North Korea Travel Advisory 2026

Current U.S. State Department advisory

Level 4: Do Not Travel

The highest advisory level: do not travel due to life-threatening risks. The U.S. government may have very limited ability to help. Advisory as of April 28, 2025.

Official source: travel.state.gov

US vs UK: how the advice compares

🇺🇸 United States — travel.state.gov

Level 4· Do Not Travel

Level 4 of 4 · as of April 28, 2025

🇬🇧 United Kingdom — FCDO (GOV.UK)

Advises against all but essential travel

Last updated December 10, 2025 · gov.uk advice

Latest UK update note: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”

See all countries where the two governments disagree on the US vs UK comparison page.

Advisory level timeline

April 28, 2025 — current
Level 4: Do Not Travel
Latest official advisory as captured in our snapshot.
No advisory level changes recorded for North Korea since we began tracking in July 2026. We log every future change here, with dates and official change notes.

Is North Korea safe? What the official advisory says

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.

U.S. passports cannot be used to travel to, in, or through the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) unless they are specially validated for such travel by the Secretary of State.
Special validations are granted only in very limited circumstances. 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. Additionally, the North Korean government has often delayed or denied Swedish officials access to U.S. citizens who are detained.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). This is due to the risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of North Korea.
For more information U.S. citizens should consult the Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices .

Condensed from the official State Department advisory of April 28, 2025 — read the full advisory before you travel.

North Korea travel advisory FAQ

What is the current travel advisory level for North Korea?

As of April 28, 2025, the U.S. State Department rates North Korea at Level 4: Do Not Travel. The highest advisory level: do not travel due to life-threatening risks. The U.S. government may have very limited ability to help.

What does Level 4 mean?

Level 4 (Do Not Travel) — The highest advisory level: do not travel due to life-threatening risks. The U.S. government may have very limited ability to help.

When did the North Korea travel advisory last change?

The current advisory was published on April 28, 2025. No level changes have been recorded since we began tracking in July 2026 — this page will log every future change.

Does the UK government agree with the US advisory for North Korea?

The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) position: Advises against all but essential travel (last updated December 10, 2025). The US and UK use different systems — the US assigns a 1–4 level, while the UK either advises against travel (entirely or in part) or issues no overall warning.