Does Mullvad work in UAE?

As of Aug 11, 2026, Mullvad is partially working in UAE.

Status: degraded
Confidence: low
Last verified: Aug 11, 2026
Method: WireGuard-only since 2026-01-15 (OpenVPN fully removed). Vendor's restrictive-locations guide (updated 2026-04-22) names the UAE explicitly and tells users to enable anti-censorship methods one by one: WireGuard port changes, LWO, QUIC, Shadowsocks-over-WireGuard, UDP-over-TCP. No UAE-specific recommendation is given and no in-country report confirms which of these actually connects on Etisalat or du. mullvad.net itself is blocked on both major residential ISPs, so download, signup and payment need a working circumvention channel first.

Working alternatives in UAE

No VPN is currently verified as working in UAE. We would rather say that than guess. Check back after the next weekly verification pass.

Set on Mullvad? It is partially working in UAE right now. Check the method notes above before you buy. Get Mullvad

What we're seeing

Mullvad's restrictive-locations guide, updated April 22, 2026, names the UAE explicitly and tells users to work through its anti-censorship methods one by one: WireGuard port changes, LWO, QUIC, Shadowsocks over WireGuard, UDP-over-TCP. OONI shows mullvad.net hard-blocked on Etisalat (0 OK against 83 anomalies, with zero OK days from June 1 through August 9, 2026) and nearly so on du (1 OK against 8), while a Wikipedia control on the same network was clean, so download, signup and payment need a working circumvention channel first. No in-country report confirms which obfuscation method actually connects, which keeps this cell degraded at low confidence.

Sources for the above:

user_report (Aug 11, 2026): OONI per-ASN daily series on Etisalat: 0 OK every day, no trend change. Same-ASN wikipedia control 33 OK / 0 anomalies confirms probe health. Website block only; tunnel not measured. 4.
user_report (Aug 11, 2026): OONI community measurements. Etisalat AS5384: 0 OK / 83 anomalies; du AS15802: 1 OK / 8 anomalies; datacenter ASNs clean. Measurement window 2026-06-01 to 2026-08-09. 3.
news (Aug 11, 2026): Confirms OpenVPN removal effective 2026-01-15; background for the WireGuard-only method note, not availability evidence.
vendor (Aug 11, 2026): Page updated 2026-04-22. Names the UAE in its list of restrictive locations; advises enabling LWO, QUIC, Shadowsocks, UDP-over-TCP one by one. Vendor admission of difficulty, not a works/doesn't-work claim. 2.
reddit (Jul 22, 2026): Background (Dec 2024, archive-observed): UAE user could not reach mullvad.net to download the app; consistent with the current OONI website-block signal

Common questions

Is using a VPN legal in the UAE?

Yes, for lawful use. Using a VPN to commit a crime or fake your IP for fraud carries fines of AED 500,000 to 2,000,000 under Federal Decree-Law 34 of 2021. Using one for privacy or work calls is not the offense; what you do with it can be.

Do I need special settings to connect in the UAE?

Usually yes. Etisalat and du block most VPN vendor websites and interfere with standard protocols. As of July 2026, the VPNs we track that partially work all lean on their stealth or obfuscated modes.

Should I install a VPN before arriving in the UAE?

Yes. Vendor websites are blocked on Etisalat and du, so signup and download from inside the UAE often fail. Install, subscribe, and log in before you land.