The Complete Guide to Choosing the Best VPN for Vietnam

A guide to the best VPNs for Vietnam, covering NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost, with comparisons of features, pricing, and why expats in Vietnam need one.

VPN usage has increased substantially in recent years and has become common among expats who are working remotely or simply want their browsing sessions to be private and secure. 

If you’re thinking about using a VPN while living in Vietnam, it’s important that you know about the best VPN services available to you.

With VPN, you can also unblock a website to gain access to content that’s been restricted in your region. 

Some people in Vietnam might be afraid that they might run into a problem with the Vietnamese Government from using a VPN. Actually, as long as you use it to increase your cyber security without posing any threat to the government, you should be fine. 

This guide offers a detailed and informative look at the top VPN providers in Vietnam as well as the advantages that come with using a VPN.

 

What Is a VPN?

Because of the immense popularity of VPNs, you’ve likely heard of this service at some point in the past decade. VPNs are virtual private networks that allow users to connect their device to the internet via a server in some other location.

Your connection is safe, private, encrypted, and secure, which means that you can log in to your online banking without needing to worry about someone trying to hack your connection. 

Whether you are accessing a Wi-Fi network in a coffee shop or are logging into a private home network, you can use a VPN to provide yourself with more privacy while browsing the internet. 

Online activities will be less-easily tracked back to you. Note that if you log in to services with your email address or other personal information, those sites can still track you.

Benefits of a VPN in Vietnam

Most expats in Vietnam use a VPN for everyday reasons. It keeps your home-country apps and streaming working, and it protects your logins on shared Wi-Fi.

Key Benefits for Expats in Vietnam

• Safer café and coworking Wi-Fi. A lot of expat life in Vietnam runs on shared networks in cafés, coworking spaces and serviced apartments. A VPN encrypts the traffic between your device and the VPN server, so other people on the same network can’t read your logins.
• Banking and accounts back home. Some banks, tax portals and shopping sites flag logins from a Vietnamese IP address. You might get extra security checks or a locked account. Connect to a server in your home country and the login looks like it’s coming from home.
• Your usual streaming library. Netflix, Prime Video and other services show a different catalog in each country. A server in the US or UK gives you the library you’d see there. Some services block VPN traffic, so test yours during the free trial or refund window.
• A backup when sites get blocked. Vietnam’s cybersecurity rules let the authorities block websites and order content taken down. Facebook and X have both been blocked for stretches in the past decade. A VPN keeps your work tools and family chats reachable when that happens.
• More privacy online. Websites and apps see the VPN server’s IP address instead of yours. That makes it harder to tie your browsing to you and your location.

What Vietnam’s Cybersecurity Law Means for VPN Users

Vietnam’s internet got noticeably more restricted in 2019, when the Law on Cybersecurity took effect. It gave the government more control over online content, including blocking websites for religious and political reasons.

That 2018 law has been replaced. In December 2025, Vietnam passed a new Law on Cybersecurity (No. 116/2025/QH15), which took effect on July 1, 2026.

The new law keeps the same broad approach but tightens a few things. Online service providers have to store certain Vietnamese user data inside the country and identify users by IP address. They also need to remove flagged content within 24 hours of a request from the Ministry of Public Security, or within 6 hours in urgent cases.

What this means for you: using a VPN for personal privacy and streaming stays low risk in practice. The new rules target platforms and service providers, not individual users. Just know the legal backdrop is now the 2025 law, not the older one.

Personal Privacy

Personal data protection is a constitutional right in Vietnam, but data collection still happens. With a VPN on, the sites you visit see the VPN server’s IP address, not yours. That protection works on public Wi-Fi too.

Look for a VPN with obfuscation and a kill switch. Obfuscation makes VPN traffic look like ordinary web traffic. A kill switch cuts your connection if the VPN drops, so nothing leaks out unprotected.

Easy Access to Streaming Services

A VPN lets you reach popular streaming services like Amazon Prime and Hulu without running into geo-blocking.

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Netflix and similar services offer different content in each country. The US catalog is quite different from the one you get in Vietnam. Pick a server in the country whose library you want, and you’ll see that version.

Streaming services do block some VPNs, so choose one that’s confirmed to work with the services you use. Use the free trial or money-back window to test it yourself.

Enhanced Security

Once the VPN is connected, everything you send is encrypted on its way to the VPN server. The server decrypts it, passes it to the website, then encrypts the reply before sending it back to you.

Some providers offer double VPN, which sends your connection through two servers with encryption at each step. It’s slower, but it adds an extra layer if you handle sensitive work.

Without encryption, details like your date of birth, phone number, online accounts and browsing habits can leak. Those are exactly what scammers use for identity theft and account takeovers.

What Vietnam’s Account Verification Rule Means for Your VPN

A VPN changes your IP address. Vietnam’s social media rule checks your account instead, so the two don’t cancel each other out.

Decree 147/2024 has applied since 25 December 2024. Social media platforms have to verify user accounts with a Vietnamese mobile number. If you don’t have one, a foreign platform can verify you with a personal identification number instead. Only verified accounts can post, comment or livestream. (Verified October 2026.)

• What a VPN still does for you: it encrypts your connection on cafe Wi-Fi and lets you open sites that are blocked in Vietnam.
• What it doesn’t change: the phone number or ID tied to your account. If a platform asks you to verify, the VPN won’t change what it asks for.
• What to do: follow the platform’s own verification prompt, and keep a working Vietnamese SIM if you plan to post regularly.

Good to know: the new Law on Cybersecurity (No. 116/2025/QH15) has been in force since 1 July 2026. The National Assembly passed it on 10 December 2025, so the rules above now sit alongside it.

How to Use a VPN

Regardless of the types of devices you would like to use a VPN on, the initial phase of this process involves making a decision on the exact VPN you would like to install. 

The installation process is relatively simple as long as you download and use the app that’s provided alongside the VPN. Even though it’s possible to manually install a VPN, this process is sometimes complicated and can reduce the number of features you have access to compared to using the provider’s app.

The most popular VPNs include an installation guide that you can use while progressing through the installation process. Once the installation process has been completed, you’ll be able to enter the VPN without using the dedicated VPN app. 

In the event that you opt for a paid VPN that requires a monthly subscription, your license could be available for a few devices or an unlimited number of devices depending on the exact subscription you purchase.

After the application has been installed on your computing device, you’ll be tasked with entering login information that you likely made when you first purchased the VPN. Keep in mind that a few VPN services are outfitted with double verification process. 

For example, ExpressVPN will send you an activation code immediately after you create your login credentials. This activation code will need to be entered on the ExpressVPN website for your account to be verified.

Once you download the ExpressVPN app and are working on the installation process, you will need to enter the same activation code if you want to continue.

When you enter the VPN, you will automatically be connected to the server that’s nearest to your location. The number of nearby VPN servers depends on the VPN that you purchase. For instance, Surfshark offers a single server in Vietnam that expats can take advantage of.

If you’re entering the VPN for the first time, you may be asked to set personal preferences.

If you want the VPN to start automatically when you turn on your computing device, you can set the VPN to do so in the personal preferences section. In the event that split tunneling and double VPN functionalities are available, you’ll also have the ability to turn these features on when you start using the VPN.

Differences Between Free and Paid VPNs

When you’re searching for the ideal VPN solution, you’ll find that VPNs can be either free or paid. Many expats in Vietnam who have never used a VPN before make the mistake of believing that a free VPN is comparable to a paid one. 

Free VPNs are often slower, come with ads, and have less security features. 

While it’s possible for a free VPN to offer many of the same services that are available with a paid VPN, the VPN provider must still find a way to make money.

Some free VPN providers will choose to subsidize the services they provide by integrating ads into the VPN. The more harmful and insidious method that free VPN providers may use to make money is to track all of your online activity before selling the data to the highest bidder.

They could even provide hackers or the government with your connection. As such, the security features available through the VPN would essentially be meaningless.

In comparison, paid VPN subscriptions are usually more secure and will provide you with a rich feature-set that should include everything you expect from a VPN. 

Some of the security features that are typically available in a paid VPN include kill switch, double VPN, and leak protection. Most VPN providers offer high speeds and unlimited data.

How to Choose a VPN

If you’re finding it difficult to choose a VPN, it’s highly recommended that you compare your preferred VPN providers before making your final decision. This comparison should take features, level of security, and price into account. You should first ask yourself why you want to use a VPN. 

Do you want to access a film on Netflix that’s unavailable in Vietnam? Maybe you’re concerned that hackers could gain access to your data. Whatever the reason, it’s important that you identify why you want to use a VPN.

If your primary concern as an expat is security, you would likely want to select a VPN that offers the best and most comprehensive security features. During your search, it’s highly recommended that you determine if your device is compatible with your VPN of choice. 

If you plan on using the VPN on your Android tablet, Apple iPhone, and Microsoft Windows computer, the VPN should accommodate all of these devices. Some additional features that should be available with your VPN of choice include:

• A lengthy money-back guarantee
• 24/7 customer service
• An intuitive interface
• Torrenting capabilities

Best VPN for Vietnam

When you’re living as an expat in Vietnam, there are a myriad of VPNs at your disposal. However, some of these solutions are better than the rest and will provide you with a comprehensive feature-set at a reasonable price. Expats on Reddit and Vietnam forums consistently rate NordVPN and ExpressVPN as their top picks for reliably bypassing restrictions and unblocking services like Netflix US.

The best VPN solutions for Vietnam include NordVPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN.

NordVPN

NordVPN is among the most popular and reliable VPNs that you can subscribe to in Vietnam. Expats in Vietnam have 15 nearby servers they can connect to.

Along with not keeping any logs, NordVPN offers advanced security features like kill switch and double VPN, which should make you confident that your connection is secure. When you use NordVPN, it’s possible to connect up to 10 devices at the same time.

Pros

• No-log policy
• Fantastic interface
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Connections are consistently stable

Cons

• Software updates are slow and time-consuming
• Pricing can be relatively high with short-term subscriptions
• No phone support

Surfshark

Surfshark is a reputable VPN solution that offers more than 4,500 servers across 100 countries. If you’re living as an expat in Vietnam, you’ll find that all of the popular streaming services like BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime can be unblocked with this VPN.

As long as you sign up for a two-year subscription, the price for the Surfshark VPN is among the lowest you can find. Along with extremely high speeds, users also have access to 24/7 customer support and the ability to install the VPN on an unlimited number of devices.

Pros

• Servers offer high speeds
• Outfitted with multi-hop functionality
• Can be installed on unlimited number of devices

Cons

• Privacy policy isn’t detailed
• Browser extensions are limited
• Requires a lengthy subscription to obtain low pricing

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is another highly popular VPN that offers users nearly all of the features they could want from a VPN. Server speeds are always consistently fast no matter what server you’re using. Every ExpressVPN server is known to be RAM-only, which means that your data can’t be stored on the server you access.

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The recent inclusion of the Lightway VPN protocol means that the speed of your connection could be as high as 500mbps. Even if you want to use this VPN on a video game console, ExpressVPN provides users with smart DNS support, a dedicated router app, and a Linux client. ExpressVPN has VPN servers in 113 countries.

Pros

• High speeds regardless of server location
• A zero logs policy
• Can easily unblock streaming websites
• Ample security for servers and apps

Cons

• More expensive than the alternatives
• Connection may be dropped on occasion
• Streaming services aren’t properly labeled in the app

CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a feature-intensive VPN that provides users with access to more than 9,500 servers in 100+ countries. Some of the top features available through the CyberGhost VPN include full torrenting support, a fantastic user interface, leak protection, and split-tunneling.

If needed, you can connect to seven devices at the same time. If you download the CyberGhost app, you can use the VPN for seven days without subscribing, which should help you determine if this VPN is right for you.

Pros

• Offers 9,500+ servers across the world
• Can easily select IPs from different regions
• Includes multi-platform support
• Doesn’t log internet activity

Cons

• Some servers are slow, which can create connection speed issues
• Servers can get full
• Connection can be dropped on occasion

VPN Comparison

VPN	NordVPN	CyberGhost	Surfshark	ExpressVPN
Encryption and Connections	AES-256 bit encryption, double VPN	AES-256 bit encryption, split-tunneling	AES-256 bit encryption, double VPN, split-tunneling	AES-256 bit encryption, split-tunneling
Protocols	IKEv2/IPSec, OpenVPN, WireGuard	L2Tp/IPsec, OpenVPN, PPTP	IKEv2, OpenVPN TCP, OpenVPN UDP, Shadowsocks	L2Tp/IPsec, OpenVPN, PPTP, SSTP
Security	IPv4 and IPv6 leak protection, DNS, kill switch	IPv4 and IPv6 leak protection, DNS, kill switch	IPv6 leak protection, DNS, kill switch	IPv4 and IPv6 leak protection, DNS, kill switch
User logging	No	No	No	No
Torrenting support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Speed	Extremely fast	Moderately fast	Extremely fast	Extremely Fast
Unblocking streaming services	Amazon Prime, Netflix, Roku, Hulu, BBC iPlayer	Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Showtime	Amazon Prime, Netflix, BBC iPlayer	Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Roku
Customer service	Available 24/7 with online chat	Available 24/7 with online chat	Available 24/7 with online chat	Available 24/7 with online chat
Lowest price	$2.99 per month on a two-year contract	$2.19 per month for the first 26 months	$1.99 per month with a two-year contract	$2.99 per month with a 28-month contract
Money-back guarantee	30 days	45 days	30 days	30 days

VPN Plans Compared: Devices, Servers and Prices

Here are the figures straight from each provider’s own site in October 2026. The prices are promo prices for a long first term, and the renewal costs more.

VPN	Devices at once	Servers and countries	Money-back window	Cheapest advertised plan
ExpressVPN (Basic)	10	113 countries	30 days	US$2.99 a month for 28 months (US$83.72 up front), then US$99.95 a year
Surfshark	Unlimited	4,500+ servers in 100 countries	30 days	Shown in your local currency; check the pricing page
CyberGhost	7	9,500+ servers in 100+ countries	45 days on long plans, 14 days on monthly	US$2.19 a month for 26 months (US$56.94 up front), then US$56.94 a year

NordVPN’s own support page says one account can connect up to 10 devices at once. Its deals change often, so read its pricing page before you buy.

• ExpressVPN renewal: the US$99.95 a year renewal works out to about US$8.33 a month. That’s nearly three times the promo rate.
• CyberGhost renewal: US$56.94 a year is about US$4.75 a month, roughly double the first-term rate of US$2.19.

Tip: the low price only covers your first term. Put the renewal date in your calendar on the day you pay, so the bigger bill doesn’t surprise you.

How to Test a VPN in Vietnam Before the Refund Window Closes

You can try any of these VPNs risk-free for 30 days or more. Use that time to test them on the things you actually do online.

1. Install the app on every device you plan to use, including your phone and TV. Check the device limit in the table above first.
2. Connect, then open the sites that matter to you: your home bank, your streaming app and your work tools.
3. Switch on the kill switch, then turn Wi-Fi off and on. Pages shouldn’t load until the VPN reconnects.
4. Run a speed test in the evening, when most people in your building are online.
5. Ask for a refund before the window closes if anything fails.

Say you buy ExpressVPN on 1 November. The 30-day window ends on 1 December, so set a reminder for 26 November. CyberGhost’s long plans give you 45 days, but its monthly plan gives you only 14.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a VPN get me around Vietnam’s social media verification?

No. The rule checks the phone number or ID tied to your account, and a VPN only changes your IP address. A VPN will still open blocked sites, but posting depends on a verified account.

How many devices can I protect with one VPN subscription?

It depends on the provider. Surfshark has no limit, NordVPN allows 10 and ExpressVPN’s Basic plan allows 10. CyberGhost allows 7. If you share the account with family, count every phone, laptop and TV before you pick.

Which VPN has the longest money-back guarantee?

CyberGhost, with 45 days on its long plans. Its monthly plan only gets 14 days. ExpressVPN and Surfshark both give 30 days.

Is the two-year VPN deal worth it?

It’s cheaper per month, as long as you’ll still use the VPN in two years. ExpressVPN Basic costs US$83.72 for 28 months, about US$2.99 a month. After that it renews at US$99.95 a year. If you’re only in Vietnam for a few months, a shorter plan avoids paying for time you won’t use.

Is Vietnam’s new cybersecurity law in force yet?

Yes. The National Assembly passed Law No. 116/2025/QH15 on 10 December 2025, and it took effect on 1 July 2026. As covered earlier in this guide, its new duties land mainly on platforms and service providers rather than on individual users. (Verified October 2026.)

Now, on to You

With this information in hand, you should be able to select a VPN that offers all of the features you want in a virtual private network. As mentioned previously, there’s no law in Vietnam against using a VPN. No matter which VPN you’re interested in, make sure that you choose a provider that offers ample security and privacy.

With features like split-tunneling, kill switch, and double VPN, modern VPNs provided expanded feature-sets that you should be satisfied with. Above all, your decision on which VPN to use should be based entirely on what you personally prefer and what suits your life as an expat.