Requirements for distributing apps in specific countries/regions

To distribute your apps in certain countries or regions, you may need to complete additional requirements to comply with regulatory authorities.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of legal requirements to publish your apps on Google Play. These requirements are provided for your reference and should not be solely used to determine whether your app is compliant with the law or Google Play policies.

Requirements for distributing apps in Brazil (merchants only)

Merchants that sell in Brazil will need to provide certain information about their business and company officers in order to receive payouts from sales in Brazil.

Important: These merchant verification requirements pertain to all merchants globally, including those based and registered in Brazil, and all sales (app sales, in-app purchases, etc.) on Google Play in Brazil.

Requirements

Merchants who sell on Google Play in Brazil are required to provide the following business information and documentation:

• Name
• Address
• Beneficial owners: All individuals who own or control over 25% of business shares or voting rights. If your entity is a subsidiary of another entity, the ultimate beneficial owners are the individuals of the parent company.
• Executives: All individuals who exercise executive management control or influence over the company or the Google Play-related operations of the company.
• Authorized representatives: Individuals responsible, and who have legal authority, to act on the entity’s behalf.
• Address validation: Documents showing proof of business address.
• Other information: You may also be required to provide additional information, such as date of birth, or photograph identification.
• Brazillian businesses must also submit:
  • CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas): An individual taxpayer registry identification
  • CNPJ (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica): A tax identification number issued to Brazilian companies

How to provide information

If you are subject to these regulatory requirements, we will reach out to you via email with the subject line "Important Information Regarding Your Google Account" requesting the information that you need to provide. There will also be a banner in Play Console, as well as on payments.google.com, prompting you to provide the required information.

Further information

If you need more information, go to the Brazil FAQs below.

Requirements for distributing apps in the EU

If you're distributing apps in the European Union (EU), please do not use unjustified geo-blocking to discriminate against users based on their nationality, place of residence, or establishment (see Geo-blocking Regulation (EU) 2018/302). For example, an app should be accessible EU-wide subject to other applicable laws and unless the main feature of the service is the provision of access to and use of copyright protected works or other protected subject matter.For more information, visit the European Commission's website.

Review country/region availability for your apps

Here’s how you can review the countries and regions where your app is available and make changes:

1. Open Play Console, select your app, and go to the Production page.
2. In the "Release dashboard" section, make sure that the most recent version of your app is selected.
3. Select the Countries / regions tab.
4. Review your list of available countries. If you need to make changes to the countries and regions where your app is available, click Remove countries / regions or Add countries / regions.

Requirements for distributing apps in Japan

To comply with Japanese law, developers distributing apps on Google Play may need to provide additional information through Play Console.

Requirements

If you or your business distributes paid apps or offers in-app purchases to consumers in Japan, you need to display certain information to consumers as required by the Tokuteishotorihiki-ho (Specified Commercial Transactions Act). This includes the name and telephone number of the business operator and the physical address of the business operator.

Developer accounts created before August 31, 2023

If you created your Play Console developer account before August 31, 2023, you can add the required information via the following pages in Play Console:

• Account details: Name and telephone number of the business operator.
• Developer page: Physical address of the business operator.

Note: Alternatively, you can add the address of a website containing the required information to your store listing.

Add required account information in Play Console

Here’s where you can add your required account information on Play Console:

1. Open Play Console and go to the Account details page.
2. Enter the required contact information.
3. Click Save.
4. Go to the Developer page .
5. Type the required information.
6. Click Save.

Note: For more information, visit the Consumer Affairs Agency site.

Developer accounts created after August 31, 2023

If you created your Play Console developer account after August 31, 2023, we'll take this information from the Google payments profile that was selected when this developer account was created. You can manage this information by updating that Google Payments profile if necessary.

In addition, you are required to comply with all applicable laws in Japan (for example, the Payment Services Act) when distributing apps in Japan. If you have not submitted or registered information required by the Payment Services Act, refer to the alerts noted on the Financial Services Agency’s website (Japanese / English). If you are a game developer, you are required to notify the Japanese authority (Local Finance Bureau) in accordance with the Payment Service Act. Please also see the Financial Services Agency's website. Make sure to take appropriate measures for minors' usage of apps because their cancellation rights are broadly secured in Japan by the Civil Code of Japan.

Requirements for distributing apps in Korea

Requirements for all developers

Korean Game Rating and Administrative Committee (GRAC): Games

The Korean GRAC is a games review and licensing authority in Korea. By Korean law, games that aren’t suitable for minors under 19 years of age can only be published if a rating certificate is issued by the GRAC.

For high maturity games, you’re expected to comply with rating and other disclosure requirements under the Game Industry Promotion Act of Korea. If your games are not deemed as mature (19+) content by the GRAC, there’s no additional action required on your part to complete this specific requirement.

Here are the content categories that GRAC reviews to determine if games are suitable for minors under 19:

• Sexuality
• Violence
• Crime and drugs
• Improper language
• Gambling

Gambling & casino-style games

Any game with simulated gambling functionality is considered unsuitable for minors younger than 19.

If you have gambling or casino-style elements in your game, you need to request a GRAC rating certificate before your game can be distributed in Korea.

If you don’t get a rating certificate from GRAC prior to distributing your game in Korea, your game may be ineligible for distribution in Korea or removed from Google Play.

For more information, visit the GRAC site.

Requirements for games that offer mechanism to receive randomized virtual items from a purchase

Under Google Play’s Payments policy, apps and games offering mechanisms to receive randomized virtual items from a purchase including, but not limited to, “loot boxes” must clearly disclose the odds of receiving those items in advance of, and in close and timely proximity to, that purchase. In addition, under the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of the Game Industry of the Republic of Korea, games that offer "probabilistic items" must comply with the content and method of display, including information on the probability of offers for each type of probabilistic item. For more information, please refer to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of the Game Industry and the "Guideline on the Disclosure of Probability Information" available on the website of the Korea Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC).

Korean Ministry of Gender Equality & Family (MOGEF): Age verification

MOGEF is a government agency that monitors and implements content regulations and policies in Korea related to gender equity, family and youth. Under the Juvenile Protection Act of Korea, the provider of any app or content that MOGEF designates as "harmful to juveniles" needs to verify the age and real name of users before providing access to mature content.

If you have content that is considered "harmful to juveniles" in your app(s), you’re expected to comply with rating and other disclosure requirements stipulated under the Juvenile Protection Act of Korea.

On Google Play, we’ve adopted an age verification system in Korea that requires users to verify their age and real name before they can access apps or content designated as "harmful to juveniles."

If your app is compliant with Google Play developer policies, but designated by MOGEF as "harmful to juveniles," Korean users may still be able to access your app if they can verify that their age is 19 or older. If your app or content is designated with a maturity level that is illegal under Korean law, it will be ineligible for distribution in Korea or removed from Google Play.

For more information, visit the MOGEF site.

Korean Communications Commission (KCC): Location requests

KCC is a government agency that monitors and implements broadcasting and telecommunications-related regulations and policies in Korea. Under the Location Information Protection and Usage Act of Korea, developers that collect location information from Korean users for location based services need to obtain a license from KCC.

If you receive or use location information to provide location based services, you need to report details of the service to KCC. This includes the relevant terms and conditions of the location services, details about the collection and usage of location information, and any fees related to related business and services.

Based on Korean law, it’s your responsibility as a developer to get consent from Korean users when collecting location information or providing location based services.

For more information, visit the KCC site.

Additional contact information required for Korean developers

To comply with Korean law, Korean developers must provide additional information through Play Console.

At the moment, the way in which developers provide this information differs depending on when their Play Console developer account was created. Click on the section below that matches your developer account to expand or collapse it.

Developer accounts created before August 31, 2023

Requirements

If you’re a developer based in Korea, here’s the additional information you need to add to the Account Details and Developer account pages in Play Console, which is required so users can contact you with questions about your product.

• Businesses: Contact address and phone number
• Individuals: Contact phone number

Note: If you or your business also distributes paid apps or apps with in-app purchases, you also need to include your:

• Business registration number
• E-commerce license number
• Name of agency that issued the e-commerce license

Add requirements to your Account Details page and Developer page

Here’s where you can add your required account information in Play Console:

1. Open Play Console and go to the Account details page.
2. Enter the required contact information.
3. Click Save.
4. Go to the Developer page.
5. Type the required information.
6. Click Save.

Note: Information added to the Developer page will only be shown to users in Korea on your app’s store listing on Google Play.

Developer accounts created after August 31, 2023

Requirements

For Korean developers distributing paid apps, or apps with in-app purchases, please include:

• Business registration number
• E-commerce license number
• The name of the agency which issued the e-commerce license

In addition to information collected for developer accounts created after August 31, 2023, all personal accounts created by Korean developers must also provide and verify their developer phone number, which will be displayed on Google Play and is intended to allow users to contact you with issues concerning apps.

To update the information associated with your developer account:

1. Open Play Console and go to Developer account.
2. On the About you page, enter the following required information:
   • Business registration number
   • E-commerce license number
   • The name of the agency which issued the e-commerce license
3. Click Save.
4. On the Contact you page, provide and verify your developer phone number.
5. Click Save.

Requirements

If you’re a developer based in Korea, here’s the additional information you need to add to the Account Details and Developer account pages in Play Console. This information is required so users can contact you with questions about your product.

• Businesses: Contact address and phone number
• Individuals: Contact phone number

Note: If you or your business also distributes paid apps or apps with in-app purchases, you also need to include your:

• Business registration number
• E-commerce license number
• Name of agency that issued the e-commerce license

Add requirements to your Account Details page and Developer page

Here’s where you can add your required account information in Play Console.

1. Open Play Console and go to the Account details page.
2. Enter the required contact information.
3. Click Save.
4. Go to the Developer page.
5. Type the required information.
6. Click Save.

Note: Information added to the Developer page will only be shown to users in Korea on your app’s store listing on Google Play.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about requirements for distributing apps in Brazil

What will happen if I don’t comply with the merchant verification requirements?

If you fail to comply with the merchant verification requirements, your payments could be withheld and your account can be suspended.

Who will be able to see the information I share with Google?

These documents will be used in accordance with Google’s Privacy Policy.

Why is Google requesting this kind of information when other application platforms have not asked for similar information?

Google Payments Brazil is required to gather this information and documentation to comply with Brazilian legal requirements.

I have multiple accounts. Which account’s merchant ID should I provide?

You should provide the merchant ID of the account that is receiving payouts and disbursements from the Google Play Store, which you can find in your payments.google.com account.

Where can I find my account’s merchant ID?

You can find your merchant ID by following these steps.

I know that I should be required to provide this information, but I haven’t received an email and cannot see a banner in Play Console. What should I do?

Please contact support below.

Contact support

If you have other questions, contact our support team.

Contact support