Is Telegram blocked in Vietnam? The 2025 ban and where things stand in 2026

So there is no need to panic or hunt for workarounds. But if your airport pickup or check-in depends on a single Telegram chat, get a second way to reach that person. In 2025 the block started on a Sunday, without warning.

Does Telegram work in Vietnam right now?

Yes. As of October 2026, Telegram works over both mobile data and Wi-Fi. Most tests come from the three big networks (Viettel, VNPT and FPT). MobiFone has fewer tests and no failures either. Since August 2025, OONI (the Open Observatory of Network Interference, a censorship measurement project) has seen no sign of blocking: anomalous tests have not gone above 2.4% in any month, or above 1.1% in 2026.

Below are OONI's Telegram tests by network over the last three months or so. An "anomaly" means something failed. It is not proof of blocking: a weak signal can trigger one too.

In June 2025, 92% of tests were anomalous. In 2026 it is a fraction of a percent.

One caveat. OONI data comes from volunteers' phones, so it is a good indicator, not a guarantee for every street and every plan. If Telegram won't load, check the boring stuff first: data balance, your package, whether other apps work.

Internet in Vietnam · Vietnam SIM card guide

Why did Vietnam block Telegram in 2025?

The Telecommunications Department (Cục Viễn thông) of the Ministry of Science and Technology ordered the block in letter No. 2312/CVT-CS dated 21 May 2025. It acted at the request of the cybercrime police at the Ministry of Public Security. Two official reasons were given: Telegram had not notified the authorities that it provides telecom services in Vietnam, and it did not cooperate with criminal investigations.

The police backed the order with numbers. Of 9,600 Telegram channels and groups in Vietnam, 68% were said to carry illegal content: fraud, trading in personal data, drugs. According to the authorities, more than 1 trillion VND (about $38 million) was lost to fraud through the app, over 13,000 people were affected, and the data of 23 million people was sold on it. Telegram also had not handed over user data in criminal cases (VnExpress International / Reuters, 23 May 2025).

The legal hook is simpler. Since 1 January 2025, Vietnam's new Law on Telecommunications has required foreign services to notify the authorities that they operate in the country. According to Tuổi Trẻ, Telegram had not done so (Tuổi Trẻ, 23 May 2025).

"We have responded to legal requests from Vietnam on time."Telegram spokesperson to Reuters, via Al Jazeera, 24 May 2025

In the same statement the company said it was "surprised" by the decision.

How the block worked and when it ended

The block began on 25 May 2025 and ended on 10 July, roughly six and a half weeks. Operators cut access in different ways, and neither the start nor the end was announced.

On VNPT and Viettel, both the Telegram app and the web version were unreachable. On FPT the app failed but the website opened. One smaller network (AS150881) let Telegram through the whole time (OONI, 13 June 2025). For users it felt like a lottery: one result on home Wi-Fi, another on mobile data.

The return was just as quiet. On the afternoon of 9 July, the state outlet VietnamPlus reported that Telegram was "unexpectedly" reachable again and noted that neither the authorities nor the operators had said anything (VietnamPlus, 9 July 2025). There is still no explanation.

Could the block come back?

It could. Letter 2312/CVT-CS was never publicly withdrawn, and the Digital Policy Alert regulatory tracker still lists it as in force (Digital Policy Alert). The telecom law it relied on hasn't changed either.

No official has said when or under what conditions access might be restricted again. Guessing from rumours doesn't help.

Telegram works now, so use it. Just don't let a pickup, a tour or a check-in hang on one chat.

What it means for travellers and expats

For many foreign visitors, Telegram is how tours, transfers and visa agents get booked, and where city expat groups trade tips on flats and doctors. In May–July 2025 most of that stopped opening for Viettel and VNPT customers.

What goes wrong when everything sits in one app:

• your transfer driver doesn't see the message that your flight is late;
• the guide moves the meeting point and you find out when you get there;
• the building group where management posts notices goes silent;
• the expat group you rely on is unreachable exactly when you need advice.

On roaming and travel eSIMs, to be straight: there is no public measurement data on how Telegram behaves on a foreign SIM roaming in Vietnam. The OONI figures above come from Vietnamese networks, so they describe a local SIM and local Wi-Fi.

Taxis and Grab in Vietnam · SIM cards and eSIMs · Expat communities in Vietnam

Which messaging apps people use in Vietnam

Vietnam's main messaging app is Zalo: according to operator VNG's Q2 2026 results, it has 81.3 million monthly users, which is most of the country. WhatsApp works in Vietnam without restrictions. Telegram remains common with tour operators and expat communities.

For WhatsApp and Signal the numbers are: from 1 September to 23 October 2026, OONI ran more than 3,800 tests of each in Vietnam. Eight of each were anomalous: isolated failures, not blocking.

Zalo for foreigners

Zalo is set up with a phone number, in the mobile app. The easiest route is a Vietnamese SIM, since the verification code arrives by SMS. Zalo's official help does not say whether foreign numbers are accepted, and forum anecdotes from expats are not an official answer. So don't count on your home number.

Two practical points. The interface is available in English, and your phone's translator will handle chats with Vietnamese contacts. Zalo has exactly one web version, chat.zalo.me, according to its official help centre, so treat any other "Zalo web" site as fake. The support hotline is 1900 633 155 and costs 2,000 VND a minute (about $0.08).

For how messaging-app scams work locally, see our guide to scams in Vietnam.

What to do before your trip

Five small steps, and none of them involves getting around a block.

1. Get two channels for everyone you depend on. Guide, driver, landlord, agent: Telegram plus WhatsApp or Zalo. Save their phone number as a normal contact too, not just inside a chat.
2. Consider a Vietnamese number. It makes Zalo easy and lets you call locals. Plans, eSIMs and the face check at purchase are covered in our Vietnam SIM card guide.
3. Agree on a channel with people at home. Pick the app that works reliably for them before you fly, plus plain SMS or a call as a fallback.
4. Keep the essentials offline. Booking confirmations, your hotel address in Vietnamese, the flight number and the transfer contact: screenshots, not just chat history.
5. Ask group admins for a backup address. If your city or building group lives only on Telegram, find out where it moves if access drops again.

The rest of the prep is in our first trip to Vietnam checklist, and Wi-Fi, home broadband and coworking are covered in the guide to internet in Vietnam.

How to reach VietnamSpot

Our manager answers on Telegram at @manager_vietnamSpot. Write there for an e-visa, an airport transfer or a meet-and-greet at arrival.

Common mistakes

• Trusting old headlines. "Vietnam bans Telegram" stories from May 2025, and roundups that copy them, still rank. Since 10 July 2025 the picture is different.
• Keeping everything in one chat. A second channel with your transfer driver takes a minute to set up and saves the day the first one fails.
• Registering Zalo on someone else's or a virtual number. The code then goes to someone else, and the account is easy to lose.
• Googling "Zalo Web". The real web version is only chat.zalo.me.

FAQ

Read also: First trip to Vietnam checklist · Scams in Vietnam · Taxis in Vietnam

VietnamSpot on InstagramTips, lifehacks and news for living in VietnamFollow@vietnamspot