A unique East Asian nation with a distinct cultural identity and a landscape of mountains and coastlines.
North Korea occupies the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, featuring both mountainous terrain and coastal areas. Pyongyang serves as the central reference point in this Korean-speaking nation.
3 source-backed travel advisories are available for North Korea.
Avoid all travel
Avoid all travel to North Korea due to the risk of arbitrary detention and the uncertain security situation caused by its nuclear weapons development program and highly repressive regime. There is no resident Canadian government office in North Korea. Sweden is Canada’s protecting power in North Korea. The ability of Canadian officials to provide consular assistance in North Korea is extremely limited.
FCDO advises against all but essential travel
Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). FCDO advises against all but essential travel to North Korea. The level of tension on the Korean Peninsula remains high. While daily life in the capital city, Pyongyang, may appear calm, the security situation in North Korea can change quickly with no advance warning about possible actions by the authorities. This poses significant risks to British visitors and residents. See Safety and security.
Do not travel
Do not travel to North Korea due to wrongful detention and other risks. Do not travel to North Korea due to the continuing serious risk of arrest, long-term detention, and the threat of wrongful detention of U.S. citizens. Do not travel to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for any reason.
Review the information on how to apply for the special validation. Because the U.S. government does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, it cannot provide direct help to U.S. citizens in North Korea in emergencies. Sweden serves as the U.S. protecting power in North Korea through its Embassy in Pyongyang and provides limited consular services to U.S. citizens.
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