Arrival in North Korea / a few concerns

Hi there,

I’d like to visit North Korea after the summer, coming from China.

After watching a few videos, I’ve got some doubts and was hoping for some firsthand experiences:

- Do they really confiscate passports on arrival? - Do they also keep our phones?

And about medications—are there any limits? Do we need documentation or special precautions? Is there a risk they might be confiscated on arrival? (This treatment is vital for me.)

Thanks in advance for your help! !

hi there, the country is closed until further notice. but back in 2018: -your passport is handed over to the authorities until you leave the country. -phones are allowed, though they won’t have any signal anyway. they might check your photos when you leave. -make sure to bring prescriptions for any medication. only take what you need and leave the rest with the agency in China. I’ve been there four times.

Hi there,

It seems like there have been some recent reopenings, but they were brief, without follow-up, or local. You’ve been there four times? And such repeated visits didn’t raise any suspicion? Which passport did you travel with?

Michel

Thanks.

hi, there was a recent opening but it closed again after a month. no suspicion after 4 trips (2012+2014+2016+2018), a Dutch guy I met was on his 11th trip. but mostly it's Chinese visitors. French passport. you have to go through an approved agency, preferably a Chinese one—it's cheaper.

you're welcome. I'm waiting for the reopening...

I went once just to see, and I don’t regret it, but going four times and eagerly waiting to go back—that’s beyond me. Anyway, to answer the initial questions and based on my experience taking the train from Dandong: - your passport *is* effectively "confiscated" - not your phone, but you have to register it on a list with all your electronic devices - when leaving the country (still by train to China), every device on the list is carefully checked, and any incriminating photos or videos are deleted (basically, all photos showing emaciated or poorly dressed North Korean citizens). My group spent 2 hours at the border post. Of course, there’s always a way to hide photos in a phone folder—it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the risk.

Thanks.