🇰🇵 Is North Korea safe to visit?
Daily safety index from official government advisories, plus the consular map of North Korea: 14 diplomatic missions from 12 countries, local emergency numbers and language essentials.
Updated Nov 14, 2026 · Composite index recalculated daily from official government advisories.
What official sources say
Levels are normalized to Telcomia's 1–4 scale. Always read the full official advisory at the source.
What to know before traveling to North Korea
Drawn from the linked official advisories — always check the full text at the source.
Trip essentials
- Avoid non-essential travel to North Korea due to high tension on the Korean Peninsula
- Borders have been closed since 2020 COVID restrictions; limited tourism has restarted but not all passenger routes
- British Embassy in Pyongyang remains closed; UK government support is severely limited for visitors
- Organised tours are the typical way British nationals visit; follow tour operator and local authority guidance
- Passport with at least 6 months validity required; visa mandatory for both tourism and business
- Entry and exit only through authorised border crossings; foreigners attempting other routes have been arrested or shot
- Only current entry/exit routes are via China and Russia; entry requirements for both countries must also be met
Risk areas and situations
- Security situation across North Korea can shift rapidly without any prior warning from authorities
- Pyongyang may appear calm day-to-day but does not reflect the broader unpredictable security environment
- Inter-Korean relations remain highly tense with constant risk of border incidents
- Walking at night is inadvisable due to near-total absence of street lighting
- No crime statistics exist for North Korea, making risk assessment extremely difficult
Local laws and customs
- North Korean authorities have detained foreign nationals for alleged local law violations and blocked consular access
- Photography strictly forbidden at military sites, airports, train stations, ports, bridges and security-sensitive locations
- Avoid photographing official portraits of North Korean leaders; disrespectful behaviour toward them can lead to arrest
- Unauthorised political or religious activity, or public negative remarks about the government, military or economy, risk detention and prosecution
- Possession of material deemed subversive by authorities, including religious texts such as Bibles, is prohibited
Health
- No mandatory vaccinations required for entry
- Malaria prevention treatment type I is recommended
Embassies and consulates in North Korea
14 diplomatic missions from 12 countries, across 2 cities.
| Nationality | Missions | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 2 | Chongjin, Pyongyang |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 2 | Chongjin, Pyongyang |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇫🇷 France | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 1 | Pyongyang |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 1 | Pyongyang |
The full directory — addresses, phone numbers and locations on the map — is available in the Telcomia app.
Local language
The main local language in North Korea is Korean. The Telcomia app includes 16 emergency phrases in Korean, with audio, ready to play when you need them.
See the 16 emergency phrases in KoreanTraveling to North Korea?
Stay connected from the moment you land: prepaid eSIM data plans for North Korea, delivered instantly, with the Telcomia safety layer included.
Frequently asked questions
Is North Korea safe to visit right now?
The Telcomia Safety Index for North Korea is 3.5/4 (Do not travel, level 4 of 4) as of Nov 14, 2026. It is a composite of official advisories from Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, recalculated daily.
How many embassies are there in North Korea?
Telcomia tracks 14 diplomatic missions from 12 countries in North Korea, across 2 cities. The full directory with addresses and phone numbers is in the Telcomia app.
Informational only
This page is general information, not a substitute for official government travel advice. Conditions can change quickly — always check your own government's latest advisory before and during your trip.
Advisory levels summarize official sources: Spain's MAEC, the UK FCDO (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0) and the U.S. Department of State (public domain). Follow the links above for the full official text.