VPNs are illegal in Belarus, Iraq, North Korea and Turkmenistan. The use of VPN services is heavily restricted in China, Iran, Oman, Russia, Turkey, and the UAE.
The countries in the table below are labeled according to the severity of their VPN laws and restrictions. ‘Extensive’ is the strictest level of restriction, followed by ‘moderate’ and ‘minor.’
| Country | VPN Law | Social Media Blocks | Censorship | Surveillance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belarus | Illegal | Moderate | Extensive | Extensive |
| China | Restricted | Extensive | Extensive | Extensive |
| Iran | Restricted | Extensive | Extensive | Extensive |
| Iraq | Illegal | Moderate | Moderate | Minor |
| North Korea | Illegal | Extensive | Extensive | Extensive |
| Oman | Restricted | Minor | Extensive | Moderate |
| Russia | Restricted | Moderate | Extensive | Moderate |
| Turkey | Restricted | Moderate | Extensive | Extensive |
| Turkmenistan | Illegal | Extensive | Extensive | Extensive |
| UAE | Restricted | Moderate | Extensive | Moderate |
A table summarizing VPN laws in the 10 most restricted countries.
Here is a more detailed list of VPN laws in the 10 countries where VPNs are either illegal or restricted:
1. Belarus
VPNs are illegal in Belarus.
Belarus bans VPNs as it sees them as a method to undermine the law. In February 2015, the country’s Communications Ministry ruled against the use of anonymizers like VPNs.
Tor, which enables anonymous communications and access to the Dark Web, has also been blocked in Belarus since 2016.
It’s still unclear whether the government can actually contain the expanding VPN market. For the moment, there is an unspecified fine for anyone caught using a VPN in Belarus.
2. China
Only government-approved VPNs are legal in China.
VPNs are technically legal in China. However, all VPN services have to gain approval from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) before they are allowed to operate in the country.
This often involves agreeing to conditions such as data logging, which makes the VPN pointless from a privacy perspective.
While there are suggestions that China might soon open up the VPN industry to foreign investment, using a VPN ‘without authorization’ can currently result in fines of up to 15,000 yuan (roughly $2,200).
Despite this, many people still wish to use a VPN in China. If this applies to you, read our article on the best VPNs for China, since most VPN apps will not work.
China, 2010. Google closes its site in the country following disputes over censorship with the government. Credit: Wenn Rights/Alamy
3. Iran
Only government-approved VPNs are legal in Iran.
Iran has been blocking unsanctioned VPNs since 2013, while state-sanctioned VPNs are monitored heavily.
The penalty for using a VPN that isn’t sanctioned by the Iranian government is up to one year in prison.
4. Iraq
VPNs are illegal in Iraq.
VPNs have been banned in Iraq since 2014. The government claims this ban is to keep terrorist organizations from influencing the public via social media.
Iraqi government officials still use VPNs, despite there officially being ‘no exceptions’ to the rule.
5. North Korea
VPNs are illegal in North Korea.
North Koreans aren’t allowed to access foreign media, so it’s not surprising that VPNs are illegal.
The penalty for VPN use is unknown as North Korea is so secretive.
The country’s internet is also heavily censored, and foreign diplomats are prohibited from using it.
6. Oman
Only VPNs permitted by the Sultanate are legal in Oman.
Since 2010, Oman has banned all VPNs except those permitted by the Sultanate. These exceptions only apply to corporate VPN services, which have to apply for authorization.
All approved corporate VPN providers must keep web usage logs.
Personal VPN use is illegal in Oman to prevent citizens from bypassing internet restrictions. Attempting to circumvent these laws is punishable with a fine of $1,300.
7. Russia
Only government-approved VPNs are legal in Russia.
Russia has banned unapproved VPNs to prevent access to ‘unlawful content’. Russian ISPs enforce the ban by blocking websites that offer VPN services, however some are still accessible.
In September 2021, Roskomnadzor banned ExpressVPN, NordVPN, IPVanish VPN, Hola VPN, KeepSolid VPN Unlimited and Speedify VPN.
In 2023, multiple other VPN services were blocked and the Russian censorship agency temporarily disrupted several popular VPN protocols, including OpenVPN and Wireguard.
In recent months, VPN apps have come under attack by several leading politicians and multiple new laws have been introduced that may limit access to VPNs even further.
The punishment for using an unapproved VPN in Russia is 300,000 RUB ($5,100) for the user and 700,000 RUB ($12,000) for the service provider.
If you’re traveling to Russia and need to use a VPN, we recommend you see our recommendations for the best VPNs for Russia.
Moscow, Russia. March 10th, 2019. A protester marches against increasing internet censorship. Credit: Elena Rostunova
8. Turkey
VPNs are legal in Turkey, but their use is restricted.
The Turkish government have been restricting VPN use since 2016, justifying the crackdown as necessary to protect national security and to ‘fight terrorism’.
In 2016, 10 VPN providers and Tor were blocked in the country. While in 2023, another 16 apps were banned by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK).
As watchdogs in Turkey have noted, it is often people critical of the government who end up being penalized and censored by authorities.
If you need a VPN before visiting, see which VPNs still work in Turkey.
Istanbul, Turkey. May 15th, 2011. Citizens protest against the government’s decision to introduce content filtering. Credit: Evren Kalinbacak
9. Turkmenistan
VPNs are illegal in Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan banned VPNs in 2015 to censor foreign media. All proxies and VPN services are detected and blocked by Turkmenistan’s state-run ISP, Turkmenet.
Turkmenistan’s internet is deliberately overpriced to discourage people from using it. A monthly subscription costs $213.00 for 8Kbps — more than the country’s average monthly salary.
Using a VPN in Turkmenistan can bring an unspecified fine and an intimidating summons from the Ministry of National Security to have a “preventative conversation”.
10. United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Only government-approved VPNs are legal in the UAE.
The United Arab Emirates only permits the use of government-approved VPNs. This was enforced in 2012, during the Arab Spring.
Banning unapproved VPNs was done to discourage the use of VoIP services like Skype, WhatsApp, and Facebook.
The blocking of VoIP services in the UAE was for both economic and political reasons. It aims to encourage local residents to pay the (expensive) subscription fee for local telecom services, Etislat and Du.
Corporate entities, however, are able to use VPNs unrestricted.
If a VPN is used to commit a crime in the UAE, the user could face prison or a fine of between AED 150,000 (roughly $41,000) and AED 500,000 (roughly $136,000).
If you’re in need of a VPN before traveling to the UAE, see our list of recommended VPNs for the UAE.
