Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements U.S. passports are not valid for travel into, in, or through the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea) due to the serious and mounting risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. citizens in North Korea.
Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.
Do not travel to North Korea due to the continuing serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals. Exercise increased caution to North Korea due to the critical threat of wrongful detention.
In principle, any person is allowed to travel to North Korea; only South Koreans and journalists are routinely denied, although there have been some exceptions for journalists.
This is a common misconception especially for westerners. The only nationalities restricted from travel to North Korea are tourists travelling on South Korean (Republic of Korea) and United States of America (USA) passports. All other nationalities are legally allowed to visit the DPRK.
It's illegal for North Koreans to leave their country without the government's permission. North Koreans who do attempt to leave the country illegally and are caught can face severe consequences including torture, forced labor, and life-imprisonment in a political prison camp.
If despite our advice, you travel to North Korea, you'll need a visa for all types of travel. North Korea doesn't have an embassy or consulate in Australia.
North Korea has an adequate telephone system, with 1.18 million fixed lines available in 2008. However, most phones are only installed for senior government officials. Someone wanting a phone installed must fill out a form indicating their rank, why they want a phone, and how they will pay for it.
Freedom of movement. North Korean citizens usually cannot freely travel around the country, let alone travel abroad. Emigration and immigration are strictly controlled.
Generally speaking, North Korea isn't safe and some governments advise their citizens against traveling to this country. If you're already in North Korea and if you don't abide by its strict rules, you can be faced with imprisonment, torture, and death.
Such marriages are becoming increasingly common in South Korea. More than 70% of the 33,000 North Koreans who have fled to South Korea are women. There are no official numbers on how many North Koreans have married South Korean men.
Americans in North Korea consist mainly of defectors and prisoners of war during and after the Korean War, as well as their locally born descendants. Additionally, there are occasional tours and group travel which consists of Americans via train or plane from China, some with temporal lodging and stay.
Seven American servicemen are known to have defected to North Korea after the war: Larry Allen Abshier (1962) James Joseph Dresnok (1962) Jerry Wayne Parrish (1963)
The Cuban Assets Control Regulations, amended many times, impose a trade embargo on Cuba and don't allow Americans to visit Cuba as tourists.
Internet access is available in North Korea, but is only permitted with special authorization. It is primarily used for government purposes, and also by foreigners. The country has some broadband infrastructure, including fiber optic links between major institutions.
U.S. passports are valid for travel to Iran. However, the Iranian government does not recognize dual nationality and will treat U.S.-Iranian dual nationals solely as Iranian citizens.
If you reside in a country with diplomatic relations with the DPRK, ask the DPRK embassy in that country for visa advice. If you try to enter North Korea without required travel documents: you may be denied entry, fined, detained, arrested, or imprisoned.
Avoid all travel to North Korea due to the uncertain security situation caused by its nuclear weapons development program and highly repressive regime.
Long-term visa holders residing in South Korea must apply for a re-entry permit before leaving South Korea. If you leave South Korea without a re-entry permit, your Alien Registration Card may be cancelled and you'll need to apply for a new long-term visa to enter.
Nowadays there are many more bars, coffee shops, and even pizza joints popping up in Pyongyang. But the one true staple of North Korean nightlife preceded even Young Pioneer Tours, and that is the Taedong Diplomatic Club, AKA “The Diplo”.
If the defectors are caught in China, they are repatriated back to North Korea, where rights groups say they often face harsh interrogations and years of punishment, or even death, in kwalliso prison camps (such as the Pukch'ang camp), or in kyohwaso reeducation camps (such as the Chungsan camp or Chongo-ri camp).
All non-satellite mobile phones can be brought in: including all conventional Smartphones such as the iPhone VI. All mobile electronic devices will be inspected and logged, but you will be permitted to keep them for the duration of your trip. You will not however be able to use them in North Korea.
In general, you can take photos freely in North Korea. However, there are a few points to keep in mind. – Always ask permission before taking a photo of a person.
Do North Koreans have cars? The very quick answer to this question is yes, North Koreans have cars, and North Koreans drive. But, and like most things about the DPRK, there are some interesting parts to the story!