Is It Safe to Travel to North Korea?Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel: governments change them often, sometimes weekly.
The US rates North Korea Level 4 (Do not travel). The UK advises against all but essential travel to the whole of North Korea. Canada advises avoiding all travel.
The governments disagree: the strictest advice comes from the US and Canada (level 4), the mildest from the UK (level 3).
The three advisories side by side
US Department of State
4Level 4“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.”
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
3Level 3“Advises against all but essential travel to the whole country”
“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.”
Government of Canada
4Level 4“Avoid all travel”
“Natural disasters and climate section – added information on El Niño”
Why the advice differs
Each government uses its own scale. The US and Canada each have four levels for the whole country. The UK only states whether it advises against travel to the whole country or to parts of it. We place all three on a common 1 to 4 scale (see below); the scales are not identical, so the same level can mean slightly different things.
Specific areas with stricter advice are named by: US. A country-wide level can stay low while one region carries a stricter warning.
The advisories were last updated on different dates: US 28 April 2025, UK 10 December 2025, Canada 15 October 2026. An older advisory may not reflect recent events.
Regions with stricter warnings
These are the governments’ own words. We do not add or change any region names.
Do not travel to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for any reason.
Source: US Department of State, updated 28 April 2025.
What the levels mean
TravelDecl places each government’s advice on a common 1 to 4 scale so the three can be compared. The wording in each column is the government’s own.
| Level | Meaning | US | UK | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Level 1 | Normal precautions | Level 1: Exercise normal precautions | No advice against travel | Exercise normal security precautions |
| 2Level 2 | Increased caution | Level 2: Exercise increased caution | Advises against travel to parts of the country | Exercise a high degree of caution |
| 3Level 3 | Reconsider or avoid non-essential travel | Level 3: Reconsider travel | Advises against all but essential travel to the whole country | Avoid non-essential travel |
| 4Level 4 | Do not travel | Level 4: Do not travel | Advises against all travel to the whole country | Avoid all travel |
Related
- Do I need an International Driving Permit in North Korea?
- How to get citizenship of North Korea
- Travel advisories for every country
Questions
What level is the North Korea travel advisory?
The US rates North Korea Level 4 (Do not travel). US advisory updated 28 April 2025. The UK advises against all but essential travel to the whole of North Korea. UK advisory updated 10 December 2025. Canada advises avoiding all travel. Canadian advisory updated 15 October 2026.
Does the UK advise against travel to North Korea?
Yes. The UK advises against all but essential travel to the whole of North Korea. UK advisory updated 10 December 2025.
Is North Korea safe for tourists?
TravelDecl does not give its own verdict. Here is what the governments say: The US rates North Korea Level 4 (Do not travel). The UK advises against all but essential travel to the whole of North Korea. Canada advises avoiding all travel. Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel.
Check the official advisory on the day you travel. Each card above links to it.
Sources and methodology
- US Department of State: travel advice for North Korea, updated 28 April 2025. US Department of State: public domain (US Government work).
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for North Korea, updated 10 December 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Government of Canada: travel advice for North Korea, updated 15 October 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Levels on the common 1 to 4 scale are mapped from each government’s own rating: US levels 1 to 4 as published; UK: no advice against travel = 1, against travel to parts = 2, against all but essential travel to the whole country = 3, against all travel to the whole country = 4; Canada: its four risk levels in order. We do not combine them into a single score.
Advisories checked 9 November 2026. This page has not yet been checked by hand.