North Korean passport explained

Document Name:	Democratic People's Republic of Korea passport
Date First Issued:	1950s (first version) 2016 (biometric passport)
Using Jurisdiction:	Immigration Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs General Association of Korean Residents in Japan
Document Type:	Passport
Purpose:	Identification
Eligibility:	North Korean citizenship
Expiration:	5 years

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea passport, commonly referred to as the North Korean passport, is the passport which may be issued to North Korean citizens for international travel. Since the majority of North Koreans do not get opportunities to leave the country, DPRK passports are rarely issued.^[1]

History

The earliest passports of the Korean Peninsula were issued in 1902 by the Korean Empire, with two types, a trading passport and a travel passport. The passports have Korean Hanja text as well as English and French translations.

North Korean passports were first issued in the 1950s with Korean (Chosŏn'gŭl), Russian and Chinese (traditional script) texts, while the current(likely after 2000) passport has Korean (Chosŏn'gŭl) and English only.^[2]

In 2016, North Korea began issuing biometric passports complying to the ICAO 9303 standard.

Physical appearance

DPRK passport covers are navy blue with the Emblem of North Korea emblazoned in the center. The official name of the country "Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국" and "DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA" are inscribed above the emblem, with "Korean: 려권" (ryŏgwon) and "PASSPORT" below.

Passport types

An ordinary passport is a single passport which, after being granted special permission, is handed out to North Koreans who visit foreign countries for official reasons, i.e., sports and academic competitions, business trips. Ordinary passports are taken back by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after returning to North Korea. The cover is navy blue.
An official passport is issued for trade and other economic bureaucrats travelling abroad. The cover is green.
A diplomatic passport is issued to high officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and other subordinate offices of the Workers' Party of Korea. For other bureaucrats, only vice ministers or higher can receive a diplomatic passport. The cover is red.

Official and diplomatic passports must be returned and kept in the passport office, from where it can be retrieved for any further foreign travel. Ordinary passports are never issued without special permission and all holders must apply for an exit visa in order to legally leave the country.

Identity pages

A DPRK Passport includes two identity pages. The first identifies the holder, and includes the following information:

1. Passport number
2. Name in full (in Latin and Korean scripts)
3. Date of birth (YY-MM-DD)
4. Place of birth
5. Nationality (specified as "Korean")
6. Length of the passport validity (five years)
7. Expiry date (YY-MM-DD)
8. Issue date (YY-MM-DD)

The second page is for official endorsements.

Note of passport

The passport contains the following note:

Korean:

English:

External links

Notes and References

Web site: North Korea's passports, and how they use them. Fyodor Tertitskiy. NK News. December 29, 2014. February 2, 2015.
Web site: North Korea's passports, and how they use them. December 29, 2014. North Korea News.