11.99 No 35,000 160,000
Finland No Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
France Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
French Guiana No No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
French Polynesia No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Gabon Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Georgia No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Germany Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Ghana No No $11.99 No 35,000 160,000
Gibraltar No No $11.99 No 25,000 170,000
Greece Yes! No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Greenland No No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Grenada Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Guadeloupe No No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Guam Yes! No $11.99 No 130,000 290,000
Guatemala Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Guernsey No No $11.99 No 35,000 160,000
Guinea-Bissau No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Guyana Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Haiti Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Holy See No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Honduras Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Hong Kong Yes! Yes! $11.99 Yes! 100,000 280,000
Hungary Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 65,000 280,000
Iceland Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
India Yes! Yes! $11.99 No 100,000 270,000
Ireland Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Italy Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Jamaica Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Japan Yes! Yes! $11.99 Yes! 100,000 280,000
Jersey No No $11.99 No 35,000 160,000
Kenya Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Kiribati No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Lao People’s Democratic Republic No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Latvia No No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 25,000 170,000
Lesotho No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Liberia No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Liechtenstein Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Lithuania No No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 25,000 170,000
Luxembourg Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Macao Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Macedonia Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Madagascar No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Malawi No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Malta No No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 25,000 170,000
Marshall Islands No No $11.99 No 45,000 170,000
Martinique No No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Mauritius No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Mayotte No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Mexico Yes! Yes! $11.99 Yes! 100,000 290,000
Moldova No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Monaco No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Mongolia No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Montenegro Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Montserrat Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Mozambique No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Myanmar No No $11.99 No 35,000 160,000
Namibia No No $11.99 No 35,000 160,000
Nauru No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Nepal No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Netherlands Antilles No No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Netherlands Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
New Caledonia No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Nicaragua Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Niue No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Norfolk Island No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Northern Mariana Islands No No $11.99 No 45,000 180,000
Norway Yes! Yes! $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Palau No No $11.99 No 45,000 170,000
Panama Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Papua New Guinea No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Paraguay Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Peru Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Philippines Yes! Yes! $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Poland Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Portugal Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Puerto Rico Yes! No $11.99 No 45,000 180,000
Reunion No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Romania Yes! No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 25,000 170,000
Russia Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Rwanda No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Saint Kitts and Nevis Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Saint Lucia Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Samoa No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
San Marino No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Sao Tome and Principe No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Serbia Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Seychelles No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Slovakia Yes! No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 25,000 170,000
Slovenia Yes! No $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 25,000 170,000
Solomon Islands No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
South Africa Yes! Yes! $11.99 No 35,000 160,000
Spain Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Sri Lanka No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Suriname Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Swaziland No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Sweden Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Switzerland Yes! Yes! $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Taiwan Yes! Yes! $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Tanzania Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Timor-Leste No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Togo No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Tonga No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Trinidad and Tobago Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 290,000
Turks and Caicos Islands Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Tuvalu No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Uganda No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Ukraine Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
United Kingdom Yes! Yes! $11.99..$13.99 (incl. VAT) No 70,000 280,000
Uruguay Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Vanuatu No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Venezuela Yes! No $11.99 No 35,000 180,000
Viet Nam No No $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Virgin Islands, British Yes! No $11.99 No 100,000 280,000
Virgin Islands, U.S. Yes! No $11.99 No 45,000 180,000
Wallis and Futuna No No $11.99 No 35,000 170,000
Zambia No No $11.99 No 35,000 160,000
Zimbabwe No No $11.99 No 35,000 160,000

Amazon Kindle 2So wireless is available in 100 countries, however browser and blog subscription only work in these 3:  Hong Kong, Japan and Mexico.

EU countries have slightly higher typical book price because it includes VAT.

If you read this page on Amazon.com there is little fine-print about international use of Kindle:

Kindle (U.S. & International Wireless) customers from the United States can travel internationally and still get books in less than 60 seconds. Customers have the option to wirelessly download books, periodicals and personal documents via Whispernet for a fee or transfer files from their computer for free.

  • International Book Service: Download books from your Kindle’s Archived Items or the Kindle store via Whispernet for $1.99 per book.
  • International Subscription Service: Receive all of your newspaper, magazine, and blog subscription content via Whispernet for a weekly fee of $4.99.
  • International Current Issue Service: Download individual issues of newspapers and magazines from your Kindle’s Archived Items or the Kindle store via Whispernet for $1.99 per issue.
  • International Personal Document Service: Transfer personal documents to your Kindle via Whispernet for $.99 per megabyte (rounded up to the next whole megabyte). For more information about transferring personal files to your Kindle, see the Transferring, Downloading, and Sending Files to Kindle Help page.

It took a lot of effort to put this table together so if you feel it’s a helpful and intereseting piece of information – spread the word and link to this post.

In the future I’ll post updates to the table above on a regular basis.

If you end up buying Kindle 2 from outside of US, please drop me a comment to share your experience.

103 thoughts on “International release of Kindle 2!”

  1. Hi Caleb, I believe the beauty of the internet in terms of free marketing is that you can create a spark, just like lighting a match.

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