Using Proton VPN in China

China’s Great Firewall restricts access to websites and VPNs.

For the best chance of getting connected in China, download and set up Proton VPN before travelling, and enable our free anti-censorship features like stealth protocol and alternative routing(new window).

• Before you travel
• How to connect to Proton VPN from China
• Troubleshooting
• How China’s internet restrictions work

Before you travel

If you’re travelling to China, the single most effective measure you can take is to set up Proton VPN before you arrive.

Here’s how:

1. Create your Proton VPN account
2. Download and set up Proton VPN
3. Sign in to Proton VPN and check your connection works

How to connect to Proton VPN from China

Once you’re in China, these VPN configurations will give you the best chance of connecting:

Enable alternative routing

Check alternative routing(new window) is on in your app settings. If access to our servers is blocked, alternative routing routes your connection through third-party networks that are more likely to connect successfully.

Alternative routing is enabled by default, and it’s automatically enabled on apps which don’t have the option.

Use Stealth protocol

Stealth wraps your VPN traffic in an obfuscated TLS tunnel over TCP, making it look like a regular HTTPS(new window) connection. This makes it much harder for DPI (deep packet inspection) systems to detect and block.

How to enable stealth protocol

Connect to international servers

Servers in nearby regions (like Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore) are likely to provide the best connection speeds. But if these servers are blocked, you might need to try servers that are further away.

Troubleshooting

China changes its blocking methods frequently. If you followed the advice in this article and still can’t connect:

• Try switching between Stealth and Smart protocols.
• Restart the app and try to connect again.

Please also consider sharing anonymous usage statistics with us. This helps us understand the censorship landscape and find new ways to combat it.

How China’s internet restrictions work

China restricts access to many websites and online services through a censorship system commonly known as the Great Firewall. These controls use techniques like DNS filtering, IP blocking, and deep packet inspection (DPI) to detect and block VPN connections.

Learn more about the Great Firewall of China

The Great Firewall (GFW) is the most sophisticated, comprehensive, and large-scale internet censorship system ever devised. This means no VPN service can guarantee 100% reliability in China due to the evolving nature of its restrictions.

However, Proton VPN provides robust anti-censorship features, such as Stealth protocol and alternative routing. Following the steps below gives you the best chance of connecting to our service from mainland China.