Fully legal, no restrictions
VPNs are completely legal, unrestricted consumer and business tools in the large majority of countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and virtually all of the EU. There is no license required and no registration to use one — they’re treated the same as any other software. See our dedicated guides: UK, US, Canada, Australia.
The one universal caveat, everywhere in the world: using a VPN to do something that would already be illegal without one — fraud, unauthorised computer access, distributing illegal material — remains illegal. The VPN itself is not the offence.
Where VPN use is restricted or banned
A small number of countries specifically regulate, restrict or ban VPN use, usually as part of broader internet censorship or content-control policy. This list reflects publicly reported laws and policy as of 2026 — enforcement and specifics can and do change.
China
VPNs are heavily restricted rather than blanket-illegal for individuals: only a small number of government-approved, licensed VPN services may legally operate, and unauthorised VPN use to bypass the “Great Firewall” is against Chinese internet regulations. In practice, most consumer VPN apps and websites are blocked at the network level, and using or providing unlicensed VPN services has led to fines and prosecutions, particularly for anyone selling unauthorised VPN access commercially.
Russia
Since a 2017 law, Russian regulator Roskomnadzor requires ISPs to block VPN services that don’t comply with Russian content-blocking rules, and using a VPN specifically to access websites Russia has officially banned is against the law. Russia has blocked large numbers of VPN apps and services in recent years as part of this enforcement.
United Arab Emirates
VPNs are legal to own and use in the UAE, but the country’s cybercrime law makes it an offence to use a VPN specifically to commit a crime or to access content that is otherwise illegal there — including bypassing the ban on VoIP calling apps like unlicensed internet calling services. The distinction matters: using a VPN itself isn’t the crime, but the law is broad enough that fines have been reported for VPN-enabled activity the UAE considers unlawful.
Belarus
Belarus has blocked or restricted VPN and Tor traffic as part of wider internet-control measures, particularly around politically sensitive periods, with VPN use widely reported as illegal or actively suppressed.
Iraq
Iraq has intermittently restricted VPN use and blocked access to many VPN services, particularly during periods of internet restrictions such as school exam seasons, when the government has blocked VPN traffic specifically to stop students bypassing broader social media blackouts.
Turkmenistan
One of the most restrictive internet environments in the world — VPN use is effectively banned, with authorities known to actively hunt for and block VPN traffic and, by some reports, pressure users into uninstalling VPN apps.
North Korea
The vast majority of North Korean citizens have no access to the global internet at all — only a heavily controlled domestic intranet — so the question of VPN legality is largely moot for most residents; unauthorised access to the outside internet in any form carries severe legal risk.
Also worth knowing
Iran and Oman also heavily restrict VPN use to government-sanctioned services, and a handful of other countries (including Turkey and Egypt) have blocked specific VPN services or apps at various points without a blanket ban. If you’re travelling somewhere outside the countries covered above, check that specific country’s current law before relying on a VPN.
See real providers side by side