For various reasons, Google restricts access to Google Play depending on what region you're browsing from. This means that the apps, games, and other content in the Play Store vary by country, and you can't even see an app listing if it's not available for purchase in your area. Now, it looks like Google is loosening up a bit, as users in the European Union are able to see Google Play content from other countries in the EEA (European Economic Area) region.

Google might be making it possible, but it sure isn't making it easy. To view another country's Play Store content, users will have to open up the Play Store website on their phone's internet browser, not the Play Store app itself. Once on the mobile site, you have to log out of any Google accounts, then scroll to the bottom of the page and use the country selector to pick a location.

The company notes that, while this tweak allows users to view more listings, it still won't let people download or buy content that isn't available in their home countries. And the country selector on the web Play Store is only usable if users are visiting a country that's part of the EU or EEA (that includes the UK for now). People from other areas do still have a less official workaround. Simply adding a different country code to the end of the Play Store URL will enable viewing from outside the region (visiting "http://play.google.com/store?gl=FR" to view content from France, for example).

Source: XDA Developers