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- Do You Need Visa to Visit North Korea (DPRK)?
- Visa Types
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FAQ
- Do I need to send my physical passport? - I have a South Korean stamp on my passport - will this cause a problem? - Does visiting North Korea affect travel to other countries? - Can I still visit the United States after visiting North Korea? - After my North Korean visa is approved, do I need further travel documentation? - Can I enter any time during the period of the visa? - Once I am in North Korea, am I free to go where I want? - What's better, a group tour or a private tour of North Korea? - I am a dual citizen, can I get a visa to North Korea? - Can I go to North Korea after South Korea?
- Blogs About North Korea (DPRK) That Might Inspire You to Visit
Do You Need Visa to Visit North Korea (DPRK)?
Visa is required
Do You Need Visa to Visit North Korea (DPRK)? Check It Out!
Visa Types
Visa Types & Categories to Apply for North Korea
North Korea (DPRC) is one of the most closed-off countries in the world. In fact, the country only receives about 4,000 to 6,000 visitors a year, and many people don't even know that you can get a North Korea visa. However, it's a very simple process to arrange your North Korean visa through tours.
All countries exempt those travelling on South Korean passports are eligible for a North Korean Tourist visa. Also, the USA and Malaysian passports are currently restricted from visiting North Korea by their respective governments.
Professional journalists are not eligible for a North Korean Tourist Visa. Journalists are historically only allowed to visit the DPRK during special events and other exceptional circumstances. If you are a part-time or full-time photographer or a media worker in some other capacity, please contact Tours, and they will advise you. All travellers on tourist visas must visit North Korea strictly for tourism purposes only.
Chinese citizens with ordinary passports who only want to visit Tongrim County as tourists can enter with only their Chinese ID card for up to two days.
Holders of diplomatic or service passports of the following countries can visit without a visa:
Kyrgyzstan
Serbia
Belarus
Laos
Switzerland
Bulgaria
Latvia
Syria
China
Mongolia
Tajikistan
Cuba
Montenegro
Ukraine
Indonesia
Myanmar
Vietnam
Iran
Russia
Zimbabwe
First, you have to join either a group tour or a private tour. All tourists to North Korea must take part in an approved guided tour organized by an authorized tour operator, such as Uri Tours, Koryo Tours, YPT Tours. It is not possible to travel independently to North Korea without local North Korean guides. You can't organize your North Korean visa on your own.
Most introductory tours to North Korea will typically range from EUR 400-2200 per person depending on your departure point, the tour length, group size, type of accommodation, room preference, and preferred mode of transportation. Tours must be applied for 4 weeks in advance-this can sometimes be shortened, but in order to avoid any problems, it is best to stick to this deadline.
After you've chosen which tour best suits your time, budget, and interest, the tour you have chosen is going through the North Korean visa application process from start to finish. Everything they need can be conveniently delivered to them online, so they never need your physical passport. The tour prices include North Korean visa fees and processing fees.
You should present the following documents to the tour company:
- Completed DPRK Visa Application Form (online)
- A Photocopy of Your Passport (Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required)
- Passport Size Photo
Then Tours applies for a North Korean visa, and once approved, your North Korean visa will be issued on a separate paper card, not inside your passport. Tours are collecting this on your behalf at the DPRK consulate in Beijing. You will receive this paper card at the meeting point on the day of your departure.
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FAQ
Do I need to send my physical passport?
No, you need to send a completed visa application form (online), a passport scan and a passport-style photo. Your North Korean visa will be issued on a separate paper card and will be given to you on the day of departure.
I have a South Korean stamp on my passport - will this cause a problem?
No, the DPRK authorities do not care if you have visited South Korea before, so having a stamp on your passport won't cause any problems.
Does visiting North Korea affect travel to other countries?
No. Visiting North Korea will not affect your travel to any other country. Your North Korean visa is also issued on a separate visa card, not on your passport. Your passport will not be stamped when you enter or exit the DPRK.
However, the United States has introduced travel restrictions on foreign nationals who have visited North Korea. The US government announced that anyone who has been to North Korea since March 2011 would no longer qualify for ESTA (the visa-free entry scheme used by citizens of many countries). Previously, North Korea was not on this list, and there was no announcement in advance that it would be added. This means that people from countries that are normally eligible for the Visa Waiver Program using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will now have to apply for a U.S. visa to visit the United States if they have visited North Korea since 2011.
Can I still visit the United States after visiting North Korea?
Yes. As mentioned above, after visiting North Korea, you can still travel to the United States. However, you will need a US visa.
After my North Korean visa is approved, do I need further travel documentation?
All you need to enter North Korea is your passport and your North Korean visa. You will receive three immigration forms that you need to fill out on your flight or train.
Can I enter any time during the period of the visa?
No. Your date of entry and port of entry must strictly reflect that shown on your North Korean visa. You can't join your scheduled tour late.
Once I am in North Korea, am I free to go where I want?
No, tourists are not allowed to travel around openly, so at any time other than at the hotel, you will be accompanied by 2 guides and a driver, no matter how many travellers in your group. Please remember that this is not a policy set by a travel company, but by higher powers, and there is no way around that. Any efforts to sneak away from the guides will have serious consequences for them and for you.
What's better, a group tour or a private tour of North Korea?
All of this depends on you. A lot of people shy away from the idea of group tours, but actually the truth is that it's the cheapest way to visit North Korea, and it's actually a lot of fun to travel with a group of like-minded people. In addition, all of our group tours are accompanied by one of the western staff member who is DPRK experts and adds real value to the tour.
Independent tours are more expensive but have the added benefit that you can choose your own travel dates and the itinerary will be designed to suit your needs. You also get to fit in more as you can get around the sites faster, and some people also like the fact that you've got a lot more one-on-one time with the guide.
Please remember that there's nothing you can do on an independent tour that can't be done on a group tour.
I am a dual citizen, can I get a visa to North Korea?
If you are a dual citizen of South Korea or the US, you can register your North Korean visa with your second nationality unless it is South Korean or the US.
Can I go to North Korea after South Korea?
Yes. Having a South Korean visa and/or an entry and exit stamp from South Korea in your passport is not a problem If you are living in South Korea with a South Korean residence or a study/work permit you can visit the DPRK.
Blogs About North Korea (DPRK) That Might Inspire You to Visit
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