A VPN is one of the few pieces of software that every digital nomad should have installed and functional before landing in their first destination. For nomads spending time in Vietnam, Thailand, the UAE, or China — countries with varying degrees of internet filtering — a VPN is the difference between reliable access to all the services your work depends on, and intermittent frustration as some things work and others inexplicably don’t.
Even in countries with no filtering, a VPN is essential for security on public WiFi (coworking spaces, cafés, airports) and for maintaining privacy on networks where you don’t control who else is connected. The question isn’t whether you need a VPN — it’s which one actually works in the countries you’ll be visiting.
Why “Works in Vietnam” Is a Different Standard Than “Fast in Switzerland”
Most VPN review sites test performance in Western countries with no internet filtering. They measure download speeds in New York and London, latency to European servers, and interface quality. These metrics are largely irrelevant to nomads in Southeast Asia.
The relevant standard: does this VPN reliably bypass the filtering systems in Vietnam, Thailand, UAE, and China (if you’re going there)? These systems actively detect and block VPN traffic using increasingly sophisticated deep packet inspection. VPNs that work fine in Europe may fail completely in Vietnam because they don’t implement obfuscation technology that disguises VPN traffic as normal HTTPS.
This distinction — between VPNs optimised for performance in open internet countries versus VPNs optimised for reliability in filtered countries — is the primary basis for the recommendations below.
Top VPN Recommendations for Nomads
ExpressVPN — Best for filtered internet reliability
Why it leads for nomads in filtered countries: ExpressVPN has consistently demonstrated the best performance in countries with active VPN blocking, particularly China and Vietnam. Its proprietary Lightway protocol is specifically designed to make VPN traffic look like ordinary HTTPS traffic to national firewalls, making it harder to detect and block. It has been maintaining servers in mainland China and working reliably in Vietnam when many competitors have failed.
Technical specs: 3,000+ servers in 94 countries. Lightway protocol for obfuscation plus OpenVPN and IKEv2 options. Industry-standard AES-256 encryption. No-logs policy independently audited by PwC and KPMG.
Performance: Among the fastest VPNs tested globally. Low latency on connections across Asia and Europe. Reliable for high-bandwidth video calls.
Device support: All major platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux). 8 simultaneous connections. Router installation available.
Cost: ~$8.32/month on annual plan ($99.95/year). 30-day money-back guarantee.
Limitation: More expensive than competitors. Owned by Kape Technologies (a data management company), which some privacy-focused users find concerning despite audited no-logs policies.
Best for: Nomads spending significant time in Vietnam, UAE, Thailand, or any filtered-internet country. Worth the premium price for the reliability.
NordVPN — Best value for most nomads
Why it’s recommended: NordVPN offers the best combination of price, performance, and features for nomads who primarily travel in countries without heavy filtering (Europe, Latin America, most of Southeast Asia outside Vietnam). Its obfuscated servers work in most filtered countries with the notable exception of China (where ExpressVPN is more reliable).
Technical specs: 5,600+ servers in 60 countries. Multiple protocols including WireGuard (NordLynx), OpenVPN, IKEv2. Obfuscated servers available on specific server selection. Double VPN and onion-over-VPN features.
Performance: Very fast, particularly on WireGuard protocol. Consistent performance across diverse server locations.
Device support: All major platforms. 6 simultaneous connections.
Special features: Meshnet — creates encrypted peer-to-peer connections between your own devices, allowing you to access your home country’s network remotely. Useful for accessing geo-restricted services on a home IP.
Cost: ~$3.99/month on 2-year plan ($95.76 for 2 years). 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best for: Most nomads who travel primarily in Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia (non-Vietnam). The price makes it the sensible default if you’re not planning extended time in heavily filtered countries.
Mullvad — Best for privacy
Why it’s recommended for privacy-first users: Mullvad is uniquely positioned in the VPN market: it accepts cash and cryptocurrency payments, doesn’t require an email address to sign up (you receive a randomly generated account number), keeps no logs, and has had its infrastructure independently audited multiple times. It is the VPN choice of people who genuinely prioritise privacy over features.
Technical specs: WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols. Open-source clients on all platforms. ~700 servers in 40+ countries.
Privacy differentiators: No email required. Cash or Monero payment accepted. Account numbers, not usernames. Cannot be linked to an identity even if Mullvad’s servers were subpoenaed.
Cost: €5/month flat. No annual discount (deliberate — they consider incentivising longer commitments a conflict of interest). No upsell.
Limitation: Fewer servers than ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Less optimised for bypassing heavy filtering in China or Vietnam.
Best for: Privacy-focused nomads who don’t primarily base in heavily filtered countries; journalists, activists, or anyone with elevated privacy requirements.
Proton VPN — Best with a usable free tier
Why it’s different: Proton VPN is the only reputable VPN with a genuinely unlimited free tier — no data cap, though limited to 3 server locations and slower than paid plans. Proton AG, the Swiss company behind ProtonMail and Proton Drive, has a strong track record on privacy and operates under Swiss legal jurisdiction with its attendant protections.
Free tier details: 3 countries (US, Netherlands, Japan). Unlimited bandwidth — not capped at 500MB or 1GB like most free VPNs. Slower speeds than paid. No P2P/torrenting. No streaming.
Paid tier (Proton VPN Plus): ~$4.99/month on annual plan. 1,900+ servers in 60+ countries. Full speeds. Streaming support.
Performance: Good on paid tier. Acceptable on free.
Best for: Nomads who want a trustworthy free option for occasional use; those who prioritise Swiss privacy jurisdiction; users already in the Proton ecosystem (ProtonMail users, for example).
Country-Specific Recommendations
| Country | Filtering level | Recommended VPN |
| Vietnam | Moderate (social media, some news blocked) | ExpressVPN — most reliable obfuscation |
| Thailand | Low–moderate (periodic blocks, lèse-majesté content) | NordVPN or ExpressVPN |
| UAE (Dubai) | Moderate (VoIP restricted) | ExpressVPN |
| Indonesia | Low (some adult content, some news) | Any of the above |
| Malaysia | Very low | Any of the above |
| EU/UK/US | None | NordVPN for value; Mullvad for privacy |
| Latin America | None | NordVPN for value |
| China | Severe | ExpressVPN (most reliable; results vary) |
China note: VPN reliability in China changes frequently as the GFW (Great Firewall) updates. Any VPN that works reliably in China today may be blocked tomorrow. ExpressVPN has the best track record, but no VPN can guarantee 100% reliability in China. Install and test before you need it.
Essential Setup Practices
Install before you land in a filtered country. Once inside a filtering system, downloading a VPN client may itself be blocked. Always install your VPN before you travel, not on arrival.
Install a backup VPN. If your primary VPN stops working in a filtered country (this happens — protocols get blocked), having a second installed means you can switch without scrambling. Different protocols are blocked at different times; having access to both NordVPN (obfuscated) and ExpressVPN (Lightway) provides redundancy.
Test in your hotel on arrival. Before you settle into a coworking space, test your VPN at the accommodation. If it’s not working, troubleshoot immediately — when you have time — not at 9am the next day when you have a client call.
Enable the kill switch. Most quality VPNs include a kill switch — a feature that blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly. Enable this to prevent data leaking to your ISP or network operator if the VPN momentarily disconnects.
Internal links: Resources Hub | Best SIM Cards by Region | Best Banks for Digital Nomads
