North Korea duty-free allowance

What arriving travelers can bring into North Korea without paying duty — from official customs guidance.

Alcohol

No set limit

reasonable personal amounts

Full rule

No published numeric allowance - alcohol may be brought in for personal use in reasonable quantities; tour operators report it is rarely questioned

Tobacco

No set limit

no published quota

Full rule

No published numeric allowance - cigarettes for personal use (and as gifts for guides) are customary and tolerated in reasonable quantities

Goods & gifts

None published

electronics counted in and out

Full rule

No published goods/gift value threshold; all electronics are itemized and counted on the arrival declaration form and must leave the country with you

Cash · declare from

Declare all

foreign cash on arrival · won banned

Full rule

Foreign currency import/export unrestricted but must be declared on arrival; North Korean won may NOT be imported or exported at all - wallets are sometimes checked on exit

Depends on: none published

Good to know

DPRK publishes no traveler allowance schedule; no official customs page is reachable (naenara portal is intermittent), so everything here is from established travel guides and specialist tour operators - treat as indicative only. Arrival quirks dominate: GPS units, satellite phones and drones prohibited (phone/camera GPS must be disabled, phones historically deposited at customs); lenses over 250mm banned; religious texts, media about either Korea, and Korean-language or current-affairs publications risk confiscation. Tourism access itself remains restricted post-2020 (limited reopening via Rason); rules are enforced at officer discretion

The official customs site was unreachable when checked (2026-08-01) — figures rest on a reputable secondary source ·source · Guidance, not law — allowances change and the customs officer has the final say. Verify before you fly.

Sending something to North Korea?

Travelers on Airlo carry parcels on routes they're already flying — declared, inspected, and within allowances. No platform fees.

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