HOI4Commands.com

HOI4 Country Tags: How to Switch Country

Use the tag console command with a country tag (such as GER, SOV or USA) to switch to playing any nation in Hearts of Iron IV.

Every nation in Hearts of Iron IV has a three-letter country tag — Germany is GER, the Soviet Union is SOV, and the United States is USA. Tags are used throughout the console: the most common is tag, which switches the country you are playing, but the same codes also drive annex, setowner, event and many others.

How to switch country with the tag command

  1. Open the console with the ~ key.
  2. Type tag followed by the three-letter tag of the country you want to play.
  3. Press Enter. You immediately take control of that nation, keeping the same map and date.

Examples

  • tag GER — play as Germany
  • tag SOV — play as the Soviet Union
  • tag USA — play as the United States
  • tag ITA — play as Italy

Common country tags

  • GER Germany · SOV Soviet Union · USA United States · ENG United Kingdom
  • FRA France · ITA Italy · JAP Japan · CHI China

Look up any nation's exact code in the full country tags list — every entry has a one-click builder for the tag command.

Other commands that use tags

The same three-letter codes target a nation in many cheats. Use annex to absorb a country whole, and the event command to fire a specific event for a given tag.

Frequently asked questions

What is a country tag in HOI4?

A country tag is the unique three-letter code the game uses to identify each nation — GER for Germany, SOV for the Soviet Union, USA for the United States, ENG for the United Kingdom. Tags are how console commands target a specific country.

How do you switch country in HOI4?

Open the console, type tag followed by a country's three-letter tag (for example tag GER) and press Enter. You instantly take control of that nation on the same map and date. Run tag again to switch to a different country.

What happens to my old country when I use the tag command?

The AI takes over the nation you were playing the moment you switch away. Your old country keeps fighting its wars and following its focus tree under AI control until you tag back to it.

What is the country tag for Germany?

Germany's country tag is GER. Other common tags are SOV (Soviet Union), USA (United States), ENG (United Kingdom), FRA (France), ITA (Italy) and JAP (Japan).