9 Countries Where ChatGPT is Not Available [+ How to Unblock]

ChatGPT is not available in Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran,North Korea, Russia, and Syria.

In some cases, such as China and Iran, it’s unavailable due to OpenAI’s decision to restrict access, while in places like Russia, it was banned due to regulatory or government concerns.

Let’s take a closer look at the countries where ChatGPT is not available or banned, why, and how to go around geographical restrictions and access ChatGPT from anywhere.

List of countries where ChatGPT is not available

While ChatGPT operates in most parts of the world, it’s currently unavailable in the following countries:

Country	Status	Reason for Ban
China	Banned	Concerns over U.S. misinformation and strict internet censorship policies.
Russia	Banned	Fears of misuse and influence on national narratives amid geopolitical tensions.
North Korea	Banned	Strict control over internet access and information dissemination.
Iran	Banned	Censorship regulations and strained relations with the U.S.
Cuba	Banned	Government control over internet access and restrictions on U.S. services.
Syria	Banned	Concerns over misinformation and exposure to foreign AI platforms.
Italy	Temporarily Banned	Data privacy concerns; ban lifted after compliance measures were implemented.

Although OpenAI has never officially stated where it doesn’t operate, but it has provided a list of supported countries on its website. None of those listed above are on it.

If you happen to live in one of them and you try to use ChatGPT, you’ll receive a message saying that the tool is at capacity or that the service isn’t available in your country.

Why is ChatGPT not available in your country?

There are various reasons why ChatGPT may not be working where you live. OpenAI may not operate in some countries, but others may have blocked it due to their respective laws regarding internet usage.

Which countries have banned ChatGPT?

The authorities in places such as North Korea, Cuba, and Iran have chosen to block certain AI technologies over fears that they could be used for criminal activity or anti-government purposes.

It was also temporarily banned in Italy in March 2023 due to privacy concerns. The ban was lifted after OpenAI addressed transparency and age verification issues, and despite a €15 million GDPR fine in 2024, ChatGPT remains accessible while compliance efforts continue.

Infrastructure limitations

Another reason why you can’t access ChatGPT might be infrastructure limitations. These include the lack of telecommunication networks or electricity grids, outdated hardware, limited access to cloud computing, and more.

How to unblock ChatGPT from anywhere

Luckily, it doesn’t matter if OpenAI doesn’t support your country or if your government restricts it. There’s a simple tried-and-true solution that’ll help you unblock it.

Use a VPN

Companies like OpenAI will look at your IP address and block it if it shows you live in one of the countries listed above.

This means all you have to do is change your virtual location and you’ll be able to start a conversation with the chatbot.

There are various great VPNs for ChatGPT, but our top pick for unblocking it is ExpressVPN.

It provides a fast and stable connection and operates in almost every ChatGPT-supported country. What’s more, it offers advanced leak prevention, so once you spoof your location with it, you can rest assured that your real whereabouts won’t be accidentally exposed.

Let us show you how to get it up and running:

It’s also worth noting that a VPN won’t only enable access to ChatGPT but it’ll also help you stay safe while using it.

This is an important thing to consider, as such AI tools are trained by using sensitive data on individuals.

Some users have reported that they experienced ChatGPT not working with a VPN.

If this happens to you, there are quick and easy solutions you can try, such as clearing your browser cookies or switching to a superior provider.

If you’re still having trouble accessing the tool, you might be dealing with deeper issues like being connected to a disallowed ISP, OpenAI services not being available in your country, region-based OpenAI API restrictions, or even OpenAI blocking your VPN provider.

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Have Any Countries Banned ChatGPT?

While not explicitly “banned” in most countries, regulatory and access restrictions effectively limit the availability of ChatGPT in certain regions:

As of now, there are no widely reported cases of countries explicitly banning ChatGPT by law. However, the service is de facto inaccessible in countries with stringent internet censorship.

In some countries, while not banned, heavy regulations and restrictions on internet freedom can limit the use of services like ChatGPT or some specific features like ChatGPT’s Operator.

Wrap up

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm, attracting over 500 million users in January 2023. It’s an AI-powered chatbot that can complete various tasks, such as generating code and writing essays.

Now that you know what are the countries where ChatGPT is not available, you may have an idea of why you’re unable to access it.

Luckily, even if the tool doesn’t work in your country, you can easily get around the problem by spoofing your location with a VPN.