Python version is not in the download list: how to add it to PyCharm

Background/Situation

In the Add Python Interpreter dialog, the Base Python list offers download and install entries for recent Python releases. The list contains only releases that have an official installer on python.org: an .exe on Windows or a .pkg on macOS.

When a Python line enters its security-only phase, python.org publishes new patch releases as source code only. For example, Python 3.10.11 is the last 3.10 release with an installer, and every later 3.10 release, up to the final 3.10.22, is source-only. The dialog therefore keeps offering 3.10.11 even after 3.10.22 is released. The same applies to the other lines in the security-only phase.

Question

How to add a Python version that is not offered in the download and install list, for example the newest security release of a Python line?

Answer

Two options exist: let uv download a build, or install the interpreter by other means and point PyCharm at the executable.

Option 1: a uv-managed Python

uv downloads prebuilt Python binaries for every platform, including patch releases that have no python.org installer. Configure a uv environment describes the setup in PyCharm. uv must be installed on the machine first.

1. Click the Python Interpreter selector in the status bar and choose Add New Interpreter, then Add Local Interpreter.
2. Keep Generate new and set Type to uv.
3. Pick the Python line in the Python version list, for example 3.10. The list shows Python lines, not patch releases. PyCharm fills it from uv python list. uv installs the newest build it has for that line when the environment is created. For the 3.10 line that is 3.10.20 with uv 0.11.1.

When the project has a pyproject.toml with requires-python, the list contains only the lines that satisfy it. Verified on PyCharm 2026.2.3.

The uv build can be a patch release or two behind python.org, because uv ships prebuilt binaries that are built after each python.org release.

Option 2: an interpreter installed outside PyCharm

Any interpreter installed by other means works the same way: a build from the python.org source archive, a Conda environment, or a company-provided build.

1. Install the needed version. On Windows, a build from the python.org source archive needs Visual Studio 2017 or later with the Python development workload and the Python native development tools component. Unpack the archive and run PCbuild\build.bat. The result is PCbuild\amd64\python.exe. The steps are described in the Python developer guide, Windows section.
2. Click the Python Interpreter selector in the status bar and choose Add New Interpreter, then Add Local Interpreter.
3. Choose Select existing, set Type to Python, and browse to the python.exe (or python3 binary) of that installation.