Netherlands to North Korea visa requirements

Yes, a Netherlands passport holder needs a visa for North Korea (DPRK) — and there is currently no way to obtain one as a tourist. North Korea has never offered visa-free, eVisa, or visa-on-arrival entry to Dutch nationals, and as of mid-2026 it remains closed to Western and European tourists (only Russian nationals are being admitted). When tourism is open, the DPRK tourist visa can only be arranged through a state-approved tour operator on a guided group tour. The Dutch government rates North Korea RED: do not travel under any circumstances. North Korea is not in the Schengen Area, so the 90/180 short-stay rule and ETIAS do not apply. A Dutch ordinary passport holder always requires a visa to enter the DPRK; there is no visa-free, eVisa, ETA, or visa-on-arrival option. Independent travel is prohibited — every tourist must book a fully guided tour through a North Korea-approved tour operator (e.g. Koryo Tours, Young Pioneer Tours), which submits the visa application on the traveller's behalf, typically to the DPRK embassy in Beijing. The result is usually a sticker visa or a separate tourist card (so the entry is not stamped in the passport), valid for a single entry and a stay of about 30 days, tied to the dates of the booked tour. Crucially, as of June 2026 North Korea has not reopened to Western or European tourists following its January 2020 COVID border closure: only Russian nationals are currently permitted on limited arrangements, and standard tourist visas are not being issued to Dutch citizens. The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives North Korea its highest (red) warning — do not travel — citing the risk of arbitrary arrest, long imprisonment or forced labour, the death penalty for drug offences, very poor healthcare, and the fact that the Netherlands has no embassy in Pyongyang (the embassy in Seoul cannot provide consular assistance inside the DPRK). Travellers should treat this route as effectively closed until tour operators confirm a reopening.