Visa requirements for North Korean citizens explained

Visa requirements for North Korean citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of North Korea by the authorities of other states.

As of 2024, North Korean citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 42 countries and territories, ranking the North Korea passport 99th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.^[1]

Visa requirements

Country	Visa requirement	Allowed stay	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Afghanistan
Albania	^[2]
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia		120 days
	^[3]		May apply online (Online Visitor e600 visa).
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh		30 days
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize			Bearers of valid visas issued by a Schengen Member State are visa exempt for a maximum stay of 90 days.
	^[4]	30 days	Must have an international vaccination certificate.
Bhutan	^[5]
	^[6]	30 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana	^[7]	3 months
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso	^[8]
Burundi		1 month
Cambodia		30 days
Cameroon	^[9]
Canada
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
			Visa is not required for passports endorsed for public affairs or for official trip.
Colombia	^[10]
Comoros		45 days
	^[11]	7 days
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire	^[12]	3 months	e-Visa holders must arrive via Port Bouet Airport.
Croatia
Cuba		90 days	Can be extended up to 90 days with a fee.
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Djibouti	^[13]	90 days
Dominica		21 days
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea	^[14]
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia	^[15]		Credit card payment transactions are not accepted when applying for e-Visa.
Fiji
Finland
Gabon	^[16]	90 days	e-Visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport.
Gambia
Georgia	^[17]	30 days
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea	^[18]	90 days
Guinea-Bissau		90 days
Guyana	^[19]	90 days
Haiti		3 months
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
	^[20]	30 days
Iraq
Ireland
Israel			Confirmation from Israeli Foreign Ministry is required before a visa is issued.
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan	^[21]		Visa can be obtained upon arrival, it will cost a total of 40 JOD, obtainable at most international ports of entry and land border crossings. (except King Hussein/Allenby Bridge)
Kazakhstan	^[22]
Kenya	^[23]	90 days
Kiribati
			Nationals of either Koreas seeking to visit the other must submit the North/South Korea visitation verification certificate and the Departure card to the Immigration Officer at the immigration port and go through immigration inspection.
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan		Unlimited
		30 days
Latvia
Lebanon			In addition to a visa, an approval should be obtained from the Immigration department of the General Directorate of General Security (Sûreté Générale).
Lesotho	^[24]
Liberia
Libya	^[25]
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar		60 days
Malawi	^[26]	90 days
Malaysia
Maldives		30 days
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania			Available at Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport.
Mauritius
Mexico
		30 days
			Citizens holding a residence permit or a valid visa issued by one of the member states of the European Union or one of the parties to the Schengen Agreement can apply for an electronic visa.^[27]
Monaco
Mongolia			Mongolian government will hand over North Korean defectors to the South Korean embassy in Mongolia for "repatriation" to South Korea on the grounds of illegal entry.
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique	^[28]	30 days
Myanmar	^[29]	28 days	e-Visa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports or via land border crossings with Thailand — Tachileik, Myawaddy and Kawthaung or India — Rih Khaw Dar and Tamu. e-Visa available for both tourism (allowed stay is 28 days) or business (allowed stay is 70 days) purposes.
Namibia			Processing time for a visa to Namibia upon 7 working days is mandatory.
Nauru
Nepal	^[30]	90 days
New Zealand			Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority prior to departure.^[31]
Nicaragua		90 days
Niger
Nigeria	^[32]	90 days
Norway
Oman
Pakistan	^[33]	3 months	Online Visa eligible.^[34]
Palau		30 days
Panama
Papua New Guinea	^[35]	60 days
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar	^[36]		Visitors may apply for a visa on the Hayya website.
Romania
	^[37]	16 days
Rwanda	^[38]	30 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines		3 month
Samoa		90 days
San Marino
	^[39]
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles	^[40]	3 months
Sierra Leone	^[41]	3 months
Singapore	^[42]
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands			Pre-arranged visa can be picked up on arrival.
Somalia		30 days
South Africa
	^[43]		Obtainable online. Printed visa authorization must be presented at the time of travel.
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname	^[44]	90 days
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
	^[45]	90 days
	^[46]	60 days	North Korean defectors can enter Thailand without identification and they can travel to South Korea from there.
Timor-Leste		30 days
Togo	^[47]	15 days
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey			Visa can be obtained on arrival by holders of a valid physical visa or residence permit from Schengen or OECD countries.
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu		1 month
Uganda	^[48]	3 months
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates			May apply using 'Smart service'.^[49]
United Kingdom	^[50]
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan	^[51]	30 days
Vanuatu
	^[52]		e-Visa is valid for 90 days and multiple entry.
Yemen
Zambia	^[53]	90 days
Zimbabwe	^[54]	3 months

Territories

Visa requirements for citizens for visits to various territories, disputed areas and restricted zones:

Foreign travel statistics

These are the numbers of visits by North Korean citizens to various countries in 2019 (unless otherwise noted):

Destination	Number of visitors	Year	Ref.
United States	48	2019	^[56]
China	251,000	2018	^[57] ^[58]
Czech Republic	21		^[59]
Germany	117		^[60]
Poland	46		^[61]
Sweden	258		^[62]
	809	2018	^[63]
Ukraine	240	2017	^[64]
	12,494		^[65]

See also

• Visa policy of North Korea
• North Korean passport
• Citizenship in North Korea
• Nationality Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
• List of nationalities forbidden at border

Notes and References

1. Web site: Global Passport Ranking.
2. Web site: Albania eVisa.
3. Web site: Australia Subclass 600.
4. Web site: Benin eVisa.
5. Web site: Bhutan eVisa.
6. Web site: Bolivia Online Visa.
7. Web site: Botswana eVisa.
8. Web site: Burkina Faso eVisa.
9. Web site: Cameroon eVisa.
10. Web site: Colombia Online visa.
11. Web site: DR Congo eVisa.
12. Web site: CI eVisa.
13. Web site: Djibouti eVisa.
14. Web site: Equatorial Guinea eVisa.
15. Web site: Ethiopia eVisa.
16. Web site: Gabon eVisa.
17. Web site: Georgia eVisa.
18. Web site: Guinea eVisa.
19. Web site: Visa entry requirements (countries) . Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana . 15 November 2023.
20. Web site: Iran eVisa.
21. Web site: Jordan E-Services.
22. Web site: Kazakhstan eVisa.
23. Web site: Kenya eTA.
24. Web site: Lesotho eVisa.
25. Web site: Libya eVisa.
26. Web site: Malawi eVisa.
27. Web site: Moldova eVisa.
28. Web site: Mozambique eVisa.
29. Web site: Myanmar eVisa.
30. Web site: Nepal Online Visa.
31. Web site: Information about: Australian Resident Visa . immigration.govt.nz . Immigration New Zealand . May 21, 2020 . Australian citizens and permanent residents can visit, work and live in New Zealand. You do not need a visa before you travel to New Zealand..
32. Web site: Nigeria Immigration Services.
33. Web site: Pakistan Online Visa.
34. Web site: Tourist Visa.
35. Web site: PNG eVisa.
36. Web site: Qatar Hayya.
37. Web site: Russia eVisa.
38. Web site: Rwanda E-Services.
39. Web site: ST eVisa.
40. Web site: Seychelles Electronic Border System.
41. Web site: SIERRA LEONE eVISA.
42. Web site: Singapore E-Services.
43. Web site: South Sudan eVisa.
44. Web site: Suriname eVisa . 2024-01-28 . 2023-03-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307214615/https://suriname.vfsevisa.com/suriname/online/home/index . dead .
45. Web site: Tanzania eVisa.
46. Web site: Thai eVisa.
47. Web site: Togo eVisa.
48. Web site: Uganda eVisa.
49. Web site: UAE Smart Service.
50. Web site: UK eVisa access.
51. Web site: Uzbekistan eVisa.
52. Web site: Vietnam eVisa.
53. Web site: Zambia eVisa.
54. Web site: Zimbabwe eVisa.
55. Web site: Visas For Foreign Citizens - For Kosovo Citizens - Consular Services - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Republic of Kosovo . Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Republic of Kosovo . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130310115928/http://www.mfa-ks.net/?page=2,20 . 2013-03-10.
56. Web site: Nonimmigrant Visas Issued by Nationality (Including Border Crossing Cards): Fiscal Years 2010-2019.
57. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/tourism/2015statistics/inbound.htm China Inbound Tourism in 2015
58. https://www.statista.com/statistics/234149/tourists-in-china-by-country-of-origin/ Most important countries of origin of foreign tourists in China in 2017
59. Web site: 2019 Country-Specific Schengen Visa Statistics . 2021-05-16 . 2021-05-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516151852/https://statistics.schengenvisainfo.com/2019-country-specific-schengen-visa-statistics/ . dead .
60. Web site: 2019 Country-Specific Schengen Visa Statistics . 2021-05-16 . 2021-05-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516151852/https://statistics.schengenvisainfo.com/2019-country-specific-schengen-visa-statistics/ . dead .
61. Web site: 2019 Country-Specific Schengen Visa Statistics . 2021-05-16 . 2021-05-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516151852/https://statistics.schengenvisainfo.com/2019-country-specific-schengen-visa-statistics/ . dead .
62. Web site: 2019 Country-Specific Schengen Visa Statistics . 2021-05-16 . 2021-05-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516151852/https://statistics.schengenvisainfo.com/2019-country-specific-schengen-visa-statistics/ . dead .
63. Web site: White Book of Reunification . 5 April 2019.
64. Web site: Foreign citizens who visited Ukraine in 2017 year, by countries.
65. Web site: Archived copy . 2021-05-16 . 2021-05-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210516170438/https://www.kdmid.ru/opendata/MIDR_10/data-20210310-structure-midr10.csv . dead.