VPNInfobaseOn the sources we could read, China regulates VPNs rather than leaving them open. A 1996 State Council regulation requires international connections to use channels provided by the state telecom network, and a January 2017 notice from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) says that, without MIIT approval, no enterprise may set up or rent lines or other channels, including a VPN, to run cross-border business. We do not recommend a VPN for use in China, and we cannot tell you whether a given use is lawful. This page summarises public documents and is not legal advice.
What the two documents say
| Date | Document | What it says | Limits of this reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jan 1996 (in force 1 Feb 1996) | State Council Decree 195, international connection of computer information networks, Article 6 | Computer information networks connecting directly to international networks “must use international entry and exit channels provided by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications’ public telecommunications networks” (Stanford DigiChina translation). Article 14 provides for warnings, orders to stop the connection and fines | The text is from 1996 and was later amended; we did not read the current version, so check it. We did not read the fine amounts at source and do not state them |
| Jan 2017 | MIIT notice on cleaning up and regulating the internet access service market | Without MIIT approval, “no enterprise shall set up or rent dedicated lines or other channels (including a VPN) to operate cross-border business” (as quoted by law.asia, 2021) | We could not open the notice on miit.gov.cn. The quotation is a law firm’s translation. The notice is addressed to enterprises and telecom operators; we did not find in it a rule for individual travellers |
The law.asia article reads these rules as meaning that only services from authorised telecom operators are lawful, and that other providers operate illegally. That is a law firm’s reading; we have not confirmed it against the primary text.
What this page does not cover
- Individuals and tourists. We found no source we could open that states how the rules are applied to a visitor using a VPN, so the page makes no statement about enforcement, fines or risk to individuals. Previous text saying foreigners are “rarely prosecuted” had no source and was removed.
- Which VPNs work. Earlier versions of this page named VPNs as working in China without a source. We have not tested any provider, and a provider’s own statements about availability in a country should be read on its site. We do not give set-up steps for reaching services blocked in China.
- Apple and other platform rules. Not read.
Before you travel
- Read your own government’s travel advice for China and consider asking a lawyer qualified in Chinese law.
- If you are choosing a provider on other grounds, ownership, audits and prices are compared in the VPN audit tracker, who owns your VPN and VPN jurisdiction explained. The ExpressVPN review covers one provider’s owner, audit history and price.
- For how another country’s rules are drafted, see the UK Online Safety Act and VPNs and the US state VPN laws tracker.
Method
Researched from a translation of the 1996 State Council regulation (Stanford DigiChina) and a law-firm article quoting the January 2017 MIIT notice, read on 2 October 2026. Primary Chinese government pages were not reachable. Laws and notices change; reviewed every 90 days. This is a summary of public documents, not legal advice; a lawyer qualified in the relevant country is the right person for your situation. NordVPN is the one provider we earn commission on (disclosure).