India to North Korea visa requirements

Indian ordinary passport holders need a visa to enter North Korea (DPRK). There is no visa-free, visa-on-arrival, eVisa or ETA channel. The visa can only be obtained through an authorized tour operator as part of a guided tour, and the visa is issued as a separate tourist card (your passport is not stamped). Note: as of June 2026, DPRK tourism is still effectively closed to non-Russian nationals, so practical entry for Indian tourists is currently not available. A holder of an Indian (IN) ordinary passport must obtain a visa before traveling to North Korea (KP); North Korea operates no visa-free, visa-on-arrival, eVisa or electronic travel authorization scheme for Indian tourists. All tourist visits must be arranged through a travel agency registered with the State General Bureau of Tourist Guidance, and every visitor must be part of a guided tour with government-appointed guides at all times; independent travel is not permitted. The tour operator submits the visa application (typically online: application form, passport copy, photo) and the approval comes from DPRK authorities, usually taking several weeks. The visa is normally issued as a tourist card or on a separate sheet of paper rather than stamped into the passport, and is collected from a guide in China or Russia before entering the DPRK. Only South Korean and U.S. passport holders are categorically barred from obtaining a visa; Indian nationals are eligible in principle. However, since the COVID-era border closure in early 2020, general tourism has only briefly and partially reopened (the Rason SEZ opened 20 February 2025 and was suspended again 5 March 2025). As of June 2026, North Korea remains effectively closed to international tourists except Russian nationals, and standard tourist visas for other nationalities, including Indians, are generally not being issued. Travelers should therefore treat this as visa-required and confirm the live status with an authorized operator before making any plans, given the U.S. State Department and most governments strongly advise against all travel to the DPRK.