Is using a VPN in China legal for me as a visitor?
The honest answer is that it is unsettled rather than simple. Chinese regulation
requires VPN services sold inside China to be licensed, and enforcement actions have
been taken against people operating or reselling unlicensed services domestically.
Foreign visitors and foreign companies use VPNs in China constantly, hotels and
international offices route traffic this way as a matter of course, and enforcement
against an individual traveller reading their own email is not something we have
seen. We are not going to tell you it is definitively legal, because that is not ours
to certify. Those are the facts. Decide with them.
Does a VPN make me anonymous?
No. It moves where your traffic exits and encrypts the path to that exit. Your
accounts still identify you, your device still identifies itself, and the services you
log into still know exactly who you are. Anyone selling you anonymity is selling you
something they cannot deliver.
Can I just install it when I arrive?
Usually not, and this is the single most common trip-up. VPN websites and app store
listings are widely blocked from inside China. If your flight lands and your phone has
nothing installed, you are relying on roaming or on someone abroad. Install and test
before departure.
What about eSIM or international roaming instead?
It is a genuine alternative worth knowing about. Roaming on a foreign SIM often
routes your data back through your home carrier, which means it exits outside China
and is not filtered. It works, it needs no software, and it is the reason some
travellers report that the internet was fine. It is also expensive at working volumes,
varies by carrier and by which Chinese network you attach to, and can stop working
mid-trip when the roaming agreement changes. Fine for a four day trip. Not something
to build a working month on.
Is it fast enough for video calls?
Video calls to foreign servers are the hardest test of any China connection, because
they are latency sensitive and run for a long time. Expect it to work and expect
occasional bad evenings, particularly during peak hours and around sensitive dates
when filtering is tightened. Choosing a nearby exit such as Hong Kong or Japan helps
more than anything else you can change.
What happens when a server gets blocked?
It happens, especially around politically sensitive dates. The client holds several
entry points and switches when one degrades. If a whole location is down, pick another
location. This is the reason to have an account that gives you more than one option
rather than a single hardcoded server.
Do I need this if I only use WeChat and Alipay?
No. If your entire trip runs on Chinese apps and a Chinese payment method, you do not
need a tunnel. You need one the moment you want Gmail, Google Maps, WhatsApp,
Instagram, your company's Slack or Notion, or any foreign service that your two-factor
authentication depends on.
How many devices can I use?
Three, on one account, across any mix of macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
How do I pay?
Cryptocurrency through our payment page, and PayPal. Note that if you are already in
China, some foreign card and payment flows are themselves blocked, which is another
argument for buying before you fly.
What if it does not work for me?
Refund terms are on the pricing page. Test it before you travel, which is the only
test that means anything, and take the refund if it does not do what you need.
