LinkedIn was banned in Russia before the invasion of Ukraine. One of our experts visiting Moscow in September 2019 confirmed that the service has been unavailable since November 2016.
Our research suggests that LinkedIn was banned for refusing to store user data on servers located in Russia. But you can still use the social media site inside the country if you follow our guide and download a VPN.
Here’s how:
- Get Surfshark. It’s the best VPN that still works in Russia, having evaded the state’s crackdown on unsanctioned providers.
- Install Surfshark on the device, or devices, you use for LinkedIn. You can connect as many as you like.
- Connect to a server outside of Russia, in a country where LinkedIn is not blocked. We recommend the UK or US.
- Use LinkedIn. You can now freely access LinkedIn from Russia.
Whatever you do, avoid state-approved VPNs. Surfshark guarantees privacy and anonymity, but to achieve that, it will never be considered a state-sanctioned VPN service. This is because Surfshark won’t log or share your data, and keeps zero logs of your activity.
Surfshark
We recommend reading our full article to understand the current state of VPN usage in Russia and why you need to be selective.
LinkedIn is one of the biggest social media sites in the world, despite its career-first approach. Yet the app and website are blocked or simply do not operate in numerous countries, including Syria, Cuba, Iran, and Russia.
In Russia, LinkedIn is blocked as a result of the company refusing to host data on Russian servers. Following this decision, Roskomnadzor issued a LinkedIn ban that means you ordinarily won’t be able to access the service as long as you’re in the country.
Well, we’ve tested numerous apps blocked in Russia with some of our most powerful virtual private networks (VPNs). If you follow our guidance and download Surfshark, you’ll be able to bypass Roskomnadzor blocks and unblock LinkedIn in Russia – or anywhere else. Our step-by-step guide follows.
How to Unblock LinkedIn in Russia
Important:
In March 2024, we expected to see Russia issue a blanket ban against the use of VPN services. Instead, the state banned advertisements from VPN providers that are not state approved. If you use a VPN service that’s on Russia’s approved list, expect your data to be no more protected than if you used no VPN service at all.
We highly advise reading our guidance below and sticking to services that we’ve recommended.
We’ve tested unblocking LinkedIn on both mobile and desktop computers, and Surfshark is the best option. There are other services you can use, but we’ve honed in on Surfshark because of the company’s efforts to support individual freedoms.
Surfshark has been going the extra mile to help users get connected. They’ve set up a dedicated Russian-language landing page for troubleshooting in case you encounter a problem. But here’s our quick guide to unblocking LinkedIn in Russia with the usual approach:
- Get a Surfshark account. Surfshark still works inside of Russia in 2024 based on our tests. If you hit any issues and can’t connect, you can also use the 30-day money-back guarantee to get your money back. It’s just $ 2.19 to get started, and you can pay with crypto.
SurfsharkDealSave 86% and pay only $ 2.19 a month!
From$ 2.199.0- Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
- 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!
- Cheap with many extra options
- Install Surfshark on your device. Get the mobile or desktop version, depending on which device you use for LinkedIn. Surfshark offers unlimited connections, so you can connect all your LinkedIn devices.
- Connect to a VPN server in another country. This will change your IP address from a Russian IP, letting you access blocked websites. Countries like the UK, the US, Australia, and the Netherlands are good choices for internet freedom.
- If you’re on a computer, clear your browser’s cache and start a private browsing session. If you’re on mobile, make sure that you’ve opened the Surfshark app and connected before opening LinkedIn.
- Log into LinkedIn. The website or app should now let you access and create an account or sign in.
Why is LinkedIn Blocked in Russia?
Russia has long been known for its internet censorship. With LinkedIn in particular, Roskomnadzor (The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media) added the social media site to its list of banned services. Officially, LinkedIn was added to the “Register of Personal Data Infringers” for supposedly violating data subjects’ rights.
In short, LinkedIn refused to comply with a request that would have it store users’ data on Russian servers. This refusal to comply landed LinkedIn with a ban in Russia, effective from November 2016.
It’s not just Russian citizens who are affected – one of our VPN experts has routinely traveled to Russia and found himself unable to access his Western account while on the ground. So, today, LinkedIn shares a similar fate to the likes of Instagram, TikTok, and other services that have been blocked by the Russian state. The only way you can access them is with a VPN.
The Best VPNs to Access LinkedIn in Russia
We’re constantly testing which VPN services work in Russia and other countries using our network of experts, worldwide. Right now, we know that these three VPN providers work in Russia.
Each of our chosen VPN services also offers a money-back period that means you’re guaranteed to find a VPN connection or can get a full refund instead. That’s partly why our choices below are our best VPNs for Russia.
1. Surfshark: Dedicated to finding you a working VPN connection in Russia
- Tried and tested secure VPN – works in Russia in 2024
- Offers a manual setup process to help you beat Russian internet blocks
- Uses powerful 256-bit data encryption to secure your online activity
- Zero-logs promise, confirmed through third-party audits annually
- Possible to subscribe using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies
Surfshark is our number-one VPN for Russia right now. It’s working in Russia as of March 2024. Even if you can’t connect automatically as other users do, Surfshark reps have been doing the rounds on Reddit, providing advice to get connected manually. The Shark China page, written in Russian, will help you through the process.
With Russia banning advertisement of VPN services that haven’t been sanctioned, it’s crucial to find a secure VPN service. Surfshark is on the naughty list because the service hasn’t been sanctioned. But state-approved VPNs will not keep your data and activity safe from authorities’ eyes. Surfshark uses 256-bit encryption and keeps no logs, ensuring that you won’t be monitored.
With Surfshark’s 86% discount and 30-day money-back guarantee, this really is a zero-risk deal in our eyes. You can get one of the best VPNs that still works in Russia, or you can get a full refund if for any reason you can’t connect. We recommend downloading this service now before Russia’s crackdown on VPNs gets any worse – you might not be able to get it in future.
2. NordVPN: Confirmed VPN working in Russia after initial withdrawal
- Didn’t work for a while, but NordVPN works in Russia again in 2024
- Choose from 6441 servers to find a way past Russian censorship
- Best VPN to buy with cryptocurrency in our tests, allowing you to subscribe anonymously
- Uses 256-bit data encryption and has an audited, zero-logs promise
- Multi-hop, double VPN, and obfuscation to increase security and avoid surveillance
NordVPN often tops our list of the best VPNs for most purposes. But initially, NordVPN withdrew from Russia to avoid being mandated to keep servers within the country. Now, NordVPN’s working in Russia again, based on our on-the-ground tests.
“On March 27th, NordVPN received a letter from Roskomnadzor, the Russian national media regulator, demanding that NordVPN makes changes to its service that would directly affect its users’ security, privacy and online freedom [and] has given the world’s leading VPN providers 30 days to provide the Russian government with access to any servers located in Russia.”
NordVPN
March 2019
This is a highly-secure VPN provider that offers some of the most advanced privacy and security features we’ve seen. Aside from 256-bit encryption and a zero-logs guarantee, NordVPN boasts features like multi-hop connections. This routes your internet traffic through two VPN servers, further anonymizing your activity.
Despite being back in action in Russia, that doesn’t mean that NordVPN has bowed to Roskomnadzor’s request. If you use NordVPN, you’ll still keep your data out of the hands of the government or authorities, and you’ll be able to take back your internet freedom. Download the service now, and you can immediately start accessing your favorite blocked Western sites again.
3. CyberGhost: Working Russia VPN with a vast server network
- Second-largest VPN server network around – 11700+ global servers
- Keeps zero logs and uses military-grade 256-bit encryption to secure your data and activity
- Dedicated streaming servers – stream Western Netflix or any other US streaming platform
- Offers dedicated IP addresses to reduce risk of VPN detection
- Get a 45-day money-back guarantee to get connected
CyberGhost is our other solid choice of VPNs that work in Russia. We routinely use CyberGhost for its vast server network, which allows unblocking pretty much any streaming service we need, worldwide. But those capabilities extend to unblocking LinkedIn, Instagram, or any other app in Russia that’s disallowed.
In addition to dedicated streaming servers, you can get dedicated IP addresses. This basically means you won’t be sharing an IP address with any other user who’s currently connected. Since services occasionally figure out when users are using a VPN, based on a largely-shared IP address, this can help you avoid detection for using an unsanctioned VPN.
CyberGhost is similarly priced to Surfshark, offering a cheap way to circumvent Russian censorship. Where it really shines is in offering the industry’s longest money-back promise. If you haven’t managed to connect within 45 days, you can get a full refund.
Can You Use a Free VPN to Access LinkedIn in Russia?
Currently, we can’t unblock LinkedIn with any free VPNs in Russia. After testing a handful of our best free VPNs and other providers, we failed to find a working connection that could bypass blocks. What’s more:
- They could risk your data: Some free VPNs leak or intentionally share your data. Any free VPN in Russia has likely agreed to conditions that mean your data is at risk of falling into authorities’ hands.
- Most services have data limitations: Most free VPNs limit you to around 5 or 10 GB worth of data per month. After that, you won’t be able to use the service anymore until it resets, leaving you unprotected.
- Free services lack server choice: You’ll need a broad server network to find working servers elsewhere, but free VPNs usually only offer a few options. Comparatively, paid services offer thousands.
Russia recently banned the promotion of “information about ways, methods of providing access to information resources and (or) information and telecommunication networks, access to which is limited on the territory of the Russian Federation (…)” In other words, Russia has banned promotion by any VPN service that isn’t state-approved.
This means you need to be careful. Major players like NordVPN initially withdrew from Russia because they refused to hand the state access to their servers. With smaller budgets and resources, it’s very likely that any free VPN working in Russia is playing ball with the Kremlin. You may be at risk.
What to Do If Your VPN is Blocked in Russia
VPN availability is constantly changing within Russia. NordVPN initially pulled out of the country, but our testing has found it to be working again. Meanwhile, a host of other free and paid VPNs are blocked.
This problem is likely to get worse now since the government announced its new March 2024 legislation that punishes advertising by unsanctioned VPNs. Unfortunately, you may need to use an approved VPN to access the Surfshark or NordVPN websites initially.
So, if your usual VPN service is blocked in Russia, or if you’ve already downloaded Surfshark and can’t connect, try these fixes:
- Try connecting to a VPN server in another country. If that fails, try other VPN servers located in different regions.
- Try changing your VPN protocols. Based on our tests, OpenVPN and Wireguard work best with LinkedIn.
- Get a dedicated IP from Surfshark or NordVPN. These IP addresses will only be used by you and are more likely to bypass VPN detection.
- Once you’ve got your VPN, try using the Tor Network. Using Onion over VPN lets you browse the internet anonymously and safely and access LinkedIn.
- If you still can’t connect, head to the Shark China page on Surfshark’s website. Follow the guidance to connect to Surfshark manually. It can be a little technical, but it’s written in Russian to help you.
- If you still can’t connect, please contact us via the comments below so that we can help you troubleshoot.
Our research into Reddit users’ opinions on Russian VPNs helped us to find the workaround we’ve detailed above. To their credit, Surfshark has been going above and beyond to help citizens of the Russian Federation retain their internet freedom.
How We Chose the Best VPNs for Russia
Our process of picking the best VPNs for Russia was a little different from how we chose providers in other countries. First and foremost, we needed to narrow down our options to services that haven’t been blocked. Russia is cracking down on VPNs unless they are sanctioned – in other words, willing to share their users’ data.
After gathering this limited pool of working yet secure VPN services in Russia, we looked at specific criteria:
- A strict zero-log policy: The wrong VPN can track and log your data, even sharing it with third parties. As the Russian government increases its control over internet traffic, you need a zero-logs provider.
- Servers in other countries: It goes without saying that you need to change your Russian IP address. We chose working VPNs with thousands of servers in countries that offer a high degree of internet freedom.
- Countries where LinkedIn is allowed: Russia isn’t the only country where LinkedIn is blocked. We made sure that each of these services let us access LinkedIn freely.
Surfshark meets all of these criteria while offering one of the cheapest services available. Download it now and get set up before any more VPN restrictions come down from above.
Unblocking LinkedIn in Russia Requires a VPN
LinkedIn has been blocked in Russia since 2016. Other alternatives like Xing and Skillsnet.ru are still available, but Russian citizens are growing increasingly frustrated about losing access to Western websites and apps.
Fortunately, you can unblock LinkedIn in Russia if you use a VPN. Get Surfshark – the best VPN we’ve tested for overcoming Russian censorship. Here’s how:
- Download Surfshark, our personal recommendation for Russia.
- Connect to a server in another country.
- Go to LinkedIn to use the app, which should now be unblocked.
This won’t just help you overcome blocks – it’ll also protect you from Russian state surveillance as restrictions and monitoring become increasingly severe. If you want to learn more about using a VPN in Russia, here are some of our related guides:
- Best VPN for Russia: Reclaim Your Internet Freedom
- How to Use Instagram in Russia: A Step-by-step Guide
- How to Access Facebook in Russia: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Censorship in Russia: How to Get Around Online Restrictions
Want to know how to unblock LinkedIn from Russia, or do you have questions about VPNs? Check out our FAQ below for some answers.
No, LinkedIn is blocked in Russia and has been since November 2016 because the company is unable to comply with Russia’s data retention laws. Censorship in Russia has only gotten stricter since then, and you can only access this and similar apps with a VPN. We recommend using Surfshark – one of the few VPNs that still work in Russia.
The safest and easiest way to get access to blocked or banned content in Russia is by using a VPN:
- Download a VPN. We recommend and have tested Surfshark.
- Download and install the software.
- Connect to a server outside of Russia, like the US or UK. LinkedIn is available in most countries.
That’s it. Now, you should be able to access LinkedIn. We’ve tested this process ourselves, and Surfshark’s the best choice of VPNs that still work inside Russia’s borders.
Yes, you can use a VPN to access LinkedIn – the website doesn’t block VPN connections. If you’re located in a country like Russia, Iran, or Syria, this will be the only way for you to access LinkedIn.
We recommend using Surfshark. It’s the best VPN for overcoming stringent internet restrictions, and our tests have always delivered secure and stable connections.
While VPN use is not illegal in Russia, it can be difficult to use VPN software or access a VPN’s website in Russia. We recommend avoiding any advertised VPN services in Russia right now. A March 2024 law has
At the moment, the following VPNs are still available:
- Surfshark (our top choice)
- NordVPN
- CyberGhost
