South Korea Visa RequirementsFor North Korea passport holders
Travel from North Korea to South Korea is illegal under both North Korean and South Korean law except in extraordinary officially-sanctioned circumstances. The two countries are in a formal state of war (the Korean War ended in armistice, not a peace treaty). The border is one of the most heavily militarized in the world.
North Korea passport holders require a visa to enter South Korea.
There is no ordinary visa pathway for North Korean citizens to travel to South Korea. Cross-border movement occurs only through: (1) authorized official exchanges during periods of diplomatic engagement; (2) defection, which is not authorized travel but treated as asylum upon arrival in South Korea. North Koreans who successfully reach South Korea via third countries (most commonly China, then Southeast Asia) are processed as South Korean citizens under South Korean law.
Entry Requirements
Passport Validity
6 months beyond date of entry
Blank Pages
2 blank pages required
Multiple Entry
Single entry only
Work Permitted
No - requires work visa
Current Travel Situation
North Korea to South Korea: What You Need to Know
North Korea (DPRK) and South Korea (ROK) have been in a state of armistice since July 1953, technically still at war. The 160-mile-long Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating them is one of the most heavily armed borders on earth. North Koreans who cross the border without authorization face execution or severe punishment in North Korea. South Korea considers North Korean defectors to be South Korean citizens upon arrival, as its constitution claims jurisdiction over the entire Korean peninsula. Periods of inter-Korean rapprochement have seen limited approved travel for family reunions and cross-border economic zones (like Kaesong Industrial Complex), but these are suspended.
How to Get There
North Korean defectors who become South Korean citizens and eventually wish to return to North Korea face extreme complications and danger. Movement between the two Koreas remains essentially frozen.
Money & Banking
North and South Korea do not maintain banking relations. North Korean financial institutions are sanctioned by South Korea, the UN, and Western countries. Financial transactions between the two Koreas are prohibited except under specific authorized inter-Korean cooperation programs.
Practical Tips
North Korean defectors who reach South Korea go through the NAVER screening process at the National Intelligence Service and a resettlement program (Hanawon). They then receive South Korean citizenship and can travel internationally on South Korean passports.