North Korea
Democratic People's Republic of Korea · Eastern Asia
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK, is the world's most isolated country and has usually been referred to as the "Hermit Kingdom". It's on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, which has been divided between North and South Korea since the 1950s.
Guide content adapted from the Wikivoyage article "North Korea". Source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Weather
Live15°C
Clear sky · feels like 14°C
- 90%
- 12 km/h
- AQI 26
- SunMainly clear14° / 20°
- MonOvercast15° / 20°
- TueOvercast15° / 22°
- WedOvercast13° / 22°
Measured at the country centroid, not a specific city.
Money
No exchange rate published for this currency.
What a trip to North Korea costs
Visas, flights, beds, food and everything in between, priced for your party and your dates. Every line shows its own arithmetic, so you can disagree with the parts you know better than we do.
Your trip
8 days on the ground
Estimated cost
$4,278
$2,139 per person · $267 per person per day
- $100
Visa & entry
$50 × 2 — typical tourist visa or eVisa fee
- $1,855
Flights
$928 return × 2 · 8,485 km
- $941
Accommodation
$134/night × 7 nights × 1 room · Standard
- $480
Food & drink
$30/person/day × 8 days × 2
- $192
Local transport
$12/person/day × 8 days × 2
- $24
SIM & internet
$12 per person, once × 2
- $320
Attractions
$20/person/day × 8 days × 2
- $50
Travel insurance
$3/person/day × 8 days × 2
- Subtotal
- $3,962
- Miscellaneous (8%)
- $317
- Total
- $4,278
Budget at a glance
Per day
$535
Per person
$2,139
Family of 4
$8,557
7 days
$4,278
14 days
$6,279
30 days
$10,851
The 7, 14 and 30-day figures re-price the whole trip at that length — flights and visas do not repeat, so a month is far from four times a week.
A planning estimate, not a quote — ground costs are modelled from a cost tier for North Korea, not scraped from live inventory. Your settings are saved to this device.
Entry requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of North Korea’s current rules for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in North Korea set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the North Korean Embassy in the UK.
Email: prkinfo@yahoo.com
Telephone: 020 8992 4965
Tourists can normally only travel to North Korea as part of an organised tour. Independent travellers will need a sponsor and permission from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
COVID-19 rules
North Korea’s borders have been closed to general entry since the government imposed COVID-19 border restrictions in 2020. To check the latest restrictions and testing requirements, contact the North Korean Embassy in the UK.
Passport validity requirements
Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements, including for China if you are travelling through China. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
Dual nationals
When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.
Visa requirements
You must have a visa to enter North Korea.
Applying for a visa
Send visa applications and enquires directly to the North Korean Embassy in the UK.
Email: prkinfo@yahoo.com
Telephone: 020 8992 4965
Vaccine requirements
To enter North Korea, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s North Korea guide.
Registering with the authorities
You must be registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if your visit is for more than 24 hours. Most hotels will complete this process on your behalf.
Some hotels may insist on full cash payment in advance when you check in.
Customs rules
You can bring a foreign mobile phone into the country, but you must register it at the border. There is no connectivity to international or domestic mobile networks from within North Korea using an international SIM card.
You must leave any Global Positioning System technology with North Korean customs. You can collect your devices when you leave North Korea.
Avoid bringing books or other written material in the Korean language, including anything with religious content. Consider carefully any films or television programmes that you bring into the country, either on DVD or on data storage devices. Customs officers will confiscate any literature or media deemed to have an anti-government message or deemed subversive or pornographic. There could be further severe penalties including imprisonment.
The North Korean authorities also impose restrictions and harsh penalties on their own citizens if they are found in possession of foreign media.
There have been cases of travel guides being confiscated at the airport on arrival and given back on departure.
Taking money into and out of North Korea
It is illegal to import or export the North Korean currency – won. There are no restrictions on importing and exporting foreign currency, but you must declare it at customs.
Shops and restaurants list their prices in won, but usually charge foreign nationals in foreign currency. They convert the won price using official exchange rates.
The US dollar and the euro are the most widely accepted currencies, although some places accept Chinese yuan (‘Renminbi’).
Credit cards and international mobile payments are not accepted.
Source: UK FCDO, published 2025-12-10 under the Open Government Licence.
Getting help
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.
Contact your travel provider and insurer
Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.
Refunds and changes to travel
For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.
Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:
- where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
- how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim
Support from FCDO
FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:
- finding help and services in North Korea
- getting help if you’re a victim of crime
- what to do if you’re in hospital
- if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack
Contacting FCDO
Help abroad
See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency.
Help in the UK
You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.
Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)
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