mullvad connect

Connect to a VPN relay server

Overview

The mullvad connect command establishes a VPN connection to a Mullvad relay server based on your current relay constraints.

Syntax

mullvad connect [OPTIONS]

Options

Option	Description
-w, --wait	Wait until connected before exiting
-h, --help	Print help information

Behavior

When you run mullvad connect:

1. The CLI checks if you’re logged in to a Mullvad account
2. If not logged in, it displays a warning and blocks all network traffic until you:
   • Log in to an account with available time/credits
   • Disconnect from the VPN
3. If logged in, it initiates a connection to a relay matching your current constraints

Examples

Basic Connection

Connect to a VPN relay without waiting:

mullvad connect

The command returns immediately, and the connection process continues in the background.

Wait for Connection

Connect and wait until the connection is fully established:

mullvad connect --wait

This blocks until the tunnel state changes to “Connected” or an error occurs. The command prints tunnel state updates as the connection progresses.

Connection with Short Option

mullvad connect -w

Related Commands

• disconnect - Disconnect from the VPN
• status - Check current connection status
• relay set location - Configure which relay to connect to
• account - Manage your Mullvad account

Exit Status

Code	Description
0	Connection initiated successfully (or established if --wait used)
1	Failed to connect or not logged in

Notes

• If you’re not logged in when connecting, Mullvad will block all network traffic as a security measure
• Use mullvad status to monitor connection progress
• The relay selection is based on your current relay constraints
• Connection attempts respect your tunnel configuration settings

Source Reference

Implementation: mullvad-cli/src/cmds/tunnel_state.rs:7