The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against all but essential travel to North Korea (DPRK)
Travel to North Korea is subject to entry restrictions
- All air and train routes into and out of North Korea were temporarily suspended with effect from 31 January 2020
See Entry requirements for more information before you plan to travel.
Preparing for your return journey to the UK
If you’re returning to the UK from overseas, you will need to:
Check our advice on foreign travel during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and sign up for email alerts for this travel advice.
If you’re planning travel to North Korea, find out what you need to know about coronavirus there in the Coronavirus section.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover. See the FCDO’s guidance on foreign travel insurance.
For information about COVID-19 vaccines, see the Coronavirus page.
Few British people visit North Korea. Those that do are usually part of an organised tour. If you decide to visit North Korea, follow the advice of your tour group and the local authorities. Failure to do so could put your personal safety at risk.
Offences that would be considered trivial in other countries can incur very severe penalties in North Korea, particularly actions the authorities deem to be disrespectful towards the North Korean leadership or government. A Japanese national visiting North Korea, as part of an organised tour group, was detained on 5 August 2018 on unspecified grounds before being released and deported on 28 August 2018. An Australian student resident in Pyongyang was detained in June 2019 before being released in July. See Local laws and customs
Some foreign nationals have not been granted access to consular support when detained in North Korea.
In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the North Korean government announced that all air and train routes into and out of North Korea were temporarily suspended with effect from 31 January 2020. Consular support is not available from within North Korea as the British Embassy in Pyongyang has been temporarily closed due to travel restrictions put in place by the DPRK government in response to the pandemic. Limited remote consular support is available by calling (+44) (0)207 008 5000.
While daily life in the capital city Pyongyang may appear calm, the security situation in North Korea can change with little notice and with no advance warning of possible actions by the North Korean authorities. This poses significant risks to British visitors and residents.
You should follow the political and security situation very closely and stay in touch with your host organisation or tour operator.
The level of tension on the Korean peninsula grew considerably in 2017 due to a series of North Korean nuclear and missile tests. On 21 April 2018, North Korea announced a halt to nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile testing, but since May 2019, has carried out a number of other missile tests. These include the testing of submarine launched and short range ballistic missiles, which DPRK tested most recently in March 2020.
Since the start of 2018, there has been renewed direct contact between the North and South Korean governments, and between North Korea and the United States. On 12 June 2018, US President Donald Trump met North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. In a joint statement, North Korea reaffirmed its previous commitment to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. The Panmunjom Declaration, signed at an inter-Korean summit on 27 April 2018, included a number of commitments to build inter-Korean ties and reduce military tensions. A second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un, in Hanoi on 27 to 28 February 2019, ended without agreement. A further meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un took place on 30 June 2019 at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas, in which the two agreed that working-level negotiations would resume within weeks.
In the past, similar periods of diplomatic engagement have failed to be sustained. This has led to further missile or nuclear tests and a return to instability in the region. Tensions usually rise around the time of South Korean-US military exercises, notably those regularly held in spring and autumn. See Political situation
Flooding is common in the rainy season (July to August). See Natural disasters
We’re no longer asking people to register with us before travel. Our foreign travel checklist and crisis overseas page suggest things you can do before and during foreign travel to plan effectively and stay safe. You can also sign up to our email alert service to be notified about future updates to this travel advice.
Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in North Korea, attacks can not be ruled out. See Terrorism
The standards and availability of medical facilities in North Korea are very poor. Take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before you travel. See Health
