Which VPN works in China?

We cannot say yet which VPN connects in China, because we have not tested any from inside China. The only thing we can show is website access: amnezia.org loaded in 135 of 138 OONI tests from China (1 September to 5 October 2026), while expressvpn.com loaded in 2 of 83, surfshark.com in 1 of 102 and windscribe.com in 3 of 30. A VPN website loading does not prove the VPN app connects.

Is VPN legal in China?

Legally grey. Tom's Guide says you technically need an official licence to use a VPN, that using one to reach banned websites without a licence is illegal and punishable with a fine, and that no foreign visitor has received a fine to date. We are not lawyers. This is not legal advice.

Can I download a VPN once I am in China?

It is risky to count on it. Most VPN websites did not load from China in the OONI data (ExpressVPN 2 of 83 tests, Surfshark 1 of 102, Windscribe 3 of 30). NordVPN, ProtonVPN and Mullvad gave mixed results. We did not check app stores in China. Install and test your VPN before you leave.

Does Amnezia work in China?

We do not know yet. Amnezia says its AmneziaWG protocol adds protection against detection and blocking, and that it works in countries with strong censorship. Its site does not mention China. We have not confirmed the app connects from inside China. If you test it there, please tell us at hello@nomadchina.net.

How much does Amnezia cost?

On 6 October 2026 Amnezia Premium listed 6 months for $5 a month ($30 total), 1 year for $4.1 a month ($50 total) and 2 years for $3.3 a month ($80 total). One subscription covers 7 devices and there is a 14-day money-back guarantee, according to its premium page.

VPN for China (October 2026): What We Can and Cannot Show

Short answer (6 October 2026): we pick Amnezia only because its website is reachable from China, not because we have proven its app connects there. In OONI tests by volunteers in China, amnezia.org loaded in 135 of 138 tests (1 September to 5 October 2026). Other VPN websites mostly did not load. We have not tested any VPN from inside China ourselves, and we have not yet confirmed that the Amnezia app connects in China. VPN use in China is legally grey.

The table

All numbers below are OONI measurements from probes in China, 1 September to 5 October 2026. They measure whether a website loads, not whether a VPN tunnel connects. Click a number for the raw OONI data. Last checked 6 October 2026.

OONI measurements from probes in China, 1 Sep to 5 Oct 2026. Last checked 6 Oct 2026.
Service	Result	Loaded / total tests
NordVPN nordvpn.com	Mixed results	31 / 101
ExpressVPN www.expressvpn.com	Blocked	2 / 83
ProtonVPN protonvpn.com	Mixed results	36 / 95
Surfshark surfshark.com	Blocked	1 / 102
Mullvad mullvad.net	Mixed results	31 / 93
Windscribe windscribe.com	Blocked	3 / 30
Amnezia amnezia.org	Loads	135 / 138

Why Amnezia, and what we can and cannot say

What we can show:

Its website loaded in 135 of 138 OONI tests from China. That is the best result of any VPN website we looked up. 1 test was an anomaly and 2 were failures.
Its premium page says AmneziaWG, its protocol, changes how your traffic looks each time you connect, which “makes AmneziaWG more resilient in networks with traffic filtering”. Its home page says the protocol adds “additional protection against detection and blocking” and that the service works in countries with strong censorship. This is Amnezia’s own claim, not our test.
The app source code is public on GitHub, according to its home page.

What we cannot show:

That the app connects from inside China. The OONI test only requests the website. A site can load while the VPN protocol is blocked, and the other way round.
That it stays reachable. China changes its blocking without warning.
That Amnezia’s pages mention China. They do not.

What counts against it: we have no first-hand test, and the only support is website access plus the vendor’s own description. If you need a VPN that is proven in China, wait for our test results or read reports from people on the ground.

Price (checked 6 October 2026)

Our current pick, with limits

Amnezia Premium

$3.3/mo2-year plan, $80 total · 7 devices · 14-day money-back · checked 6 Oct 2026

Not yet confirmed to connect from inside China. You can use the 14-day money-back guarantee to test it before you travel. Set it up at home and check it connects to a server before you fly.

See Amnezia plans →

Site not loading on your network? Use this mirror link. These are affiliate links: we earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.

Plan	Per month	Total	Source date
6 months	$5	$30	6 Oct 2026
1 year	$4.1	$50 (listed regular price $60)	6 Oct 2026
2 years	$3.3	$80 (listed regular price $120)	6 Oct 2026

One subscription covers 7 devices. 14-day money-back guarantee. All from amnezia.org/premium.

Is a VPN legal in China?

Legally grey. Tom’s Guide says you technically need an official licence to use a VPN, that using one to get around China’s internet restrictions and reach banned sites without a licence is illegal and punishable with a fine, and that to date no foreign visitors have received one. We read this as: the rule exists and is rarely applied to visitors, but we are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. Check your own situation, especially if you live or work in China. We did not find an official Chinese source in English to quote.

Before you go

Install and test the VPN at home, on mobile data and Wi-Fi.
Install on every device you will bring. We did not check whether app stores work in China.
Keep your eSIM plan in mind: some roaming eSIMs send data out of China already, so you may not need a VPN for some apps. See our eSIM for China guide.
Check which sites are blocked in our what is blocked in China data.

How we checked

Website access: OONI aggregation API, probes in China (probe_cc=CN), test web_connectivity, 1 September to 5 October 2026, opened on 6 October 2026. Hostnames as shown in the table; for ExpressVPN we used www.expressvpn.com because the bare domain had no data. For the full method and our rule for “Loads / Blocked / Mixed results” see the what is blocked in China page.
Prices: read from the Amnezia premium page on 6 October 2026.
Not done: no VPN has been installed or run from inside China by us. We will update this page when someone does, with date, city and network.

Have you used Amnezia or another VPN in China recently? Email hello@nomadchina.net with the date, city, network and what happened.