Disclosure: VPNFin is reader-supported. If you buy a VPN through links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our ratings — here’s our full disclosure.
For many people, the search for a VPN for Vietnam began with Telegram. In May 2025 the authorities told telecom providers to block the app, citing the Telecommunications Law and Decree 147 on internet services, and users began losing access on 25 and 26 May, according to Tom’s Guide. TechRadar reported that VPNs got around the block without difficulty.
Beyond Telegram, Vietnam’s internet is more open than its reputation suggests: Google services work normally, and most foreign sites load. This guide covers what is blocked, which VPNs this year’s guides recommend, and the legal picture, which is less clear-cut than in China or Singapore.
VPN for Vietnam: The Short Answer
NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark are the usual picks. TechRadar ranks NordVPN first, while a Vietnam travel guide from August 2026 calls ExpressVPN the most reliable. Our NordVPN review and our ExpressVPN review cover both.
Connect to Singapore or Japan for the lowest latency when a VPN for Vietnam needs to get around a block. Our Singapore guide explains why so much regional traffic runs there.
No law we found penalises individuals for using a VPN, but the state treats reaching blocked services as unwelcome, and officials have warned users against bypassing the Telegram block.
What Vietnam Blocks
Telegram is the headline block. The Telecommunications Department cited Article 9 of the Telecommunications Law and Decree 147, which requires cross-border services to cooperate with removal requests, according to Radio Free Asia. Telegram said it had responded to requests on time.
Access has not been constant. A state news site reported in July 2025 that Telegram had unexpectedly become reachable again, so check the current position when you arrive rather than assume either way. Vietnam has restricted platforms before: Facebook and Instagram faced temporary limits in 2016, according to Surfshark’s shutdown tracker.
Most of the internet is open. The Vietnam tourism guide notes that Google Maps and Google services work without a VPN, and that the local Netflix catalogue is smaller than the US or UK ones. Our Netflix guide explains why services block VPN addresses.
Decree 147 in Brief
Decree 147 took effect on 25 December 2024, replacing the older Decree 72, according to KPMG’s legal summary. It places stringent duties on offshore services with large Vietnamese audiences, including cooperating with takedown requests.
It targets platforms, not VPN users. The Telegram block followed from the app’s alleged failure to comply. For a user, the practical effect is that services refusing to cooperate may disappear, and a VPN is how people keep reaching them. Our guide to VPN legality compares Vietnam’s approach with other countries.
The Picks
| VPN | Why for Vietnam | Note |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | TechRadar’s top pick; obfuscated servers | Six published audits |
| ExpressVPN | Called the most reliable by a 2026 travel guide | Automatic obfuscation |
| Surfshark | Cheaper, no device limit | Shares a parent with NordVPN |
| Private Internet Access | Virtual Vietnam locations for expats abroad | No physical servers in Vietnam |
Free VPNs are unreliable here, the tourism guide warns, and are often blocked. Our free VPN guide explains which free tiers are worth trusting at all.
Two of these pairs share owners. NordVPN and Surfshark belong to Nord Security. ExpressVPN and PIA both belong to Kape Technologies, as our ownership guide sets out. Our Surfshark review and our PIA review cover the other two picks.
A Vietnamese IP From Abroad
Vietnamese living overseas sometimes need a VPN for Vietnam in reverse, to get a local address for home banking or streaming. TechRadar notes that PIA offers virtual Vietnam locations, which give a Vietnamese IP from a server elsewhere, much like the Philippine locations described in our Philippines guide.
Keep banking apps off the VPN if they object. Banks may flag logins from unfamiliar addresses, and our split tunnelling guide shows how to exclude them.
Is a VPN Legal in Vietnam?
We found no provision that penalises individuals simply for using a VPN. The state’s approach is to press platforms and block those that do not comply, as with Telegram.
That is not the same as endorsement. A state news report on Telegram’s return quoted experts advising users against forcing access, and warned of malware in unofficial download links. Use a reputable provider from its official app store, and see our travel guide for setting up before you arrive.
How We Research
The Telegram timeline comes from Tom’s Guide, TechRadar and Radio Free Asia, the later reopening from a state news report, and Decree 147’s dates from KPMG’s legal summary. The picks draw on TechRadar and an August 2026 Vietnam tourism guide. Each source is named where used and read on 26 September 2026. We did not test from Vietnam, and nothing here is legal advice. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
VPN for Vietnam FAQ
NordVPN is TechRadar’s top pick, and an August 2026 Vietnam travel guide calls ExpressVPN the most reliable. Surfshark is the cheaper option with no device limit.
The authorities ordered it blocked in May 2025, and users lost access from 25 May. A state news report in July 2025 said it had become reachable again, so check the current position.
We found no law that penalises individuals simply for using one. The state targets platforms instead, though officials have warned users against bypassing blocks.
No. Google services, including Maps, work normally in Vietnam without a VPN.
Singapore or Japan, for the lowest latency. Both are close and outside Vietnam’s blocks.
The Verdict
A VPN for Vietnam is mostly about Telegram, privacy and streaming, and NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark all do the job with nearby servers.
Install it from an official store, keep banking apps separate, and check the current state of any block when you arrive.