North Korea digital nomad visa & residency (2026)

There is no dedicated digital-nomad or remote-work visa and no freelance/self-employed long-stay route; the only visas issued to most foreigners are short tourist visas arranged through a state-registered tour operator, not granted for independent residence or work.

Independent travel is prohibited; all tourists must be accompanied by North Korean guides on tours arranged by an authorized operator, with visas issued on a separate slip rather than stamped in the passport.

Borders have been mostly shut to foreign tourists since January 2020; a brief Rason SEZ reopening in Feb-Mar 2025 was suspended, and Russian nationals have been the only group regularly admitted, so no stable visitor base exists for relocators.

North Korea rarely permits foreign nationals to settle; long-term presence is essentially confined to diplomats, humanitarian/aid personnel, and a small number of specialist workers admitted through a lengthy government approval process tied to a sponsoring entity.

There is no residency-by-investment or golden-visa program; the state does not offer residency in exchange for capital, and there is no published investor-immigration framework.

U.S. passports are invalid for travel to, in, or through the DPRK without a special State Department validation, and the absence of open internet access for foreigners makes ordinary remote work infeasible even if entry were granted.