This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of North Korea’s current rules for the most common types of travel.
\n\nThe authorities in North Korea set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the North Korean Embassy in the UK.
\n\nEmail: prkinfo@yahoo.com
\n\nTelephone: 020 8992 4965
\n\nTourists can normally only travel to North Korea as part of an organised tour. Independent travellers will need a sponsor and permission from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
\n\nNorth Korea’s borders have been closed to general entry since the government imposed COVID-19 border restrictions in 2020. To check the latest restrictions and testing requirements, contact the North Korean Embassy in the UK.
\n\nYour passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay.
\n\nCheck with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements, including for China if you are travelling through China. Renew your passport if you need to.
\n\nYou will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
\n\nWhen returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.
\n\nYou must have a visa to enter North Korea.
\n\nSend visa applications and enquires directly to the North Korean Embassy in the UK.
\n\nEmail: prkinfo@yahoo.com
\n\nTelephone: 020 8992 4965
\n\nTo enter North Korea, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
\n\nFor full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s North Korea guide.
\n\nYou must be registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if your visit is for more than 24 hours. Most hotels will complete this process on your behalf.
\n\nSome hotels may insist on full cash payment in advance when you check in.
\n\nYou can bring a foreign mobile phone into the country, but you must register it at the border. There is no connectivity to international or domestic mobile networks from within North Korea using an international SIM card.
\n\nYou must leave any Global Positioning System technology with North Korean customs. You can collect your devices when you leave North Korea.
\n\nAvoid bringing books or other written material in the Korean language, including anything with religious content. Consider carefully any films or television programmes that you bring into the country, either on DVD or on data storage devices. Customs officers will confiscate any literature or media deemed to have an anti-government message or deemed subversive or pornographic. There could be further severe penalties including imprisonment.
\n\nThe North Korean authorities also impose restrictions and harsh penalties on their own citizens if they are found in possession of foreign media.
\n\nThere have been cases of travel guides being confiscated at the airport on arrival and given back on departure.
\n\nIt is illegal to import or export the North Korean currency – won. There are no restrictions on importing and exporting foreign currency, but you must declare it at customs.
\n\nShops and restaurants list their prices in won, but usually charge foreign nationals in foreign currency. They convert the won price using official exchange rates.
\n\nThe US dollar and the euro are the most widely accepted currencies, although some places accept Chinese yuan (‘Renminbi’).
\n\nCredit cards and international mobile payments are not accepted.
\n\n","safety_html":"There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
\n\nUK Counter Terrorism Policing has information and advice on staying safe and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. Find out how to reduce your risk from terrorism while abroad.
\n\nAlthough there’s no recent history of terrorism in North Korea, attacks cannot be ruled out.
\n\nThe level of tension on the Korean peninsula remains high. Political negotiations between North Korea and the United States in 2018 to 2019 broke down and have not resumed. North and South Korea agreed a set of security guidelines in 2019 to reduce the risk of accidental cross-border conflict, but both sides have now withdrawn from this agreement.
\n\nIn late 2023, the North Korean government changed its reunification policy, leading to increased tensions with South Korea. North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, although these are banned by UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea’s material and political support for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has further strained relations with much of the international community.
\n\nInter-Korean tensions usually rise around the time of South Korean-US military exercises, often held in the spring and autumn.
\n\nNorth Korea carried out 6 underground nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017 and has stated that it reserves the right to carry out further tests.
\n\nNorth Korea also regularly conducts ballistic missile test launches, sometimes without giving the required notice to international aviation authorities, and against UN Security Council resolutions.
\n\nCrime against foreign nationals in North Korea is rare. Take sensible precautions to protect your belongings.
\n\nLevels of fire safety awareness may be low. Check hotel fire procedures with the hotel reception or consult your tour operator.
\n\nTake care with your words and actions during your stay. Insults or jokes about the North Korean political system and its leadership are taken very seriously. Offences that would be considered trivial in other countries can incur very severe penalties in North Korea. This includes the promotion of other religions or beliefs.
\n\nForeign nationals may face arrest for not paying sufficient respect, including not treating images of the current and former North Korean leaders with care.
\n\nThe North Korean authorities have previously arrested visitors with or without specified charges, including 4 US citizens and one Canadian citizen. Some have faced public trials and imprisonment.
\n\nIn 2016 a US national was convicted of ‘crimes against the state’ and sentenced to 15 years of hard labour. The court had found him guilty of attempting to steal a political banner from the staff quarters of a tourist hotel. He fell into a coma while in detention and was released in 2017, but died soon after his return to the US.
\n\nIf arrested, you are not guaranteed access to phone calls with family and friends or the British Embassy, or to independent legal advice or interpretation services.
\n\nAsk permission from your tour guide before taking any photographs. Avoid pointing cameras at North Korean officials or guarded buildings.
\n\nAlthough there’s no specific legislation outlawing same-sex relationships in North Korea, the authorities do not recognise same-sex rights and consider same-sex relationships and behaviours unacceptable.
\n\nRead more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
\n\nForeign nationals living in Pyongyang are normally allowed to travel within the city, but usually require permission to travel outside Pyongyang.
\n\nTravel for visitors within North Korea is severely restricted. Whether you are visiting on business or as a tourist, a guide will almost always accompany you. The guide will decide where you can go. It is your guide’s responsibility to get permission to travel outside Pyongyang. Military checkpoints on entry and exit to all towns usually include ID checks.
\n\nIn 2008 guards shot and killed a South Korean tourist who strayed into a restricted military area. Remain in permitted areas and move away immediately if asked to do so by North Korean officials.
\n\nYou can get taxis from hotels or outside some department stores, but they will be reluctant to take you without a local guide or interpreter. Foreign nationals are not usually allowed to use public transport unless they are accompanied by a local guide.
\n\nIf you want to drive in North Korea, see information on driving abroad. International driving permits are not valid in North Korea. Foreign nationals living in North Korea must get a local driving licence by passing a local driving test.
\n\nYou should take extra care when driving, as roads are often of poor quality with frequent hazards, and pedestrian road safety awareness is low. In 2018 a tour bus carrying Chinese tourists crashed on the road between Pyongyang and the Demilitarized Zone, killing a number of passengers.
\n\nMost travellers entering North Korea by air take direct flights from Beijing to Pyongyang operated by the North Korean national airline, Air Koryo, or the Chinese state airline, Air China.
\n\nThe UK Air Safety List has banned Air Koryo from operating commercial air services to the UK, with the exception of 2 Tupolev Tu204 aircraft. The Department for Transport maintains the list, based on advice from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
\n\nIncidents on Air Koryo flights reported in July 2016 and May 2017 highlight concerns about Air Koryo’s safety record and maintenance standards.
\n\nFlooding is common in the rainy season from July to August. This can disrupt travel, especially to rural areas. Check that routes are passable before setting out on long journeys.
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